User Guide - Statseeker Version 3.6

Advanced Reporting Tools

Purpose of this Guide

How to use Statseeker’s Advanced Reporting Tools to graph and report on historical data.

Index

• Introduction to the Advanced Reporting Tools
• Example 1 - Graphing Interface Utilization in one Minute Granularity
• Example 2 - Graphing a Months Data for one Interface
• Example 3 - Graphing a Months Data for Multiple Interfaces
• Example 4 - Reporting on Average Utilization on Multiple Interfaces for a Month During Business Hours
• Example 5 - Reporting on the Maximum one minute Utilization Peak for a Month During Business Hours
• Example 6 - Aggregating Multiple Interfaces

Introduction to the Advanced Reporting Tools

The Advanced Reporting Tools are only available in the Network Infrastructure Monitor – Advanced Console.

The Advanced Reporting Tools are available for the following technology and data types:

• Ping;
• Interfaces;
• Frame Relay (available if there is Frame Relay on the network);
• Network Devices;
• Cisco IPSLA;
• Servers;
• UPS;
• APC UPS.

Two method’s of accessing the Advanced Reporting Tools

1. Direct from the Network Infrastructure Monitor - Advanced Console

Advanced Reporting Tools can be selected directly from the Network Infrastructure Monitor - Advanced Console via the Reporting Tool links. If using this method, it is important to know in advance what objects are to be reported on.

For example:

• Running reports for Primary WAN Links; or
• Running a report for a particular Device/Interface for historical information.

In the examples above, select a specific Group Filter or Device Filter before selecting the appropriate Reporting Tool. This ensures that the list of attributes to be reported on is focused on the information required.

Note: Selecting too many attributes for graphing or reporting may result in the browser not being able to render graphs or display reports.

2. Selecting a Link From Within a Report.

Most reports in Statseeker allow access to an Advanced Reporting Tool by selecting a hyperlink from the ‘Links’ column. For example, selecting a 'Link' in an Interface report will open an Advanced Reporting Tool.

The first column of the Advanced Reporting Tool displays a list of reportable attributes. This list is pre-populated based on the row that was selected from the original report.

The Advanced Reporting Tools are made up of five main sections:

1. Attribute List – a list of all of the Devices/Interfaces/Servers/UPS/Cisco IPSLA transactions to be reported on. This list is pre-populated by either:
   • A group or device filter if the Advanced Reporting Tool was launched from the Network Infrastructure Monitor – Advanced Console, or
   • Attributes relevant to the row from the report where the Advanced Reporting Tool was launched.
2. Time Filter – Used to graph or report data in any time range or interval.
3. General Options – used to choose the:
   • Report Type;
   • Database Type;
   • Interval;

     Note: Great care should be taken in setting the interval. If a long period of time and a small interval are selected, there will be a large number of values in the export and data points in the graphs. For example, if the timeframe was for a week and the interval 1 minute, there would be 10,080 data points produced

   • Aggregate (only available in the Interfaces – Advanced Reporting Tool).
4. Graphing Options – affect how graphs will appear. They have no effect on the reports or exports.
   • Graph Type - include, line, filled, bar, stacked and pie;
   • Pixels Per Value - determines how many pixels wide each of the data values will be;
   • Y Height - the height of the graph in pixels;
   • Y Gridlines - the number of horizontal gridlines on the y-axis;
   • Y Maximum - the Y maximum sets the maximum value on the y axis; ;
   • X Gridlines - the X gridline setting determines if vertical gridlines are displayed along the X axis;
   • Legend - determines if the legend is displayed;
   • Calendar - The Calendar displays the graph in a calendar view with 7 days of data in each row of the calendar. Note: if the Calendar formatting is used, the Interval should be set at a minimum of 15 minutes.
5. Function Buttons:
   • Report;
   • Export;
   • Graph;
   • Clear Filters

Example 1 - Graphing Interface Utilization in one Minute Granularity

1. Launch an interface Advanced Reporting Tool from within an interface report or use appropriate filters on the Network Infrastructure Monitor – Advanced Console to ensure that the interface to be used appears in your interface list;
2. Select a 'Time Filter'. In the example below a specific day and start time is chosen (using Range selections) and a 12 hour duration is set. Users can specify a duration granular to 5 minutes and potentially graph or report 5 x 1 minute data samples;
3. General Options - default to display a Report Type of Utilization and a Database Type of Average, and an Interval of 1 minute - the most granular form. Ideal for this example;
4. Graphing Options – leave as default for most reporting requirements;
5. Select 'Graph'.

Example 2 - Graphing a Months Data for one Interface

1. Launch an Interface Advanced Reporting Tool from within an interface report or use appropriate filters on the Network Infrastructure Monitor – Advanced Console to ensure that the interface to be used appears in your interface list;
2. Select a 'Time Filter'. In the example below a specific month is chosen (using Range selections) and a 1 month duration is set (the default when a Month is selected using a Range);
3. General Options - default to display a Report Type of Utilization and a Database Type of Average, and an Interval of 1 minute - the most granular form.

