Example: Using chart grouping and page layout options for a basic report

This topic illustrates how you can use the Page layout and the Chart grouping options for a better layout for a basic report.

In this example, consider Paul, a capacity planner, who  works in ACME Corp and wants to get visibility into the capacity utilization of their vCenter Global hosts and share this information with other stakeholders. In order to achieve this goal Paul generates a basic report that includes a set of analyses like a Resource Utilization Overview analysis and analyses for CPU Utilization, Memory Utilization, Disk I/O Rate, Network Traffic and Storage Utilization.

Paul has the option of using the default layout options or choose a different layout that better suits his purpose.

After viewing the results generated by using the default options, Paul changes the Chart grouping and Page layout options of the report and regenerates it. The updated report layout serves Paul's purpose better.

The following sections illustrate how to create and edit a basic report, with emphasis on the Chart grouping and Page layout options:

• • Using layout options while creating a basic report
  • Editing the layout of the report

The following video (2:04) illustrates the process of using the Page layout option for a basic report.

 https://youtu.be/BTWZNnmc784

Using layout options while creating a basic report

1. Select Workspace > All Domains > domainName > Works folder.
   Details of the Works folder for the selected domain are displayed.
2. In the Works table, select Add > Add report.
   The BMC TrueSight Capacity Optimization Report Wizard opens.
3. On the WELCOME screen, click Next.
4. On the CHOOSE TYPE screen, select Basic Report - based on existing Analyses and Models, and click Next.
   
5. On the Add ANALYSES OR MODELS screen, select analyses and models from the Source navigation tree and click Next.
   You can add them to the Selection table using the >> button or by clicking and dragging them to the Selection table.
   In this example, the CPU Utilization, Memory Utilization, Disk I/O Ratio and Network Activity analyses are selected.
   The order in which you select the analyses or models determines their order in will appear in the same order in the report.
   In this example, analyses are selected as shown in the following image:
   
6. On the SCHEDULING screen, select the Page layout. For this example, retain the default layout option  and click Next.
   Based on this layout option, the report will be in generated in a one column, one row format.
   
7.  On the NAME screen, enter a Name and Description for this report and click Next.
   
8. On the SUMMARY screen, click Finish to create the report.
   The report is created and the ACME vCenter Global Host Analyses page lists the analyses and models it contains in the Analyses/models in the report table.
   
9. In the report page, click Run report now at the top of the page. 
   The report generation progress is displayed.
   
   When the report is generated, it is listed in the Results table.
   

To view the report results

In the Results table, click on any format in which you want to open the report. For this example, the PDF format is considered.

The report opens in a new tab of the browser.The table of contents lists the analyses in the order that they are selected while creating the report.

The report groups the items by analyses, and then by entity name, in this case, by system. The items in the report are displayed one after another, in one column, as specified in the Page Layout option, as shown in the following image:

Editing the layout of the report

After Paul generates and views the report, he decides that he wants to view more items together, rather than one after the other. He edits the display of the report using the Page layout option.

1. In the ACME vCenter Global Host Analyses page, click Edit.

2. In the Edit report page, edit the following properties:

   1. Change the Chart grouping option to Group by entity name, then by Analysis/Model.
      This ensures that the charts are grouped first by entity name, and then by analysis or model. A section for each entity is created and all charts, or tables, that refer to the same entity are displayed in a single section.
   2. Change the Page layout option to .
   3. Set the Overview charts page layout option to .
      This option is available only when you set the Chart grouping option to Group by entity name, then by Analysis/Model.
      Overview charts display data from more than one system or business driver.
   4. Set the If a result exists option to Overwrite.

   

3. Click Save.
   Your changes are saved.
   
4. Click Run report now.

5. After the report is generated, in the Results table, click the PDF icon.
   The report PDF opens in a new tab of the browser.
   The layout of the report has changed. The table of contents first lists the Overview Analyses/Models, followed by each entity name, in this case systems, and all analyses of each system are grouped together, as shown in the following image:
   

   The Overview Analyses/Models charts display data for more than one system or business driver. The overview charts display data for each selected analyses for all systems. The charts are displayed in two columns and three rows as specified in the Edit report dialog box, as shown in the following images:

   Overview charts in the basic report	System charts in the basic report

By changing the layout options, Paul can now view the results in a report that is better suited for his purpose. All the analyses charts for CPU Utilization, Memory Utilization, Disk I/O Rate, Network Traffic, Storage Utilization and Resource Utilization for each entity are grouped together and appear on the same page. The page count is also reduced.