Managing Dynamic Applications

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This section describes how to manage the Dynamic Applications aligned to a device.

Use the following menu options to navigate the SL1 user interface:

  • To view a pop-out list of menu options, click the menu icon ().
  • To view a page containing all of the menu options, click the Advanced menu icon ().

Viewing the List of All Dynamic Applications in SL1

The Dynamic Applications Manager page (System > Manage > Dynamic Applications) displays a list of all existing Dynamic Applications. For each Dynamic Application, the page displays the following fields:

To sort the list of Dynamic Applications, click on a column heading. The list will be sorted by the column value, in ascending order. To sort by descending order, click the column heading again. The Last Edit column sorts by descending order on the first click; to sort by ascending order, click the column heading again.

NOTE: By default, the cursor is placed in the first Filter-While-You-Type field. You can use the <Tab> key or your mouse to move your cursor through the fields.

  • Dynamic Application Name. Name of the Dynamic Application, as defined in the Dynamic Applications Properties Editor page.
  • Poll Rate. Frequency, in minutes, at which SL1 will poll all devices that use this Dynamic Application. The Poll Rate column displays the default poll frequency for the Dynamic Application, as defined in the Dynamic Applications Properties Editor page. You can define a custom poll frequency for one or more devices in a device template. The poll frequency defined in the device template overrides the poll frequency defined for the Dynamic Application. Devices to which the device template is applied will use the poll frequency defined in the device template.
  • Type. Type of Dynamic Application. The choices are:
  • Bulk Snippet Configuration. A single instance of the Dynamic Application uses custom-written Python code to collect static configuration data from multiple devices. This is useful for systems that include a large number of component devices. For details on creating bulk snippet Dynamic Applications, see the Snippet Dynamic Application Development section.
  • Bulk Snippet Performance. A single instance of the Dynamic Application uses custom-written Python code to collect trendable performance data from multiple devices. This is useful for systems that include a large number of component devices. For details on creating bulk snippet Dynamic Applications, see the Snippet Dynamic Application Development section.
  • Database Configuration. The Dynamic Application retrieves configuration data from a database application. The Dynamic Application uses SQL queries. The queried device returns table data. For details on creating database Dynamic Applications, see the Database Dynamic Application Development section.
  • Database Performance. The Dynamic Application retrieves trendable performance data from a database application. The Dynamic Application uses SQL queries. The queried device returns table data. For details on creating database Dynamic Applications, see the Database Dynamic Application Development section.
  • Internal Collection Inventory. The Internal Collection Inventory Dynamic Application (ICDA) retrieves configuration data about filesystems and interface. For filesystem, an ICDA Inventory can retrieve data such as storage size, filesystem type, and storage used. These ICDAs can also collect configuration data about interfaces, such as physical address, operational status, and IP addresses. For details on creating ICDAs, see the Internal Collection Dynamic Application Development section.
  • Internal Collection Performance. The Internal Collection Performance Dynamic Application (ICDA) retrieves data about availability and latency, device information (system description, system uptime, system locale), filesystem performance, and interface performance. For details on creating ICDAs, see the Internal Collection Dynamic Application Development section.
  • IT Service. A special type of Dynamic Application that SL1 uses to monitor IT Services. When you create and edit an IT Service in the IT Service Editor page, SL1 will automatically create and maintain a Dynamic Application for that IT Service. Dynamic Applications for IT Services will appear in the Dynamic Applications Manager page. However, if you want to edit the settings for an IT Service, you should not edit the Dynamic Application for that IT Service. Instead, use the IT Service Editor page to edit IT Services. For details on creating IT Service policies, see the IT Services section.
  • PowerShell Configuration. The Dynamic Application uses PowerShell commands to collect static configuration data from a Windows device. For details on creating PowerShell Dynamic Applications, see the Dynamic Application Development - WMI and PowerShell section. For information on configuring SL1 and external systems to use PowerShell Dynamic Applications, see the Monitoring Windows Systems with PowerShell and Monitoring Windows with WMI sections.
  • PowerShell Performance. The Dynamic Application uses PowerShell commands to collect trendable performance data from a Windows device. For details on creating PowerShell Dynamic Applications, see the Dynamic Application Development - WMI and PowerShell section. For information on configuring SL1 and external systems to use PowerShell Dynamic Applications, see the Monitoring Windows Systems with PowerShell and Monitoring Windows with WMI sections.
  • Snippet Configuration. The Dynamic Application uses custom-written Python code to collect configuration data from a device. For details on creating snippet Dynamic Applications, see the Snippet Dynamic Application Development section.
  • Snippet Journal. The Dynamic Application uses custom-written Python code to collect data formatted as log entries from a device. For details on creating snippet Dynamic Applications, see the Snippet Dynamic Application Development section.
  • Snippet Performance. The Dynamic Application uses custom-written Python code to collect trendable performance data from a device. For details on creating snippet Dynamic Applications, see the Snippet Dynamic Application Development section.
  • SNMP Configuration. The Dynamic Application uses SNMP to retrieve static, configuration data from devices or applications. For details on creating SNMP Dynamic Applications, see the SNMP Dynamic Application Development section.
  • SNMP Performance. The Dynamic Application uses SNMP to retrieve trendable performance data from devices or applications. For details on creating SNMP Dynamic Applications, see the SNMP Dynamic Application Development section.
  • SOAP Configuration. The Dynamic Application uses XML and SOAP to retrieve static configuration data from a SOAP server. The queried device returns XML data. For details on creating SOAP  Dynamic Applications, see the SOAP Dynamic Application Development section.
  • SOAP Performance. The Dynamic Application uses XML and SOAP to retrieve trendable performance data from a SOAP server. The queried device returns XML data. For details on creating SOAP  Dynamic Applications, see the SOAP Dynamic Application Development section.
  • WMI Configuration. The Dynamic Application retrieves configuration information from either WMI or WBEM running on a managed device. WMI Dynamic Applications use a query format to request data from a managed device. WBEM Dynamic Applications use wbemcli and HTTP to request data from a managed device. For details on creating WMI Dynamic Applications, see the Dynamic Application Development - WMI and PowerShell section. For information on configuring SL1 and external systems to use PowerShell Dynamic Applications, see the Monitoring Windows Systems with PowerShell and Monitoring Windows with WMI sections.
  • WMI Performance. The Dynamic Application retrieves trendable performance data from either WMI or WBEM running on a managed device. WMI Dynamic Applications use a query format to request data from a managed device. WBEM Dynamic Applications use wbemcli and HTTP to request data from a managed device.
  • XML Configuration. The Dynamic Application uses HTTP GET queries. The queried device returns static configuration data in XML format. For details on creating SOAP  Dynamic Applications, see the XML Dynamic Application Development section.
  • XML Performance. The Dynamic Application uses HTTP GET queries. The queried device returns trendable performance data in XML format. For details on creating SOAP  Dynamic Applications, see the XML Dynamic Application Development section.
  • XSLT Configuration. The Dynamic Application uses XML and SOAP to retrieve static configuration data from a SOAP server. The requests used to retrieve data are generated by performing an XSLT transformation on an XML document that contains data already collected by the Dynamic Application. The queried device returns XML data, which must be changed to a specific format by performing a second XSLT transformation. For details on creating SOAP  Dynamic Applications, see the XSLT Dynamic Application Development section.
  • XSLT Performance. The Dynamic Application uses XML and SOAP to retrieve trendable performance data from a SOAP server. The requests used to retrieve data are generated by performing an XSLT transformation on an XML document that contains data already collected by the Dynamic Application. The queried device returns XML data, which must be changed to a specific format by performing a second XSLT transformation. For details on creating SOAP  Dynamic Applications, see the XSLT Dynamic Application Development section.
  • State. Specifies whether the Dynamic Application is Enabled or Disabled.
  • Version. Version number to assign to the Dynamic Application. You can customize this value and increment it according to your change management policies.
  • ID. Unique application ID, assigned by SL1.
  • Subscribers. Number of devices on which the Dynamic Application is enabled to collect data. Clicking on the icon leads to the Application Subscribers modal, where you can view the list of devices and access other pages for each subscriber device. You can also access this page by selecting the wrench icon () for a Dynamic Application and selecting the Subscribers tab.
  • PowerPack. Specifies whether or not the Dynamic Application is included in a PowerPack.
  • Environment. The execution environment to which the Dynamic Application is aligned, if it is a snippet or internal collection Dynamic Application. If it is not a snippet or internal collection Dynamic Application, then this column displays "n/a".
  • Collects. Number of objects included in the Dynamic Application. Clicking on the icon () leads to the Collection Objects page, where you can view the list of collection objects and edit their properties.
  • Alerts. Number of custom alerts defined for the Dynamic Application. Clicking on the icon () leads to the Alert Objects page, where you can view and edit each alert defined for the Dynamic Application.
  • Events. Number of events associated with the Dynamic Application. Clicking on the icon () leads to the Event Policy Manager page, where you can view information about each event definition associated with the Dynamic Application definition and edit each event definition.
  • Thresh. Number of threshold objects defined for the Dynamic Application. Clicking on the icon () leads to the Threshold Objects page, where you can view and edit information about each threshold object defined for the Dynamic Application.
  • Edited By. Username of the person who created or last edited the Dynamic Application.
  • Last Edit. Date that the Dynamic Application was created or last edited.

