To create a statistics graph

Steps
 
1 

Perform one of the following:

  1. Use a contextual menu option. Right-click on a map or network navigation tree object and choose Plotter→New Plot or Plotter→profile_name. The Statistics Plotter form opens with a plot entry for the object listed in the configuration panel.

  2. Use the Copy to Clipboard function:

    1. Right-click on a GUI object and choose Copy to Clipboard from the contextual menu, or select an object on a list form and click Copy to Clipboard.

    2. Choose Tools→Statistics→Statistics Plotter→New Plot from the NFM-P main menu. The Statistics Plotter form opens.

    3. Click Paste from Clipboard or right-click in the configuration panel and choose Paste from Clipboard. A plot entry for the object is listed in the configuration panel.

  3. Click Plotter:

    1. Open the properties form for an object.

    2. Click on the Statistics tab.

      Note:

      Objects that are not stored in the NFM-P database, such as LSN or ESM subscriber hosts, have no Statistics tab on the object properties form; the Plotter button for such an object is on the home tab of the properties form.

    3. Choose a statistics class from the object drop-down menu, if required.

      Note:

      The icon beside each class indicates the plot types that the class supports. See Figure 9-2, Plotting support indicators for the icon descriptions.

    4. Click Search to view statistics record entries for scheduled collections of the selected statistics class.

    5. Select a statistics record.

    6. Click Plotter and choose New Plot. The Statistics Plotter form opens with a plot entry for the object listed in the configuration panel.

2 

If the Monitored Object field for the plot entry displays a drop-down arrow, as shown for plot 4 in Figure 9-1, NFM-P Statistics Plotter , the object has child objects. Use the Monitored Object drop-down menu to specify a child object, if required.

3 

Use the Statistics Group drop-down menu to specify a statistics group.

Additional configurable columns are displayed in the configuration panel if the chosen statistics group has filterable attributes. The columns allow you to filter the statistics. Configure a filter, as required:

  1. Click on an up or down arrow in a column heading to specify an enumerated entry such as a queue ID.

  2. Double-click in a text-based column heading and type in a value.

    Note:

    The NFM-P does not validate a typed entry. You must type an entire entry correctly to generate the expected filter output.

4 

Use the Statistics Counter drop-down menu to specify a statistics counter.

5 

Use the Data Format drop-down menu to specify how the counter data is quantified.

6 

Use the Y Axis drop-down menu to specify the Y axis that the plot is to use.

7 

Add a plot to the graph, if required. Perform one of the following:

  1. Use an existing plot as a template:

    1. Select a plot entry in the list and click Duplicate. A duplicate plot entry is created.

    2. Customize the plot parameters, as described in Step 2 to Step 6 .

  2. Add a plot using a new object. Repeat Step 1 to Step 6 .

8 

Repeat Step 7 to add another plot, as required.

Note: A statistics graph can contain up to eight plots. Each plotted Statistics Counter and Managed Object combination must be unique.

9 

Perform one of the following:

Note: Real-time statistics plotting is supported for network performance, server performance, and MIB-based accounting statistics.

Historical statistics plotting is supported for network performance, server performance, and accounting statistics.

Each plot must be unique. The NFM-P deletes the older plot if you attempt to create a duplicate a plot in this step.

  1. To create a real-time statistics graph:

    1. Choose a polling interval from the Real-time Polling Interval drop-down menu, or enter a value between 10 and 3600.

      The default polling interval is configured on the User Preferences form; see the NSP NFM-P Classic Management User Guide.

    2. Click Real-time Plot. The detail panel displays the plotted statistics using the configured polling interval.

      Note:

      You do not have to stop real-time statistics collection to add or remove plots.

  2. To create a graph using historical statistics:

    1. Configure the historical plot start time using the left-hand time field in the configuration panel.

    2. Configure the historical plot end time using the right-hand time field in the configuration panel.

    3. Click Historical Plot. The statistics are retrieved from the database and plotted in the detail panel.

10 

If you are plotting statistics data for an object that has physical endpoints, such as a physical link or an optical link, you can plot statistics data for the other endpoint:

  1. Select the plot in the configuration panel that you want to duplicate for the opposite endpoint.

  2. Click Plot Other Endpoint(s). A plot entry for the other link endpoint is added to the configuration panel, and the plot is added to the graph.

