 | The features described on this page are available through the Hyperic HQ Enterprise Subscription |
Working with Baselines
A good baseline is important when evaluating metric data gathered from your resources. By default, Hyperic HQ automatically calculates the baseline values for all dynamic metrics. A baseline value for a metric becomes more accurate as more data is collected. There are a number of parameters that direct HQ on how to calculate the baseline values, including the frequency of calculation, the dataset to consider, and the minimum number of data points to use for calculation. All of these parameters can be configured in the Automatic Baseline Configuration Properties section in the HQ Server Configuration page of HQ documentation. The following details some ways you can use baselines in Hyperic HQ:
Trending Analysis
The most common use of baselining is as a performance management tool for trending analysis. Using Hyperic HQ, you establish and retain the same metric baseline value over a specific period of time, then include the baseline when you chart the current values of the metric. You can then identify trends that will help you to estimate future performance or needs.
Service Level Management
To manage service level agreements, you measure actual performance against agreed upon minimum service level values. Using Hyperic HQ, you specify the acceptable high and low range metric values, then include these range values when you chart the current values of the metric.
Exception Management
A third use of baselining is for monitoring application health (watching for changes in problem indicators), which is a proactive form of fault management. Using Hyperic HQ, you define an alert based on either the baseline, the high, or the low range value. For example, you can set up an alert that triggers when the metric value is more than 25% of the baseline value.
To manually establish a metric baseline
While HQ continually calculates and updates baseline values, there are two ways of manually establishing the baseline values from the actual metric values collected for the specified metric display range. This is especially useful if there were not enough metric data for HQ to automatically calculate the baselines. Once established, Hyperic HQ saves the calculated metric baseline value and uses it each time you chart this metric, regardless of the currently specified display range. Hyperic HQ uses this value until it is automatically recalculated after the specified baseline frequency or is explicitly recalculated.
To establish a metric's baseline based on the currently specified metric display range, start by navigating to the Visibility page of the resource that is collecting that metric and click on the metric data tab. There are two ways to establish the metric's baseline:
- Select the checkboxes next to the metrics whose baseline values you want to set. Click on the
button. This will set the baseline values of those metrics to the LOW, AVG, and PEAK values as displayed. - To set the baseline values individually, click on the metric whose baseline value you want to calculate. The single metric chart page appears. From the Metric Baseline & Expected Range section, click Change Value next to the Baseline, High Range, or Low Range field. You can either accept the calculated value, or simply enter the value that you desire and click on Save Value. The chart is automatically redrawn with the Baseline chart option selected.
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Next Steps
- Get more details about monitoring HQ including how to monitor specific resources in the Monitoring Visibility document.
- Learn about metric data in Managing Metric Data.
- Learn about HQ's charting functionality in Charting Metric Data.
- See how to define alerts using your metrics in Defining Alerts.