Searching and Filtering the List of Dynamic Applications

The Filter-While-You-Type fields appear as a row of blank fields at the top of the list. These fields let you filter the items that appear in the list.

The list is dynamically updated as you select each filter. For each filter, you must make a selection from a drop-down menu or type text to match against. SL1 will search for entries that match the text, including partial matches. Text matches are not case-sensitive, and you can use special characters in each text field.

By default, the cursor is placed in the first Filter-While-You-Type field. You can use the <Tab> key or your mouse to move your cursor through the fields.

You can filter by one or more of the following parameters. Only items that meet all of the filter criteria are displayed on the page.

  • Dynamic Application Name. You can enter text to match, including special characters, and the Dynamic Applications Manager page will display only Dynamic Applications that have a matching name.
  • Poll Rate. You can enter text to match, including special characters, and the Dynamic Applications Manager page will display only Dynamic Applications that have a matching polling rate.
  • Type. You can enter text to match, including special characters, , and the Dynamic Applications Manager page will display only Dynamic Applications that have a matching type.
  • State. You can enter text to match, including special characters, and the Dynamic Applications Manager page will display only Dynamic Applications that have a matching state.
  • Version. You can enter text to match, including special characters, and the Dynamic Applications Manager page will display only Dynamic Applications that have a matching version number.
  • ID. You can enter text to match, including special characters, and the Dynamic Applications Manager page will display only Dynamic Applications that have a matching ID number.
  • Subscribers. You can enter text to match, including special characters, and the Dynamic Applications Manager page will display only Dynamic Applications that have a matching number of subscribers.
  • PowerPack. You can enter text to match, including special characters, and the Dynamic Applications Manager page will display only Dynamic Applications that have a matching PowerPack.
  • Environment. You can enter text to match, including special characters, and the Dynamic Applications Manager page will display only Dynamic Applications that have a matching execution environment.
  • Collects. You can enter text to match, including special characters, and the Dynamic Applications Manager page will display only Dynamic Applications that have a matching number of collection objects.
  • Alerts. You can enter text to match, including special characters, and the Dynamic Applications Manager page will display only Dynamic Applications that have a matching number of alerts.
  • Events. You can enter text to match,including special characters, and the Dynamic Applications Manager page will display only Dynamic Applications that have a matching number of event policies.
  • Thresh. You can enter text to match, including special characters, and the Dynamic Applications Manager page will display only Dynamic Applications that have a matching number of thresholds.
  • Edited By. You can enter text to match, including special characters, and the Dynamic Applications Manager page will display only Dynamic Applications that were created or edited by a a matching user-name.
  • Last Edited. Only those Dynamic Applications that match all the previously selected fields and have the specified "last edited" date will be displayed. The choices are:
  • All. Display all Dynamic Applications that match the other filters.
  • Last Minute. Display only Dynamic Applications that have been modified within the last minute.
  • Last Hour. Display only Dynamic Applications that have been modified within the last hour.
  • Last Day. Display only Dynamic Applications that have been modified within the last day.
  • Last Week. Display only Dynamic Applications that have been modified within the last week.
  • Last Month. Display only Dynamic Applications that have been modified within the last month.
  • Last Year. Display only Dynamic Applications that have been modified within the last year.

Special Characters

You can include the following special characters to filter by each column except those that display date and time:

When searching for a string, SL1 will match substrings by default, even if you do not include any special characters. For example, searching for "hel" will match both "hello" and "helicopter". When searching for a numeric value, SL1 will not match a substring unless you use a special character.

String and Numeric

  • , (comma). Specifies an "OR" operation. Works for string and numeric values. For example:

"dell, micro" matches all values that contain the string "dell" OR the string "micro".

  • & (ampersand). Specifies an "AND " operation. Works for string and numeric values. For example:

"dell & micro" matches all values that contain both the string "dell" AND the string "micro", in any order.

  • ! (exclamation point). Specifies a "not" operation. Works for string and numeric values. For example:

NOTE: You can also use the "!" character in combination with the arithmetical special characters (min-max, >, <, >=, <=, =) described below.

  • * (asterisk). Specifies a "match zero or more" operation. Works for string and numeric values. For a string, matches any string that matches the text before and after the asterisk. For a number, matches any number that contains the text. For example:

"hel*er" would match "helpers" and "helicopter" but not "hello".

"325*" would match "325", "32561", and "325000".

"*000" would match "1000", "25000", and "10500000".

  • ? (question mark). Specifies "match any one character". Works for string and numeric values. For example:

"l?ver" would match the strings "oliver", "levers", and "lover", but not "believer".

"135?" would match the numbers "1350", "1354", and "1359", but not "135" or "13502"

String

  • ^ (caret). For strings only. Specifies "match the beginning". Matches any string that begins with the specified string. For example:

"^sci" would match "scientific" and "sciencelogic", but not "conscious".

"^happy$" would match only the string "happy", with no characters before or after.