   NOTE: With a time filter set to display one month of data, there are roughly 44,000 one minute intervals to be reported on. Whilst this can be done, the presentation of this data is not ideal.

   It is recommend that the Interval be changed to:

   • 15 minute intervals – if Users want the data displayed in a calendar format (see Graphing Options and example below), or
   • 1 hour intervals – If Users want the data displayed in one horizontal graph.
4. Graphing Options – as per the above General Options, it is recommended that the calendar check box is selected if the data is to be graphed in 15 minute intervals;
5. Select 'Graph'.

Example 3 - Graphing a Months Data for Multiple Interfaces

1. Select a Group of interfaces from the Network Infrastructure Monitor – Advanced Console;
2. Launch an Interfaces> Reporting Tool and all of the interfaces from the selected Group will appear in the Interfaces list;
3. Select a 'Time Filter'. In the example below a Time Filter Favorite of ‘Last Month’ is used;
4. General Options - default to display a Report Type of Utilization and a Database Type of Average, and an Interval of 1 minute - the most granular form.

   NOTE: With a time filter set to display one month of data, there are roughly 44,000 one minute intervals to be reported on. Whilst this can be done, the presentation of this data is not ideal.

   It is recommend that the interval be changed to:

   • 15 minute intervals – if Users want the data displayed in calendar format graphs(see Graphing Options), or
   • 1 hour intervals – If Users want the data displayed in horizontal graphs (see example below). This method is often better for doing comparisons between different interfaces.
5. Graphing Options – For 1 hour intervals, leave Graphing Options as default for now (see Note under the graph);
6. Select 'Graph';


Note: In the example above the Y scales in the graphs are different. Statseeker automatically adjusts the scales of the graphs to suit the data being presented. In most circumstances this provides the best visibility of data. However, when doing comparisons between different interfaces, it is best to hard set the Y scale of the graphs by adjusting the Y Maximum Value in the Graphing Options section.

If we were using a Report type of Bits Per Second, Bytes, Packets, Errors or Discards then the Y Maximum field is based on volume, and the drop down box containing K,M,G,T,P can be used to report on large numbers. For the Report Type of Utilization the Y Maximum field is a percentage of utilization and the drop down box should be left blank.

7. In the diagram above, the Y Maximum value should be set to accommodate the busiest interface, and should therefore be set to 100 (See example below).

Example 4 - Reporting on Average Utilization on Multiple Interfaces for a Month During Business Hours

1. Select a Group of interfaces from the Network Infrastructure Monitor – Advanced Console;
2. Launch an Interfaces> Reporting Tool and all of the interfaces from the selected Group will appear in the Interfaces list;
3. Select a 'Time Filter'. In the example below a Time Filter Favorite of ‘Last Month’ is used and then business hours, Weekday> Mon to Fri, Time> 8:00 am to 6:00 pm, are selected;
4. General Options - default to a Report Type of Utilization and Database Type of Average. They also default to report in the most granular form, in this case 1 minute intervals. When running Reports this is highly recommended;
5. Graphing Options – as we are running a report, no graphing option changes are required;
6. Select 'Report'.

Example 5 - Reporting on the Maximum one minute Utilization Peak for a Month During Business Hours

1. Select a Group of interfaces from the Network Infrastructure Monitor – Advanced Console;
2. Launch an Interfaces> Reporting Tool and all of the interfaces from the selected Group will appear in the Interfaces list;
3. Select a 'Time Filter'. In the example below a Time Filter Favorite of ‘Last Month’ is used and then business hours, Weekday> Mon to Fri, Time> 8:00 am to 6:00 pm, are selected;
4. General Options - default to a Report Type of Utilization and Database Type of Average. Change the Database Type to Maximum. The General Options also default to report in the most granular form, in this case 1 minute intervals. When running Reports this is highly recommended;
5. Graphing Options – as we are running a report, no graphing option changes are required;
6. Select 'Report'.

Example 6 - Aggregating Multiple Interfaces

Before Aggregation:

1. Select a Group of interfaces from the Network Infrastructure Monitor – Advanced Console;
2. Launch an Interfaces> Reporting Tool and all of the interfaces from the selected Group will appear in the Interfaces list;
3. Select a 'Time Filter'. In the example below a Time Filter favorite of ‘Last Month’ is selected;
4. General Options – Interface Aggregation only works for the Report Types of Bits Per Second and Bytes. Bits Per Second has been selected for this example. The General Options also default to report in the most granular form, in this case 1 minute intervals. For monthly graphs an interval of 1 hour is recommended;

   Note: The Database Types of Average and Total are the only two options available when Aggregating.

5. Graphing Options – leave as default;
6. Select 'Graph'.


Aggregation using the Database Type of 'Average':

7. In addition to the previous configuration, under General Options select the Aggregation check box;
8. Select 'Graph'.


Aggregation using the Database Type of “Total”:

9. In addition to the previous configuration, under General Options change the Database type to Total so the two interfaces are aggregated together as a total rather than an average;
10. Select 'Graph'.