Administer > Administer the NNM iSPI Performance for QA > Configure Thresholds > Configure Probe Thresholds

Configure Probe Thresholds

This topic includes the following sections:

You can use the Configure Threshold form to perform the following tasks:

  • Configure the threshold values for the metrics of selective QA probes

  • Override the threshold values for the metrics of selective QA probes, which may or may not be associated with a site

You can configure thresholds for the following metrics assigned to the QA probes:

  • Round Trip Time (RTT)
  • Jitter
  • Packet Loss (Can be from source to destination, and from destination to source.)
  • Mean Opinion Score (MOS)

NNM iSPI Performance for QA performs the following actions if a threshold is breached:

  • Sets the QA probe status to Major.
  • Creates an incident for the violated threshold.
  • Sends the threshold violation details to the Network Performance Server for generating reports.
  • Retains the threshold state as Nominal, or sets the threshold state to High or Low depending on the count-based, and time-based threshold configuration.

You cannot configure thresholds for remote QA probes.

You can monitor the network performance and generate an incident based on the count-based threshold configuration or time-based threshold configuration.

You can only configure either a count-based or time-based threshold configuration for a combination of a probe, service, and metric.

Apart from the time-based and count-based threshold configuration, you can also do Baseline Monitoring based on the baseline deviation setting configuration in NNM iSPI Performance for QA. You can do baseline deviation setting configuration for the selected probe, service, and metric. An incident is generated and the baseline state transitions to Abnormal Range only if it meets all the criteria listed below:

  • Exceeds the count or the number of standard deviation that is above the average value for the metric, or exceeds the count or the number of standard deviation that is below the average value for the metric. This count is specified in the Upper Baseline Limit Deviations or the Lower Baseline Limit Deviations in the baseline deviation settings configuration
  • Exceeds the duration for which the upper or lower baseline deviation persists in the specified sliding window duration

Baseline Monitoring

Apart from the time-based and count-based threshold configuration, you can also do a baseline monitoring. Baseline monitoring is dynamic and updates the baseline state by comparing the extent of deviation from the average real-time data of the metric with the previous average values in a similar situation. For example, in a site during the peak hours or on week days, the RTT value is expected to exceed the high value frequently. In such a scenario, an incident need not be generated in the NNMi console. So, NNM iSPI Performance for Metrics Software enables you to compare the current threshold values during the peak hours with the previous set of values during the same peak hours. Based on the extent of deviation, you can configure to generate an incident in the NNMi console.

Baseline State

Baseline Monitoring sets a new state referred to as Baseline state for the QA probes. The valid baseline states for the QA probes are listed below:

  • Normal Range - The metric is within the normal range of deviation
  • Abnormal Range - The metric is either above or below the configured normal range of the deviation
  • Unavailable -The computed value for the metric is not found in NNM iSPI Performance for Metrics Software
  • Unset - No baseline is computed
  • Not polled - The metric is not polled for baseline deviations
  • No Polling Policy - No polling policy exists for this metric
  • Threshold Agent Error - Indicates an error was returned while retrieving the data from NPS by the state poller

Incidents

The following incidents are generated whenever there is a deviation from the configured normal range of deviation for the metric:

  • RoundTripTimeAbnormal
  • TwoWayPacketLossAbnormal
  • TwoWayJitterAbnormal
  • MeanOpinionScoreAbnormal

Launch the Configure Threshold Form

To launch the Configure threshold form:

  1. Log on to NNMi console using your user name and password.

    You must have administrator privileges.

  2. From the workspace navigation panel, select Quality Assurance.

    The Quality Assurance tab expands.

  3. Select any one of the following inventory views:

    • QA Probes
    • Critical Probes
    • Threshold Exception Probes
    • Baseline Exception Probes
  4. Select the QA probes for which you need to configure the threshold value.
    You can select a maximum of 10 QA probes at a time.

  5. Click Actions→ Quality Assurance → Configure Threshold.

    • If you are configuring a new threshold value for the selected QA probes, the Add Threshold Configuration form opens.

    • If a threshold value already exists for the selected QA probes, the Edit Threshold Configuration form opens.

    • If you selected remote QA probes, a message appears to indicate that you cannot configure thresholds for the remote QA probes. It also shows the list of remote QA probes selected.

