5.3 Editing Report Templates

PlateSpin Recon includes a library of standard, predefined templates available for generating reports. Templates specify the content to include in a report and the form in which the content is presented.

PlateSpin Recon reporting capabilities allow for the customization of most report templates to meet specific business requirements. You can configure the content and summaries included in most reports, as well as the time frame, report presentation, and a number of other elements. Users can save modified templates and generate reports from them.

For all reports except Consolidation reports, you can copy the template and then edit each copy. This preserves the original. Use the modified templates to generate alternate reports.

To edit a report template, right-click the template and select Edit Report Template from the menu. The Edit Report Template dialog box is displayed.

5.3.1 Report Template Option Tabs

The options available for customizing report templates vary depending on the type of report template selected.

Group Tab

Allows you to select filters or groups of servers to include in the report. See Section 3.4, Working with Groups for more information.

Views Tab

This tab displays the views available for the report, including default and previously created views. Use the arrow buttons to reorder the views. Use the check boxes in the Visible column to determine which views to display in the report.

To add another view to a report, click Add. To edit an existing view, select it and click Edit. For more information, see Section 5.4.1, Creating and Editing Report Views. To delete a view, select it and click Delete.

Field Filter Tab

You can filter servers based on the constraints you set and use expressions to specify how the constraints should be used and interpreted to narrow or expand the report contents.

Figure 5-3 Field Filter Tab

To add a query statement:

  1. Enter query constraints in the fields and drop-down lists at the top of the Field Filter page.

    There might not be a units field or drop-down list, depending on the resource selected in the first drop-down list.

  2. Click Add.

    The query statement is added to the list of queries.

To edit a query statement:

  1. Select the query statement.

  2. Click Edit.

    The query settings are copied to the fields at the top of the page.

  3. Edit the settings as desired.

  4. Click Add.

    The selected query statement is updated with the new settings.

To remove a query statement:

  1. Select the query statement you want to delete.

  2. Click Remove.

    The selected query statement is deleted.

The filter expression determines how the query statements are evaluated.

Filters affect which servers are made available for a report views.

Table 5-5 Filter Expressions

Filter Expression

Description

AND

All query statements must be true for a server to be added to the gathered pool of servers. For example, if there are several query statements, the first one is evaluated to gather some servers. Then the second query statement is evaluated against the gathered servers, removing any from the pool that don’t agree with the new query statement. This continues through all the query statements.

OR

All query statements are evaluated individually. For example, if there are several query statements, the first one is evaluated to gather some servers. Then the second query statement is evaluated adding any new servers not gathered by the first statement to the pool of gathered servers. This continues through all the query statements.

Custom

A Custom expression allows you to specify how to evaluate the query statements. A mixture of OR and AND criteria can be used. You can use parentheses to control the evaluation. Use the query statement ID numbers in your expression.

If Custom is selected, the accompanying field cannot be empty.

Select the Filter out empty values check box if you want to exclude machines that have null values for the fields included in the specified query.

Row Filter Tab

Used to determine which rows are included or excluded from the report. This is different from Field Filter tabs, which control which machines are included or excluded from the report, but the guidelines for managing Field Filter criteria can also be applied here See Field Filter Tab.

This option is available only for the Application Complete and Software Complete reports.

Columns Tab

Allows you to customize the columns displayed in the reports generated, based on these templates. See Step 1 for more information on the settings in this page.

This option is available only for the software report templates.

Time Period Tab

Allows you to specify the time period to use for these reports. The settings on this page are the same as the top part of the Date Filter page. See Date Filter Tab and Section 5.3.5, Diagnostics Report Templates.

This option is available only for the diagnostic report templates.

Options Tab

Allows you to specify the counter setting report mode for these reports. See Section 5.3.5, Diagnostics Report Templates.

This option is available only for the missing data diagnostic report templates.

Date Filter Tab

Use this tab to set the date and time range for calculating summary data values in a report. For example, select the Last 1 Month(s) collection range, Monday to Friday, and 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM to view workload data summarized over business hours for all servers that are monitored:

Figure 5-4 Date Filter Tab

Summaries Tab

Summarizes average (AVG), maximum (MAX), minimum (MIN) and standard deviation (STDEV) data types. AVG data can be calculated by Average, Peak Hour, or Total of the data collected.

Calculation types:

  • Average: Average of all hourly values across business days and business hours.

  • Peak Hour: A calculation based on the highest hourly value.

  • Total: Sums all the data points in the time frame. For example, Disk IOs per second, for a 1-hour period equates to 10 disk IOs per second X 60 seconds X 60 minutes = 36000. Select the Summary Rows column in the report to display the columns containing calculated data.

Forecast Tab

Projects workloads and utilization into the future based on summary data for a historical period. This lets data center architects anticipate future needs and plan accordingly.

Figure 5-5 Forecast Tab

5.3.2 Chargeback Report Templates

Edit Chargeback report templates in the same way as Analysis report templates. See Section 5.3.1, Report Template Option Tabs for information about the Group, Views, and Field Filter tabs.