"!^micro" would match all values that do not start with "micro".

"!^$" would match all values that are not null.

"!^" would match null values.

  • $ (dollar sign). For strings only. Specifies "match the ending". Matches any string that ends with the specified string. For example:

"ter$" would match the string "renter" but not the string "terrific".

"^happy$" would match only the string "happy", with no characters before or after.

"!fer$" would match all values that do not end with "fer".

"!^$" would match all values that are not null.

"!$" would match null values.

NOTE: You can use both ^ and $ if you want to match an entire string and only that string. For example, "^tern$" would match the strings "tern" or "Tern" or "TERN"; it would not match the strings "terne" or "cistern".

Numeric

  • min-max. Matches numeric values only. Specifies any value between the minimum value and the maximum value, including the minimum and the maximum. For example:

"1-5 "would match 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5.

  • - (dash). Matches numeric values only. A "half open" range. Specifies values including the minimum and greater or including the maximum and lesser. For example:

"1-" matches 1 and greater. So would match 1, 2, 6, 345, etc.

"-5" matches 5 and less. So would match 5, 3, 1, 0, etc.

  • > (greater than). Matches numeric values only. Specifies any value "greater than". For example:

">7" would match all values greater than 7.

  • < (less than). Matches numeric values only. Specifies any value "less than". For example:

"<12" would match all values less than 12.

  • >= (greater than or equal to). Matches numeric values only. Specifies any value "greater than or equal to". For example:

"=>7" would match all values 7 and greater.

  • <= (less than or equal to). Matches numeric values only. Specifies any value "less than or equal to". For example:

"=<12" would match all values 12 and less.

  • = (equal). Matches numeric values only. For numeric values, allows you to match a negative value. For example:

"=-5 " would match "-5" instead of being evaluated as the "half open range" as described above.

Examples

  • "!dell" matches all values that do not contain the string "dell".
  • "!^micro" would match all values that do not start with "micro".
  • "!fer$" would match all values that do not end with "fer".
  • "!^$" would match all values that are not null.
  • "!^" would match null values.
  • "!$" would match null values.
  • "!*" would match null values.
  • "happy, !dell" would match values that contain "happy" OR values that do not contain "dell".
  • "aio$". Matches only text that ends with "aio".
  • "^shu". Matches only text that begins with "shu".
  • "^silo$". Matches only the text "silo", with no characters before or after.
  • "!silo". Matches only text that does not contains the characters "silo".
  • "!^silo". Matches only text that does not start with "silo".
  • "!0$". Matches only text that does not end with "0".
  • "!^silo$". Matches only text that is not the exact text "silo", with no characters before or after.
  • "!^". Matches null values, typically represented as "--" in most pages.
  • "!$". Matches null values, typically represented as "--" in most pages.
  • "!^$". Matches all text that is not null.
  • silo, !aggr". Matches text that contains the characters "silo" and also text that does not contain "aggr".
  • "silo, 02, !aggr". Matches text that contains "silo" and also text that contains "02" and also text that does not contain "aggr".
  • "silo, 02, !aggr, !01". Matches text that contains "silo" and also text that contains "02" and also text that does not contain "aggr" and also text that does not contain "01".
  • "^s*i*l*o$". Matches text that contains the letter "s", "i", "l", "o", in that order. Other letters might lie between these letters. For example "sXiXlXo" would match.
  • "!^s*i*l*o$". Matches all text that does not that contains the letter "s", "i", "l", "o", in that order. Other letters might lie between these letters. For example "sXiXlXo" would not match.
  • "!vol&!silo". Matches text that does not contain "vol" AND also does not contain "silo". For example, "volume" would match, because it contains "vol" but not "silo".
  • "!vol&02". Matches text that does not contain "vol" AND also contains "02". For example, "happy02" would match, because it does not contain "vol' and it does contain "02".
  • "aggr,!vol&02". Matches text that contains "aggr" OR text that does not contain "vol" AND also contains "02".
  • "aggr,!vol&!infra". Matches text that contains "aggr" OR text that does not contain "vol" AND does not contain "infra".
  • "*". Matches all text.
  • "!*". Matches null values, typically represented as "--" in most pages.
  • "silo". Matches text that contains "silo".
  • " !silo ". Matches text that does not contain "silo".
  • " !^silo$ ". Matches all text except the text "silo", with no characters before or after.
  • "-3,7-8,11,24,50-". Matches numbers 1, 2, 3, 7, 8, 11, 24, 50, and all numbers greater than 50.
  • "-3,7-8,11,24,50-,a". Matches numbers 1, 2, 3, 7, 8, 11, 24, 50, and all numbers greater than 50, and text that includes "a".
  • "?n". Matches text that contains any single character and the character "n". For example, this string would match "an", "bn", "cn", "1n", and "2n".
  • "n*SAN". Matches text the contains "n", zero or any number of any characters and then "SAN". For example, the string would match "nSAN", and "nhamburgerSAN".
  • "^?n*SAN$”. Matches text that begins with any single character, is following by "n", and then zero or any number of any characters, and ends in "SAN".

Managing the Dynamic Applications Aligned to a Device

You can view detailed data about a specific device by clicking the device name on the Devices page () to open the Device Investigator page for that device.

The Collections tab of the Device Investigator displays a list of the Dynamic Applications associated with the device.

This section describes how to view and manage the Dynamic Applications associated with a device using the Collections tab of the Device Investigator.

Even if you turn off data collection for a device, that device still consumes a single ScienceLogic device license. For more information, see the Non-billable Devices section.

Viewing the List of Dynamic Applications Aligned to a Device

On the Collections tab of the Device Investigator, you can view a list of the Dynamic Applications associated with the device.

The Collections tab of the Device Investigator

You can filter the items on this inventory page by typing filter text or selecting filter options in one or more of the filters found above the columns on the page. For more information, see Filtering Inventory Pages.

You can adjust the size of the rows and the size of the row text on this inventory page. For more information, see the section on Adjusting the Row Density.

For each Dynamic Application in the list, the Collections tab displays the following information:

  • ID. The globally unique ID number (GUID) assigned to the Dynamic Application by SL1.
  • Numeric ID. The numeric integer ID number for the Dynamic Application, which can be used to correlate Dynamic Applications to system log messages.
  • Name. Name of the Dynamic Application.
  • Type. The protocol used by the Dynamic Application (Database [SQL], Internal Collection Inventory or Internal Collection Performance (ICDA), Snippet [Python], SNMP, SOAP, WMI, XML, or XSLT) and the type of data collected by the Dynamic Application (Configuration, Performance, or Journal).
  • Credential. Name of the credential that SL1 uses to access the device and retrieve the data specified in the Dynamic Application.

NOTE: Cache-consuming Dynamic Applications do not require a credential. If you aligned a cache-consuming Dynamic Application in the Align Dynamic Application modal page, the Credential field displays N/A and is grayed out. You do not have to select a credential in the Align Dynamic Application modal page.

  • Poll Frequency. Frequency at which SL1 will query the device to retrieve the data specified in the Dynamic Application. Each Dynamic Application includes a default frequency. From this page (the Collections tab), if you have the proper user permissions, you can change the poll frequency for a Dynamic Application on the current device. This edited poll frequency will override the default frequency for the Dynamic Application and the poll frequency defined for a Dynamic Application in one or more device templates.