  6. You can do the following in the Threshold Configuration Toolbar:
    7. Icon Description
    Close Closes the Threshold Configuration form without saving the current configuration.
    Save and Close Saves the current configuration and closes the Threshold Configuration form.
  7. You can do the following in the Threshold Settings Tab:
    8. Icon Description
    New Adds threshold settings for the QA probes.
    Edit Edits threshold settings for the QA probes.
    Delete Deletes thresholds of the QA probes.
    Refresh Retrieves the last saved threshold configuration from the database and displays the data.
    Delete All Deletes all the thresholds of the QA probes.
  8. You can do the following in the Baseline Settings Tab:
    9. Icon Description
    New Adds baseline settings for the QA probes.
    Edit Edits baseline settings for the QA probes.
    Delete Deletes the selected baseline setting of the QA probes.
    Refresh Retrieves the last saved baseline settings configuration from the database and displays the data.
    Delete All Deletes all the baseline settings of the QA probes.

Add Threshold Settings

To add a new threshold setting:

  1. Make sure that you selected the Source Site, and Service when Adding Threshold Configuration.

  2. Click New in the Threshold Settings tab.

    The Add Threshold Settings form opens.

  3. Specify the following to configure the threshold settings:

    Field Name Description
    Type Select the type of threshold violation. The valid types are Count-Based and Time-Based.
    Metric

    Select the metric.

  4. After you select the metric to configure the threshold, the list of fields relevant to the selected metric appear. You can specify the relevant values to configure the new threshold:

    The following field appears, if you selected the Type as Count-Based: Trigger Count

    The following fields appear if you selected the Type as Time-Based:

    Field Name Description
    High Duration

    Designate the minimum time within which the metric value must remain in the High range.

    For example if you specify this value to be 20 minutes for Packet Loss Percentage metric, NNMi considers the threshold to be violated if the Packet Loss Percentage is high for 20 minutes.

    You define the high threshold value in the High Value field.

    The High Duration should be equal to or greater than the associated Polling Interval setting, because that is how often NNMi provides a data point..
    High Duration Window

    Designate the window of time within which the High Duration criteria must be met.

    To enable this setting, the value must be:

    • greater than 0 (zero)
    • the same as or greater than the High Duration value

    The NNMi uses a sliding window. Each time the High Window Duration is reached, NNMi drops the oldest polling interval and adds the most recent.

    For example, if you specify this value to be 30 minutes for Packet Loss Percentage metric, NNMi considers the threshold to be violated if the Packet Loss Percentage is high for 20 out of 30 minutes.

    The following fields appear if you selected the Type as Time-Based and the metric as MOS: 

    Low Duration

    Designate the minimum time within which the metric value must remain in the Low range.

    For example if you specify this value to be 20 minutes for MOS metric, NNMi considers the threshold to be violated if the MOS is low for 20 minutes.

    You define the low threshold value in the Low Value field.

    The polling interval should be less than or equal to the Low Duration.
    Low Duration Window

    Designate the window of time within which the Low Duration criteria must be met.

    For example, if you specify this value to be 30 minutes for MOS metric, NNMi considers the threshold to be violated if the MOS is low for 20 out of 30 minutes.

    To enable this setting, the value must be:

    • greater than 0 (zero)
    • the same as or greater than the Low Duration value

    The NNMiuses a sliding window. Each time the High Window Duration is reached, NNMi drops the oldest polling interval and adds the most recent.

  5. Select the following to generate an incident when the time-based threshold or count-based threshold value is violated:

    Field Name Description
    Generate Incident Select this option if you want NNM iSPI Performance for QA to generate an incident. By default this option is selected.

  6. Use any one of the following options to complete the task:

    Icons Description
    Close Closes the Add Threshold Configuration form without saving the threshold information you have entered.
    Save and Close Saves the threshold information and closes the Threshold Configuration form
  1. Click Refresh to view the changes.
  2. Click Save or Save and Close in the Threshold Configuration form.

The new threshold is not saved unless you click Save or Save and Close in the Threshold Configuration form.

NNM iSPI Performance for QA applies the following rules when creating thresholds for a site using this form:

  • You can create thresholds only for the existing sites.
  • You must select a source site and service for the new threshold.
  • You could select the destination site for the new threshold
  • If you do not specify a destination site for the threshold, the threshold is applied to all the destination sites of the source sites.
  • You cannot configure thresholds for remote sites.

