Managing Baselines and Key Performance Indicators

In order to facilitate the detection of abnormalities on your monitored environment, BMC ProactiveNet calculates baselines per parameter (metrics or attributes) based on values collected over a specified period of time to determine a normal operating range. When the collected values for these parameters are out of range, an alert is triggered.

Some parameters are identified by default as Key Performance Indicators and therefore automatically included in the base lining calculation.

Managing baselines

The baseline is the expected normal operating range for a metric or attribute of a monitor.

The baseline is calculated by collecting the values for a monitor’s attributes and metrics over a specified time period and establishing a low baseline value (consisting of the 10th percentile of all the values for a given time period) and a high baseline value (consisting of the 90th percentile of all the values for a given time period), taking a weighted average of these values over time. A higher weight is given to the latest data being factored into the baseline average. The accuracy of the baseline improves over time.

Requirements for baseline generation

For baselines to be generated for an attribute, that abnormality threshold means that the threshold exists and is not suppressed.
Additionally, if the Key Performance Indicator (KPI) mode is active, only those attributes that have an active abnormality threshold and are also KPI attributes will have baselines generated for them.

Absolute thresholds (with "outside baseline") or signature thresholds do not satisfy these requirements.

Managing Key Performance Indicators

The KPI attribute of a parameter can be activated or deactivated manually through the BMC ProactiveNet Administration Console. In this KM, some parameters or attributes have been designated as important indicators of performance (KPIs). We do not recommend that these default settings are modified.

However, advanced users may activate or deactivate KPIs from the BMC ProactiveNet Administration Console.

To add or remove Key Performance Indicator (KPI) attributes for a monitor type

1.	In the Administration Console, from the menu bar, choose Tools > KPI Administration. The KPI Administration dialog box is displayed.

2.	From the Monitor Type list, choose the monitor type for which you want to add or remove KPI attributes. A list of attributes for the selected monitor type is displayed.

3.	In the KPI column for the attributes that you want to add or remove as Key Performance Indicators:

•	select the KPI check box to add the corresponding attribute as a KPI

•	deselect the KPI check box to remove the corresponding attribute from the KPIs for that monitor type

For complete and detailed information on this procedure, please refer to the BMC ProactiveNet documentation available from BMC Web site.

Parameters for which the system by default calculates baselines as well as parameters considered as KPIs are respectively identified by the following icons:

•	Baselining

•

KPI