Chargeback reports support only table views. See Creating and Editing a Table View for information about table views. See Section 5.2.4, Working with Report Templates for information about the Date Filter, Summaries and Forecast tabs.

5.3.3 Consolidation Report Templates

Project, Scenario Summary, and Workload Assignment reports are based on editable templates. Unlike Inventory and Analysis report templates, there is only one version of a given Consolidation report template available at a time. Edit the template as desired before viewing the report.

  1. In the Report Explorer, right-click the desired report template, then click Edit Report Template. The appropriate Default Settings dialog box is displayed.

  2. Select the required report columns, data sorting options, and summary rows, then click Save.

For more detailed information on the other configuration options of the consolidation report template, see Section 5.6.2, Customizing Reports.

5.3.4 Consolidation Project Samples Report Templates

Consolidation Project Samples reports are based on editable templates. The templates can be copied or edited. Edit the template as desired before viewing the report.

  1. In the Report Explorer, right-click the desired report template, then click Edit Report Template. The appropriate Default Settings dialog box is displayed.

  2. Select the required report columns, data sorting options, and summary rows, then click Save. For information on the option tabs, see Section 5.3.1, Report Template Option Tabs.

For more detailed information on the other configuration options of the Consolidation Project Samples report templates, see Section 5.6.2, Customizing Reports.

5.3.5 Diagnostics Report Templates

Edit Diagnostics report templates by changing options in the Edit Report Template dialog box. To access this dialog box, right-click a Diagnostics report template in the Report Explorer, and on the menu, click Edit Report Template.

The available dialog box tabs depend on the Diagnostics report template selected:

  • Group: See Group Tab.

  • Time Period: Select a time period upon which to base the report. Any intervals during that time period that are missing data are included in the report.

  • Options: For Missing Data reports only. Select a Report Mode to determine which intervals to include in the report:

    • Online: Includes intervals during which all counters are missing data.

    • CPM: Includes intervals during which CPM counters are missing data.

    • Full: Includes intervals during which any counter is missing data.

5.3.6 Disk Report Templates

Disk reports are based on editable templates. The templates can be copied or edited. Edit the template as desired before viewing the report.

  1. In the Report Explorer, right-click the desired report template, then click Edit Report Template. The appropriate Default Settings dialog box is displayed.

  2. Select the required report columns, data sorting options, and summary rows, then click Save. For more information on the option tabs, see Section 5.3.1, Report Template Option Tabs.

For more detailed information on the other configuration options of the Disk report templates, see Section 5.6.2, Customizing Reports.

5.3.7 Inventory Report Templates

Inventory reports are based on editable templates. The templates can be copied or edited. Edit the template as desired before viewing the report.

  1. In the Report Explorer, right-click the desired report template, then click Edit Report Template. The appropriate Default Settings dialog box is displayed.

  2. Select the required report columns, data sorting options, and summary rows, then click Save. For more information on the option tabs, see Section 5.3.1, Report Template Option Tabs.

For more detailed information on the other configuration options of the Inventory report templates, see Section 5.6.2, Customizing Reports.

5.3.8 Reclamation Report Templates

Reclamation reports are based on editable templates. The templates can be copied or edited. Edit the template as desired before viewing the report.

  1. In the Report Explorer, right-click the desired report template, then click Edit Report Template. The appropriate Default Settings dialog box is displayed.

  2. Select the required report columns, data sorting options, and summary rows, then click Save.

For more detailed information on the other configuration options of the Reclamation report templates, see Section 5.6.2, Customizing Reports.

5.3.9 Software Report Templates

Software reports are based on editable templates. The templates can be copied or edited. Edit the template as desired before viewing the report.

  1. In the Report Explorer, right-click the desired report template, then click Edit Report Template. The appropriate Default Settings dialog box is displayed.

  2. Select the required report columns, data sorting options, and summary rows, then click Save. For more information on the option tabs, see Section 5.3.1, Report Template Option Tabs.

For more detailed information on the other configuration options of the Software report templates, see Section 5.6.2, Customizing Reports.

5.3.10 Virtual Infrastructure Report Templates

Virtual Infrastructure reports are based on editable templates. The templates can be copied or edited. Edit the template as desired before viewing the report.

  1. In the Report Explorer, right-click the desired report template, then click Edit Report Template. The appropriate Default Settings dialog box is displayed.

  2. Select the required report columns, data sorting options, and summary rows, then click Save. For more information on the option tabs, see Section 5.3.1, Report Template Option Tabs.

For more detailed information on the other configuration options of the Virtual Infrastructure report templates, see Section 5.6.2, Customizing Reports.

5.3.11 Volume Report Templates

Volume reports are based on editable templates. The templates can be copied or edited. Edit the template as desired before viewing the report.

  1. In the Report Explorer, right-click the desired report template, then click Edit Report Template. The appropriate Default Settings dialog box is displayed.

  2. Select the required report columns, data sorting options, and summary rows, then click Save. For more information on the option tabs, see Section 5.3.1, Report Template Option Tabs.

For more detailed information on the other configuration options of the Volume report templates, see Section 5.6.2, Customizing Reports.