Time-Based Threshold cannot be configured for QA probes, if the polling interval is greater than the High Duration or Low Duration value. A list of these QA Probes, the UUID, and other details can be viewed in the log file, which is available in the following directory:

Linux:$NnmDataDir/log/qa/qa.log

Windows:%NnmDataDir%\log\qa\qa.log

Edit Threshold Settings

To edit an existing threshold setting:

  1. Specify all the mandatory fields when editing threshold configuration.

    1. Select the metric, and click Edit in the Threshold Settings tab.

      The Edit Threshold Settings form opens.

      You cannot edit the metric type and threshold type (Time-based or Count-based). If you want to edit the metric type or threshold type (Time-based or Count-based), delete the existing configuration settings and configure a new threshold settings, based on your requirements.

  2. You can specify the following values to edit the threshold:

    3. For probe based threshold configuration, you can view the threshold that was configured for the Remote QA probes, but you cannot configure thresholds for remote QA probes.


    Field Name
    High Value
    High Value Rearm
    Low Value
    Low Value Rearm

    The following fields appear, if the Type is Count-Based, and you can modify the information if required

    Field Name
    Trigger Count

    The following fields appear if the Type is Time-Based, and you can modify the information if required:

    Field Name Description
    High Duration

    Designate the minimum time within which the metric value must remain in the High range.

    For example if you specify this value to be 20 minutes for Packet Loss Percentage metric, NNMi considers the threshold to be violated if the Packet Loss Percentage is high for 20 minutes.

    You define the high threshold value in the High Value field.

    The High Duration should be equal to or greater than the associated Polling Interval setting, because that is how often NNMi provides a data point..
    High Duration Window

    Designate the window of time within which the High Duration criteria must be met.

    To enable this setting, the value must be:

    • greater than 0 (zero)
    • the same as or greater than the High Duration value

    The NNMi uses a sliding window. Each time the High Window Duration is reached, NNMi drops the oldest polling interval and adds the most recent.

    For example, if you specify this value to be 30 minutes for Packet Loss Percentage metric, NNMi considers the threshold to be violated if the Packet Loss Percentage is high for 20 out of 30 minutes.

    The following fields appear, if you selected the Type as Time-Based and the metric as MOS:

    You can modify the information if required.

    Low Duration

    Designate the minimum time within which the metric value must remain in the Low range.

    For example if you specify this value to be 20 minutes for MOS metric, NNMi considers the threshold to be violated if the MOS is low for 20 minutes.

    You define the low threshold value in the Low Value field.

    The polling interval should be less than or equal to the Low Duration.
    Low Duration Window

    Designate the window of time within which the Low Duration criteria must be met.

    For example, if you specify this value to be 30 minutes for MOS metric, NNMi considers the threshold to be violated if the MOS is low for 20 out of 30 minutes.

    To enable this setting, the value must be:

    • greater than 0 (zero)
    • the same as or greater than the Low Duration value

    The NNMiuses a sliding window. Each time the High Window Duration is reached, NNMi drops the oldest polling interval and adds the most recent.

  3. Select the following to generate an incident when the time-based threshold or count-based threshold value is violated:
    4. Field Name Description
    Generate Incident Select this option if you want NNM iSPI Performance for QA to generate an incident for count-based or time-based threshold violations. By default this option is selected.

  4. Use any one of the following options to complete the task:

    Icons Description
    Close Closes the Add Threshold Configuration form without saving the threshold information you have entered
    Save and Close Saves the threshold information and closes the Threshold Configuration form
  5. Click Refresh in the Threshold Settings panel to view the changes.
  6. Click Save or Save and Close in the Threshold Configuration form.

The changes you have made in the threshold is not saved unless you click Save or Save and Close in the Threshold Configuration form.

NNM iSPI Performance for QA applies the following rules while updating thresholds:

  • You can define thresholds only for the existing sites.
  • Any modification in the threshold directly updates the state poller.

Time-Based Threshold cannot be configured for QA probes, if the polling interval is greater than the High Duration or Low Duration value. A list of these QA Probes, the UUID, and other details can be viewed in the log file, which is available in the following directory:

Linux:$NnmDataDir/log/qa/qa.log

Windows:%NnmDataDir%\log\qa\qa.log

You can select all the threshold configured settings and click Edit option, but edit form will open for only one threshold group.