To rearrange the columns in the list, click and drag the column name to a new location. You can adjust the width of a column by clicking and dragging the right edge of the column. For more information about editing and adding columns, see Editing the Settings for an Inventory Page.

On the Collections tab, you can:

Viewing Information about a Dynamic Application Aligned to a Device

To view more information about a Dynamic Application that is aligned to the device, select that Dynamic Application from the list on the Collections tab. An information pane with details about that Dynamic Application appears on the right side of the page:

Image of the Device Information tab on the Device Investigator page

This information pane includes three sections:

  • Info (). This section provides basic information about the Dynamic Application. From here, if you have the proper user permissions, you can also change the Dynamic Application's credential and update its poll frequency.
  • Collection Objects (). This section lists the Dynamic Application's collection objects. Each collection object in a Dynamic Application specifies a data point that SL1 will attempt to collect.
  • Presentation Objects (). This section lists the Dynamic Application's presentation objects. Presentation objects define how SL1 should present data for performance or journal Dynamic Applications.

You can click the expand icon () next to each collection object and presentation object to see additional information about that object, including its collection status. For more information, see the section on Viewing the Status of a Dynamic Application.

If you have the proper user permissions, you can also enable or disable collection for certain collection objects. For more information, see the section on Enabling and Disabling Collection for Specific Collection Objects.

Changing the Credential for a Dynamic Application Aligned to a Device

If you have the proper user permissions, you can use the information pane for a Dynamic Application listed on the Collections tab to change the credential aligned to that Dynamic Application.

To change the credential for a Dynamic Application aligned to a device:

  1. On the Collections tab of the Device Investigator, click Edit and select the Dynamic Application you want to update. The information pane for the Dynamic Application appears.
  2. If SNMP Credential is checked currently in the Device Credential field, uncheck the checkbox. The Credential field appears below it.
  3. In the Credential field, click the edit icon (). The Choose Credential modal page appears.
  4. In the Choose Credential modal page, search for the credential you want to align with the Dynamic Application and select it from the list, then click Select. Your selected credential appears in the Credential field.
  5. Click Save.

Updating the Poll Frequency for a Dynamic Application Aligned to a Device

If you have the proper user permissions, you can use the information pane for a Dynamic Application listed on the Collections tab to change the default poll frequency at which the Dynamic Application queries the device for data.

To change the poll frequency and collection status for a Dynamic Application:

  1. On the Collections tab of the Device Investigator, click Edit and select the Dynamic Application you want to update. The information pane for the Dynamic Application appears.
  2. From the Poll Frequency drop-down, select how often you want the Dynamic Application to collect data from the device. Your options range from 1 minute to 24 hours, or you can select Default to not change the frequency.
  3. Click Save.

Manually Aligning a Dynamic Application to a Device

If you have the proper user permissions, you can manually align a new Dynamic Application to a device or unalign a currently aligned Dynamic Application from a device.

To align a Dynamic Application to a device:

  1. On the Collections tab of the Device Investigator, click Edit and then click Align Dynamic Application. The Align Dynamic Application window appears.
  2. Click Choose Dynamic Application. The Choose Dynamic Application window appears:

You can filter the items on this inventory page by typing filter text or selecting filter options in one or more of the filters found above the columns on the page. For more information, see Filtering Inventory Pages.

You can adjust the size of the rows and the size of the row text on this inventory page. For more information, see the section on Adjusting the Row Density.

  1. Select the Dynamic Application you want to align and click Select. The name of the selected Dynamic Application appears in the Align Dynamic Application window.
  2. If a default credential is listed below the Dynamic Application and you want to use that credential, skip ahead to step 7. Otherwise, uncheck the box next to the credential name.
  3. Click Choose Credential. The Choose Credential window appears.
  4. Select the credential for the Dynamic Application and click the Select button. The name of the selected credential appears in the Align Dynamic Application window.
  5. Click the Align Dynamic App button. When the Dynamic Application is successfully aligned, it is added to the Collections tab, and a confirmation message appears at the bottom of the tab.

To unalign a Dynamic Application from a device, click the Actions button () for that Dynamic Application and select Unalign Dynamic App. However, be advised that when you unalign a Dynamic Application, you also delete the data it has collected.

Viewing the Status of a Dynamic Application Aligned to a Device

The Collections tab of the Device Investigator displays the status of each collection object within each Dynamic Application aligned to a device.

The following icons represent the different collection statuses:

Icon Status
Found and collecting
Found and not collecting
Not found and collecting

For more information about these status, see the sections on the Found status and the Collecting status.

Before determining which collection objects defined in a Dynamic Application will be collected, SL1 determines whether the Dynamic Application itself should be collected. Dynamic Applications are not collected for devices that are unavailable (because of a failed availability check) or have collection disabled (either manually by a user or because of maintenance scheduled in SL1), regardless of the Collecting value of the objects.

Understanding the Found Status

The Found status for a collection object indicates whether data has ever been successfully collected for that object from that specific device.

For a presentation object, the Found status indicates whether every collection object used by that presentation object has a Found value of Yes.

After Found is set to Yes for an object, SL1 will never automatically change the value of Found for this object.

The value of Found is used by SL1 to determine whether icons, tabs, and Navbar links that lead to the Performance or Configs page where the collection object is used should be active.

After the Dynamic Application is enabled, its Discovery Object displays as Not found and collecting in the SL1 user interface, with a yellow question mark icon () next to it. No further action is needed in this situation.

Understanding the Collecting Status

The Collecting status for a collection object indicates whether SL1 will attempt to collect data for this object when collection for this Dynamic Application occurs. For information about how SL1 determines the Collecting status, see the section on How SL1 Manages the Collection Status for Dynamic Applications.

If you have the proper user permissions, you can disable or enable collection for individual collection objects. For more information, see the section on Enabling and Disabling Collection for Specific Collection Objects.

For a presentation object, the Collecting status indicates whether every collection object used by that presentation object has a Collecting value of Yes. If a collection object has a Collecting value of No, then every presentation object that uses that collection object will also have a Collecting value of No.

Conversely, the Collecting status for a presentation object has no effect upon its collection objects. If you manually change the Collecting status for a presentation object, the Collecting status for the collection objects used by the presentation object will not change.

Enabling and Disabling Dynamic Application Data Collection for a Device

If you have the proper user permissions, you can disable data collection for a particular Dynamic Application on a specific device. This will affect collection only for that Dynamic Application on that device. For all other subscriber devices, SL1 will continue to use the Dynamic Application to collect data.

To disable or enable all collection for a Dynamic Application:

  1. On the Collections tab for the device, click Edit.
  2. To disable collection for a Dynamic Application, click the Actions button () for that Dynamic Application and select Disable Collection. To enable collection for a disabled Dynamic Application, click the Actions button () and select Enable Collection.
  3. Click Save.

Even if you turn off data collection for a device, that device still consumes a single ScienceLogic device license. For more information, see the Non-billable Devices section.

