Statistics presentation in the NFM-P

Overview

You can view all NFM-P-supported statistics types in a table or graph. A table lists specific values that you can filter and sort. A graph can display multiple statistics counters simultaneously, and helps to identify trends. A graph can also use dual, independently scaled axes that allow an NFM-P operator to visually compare statistics with high numbers, such as throughput statistics, to statistics with very low numbers, such as dropped packet statistics.

You can display statistics for multiple objects in one list, and can export table data or a graph image to a file in multiple formats.

There are two ways to choose the statistics to view in a table or graph.

• bottom-up method—uses the Statistics tab of an object properties form; applies to performance and accounting statistics

• top-down method—uses the NFM-P Statistics Manager; applies to all statistics types

Tabular statistics view

Statistics records for an object are listed on the Statistics tab of the object properties form. Each statistics class in the object drop-down menu corresponds to an NE MIB table or accounting file.

From the Statistics tab, you can use the Collect button to collect on-demand network or server performance statistics, and the Collect All button to collect one on-demand statistics record for each statistic type that the object supports.

Note: On-demand collection is not available for accounting statistics, because accounting statistics are available only after an NE transfers an accounting statistics file to the NFM-P.

You can sort and filter the listed records, for example, to display only the statistics collected during a specific period, and can export the list to a file.

A Properties button on the Statistics tab enables you to view a selected record. Depending on the number and types of counters that a record contains, the counters are displayed on separate tabs of the record properties form. The General tab displays information about the record, for example, the record type and collection time, and the other tabs each display a group of counters, for example, octet-based or packet-based counters, to facilitate finding a specific counter.

Graphical statistics view

NOTICE Service-disruption hazard

When multiple NFM-P clients each have multiple open plotters that display multiple counters, a large volume of statistics is collected from the NEs. If the data for multiple plotters is from one NE, the independent polls of the NE by each plotter may affect performance.

You can use a scope of command role to limit plotter access to specific NFM-P user groups. See the NSP System Administrator Guide for scope of command role information.

The NFM-P Statistics Plotter creates graphs using statistics data. The plotter can display multiple performance, accounting, and server performance statistics simultaneously, using dual Y axes to represent different value scales. The plotter also displays the numerical value of each point on the graph in a table, and can display minimum, maximum, and average values for a plot area. Multiple Statistics Plotter windows can be simultaneously active in one client GUI.

You can use the NFM-P main menu, contextual menu options, or the Plotter button on a form to open the Statistics Plotter and create graphs of real-time or historical statistics. Historical plots use data from previous scheduled collections. Real-time plots collect statistics data while the plotter window is open and plot the data as it is collected.

Note: Historical plots use only statistics data from scheduled collections, not data from on-demand collections.

User-defined plotter profiles specify the plot attributes for a type of object. Plotter profiles are a convenient way to open the same type of plot for different objects of the same type. Right-click menu options for objects in navigation trees and maps open a plotter window for the object and optionally display the plots defined in one or more plotter profiles.

Graphical presentation options

You can plot raw values, and periodic counter values, which the NFM-P calculates by subtracting the previous counter value from the current counter value. In graphical form, periodic data is typically more informative than raw counter data for troubleshooting and trend analysis. You can also plot values such as the following, which provide a more comprehensive view of network activity:

• link utilization

  The NFM-P uses ingress and egress port and channel statistics to calculate utilization values for plotting. Plotted utilization values provide a convenient view of the bandwidth usage.

• throughput data expressed as a flow rate

  When you need to monitor a data flow rate, you can choose to plot normalized counter data, such as the number of octets per second received on a port, using a scale that is appropriate for the flow rate.

• event-based data expressed as a rate

  You can plot normalized event-based counter data, such as the number of received DHCP requests or dropped packets per second.

• matching counter data for the opposite endpoint of a link

  When you create a plot of endpoint data from an object such as a physical or optical link that terminates on a physical port, you can use a button in the plotter window to create a plot of the same data for the opposite endpoint, and create a profile that you can use to automatically plot both endpoints of other links. This function can help to isolate throughput issues.

See Chapter 9, Graphing statistics for information about using the NFM-P Statistics Plotter.