Add Baseline Settings

To add a new baseline setting configuration:

  1. Make sure that you selected the Source Site, and Service in the adding threshold configuration .

  2. Click New in the Baseline Settings tab.
    The Add Baseline Settings form opens.

  3. Specify the following to configure the baseline deviation settings:

    Field Name Description
    Metric

    (missing or bad snippet)

  4. After you select the metric, the list of fields relevant to the selected metric appear. You can specify the following values to configure the baseline deviation settings:

    Field Name
    Upper Baseline Limit Enabled
    Upper Baseline Limit Deviations - Above Average
    Lower Baseline Limit Enabled
    Lower Baseline Limit Deviations - Below Average
    Duration
    Window Duration

  5. Use any one of the following options to complete the task:

    Icon Description
    Close Closes the Add Baseline Settings form without saving the baseline setting information you have entered.
    Save and Close Saves the baseline setting information and closes the Add Baseline Settings form.
  6. Click Save and Close in the Add Baseline Settings form to save the baseline setting information.
  7. Click Save or Save and Close in the Threshold Configuration form.

    8. The new baseline settings configuration is not saved unless you click Save or Save and Close in the Threshold Configuration form.

    NNM iSPI Performance for QA applies the following rules while configuring baseline deviation settings for a site using this form:

    • You can configure baseline settings only for the QA probes of the existing sites.
    • You must select a source site, service, and metric to configure the baseline settings.
    • Optionally, you can select the destination site
    • If you do not specify a destination site for the baseline setting, the configuration is applied to all the QA probes of the destination sites from the source sites.

    • You cannot configure baseline settings for remote sites.

Edit Baseline Settings

To edit a baseline setting configuration:

  1. Make sure that you selected the Source Site, and Service when editing threshold configuration if you are launching the form from Site Wide threshold configuration. You can ignore this step if you are launching this form from Probe-based threshold configuration.

  2. Select the baseline settings, and click Edit in the Baseline Settings panel.

    The Edit Baseline Settings form opens.

  3. In the Baseline Deviations Settings panel:

    1. You can view the following details:
      2. Field Name Description
      Metric

      The metric for which you require to edit the baseline deviations settings configuration.

    2. You can edit the following baseline deviation settings configuration:

      The following fields appear depending on the metric:

      Field Name
      Upper Baseline Limit Enabled
      Upper Baseline Limit Deviations - Above Average
      Lower Baseline Limit Enabled
      Lower Baseline Limit Deviations - Below Average
      Duration
      Window Duration

  4. Use any one of the following options to complete the task:

    Icon Description
    Close Closes the Edit Baseline Settings form without saving the baseline setting information you have entered.
    Save and Close Saves the baseline setting information and closes the Edit Baseline Settings form
  5. Click Save and Close in the Edit Baseline Settings form to save the baseline setting information.
  6. Click Save or Save and Close in the Site Wide Threshold Configuration form.

The new baseline settings configuration is not be saved unless you click Save or Save and Close in the Threshold Configuration form.

NNM iSPI Performance for QA applies the following rules while configuring baseline deviation settings for a site using this form:

  • You can configure baseline settings only for the QA probes of the existing sites.
  • You must select a source site and service to configure the baseline settings.
  • Optionally, you could select the destination site.
  • If you do not specify a destination site for the baseline setting, the configuration is applied to all the QA probes of the destination sites from the source sites.
  • You cannot configure baseline settings for remote sites.

Delete Thresholds

To delete an existing threshold of QA probes:

  1. Launch the Configure Threshold form.
  2. Select a threshold in the Threshold Settings panel and click Delete.
    or
    Click Delete All to delete all thresholds of QA probes.
  3. Click Refresh in the Threshold Settings panel to view the changes.

The following changes occur after deleting a probe based threshold configuration:

The selected thresholds configured for the metrics of the QA probe are deleted and the threshold state is set to Threshold Not Set for the metric. The QA Probe status is set to the most severe status. If the QA probe is associated with a site, the threshold state configured for the metric in the site is associated with the QA probe. The incidents and conclusions are updated accordingly.

Example 1

Consider the following scenario:

Before Deleting the Threshold(s) Configured for the QA Probe:

QA Probe Status : Major

Threshold State: High

The threshold state is high for RTT and Packet Loss

Conclusion: RttThresholdStateHigh, TwoWayPktLossThresholdStateHigh, RTTAbnormal

After Deleting the Threshold(s) Configured for the QA Probe:

QA Probe Status : Major

Threshold State: Threshold Not Set

The threshold state is set to Threshold Not Set for RTT and Packet Loss. If the QA probe is associated with a site the Threshold State is updated based on the threshold configured for the site.