11 

Perform one or more of the following to modify the detail panel display.

  1. To display a plot tool tip, move the mouse pointer over the data points in the detail panel. A tool tip identifies the plot number, the statistics collection interval, and the data value at that point.

  2. To change the view displayed in the detail panel, click on the slider in the overview panel and drag it horizontally.

    Note: When the slider is not selected and real-time statistics are being collected, the slider autoscrolls to display the latest statistics.

  3. To turn off autoscrolling, double-click on the slider. The slider color changes to red.

  4. To resize the objects in the detail panel, click Zoom in Tool or Zoom out Tool; click Reset Zoom tool to return to the default zoom level.

  5. To display the data points for each plot using markers, select the Markers check box.

  6. To display the legend elements:

    1. Select the Legend check box.

    2. To include the minimum, maximum, and average plot values in the legend, select the MinMaxAvg check box.

      Note:

      The source of the values in the legend is the plot range displayed in the detail panel. If you move the slider to display a different plot range, the values are recalculated.

  7. To display the X-axis grid lines, select the Grid X check box.

  8. To display the Y1 grid lines, select the Grid Y1 check box. The grid lines are displayed only when the Y1 axis is used by a plot.

  9. To display the Y2 grid lines, select the Grid Y2 check box. The grid lines are displayed only when the Y2 axis is used by a plot.

  10. You may need to hide a plot when plots in the detail panel overlap. To hide a plot:

    Note: Statistics data collection for a plot does not stop when the plot is hidden; only the display of the plotted data is suppressed.

    1. Right-click on the data list panel header row and choose Column Display. The Column Display form opens.

    2. Select the plot to hide in the Displayed on Table list and click the left arrow. The selected plot moves to the Available for Table list.

    3. Click OK. The plot information is removed from the detail and data list panels.

    4. To show the plot in the detail panel, right-click in the column heading of the data list panel and choose Plot n from the contextual menu, where n is the plot to show. A check mark is displayed beside the plot in the contextual menu and the plot is displayed in the detail and data list panels.

  11. To show a previously hidden plot:

    1. Right-click on the data list panel header row and choose Column Display. The Column Display form opens.

    2. Select the plot to show in the Available for Table list and click the right arrow. The selected plot moves to the Displayed on Table list.

    3. Click OK. The plot information is restored in the detail and data list panels.

12 

To change the parameters of a plot:

  1. Select the plot entry in the configuration panel and click Clear. The plot is removed from the detail and data list panels.

  2. Customize the plot parameters, as described in Step 2 to Step 6 .

13 

To remove a plot entirely:

  1. Select the plot entry in the configuration panel and click Clear. The plot is removed from the detail and data list panels.

  2. Click Remove. The plot is removed from the Statistics Plotter window.

14 

To stop all plotting, click Stop. The plotting of each counter stops.

15 

To switch from real-time to historical plotting:

  1. Click Stop.

  2. Configure the historical plot start and end times to specify the time range of the plot.

  3. Click Historical Plot. The detail panel clears, and the statistics are retrieved from the database and plotted.

16 

To switch from historical to real-time plotting:

  1. Choose a polling interval from the real-time polling interval drop-down menu, or type a value between 10 and 3600 seconds.

  2. Click Real-time Plot. The detail panel clears and real-time statistics plotting begins.

17 

To save the plotter view:

Note: Only the graphics information in the detail panel is saved. To change the view in the detail panel before you save the results, use the slider or the zoom buttons.

If the Legend check box is selected, the legend is saved with the statistics graph results.

  1. Click Save Current View. The Save As form opens.

  2. Use the form to specify a file location and file type.

  3. Click Save. The Save As form closes, and the graph is saved in the specified file.

18 

To save the statistics table results, if required:

  1. Right-click on the plot value list heading and choose Save To File. The Save form opens.

  2. Use the form to specify a file location and file type.

  3. Click Save. The Save As form closes, and the tabulated plot information is saved in the specified file.

19 

Close the Statistics Plotter window.

Note: The Statistics Plotter window cannot be saved. When you close a Statistics Plotter window, the data in the window is deleted.

End of steps