Enabling and Disabling Collection for Specific Collection Objects

If you have the proper permissions, you can disable data collection for specific collection objects within a Dynamic Application that is aligned to a device. Doing so will affect collection only for that collection object within that Dynamic Application for that specific device; the collection status will not change for any other collection objects, Dynamic Applications, or devices. For all other devices, SL1 will use the default list of objects from the Dynamic Application's definition or will use the list of objects defined on the Collections tab for that device.

To disable or enable collection for specific collection objects within a Dynamic Application:

  1. On the Collections tab for a device, click Edit and select the Dynamic Application you want to update. The information pane for the Dynamic Application appears.
  2. To disable collection for an individual collection object, click the Actions button () for that object in the information pane and select Disable Collection. To enable collection for a disabled object, click the Actions button () and select Enable Collection.
  3. Click Save.

Running a Dynamic Application on a Device

On a single device, you can perform a test run of collection with a single Dynamic Application, if you have the proper user permissions. During this test run, SL1 displays details of each step of the collection process. This information can be very helpful for troubleshooting and debugging.

During a test run of a collection with a Dynamic Application, SL1 does not store the collected data or generate alerts. SL1 will continue to collect data and generate alerts using the selected Dynamic Application at the frequency defined in the Dynamic Application.

To execute a test run of collection with a single Dynamic Application:

  1. On the Collections tab for the device, do one of the following:
  • Click the Run Now button in the Run Dynamic App column.
  • Click the Actions button () for the Dynamic Application that you want to run and select Run Now.
  • Select the Dynamic Application from the list to open its information pane. On the information pane, click the Actions button () and then select Run Now.
  1. A status window displays the status and relevant logs for the Dynamic Application.

Managing the Dynamic Applications Associated with a Device in the Classic SL1 User Interface

This section describes how to view and manage the Dynamic Applications associated with a device using the Dynamic Application Collections page in the classic SL1 user interface.

Viewing the Dynamic Applications Associated with a Device in the Classic SL1 User Interface

To view the Dynamic Applications associated with a device:

  1. Go to the Device Manager page (Devices > Device Manager).
  2. In the Device Manager page, find the device for which you want to view Dynamic Applications. Select its wrench icon ().
  3. In the Device Administration panel, select the Collections tab.
  4. The Dynamic Application Collections page displays a list of all Dynamic Applications aligned with the current device. For each Dynamic Application, the Dynamic Application Collections page displays the following read-only information:

  • Plus Sign (). Clicking on this icon displays a list of all Presentation Objects included in Dynamic Applications of type "Performance" and "Journal" or a list of all Collection Objects included in Dynamic Applications of type "Configuration". You can click on the plus sign next to each Presentation Object to see all the Collection Objects included in the Presentation Object.
  • Minus Sign (). Collapses a Dynamic Application and hides the display of Presentation Objects and Collection Objects.
  • Dynamic Application. Name of the Dynamic Application.
  • ID. Numeric ID for the Dynamic Application.
  • Poll Frequency. Frequency at which SL1 will query the device to retrieve the data specified in the Dynamic Application. Each Dynamic Application includes a default frequency. From this page (Dynamic Application Collections), you can change the poll frequency for a Dynamic Application on the current device. This edited poll frequency will override the default frequency for the Dynamic Application and the poll frequency defined for a Dynamic Application in one or more device templates.
  • Type. The protocol used by the Dynamic Application (Database [SQL], Internal Collection Inventory or Internal Collection Performance (ICDA), Snippet [Python], SNMP, SOAP, WMI, XML, or XSLT) and the type of data collected by the Dynamic Application (Configuration, Performance, or Journal).
  • Credential. Name of the credential that SL1 uses to access the device and retrieve the data specified in the Dynamic Application.

NOTE: Cache-consuming Dynamic Applications do not require a credential. If you aligned a cache-consuming Dynamic Application in the Dynamic Application Alignment modal page, the Credential field displays N/A and is grayed out. You do not have to select a credential in the Dynamic Application Alignment modal page.

  • Collector. Name of the specific Data Collector used to collect data from the Dynamic Application.

Based on the Dynamic Application's Collector Affinity settings, the Dynamic Application might be assigned to a different Data Collector than the Data Collector that is assigned to the device in the Device Properties page (Devices> Device Manager > wrench icon). In the Dynamic Application Collections page, hover your mouse over the Collector name for any of the Collection Objects to view a tooltip that explains why the Dynamic Application is assigned to its particular Data Collector. For more information about the Collector Affinity settings, see the Dynamic Application Settings section.

  • Run Dynamic Application (). Performs a test run of data collection for the selected Dynamic Application on the current device.

NOTE: If a device is currently unavailable, the lightning-bolt icon () will be grayed out for each Dynamic Application aligned with the device.

  • Checkbox (). Apply an action from the Select Action field to this instance of the Dynamic Application.

Manually Associating a Dynamic Application with a Device in the Classic SL1 User Interface

From the Dynamic Application Collections page, you can manually associate a new Dynamic Application with a device.

To manually associate a Dynamic Application with a device:

  1. Go to the Device Manager page (Devices > Device Manager).
  2. In the Device Manager page, find the device you want to associate with a Dynamic Application. Click its wrench icon ().
  3. In the Device Administration panel, click the Collections tab.
  4. In the Dynamic Application Collections page, click the [Actions] menu and select Add Dynamic Application.
  5. The Dynamic Application Alignment modal page appears. To align a Dynamic Application with a device in this page:
  • Select the Dynamic Application you want to align with the device in the Dynamic Applications field. You can filter the list of Dynamic Applications using the search field above the Dynamic Applications field.

  • After selecting a Dynamic Application, you must select a credential. Select a credential in the Credentials field. You can filter the list of credentials using the search field above the Credentials field.

    Your organization membership(s) might affect the list of credentials you can see in the Credentials field.

    Cache-consuming Dynamic Applications do not require a credential. If you selected a cache-consuming Dynamic Application in the Dynamic Application Alignment modal page, the Credential field displays N/A and is grayed out. You do not have to select a credential in the Dynamic Application Alignment modal page.

  1. Click the [Save] button in the Dynamic Application Alignment modal page to align the Dynamic Application and the credential to the device.
  2. SL1 will associate the Dynamic Application with the device and immediately attempt to collect the data specified in the Dynamic Application using the selected credential.
  3. After the first, immediate collection, SL1 will collect the data at the frequency defined in the Polling Frequency field in the Application Configuration Editor page for the Dynamic Application.

Editing the Credential Associated with a Dynamic Application in the Classic SL1 User Interface

From the Dynamic Application Collections page, you can change the credential associated with a Dynamic Application. This credential will be used by SL1 for this specific Dynamic Application associated with this specific device . For all other devices, SL1 will use the default credential associated with the device, or will use the credential defined in the Dynamic Application Collections page for each device.

NOTE: Cache-consuming Dynamic Applications do not require a credential. If you aligned a cache-consuming Dynamic Application with this device (you do this in the Dynamic Application Alignment modal page), the Credential field displays N/A and is grayed out.

