Managing Policies

Managing Policies section describes the properties, variables that can be configured and illustrates how to create:

Backlog Policy

The Backlog Policies monitor the backlog request count and raise notifications based on them. Multiple backlog policies can be created and applied at different levels like the Event Process level, Component Level or Port level. The policy applied to an Event Process will indirectly apply to all the components within that event process and will translate automatically to all monitorable ports of the components.

Figure 1: Policy Manager screen with Backlog Policy added

Creating a Backlog Policy

To add new policies, click the Add  button. A drop-down menu of policy types is displayed and on choosing the backlog policy, an Add New Policy dialog box is displayed where new backlog policy properties can be configured.

Figure 2: Setting Backlog Policy properties

Variables

BackLog Policy has a set of variables which can be used in the Subject and MessageBody. Variables help build a context sensitive message/alert in contrast to a constant one. Variables are specific to types of policies. If there is a variable defined, which cannot be resolved by a particular kind of policy, it will remain unresolved in the final message. The table below lists the variables specific to backlog Policy.

Enabling backlog monitoring policy effect the performance on the concerned peer server (the peer on which destinations exist over which backlog monitoring policies are applied). As such, performance has to be empirically observed after turning on Backlog Monitoring.

Low Memory Policy

Low Memory Policies monitor the memory usage of servers and components and raise alerts when the specified threshold is reached. The alerts are raised when memory usage crosses the threshold in any direction.

Figure 3: Policy Manager screen with Low MemoryPolicy added

Creating a Low Memory Policy

To add new policies, click the Add  button. A drop-down menu of policy types is displayed and upon choosing the low memory policy, a window is displayed where a new policy can be added. To create the server low memory policy, select the Server radio button and to create the component low memory policy, select the Component radio button.

Figure 4: Setting Low Memory Policy properties

Variables

Low Memory Policy Type has a set of variables which can be used in the Subject and MessageBody. Variables help build a context sensitive message/alert in contrast to a constant one. Variables are specific to types of policies. If there is a variable defined which cannot be resolved by a particular kind of policy, it will remain unresolved in the final message. The table below lists the variables specific to server Low memory Policy.

The table below lists the variables specific to Component Low memory Policy.

Low Disk Policy

Low Disk Policies monitor the space usage of the system in which a specified server is running and raise alerts when the system space reaches the specified threshold. The alerts are raised when the space usage crosses the threshold in any direction.

Figure 5: Policy Manager screen with Low Disk Policy added

Creating a Low Disk Policy

To add new policies, click the Add  button. A drop-down menu of policy types is displayed and upon choosing the LowDisk policy, a window is displayed where a new policy can be added.

Figure 6: Setting Low Level Disk policy properties

Variables

Low Disk policy type has a set of variables which can be used in the Subject and MessageBody. Variables help build a context sensitive message/alert in contrast to a constant one. Variables are specific to types of policies. If there is a variable defined which cannot be resolved by a particular kind of policy, it will remain unresolved in the final message. The table below lists the variables specific to server Low Disk policy.

Managing added Policies

Enabling a policy

Once policies are added, the Policy Manager panel lists the policies together with the type and the running status of each policy at a given pont of time (see Figure 1). A policy can be in one of three states as below:

• ACTIVE: When a policy is successfully applied, it is in ACTIVE state.
• INACTIVE: When the user has suspended the policy execution, the policy becomes INACTIVE.

A policy could be applied to the system by clicking the Apply Policy  button on the top panel. The policy turns to the Active state.
The Active policy can be suspended by clicking the Suspend Policy  button. Suspending the policy execution will result in no alerts being generated and the monitoring for backlog events for this policy from different peer servers will be switched off.

The policy details will be fetched and refreshed with every activated action. Multiple policies can be selected and activated/suspended simultaneously.

The policy details displayed in the Dashboard is a paged data grid where the pages can be navigated by using the next   and previous   tool buttons. The Refresh button reloads the policies from the Policy Repository. Clicking on the policyID displays the details of the policy.

Editing a Policy

Policies can be edited by clicking on the edit  icon. The Policy attributes can be edited except for the policyID and the type of the policy.  A Policy cannot be edited while it is running (a policy in Active state). It has to be suspended from execution before it can be removed from the system.  Once the policy is edited, it will be saved into the repository and will be automatically picked up from the next execution of the alert. PolicyID cannot be modified. We cannot edit the Policy which is in the ACTIVE state. We have to suspend the policy if it is active before editing the policy.

Removing a Policy

Policies can be removed by clicking the remove  icon.
The same ID of a policy can be used for a different type of policy only after the previous one is deleted.