Conclusion: RTTAbnormal

The QA Probe Status is still set to Major as the Baseline State is in the Abnormal Range.

Example 2 

Consider the following scenario:

Before Deleting the Threshold(s) Configured for the QA Probe:

QA Probe Status : Major

Threshold State: High

Conclusion: TestUp, RttThresholdStateHigh,TwoWayPktLossThresholdStateHigh

After Deleting the Threshold(s) Configured for the QA Probe:

QA Probe Status : Normal

Threshold State: Threshold Not Set

If the QA probe is associated with a site the Threshold State is updated based on the threshold configured for the site.

Conclusion: TestUp

Troubleshoot Threshold Configuration Error Messages

The error log files are available in the following directory:

Linux:./var/opt/OV/log/qa/qa.log

Windows:%NnmDataDir%\log\qa\qa.log

Selected different service type. Deleting all settings.

Occurs when you select a different service type, while creating a new threshold or editing an existing threshold.

Reason and Resolution

NNM iSPI Performance for QA creates threshold for a metric based on the service type you have selected. Metrics available for different service types are different. For example, if you select TCP Connect service type, you can set thresholds for only the Round Trip Time (RTT) metric.

Changing the service type for a threshold may need you to update the threshold values for all the metrics. NNM iSPI Performance for QA deletes all the metric threshold values you have set previously, if you select a different service type.

Configuration already has the possible settings. Cannot add more.

Occurs if you click New in the Threshold Settings panel of the Add Threshold Configuration form after creating a threshold.

Reason and Resolution

While creating a threshold, you performed the following steps:

  1. Selected the following values in the Threshold Configuration panel in the Add Threshold Configuration form: 
    1. Source Site
    2. Destination Site
    3. Service Type
  2. Clicked New in the Add Threshold Settings panel.
  3. In the Threshold Configuration form, you selected the metric, high value, low value, high value rearm, low value rearm, etc.
  4. Selected Save and Close in the Threshold Configuration form. The threshold is added in the Threshold Settings panel of the Add Threshold Configuration form.
  5. Clicked New in the Threshold Settings panel.
  6. The system displays an error message saying "The threshold already has the possible settings. Cannot add more."

You cannot add more than one set of threshold settings for a threshold configuration.

Failed to import the threshold configuration. Please check the log files.

Occurs under any of the following circumstances:

  • If the import file does not exist in the path you entered.
  • If a threshold is already defined and displayed in the Site Wide Threshold Settings panel.

Reason and Resolution

NNM iSPI Performance for QA imports the threshold configuration from an XML file. If the file path is not correct, NNM iSPI Performance for QA fails to import the configuration information.

Also the import utility does not import the threshold configuration if the configuration is unchanged since the last import

Check any of the following log files:

Linux:./var/opt/OV/log/qa/qa.log

Windows:%NnmDataDir%\log\qa\qa.log

Failed to export the threshold configuration. Please check the log files.

Occurs under any of the following circumstances:

  • If the export file path that you entered is incorrect.
  • If the threshold is not associated with at least one site.

Reason and Resolution

NNM iSPI Performance for QA exports the threshold configuration to an XML file. If the file path is not correct, NNM iSPI Performance for QA fails to export the configuration information.

To define a threshold configuration you must associate it with at least one source site. You may or may not associate the threshold to a destination site.

Check any of the following log files:

Linux:./var/opt/OV/log/qa/qa.log

Windows:%NnmDataDir%\log\qa\qa.log

Duration of poll window cannot be greater than duration of sliding window

Occurs when the duration of the sliding window or Window Duration is greater than the polling window.

Reason and Resolution

The polling window duration must be lesser than the sliding window duration

Duration should be between 0 and 1400 minutes(1 day)

Occurs when the low duration or high duration value (in minutes) for a time-based threshold is not within the range

Reason and Resolution

The Low Duration or the High Duration value(in minutes) for a time-based threshold must be within the range 0 to 1400 minutes (equivalent to 1 day).

Duration should be between 0 and 60 seconds

Occurs when the low duration or high duration value (in seconds) is not within the range

Reason and Resolution

The Low Duration or the High Duration value(in seconds) must be within the range 0 to 60 seconds

Import failed, file not found

Occurs when you import a threshold configuration

Reason and Resolution

You must import by specifying the absolute path of the file, and you must check the XML filename as well. The file to be imported must be available on the NNMi management server.

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