To change the credential associated with a Dynamic Application for a device:

  1. Go to the Device Manager page (Devices > Device Manager).

  2. In the Device Manager page, find the device for which you want to define a credential. Select its wrench icon ().

  3. In the Device Administration panel, select the Collections tab.

  4. In the Dynamic Application Collections page, find the Dynamic Application for which you want to change the credential. Select its checkbox (). To apply a credential to multiple Dynamic Applications, select the checkbox for each Dynamic Application.

  5. From the Select Action drop-down list, select the credential from the list of all credentials that you are allowed to use, and then select the [Go] button.

    Your organization membership(s) might affect the list of credentials you can see in the Select Action drop-down list.

    If this Dynamic Application has already been aligned with a credential to which you do not have access, the Credential column will display the value Restricted Credential. If you align the device with a different credential, you will not be able to re-align the device with the Restricted Credential.

  1. You should see your change reflected in the Credential column in the Dynamic Application Collections page.

Viewing the Status of a Dynamic Application Associated with a Device in the Classic SL1 User Interface

For each device, SL1 maintains the collection status for each collection object in each Dynamic Application aligned with that device. The Dynamic Application Collections page displays the status of each collection object for a device as represented by two values: Found and Collect. The Dynamic Application Collections page also displays the Found and Collect values for each presentation object, which are derived from the status of each collection object used by the presentation object.

Found

The Found status for a collection object has two possible values:

  • Yes. Data has been successfully collected from this device for this object. Found is set to Yes the first time data is successfully collected from this device for this object.
  • No. Data has never been successfully collected from this device for this object. No is the initial value of Found for every object when a Dynamic Application is initially aligned with a device.

The Found status for a presentation object also has two possible values (Yes and No).

  • If the presentation object uses only one collection object, the presentation object always has the same default Found and default Collect values as that collection object.
  • If a presentation object uses multiple collection objects, the default Found value for the presentation object will be Yes only if all the collection objects used by the presentation object have a Found value of Yes.

After Found is set to Yes for an object, SL1 will never automatically change the value of Found for this object.

The value of Found is used by SL1 to determine whether icons, tabs, and Navbar links that lead to the Performance or Configs page where the collection object is used should be active.

Collect

The Collect status for a collection object has two possible values:

  • Yes. SL1 will attempt to collect data for this object when collection for this Dynamic Application occurs. Yes is the initial value for Collect for every object when a Dynamic Application is initially aligned with a device.
  • No. SL1 will not attempt to collect data for this object when collection for this Dynamic Application occurs. SL1 might set Collect to No automatically if no data has been collected.
  • If a collection object has a Collect value of No, all presentation objects that use that collection object will also have a Collect value of No.

For information about how SL1 determines the Collect status, see the section on How SL1 Manages the Collection Status for Dynamic Applications.

If you have the proper user permissions, you can enable or disable collection for certain collection objects. For more information, see the section on Enabling and Disabling Collection Objects.

The Collect status for a presentation object also has two possible values (Yes and No).

  • If the presentation object uses only one collection object, the presentation object always has the same default Found and default Collect values as that collection object.
  • If a presentation object uses multiple collection objects, the default Collect value for the presentation object will be Yes only if all the collection objects used by the presentation object have a Collect value of Yes. If one or more collection objects used by the presentation object have a Collect value of No, the presentation object will also have a default Collect value of No.
  • The Collect status for a presentation object has no effect upon its collection objects. If you manually change the Collect status for a presentation object, the Collect status for the collection objects used by the presentation object will not change.

Before determining which collection objects defined in a Dynamic Application will be collected, SL1 determines whether the Dynamic Application itself should be collected. Dynamic Applications are not collected for devices that are unavailable (because of a failed availability check) or have collection disabled (either manually by a user or because of maintenance scheduled in SL1) regardless of the Collect value of the objects.

Performing Other Administrative Tasks for an Aligned Dynamic Application in the Classic SL1 User Interface

You can perform the following other administrative tasks for an aligned Dynamic Application in the Dynamic Application Collections page:

  • Enable or disable one or more collection objects or presentation objects.

  • Stop data collection for the whole Dynamic Application.
  • Reset the statistical data that has been stored for standard deviation alerting.
  • Reset persistent session objects that have been collected and stored for a Dynamic Application.
  • Test collection for a Dynamic Application.
  • Remove all data collected using the Dynamic Application and optionally unalign the Dynamic Application from the device.

To perform one of these tasks:

  1. Go to the Device Manager page (Devices > Device Manager).

  1. In the Device Manager page, find the device for which you want to perform an administrative task. Select its wrench icon ().
  2. In the Device Administration panel, select the Collections tab.
  3. In the Dynamic Application Collections page, find the Dynamic Application for which you want to perform an administrative task. The following sections describe how to perform each task.

Enabling or Disabling Objects

From the Dynamic Application Collections page, you can customize the collection performed by the Dynamic Application for the current device. This customization will be used by SL1 only for this specific device. For all other devices, SL1 will use the default list of objects from the Dynamic Application's definition or will use the list of objects defined in the Dynamic Application Collections page for that device.

If a collection object has a Collect value of No, all presentation objects that use that collection object will also have a Collect value of No.

To enable or disable collection for one or more objects in a Dynamic Application:

  • To disable collection for one or more collection objects, unselect the checkbox for each object for which you want to disable collection.
  • For each unselected object, the Collect column should now display No.
  • To enable collection for one or more collection objects, select the checkbox for each object for which you want to enable collection.
  • For each selected object, the Collect column should now display Yes.
  • Select the [Save] button.

NOTE: If a user manually sets the Collect status of a collection object or presentation object to No, SL1 will not attempt to re-collect the object once a day and will not automatically set the Collect status to Yes.

Restarting Automatic Maintenance of Collection Objects

If a user manually sets the Collect status of a collection object or presentation object, SL1 will not automatically change the Collect status of that object as described in the How SL1 Manages Collect Status section.

If you want SL1 to restart automatic maintenance of the objects in a Dynamic Application, perform the following steps:

  1. In the Dynamic Application Collections page, select the checkbox () for the Dynamic Application for which you want to restart automatic collection maintenance. To restart automatic collection maintenance for multiple Dynamic Applications, select the checkbox for each Dynamic Application.
  2. From the Select Action drop-down list, select Restore System Control of Collection State and then select the [Go] button.
  3. Automatic collection maintenance for all objects in the Dynamic Application will now occur. The Collect status of the objects in the Dynamic Application will not change immediately.

Editing the Poll Frequency for a Dynamic Application on the Current Device

Poll Frequency is the frequency at which SL1 will query the device to retrieve the data specified in the Dynamic Application. Each Dynamic Application includes a default frequency.

From the Dynamic Application Collections page, you can change the poll frequency for a Dynamic Application on the current device. For the current device, the edited poll frequency will override:

  • the default frequency for the Dynamic Application.
  • the poll frequency defined for a Dynamic Application in one or more device templates.

To edit the poll frequency for a Dynamic Application on the current device:

  1. In the Dynamic Application Collections page, select the checkbox () for the Dynamic Application for which you want to change the poll frequency. To change the poll frequency for multiple Dynamic Applications, select the checkbox for each Dynamic Application.
  2. From the Select Action drop-down list, select Poll Frequency from the list of poll frequencies and then select the [Go] button.
  3. You should see your change reflected in the Poll Frequency column in the Dynamic Application Collections page.

