Restricting data collection for monitor attributes

Use BMC Helix Operations Management to limit the amount of data that is collected from your infrastructure to a few critical instances or attributes. This feature helps you focus on the data that you're interested in, especially when a large amount of data is being collected.

As a tenant administrator, you can apply filters on specific attributes and stop the data collection for those attributes. You can stop data collection in the following scenarios:

• For all attributes in selected instances
• For selected attributes in all instances
• For selected attributes in selected instances

You can view, create, enable, disable, copy, edit, and delete the monitor attribute filters. that restrict data collection.

As an operator, you can only view the existing monitor attribute filters.

When you create monitor attribute filters, an internal policy is generated in the system. In BMC Helix Operations Management, you can view this policy on the Configuration > Monitor Policies page in the Internal tab.

To restrict monitor attributes from collecting data

1. In the BMC Helix Operations Management console, go to Configuration > Filter Monitor Attribute.
2. Click Create.
3. In the Deactivate Monitor Attribute dialog box, add a name for the filter.
4. In the Agent field, select the PATROL Agent where you want to restrict data collection.
5. In the Monitoring Solution and Monitor Type fields, select the monitoring solution and monitor type.
6. (Not applicable to the SAP monitoring solution) In the Scope field, select Instances or Attributes.
   • If you select Instances, you can choose to restrict data collection from all attributes or just certain attributes in the selected instances.
     
   • If you select Attributes, the data collection is restricted on the selected attributes in all instances of the selected monitor type in the PATROL Agent.
     
7. (SAP monitoring solution only) In the Scope field, select Instances or Attributes.
   • If you select Instances, you can see the available dynamic instances in the list. Select instances to restrict data collection.
     In this case, data collection is restricted on all attributes of the instances that you select.
     
   • If you select Attributes, you can see all attributes on all instances in the list. Select attributes to restrict data collection.
     
8. Click Save.
   You can see the filter on the Filter Monitor Attributes page. The attribute filter is enabled by default.

To confirm stopped data collection

When you create an attribute filter, it is applied to the selected attributes on the selected instances and data collection for the attributes stops immediately. To verify, perform the following steps:

1. Go to Monitoring > Devices.
2. Go to the Device Details page of the PATROL Agent where you applied the filter.
3. From the Monitors tab, go to the monitor that you selected.
4. In the Performance Overview graph, confirm that data for the selected attributes is no longer being collected. 

To view a monitor attribute filter

As an operator, you can view the existing monitor attributes in the system by performing the following steps:

1. In the BMC Helix Operations Management console, go to Configuration > Filter Monitor Attribute .
2. Click the Action menu against an attribute filter and click View. 

To enable or disable a monitor attribute filter

As a tenant administrator, you can enable or disable a monitor attribute filter by performing the following steps. When you create a filter, it is enabled by default. You can disable a filter when you don't want to delete it but you don't want to use it any longer.

1. In the BMC Helix Operations Management console, go to Configuration > Filter Monitor Attribute.
2. Click the three-dotted menu against an attribute filter.
3. Perform one of the following actions:
   • If the filter is disabled, you can see the Enable option. Click Enable.

   • If the filter is enabled, you can see the Disable option. Click Disable.
     If a filter is disabled, it might take a few minutes to enable it.

   • Click Yes on the confirmation message.

Copying a monitor attribute filter

As a tenant administrator, you can copy a monitor attribute filter by performing the following steps. The Copy functionality helps when you have to create monitor attribute filters on several PATROL Agents.

1. In the BMC Helix Operations Management console, go to Configuration > Filter Monitor Attribute.
2. Click the three-dotted menu against an attribute filter and click Copy.
3. In the Deactivate Monitor Attributes dialog box change the filter name.
4. Make other changes as required and click Save.

To edit a monitor attribute filter

As a tenant administrator, you can edit a monitor attribute filter by performing the following steps:

1. In the BMC Helix Operations Management console, go to Configuration > Filter Monitor Attribute.
2. Click the three-dotted menu against an attribute filter and click Edit.
3. Make your changes in the Deactivate Monitor Attributes dialog box and click Save.

To delete a monitor attribute filter

As a tenant administrator, you can delete a monitor attribute filter by performing the following steps:

1. In the BMC Helix Operations Management console, go to Configuration > Filter Monitor Attribute.
2. Click the three-dotted menu against an attribute filter and click Delete.
3. Click Yes on the confirmation message.

Related topic

Defining monitor policies