Stopping Data Collection for a Dynamic Application

You can stop data collection for a Dynamic Application on the current device. This will affect collection only for this specific device. For all other subscriber devices, SL1 will continue to use this Dynamic Application to collect data.

To stop data collection for a Dynamic Application on this device:

  1. Select the checkbox () of each Dynamic Application for which you want to stop data collection.

  1. From the Select Action drop-down list, select the following:
  • Disable All Collection Objects. For all collection objects in the selected Dynamic Application(s), the Collect value will be set to No.

  1. Select the [Go] button.

NOTE: If a user manually sets the Collect status of a collection object or presentation object to No, SL1 will not attempt to re-collect the object once a day and will not set the Collect status to Yes.

Resetting Statistical Data for a Dynamic Application

SL1 allows you to examine the value of an object and trigger an alert if that value falls outside the range of "normal" values for that object at that hour of the day on that day of the week. The deviation function allows you to define such alerts.

To use the deviation function, you must configure SL1 to store and calculate the mean values and standard deviation for an object. You do this by selecting the Enable Deviation Alerting field in the Collection Objects page. You then specify the minimum and maximum number of weeks to collect deviation data for the object. SL1 must have already collected at least the minimum number of weeks' worth of values for an object before SL1 will evaluate alert formulas that use the deviation function. To use the deviation function, you must specify a minimum value of at least two weeks.

In some cases, you might want to delete all the collected statistics for an object and start over. This is useful if known circumstances change the value of an object, and you no longer want to use the old data to calculate the "normal" ranges. You can do this by "resetting" the statistical data for an object.

For example, suppose you were monitoring bandwidth usage with a standard deviation alert. Suppose your company previously ran on a 09:00 to 17:00 work schedule. Suppose your company has recently added a nightshift to the schedule. In this circumstance, you might want to reset the statistical data to determine the new "normal" usage patterns.

When you reset the statistical data for an object, you are telling SL1 to ignore all previously collected values and to use only values from today onward. When you reset the statistical data for an object, the Dynamic Application Collections page will again display a message like:

Note: object 123 not ready for deviation alerting.

until enough data has been collected to again calculate standard deviation for the object. SL1 will again start collecting the minimum number of weeks of data for the object (as specified in the Enable Deviation Alerting field in the Collection Objects page) and calculating the "normal" ranges for those objects for each hour at each day of the week.

To delete all current statistical data for an object:

  1. In the Dynamic Application, find the object for which you want to reset data.

  1. In that Dynamic Application, find the object for which you want to reset data. Select its checkbox ().

  1. From the Select Action drop-down list, select the following option:
  • Reset Statistical Data. Removes all previously collected statistical data for the selected object. SL1 will again start collecting the minimum number of weeks of data for the object (as specified in the Enable Deviation Alerting field in the Collection Objects page) and calculating the "normal" ranges for those objects for each hour at each day of the week.

  1. Select the Go button.
  2. The Dynamic Application Collections page will display a message like:

Note: object 123 not ready for deviation alerting.

Resetting Persistent Session Objects for a Dynamic Application

SOAP or XSLT Dynamic Applications can contain a collection object that stores a Session ID. The value for this collection object can be defined as a persistent value. If SL1 has already retrieved and stored a value in the collection object for the Session ID, SL1 will not collect a new value for the collection object until a SOAP fault occurs. You can force SL1 to re-collect a Session ID collection object by deleting the current persistent value.

To delete the current persistent value for a session object:

  1. In the Dynamic Application, find the object for which you want to reset data. Select its checkbox ().

  2. From the Select Action drop-down list, select Reset Persistent Session Objects. Removes the stored value for collection objects of type SOAP/XSLT Session ID. SOAP/XSLT Session ID objects are persistent across collection periods; SL1 does not collect a SOAP/XSLT Session ID object if a collected value is available from a previous poll. After selecting this option, SL1 will delete the existing value for the object and collect a new value during the next collection.

  3. Select the Go button.

Testing Data Collection for a Dynamic Application

On a single device, you can perform a test-run of collection with a single Dynamic Application. During this test run, SL1 displays details of each step of the collection process. This information can be very helpful for troubleshooting and debugging.

During a test run of a collection with a Dynamic Application, SL1 does not store the collected data or generate alerts. SL1 will continue to collect data and generate alerts using the selected Dynamic Application at the frequency defined in the Dynamic Application.

To execute a test run of collection with a single Dynamic Application:

  1. Locate the device on which you want to test the Dynamic Application and click its wrench icon ().

  2. Click the Collections tab.

  3. Find the Dynamic Application for which you want to test collection and click its lightning bolt icon ().

    If a device is currently unavailable, the lightning bolt icon () will be grayed out for each Dynamic Application aligned with the device.

  4. SL1 displays a Session Logs modal that includes details about each step of the collection process and diagnostic details about alerts in the Dynamic Application. This information can be helpful during troubleshooting.

Removing Data Collected by a Dynamic Application

You can remove the data retrieved with a Dynamic Application from the current device. You have two options for removing Dynamic Application data associated with a device:

  • Remove all previously collected data, but continue to collect data at the specified polling frequency.
  • Remove all normalized data, but retain all raw collected data and continue to collect data at the specified polling frequency.
  • Remove all previously collected data and stop collecting data with this Dynamic Application. This unaligns the device from the Dynamic Application. The device will no longer be a subscriber to the Dynamic Application.

To remove Dynamic Application data associated with a device:

  1. In the Dynamic Application Collections page, select the checkbox () of the Dynamic Application for which you want to remove data. To remove data for multiple Dynamic Applications, select the checkbox for each Dynamic Application.
  2. From the Select Action drop-down list, select one of the following options:

  • Remove Data. Removes all previously collected data, but data will continue to collect at the specified polling frequency.
  • Remove Normalized Data. Removes all normalized data, but all raw collected data is retained and data will continue to collect at the specified polling frequency.
  • Stop Collection and Remove Data. Removes all previously collected data and stops collection of data with this Dynamic Application. This "unaligns" the device from the Dynamic Application. The device is no longer considered a subscriber to the Dynamic Application. If you perform this option and later want to subscribe to this Dynamic Application again, you must re-align the device with the Dynamic Application.

  1. Select the Go button.

How SL1 Manages the Collection Status for Dynamic Applications

This section describes how SL1 manages collection for Dynamic Applications, including the conditions under which it might automatically stop or restart collection. It also describes the types of collection objects for which it will never automatically change the collection status.

Stopping Collection

One of the ScienceLogic hourly maintenance tasks checks the last collection time for every collection object being collected from every device. If the last collection time for an object on a device is more than 24 hours ago, collection is stopped for that collection object on that device. SL1 will set the Collect status of that object to No.

NOTE: If a device is in maintenance mode, is unavailable, or has been manually disabled by a user, SL1 will not automatically set the Collect status of objects to No. SL1 will automatically set the Collect status of objects to No only if the device is up and running, but SL1 still cannot collect the object.

When SL1 sets the Collect status of that object to No, SL1 generates an event. The event will include the name of the device, the name of the Dynamic Application, the name of the collection object, and the collection object IDs. By default, this event is of severity "notice".

NOTE: For Dynamic Applications that have the Component Mapping checkbox selected in the Dynamic Applications Properties Editor page, SL1 will never automatically set the Collect status to No for any of the collection objects in the Dynamic Application.

NOTE: For Dynamic Applications that have the Caching fields set to either Cache Results or Consume cached results in the Dynamic Applications Properties Editor page, SL1 will never automatically set the Collect status to No for any of the collection objects in the Dynamic Application.

Starting Collection

For each object that has the Collect status of No, SL1 will attempt to re-collect the object once a day. If re-collection is successful, SL1 will automatically set the Collect value for that object to Yes.

NOTE: If a user manually sets the Collect status of a collection object or presentation object to No, SL1 will not attempt to re-collect the object once a day and will not set the Collect status to Yes.

Collection Objects that are Excluded from Maintenance

The Collect status of the following collection objects is never changed automatically:

  • Collection objects in Dynamic Applications that have the Component Mapping checkbox checked in the Dynamic Applications Properties Editor page.
  • Collection objects in Dynamic Applications that have the Caching fields set to either Cache Results or Consume cached results, in the Dynamic Applications Properties Editor page.
  • Collection objects that have the Disable Object Maintenance setting enabled.
  • Collection objects that have a Collect status defined by a user, i.e. collection objects that were manually enabled or disabled by a user.

Status of Objects for Deviation

SL1 allows you to examine the value of an object and trigger an alert if that value falls outside the range of "normal" values for that object at the hour of the day on that day of the week. The deviation function allows you to define such alerts.

To use the deviation function, you must configure SL1 to store and calculate the mean values and standard deviation for an object. You do this by selecting the Enable Deviation Alerting field in the Collection Objects page. You then specify the minimum and maximum number of weeks to collect deviation data for the object. SL1 must have already collected at least the minimum number of weeks' worth of values for an object before SL1 can evaluate alert formulas that use the deviation function. To use the deviation function, you must specify a minimum value of at least two weeks.

If a Dynamic Application in the Dynamic Application Collections page contains one or more alerts that use the deviation function, the Dynamic Application Collections page displays the status of the collection objects.

For example, suppose an alert in a Dynamic Application will apply the deviation function to object "o_123". Suppose that you specified that SL1 must collect at least two weeks' worth of deviation data for this object. Suppose that SL1 contains only one weeks' worth of values for object "o_123". In this case, the Dynamic Application Collections page will display the following message:

Note: object 123 not ready for deviation alerting.

When SL1 contains at least two weeks worth of values for object "o_123", the Dynamic Application Collections page will display the following message:

All objects ready for deviation alerting.

Bulk Un-Aligning Dynamic Applications

The Application Subscribers page contains a drop-down field in the lower right called Select Action. This field allows you to un-align a Dynamic Application from one or more subscriber-devices.

To un-align a Dynamic Application from one or more devices:

  1. Go to the Dynamic Applications Manager page (System > Manage > Dynamic Applications).
  2. In the Dynamic Applications Manager page, find an application with a subscriber icon () in the Subscribers column. Clickt the icon.

  1. The Application Subscribers page appears.

  1. In the Application Subscribers page, select the checkbox for each device you want to apply the action to. To select all checkboxes for all devices, select the red checkbox () at the top of the page.
  2. In the Select Action drop-down list, select Unalign Device and Remove Collection Data. This option un-aligns the device from the Dynamic Application and deletes all data collected by the Dynamic Application from the device. The device is no longer considered a subscriber to the Dynamic Application. If you perform this option and later want to subscribe to this Dynamic Application again, you must re-align the device with the Dynamic Application.
  3. Click the Go button to apply the action to all selected devices.

Setting Thresholds for Dynamic Applications

If a Dynamic Application includes one or more thresholds, you can change the threshold value on a per-device basis. To change a Dynamic Application threshold for a device:

  1. Go to the Device Manager page (Devices > Device Manager).

  2. In the Device Manager page, find the device for which you want to define a threshold. Select its wrench icon ().

  3. In the Device Administration panel, select the Thresholds tab.

  4. The Device Thresholds page displays a list of thresholds defined for each Dynamic Application that is aligned to the device. To change a threshold, move the slider for that threshold or enter a value in the number field for that threshold:

  5. After changing one or more thresholds, select the Save button to save your changes.

Changing a threshold in the Device Thresholds page affects only the current device. The threshold values defined in the Dynamic Application remain unchanged.

Dynamic Applications and Discovery

Discovery is the ScienceLogic tool that automatically discovers devices in your network. You supply the discovery tool with a range or list of IP addresses, and the discovery tool determines if a device exists at each IP address. The discovery tool also determines which (if any) Dynamic Applications to align with the device. If the discovery tool finds Dynamic Applications to align with the device, the discovery tool triggers collection for each aligned Dynamic Application.

To learn more about discovery, see the Discovery and Credentials manual.

How Does SL1 Align Dynamic Applications During Discovery?

Most Dynamic Applications include a discovery object. A discovery object enables SL1 to determine which devices to align with a Dynamic Application.

During discovery, SL1:

  1. Searches the list of Dynamic Applications.
  2. If a Dynamic Application includes a discovery object, SL1 adds that Dynamic Application to the list of Dynamic Applications to try to align during discovery.
  3. For each Dynamic Application that includes a discovery object, SL1 checks the current discovery session for an appropriate credential. For example, for each database Dynamic Application, SL1 would look for one or more database credentials that have been selected for the discovery session.
  4. For each discovered device, both those that support SNMP and those that don't, discovery tries to determine which Dynamic Applications to align. For each discovered device, SL1 tries to align each Dynamic Application in the list of Dynamic Applications to try during discovery. For each Dynamic Application in the list, SL1 tries to connect to each device with each of the appropriate credentials (until SL1 finds a working credential) and then tries to find the discovery object. If SL1 is able to connect to a device with one of the credentials and can then retrieve the discovery object, SL1 will align the Dynamic Application with the device.

NOTE: SL1 also includes more sophisticated logic that allows you to define multiple discovery objects, validate the value of the discovery object, and to align the Dynamic Application if a discovery object is not available. However, the most common use of a discovery object is as described above (discovery object exists).

  1. If discovery aligns a Dynamic Application with a device, immediately after discovery completes SL1 will start the first collection from that device using the aligned Dynamic Application. This step is not performed for Dynamic Applications that meet all of the following three criteria:
  • Has a collection frequency of 1 minute, 2 minutes, 3 minutes or 5 minutes.
  • Does not have component mapping enabled (does not discover component devices).
  • Is aligned with a component device.

NOTE: During discovery, SL1 tries each SNMP credential specified in the discovery session on each discovered device, to determine if SL1 can collect SNMP details from the device. Later in the discovery session, during alignment of Dynamic Applications, discovery again tries each SNMP credential specified in the discovery session. If one of the SNMP credentials times out three times without any response, discovery will stop trying to use that SNMP credential to align SNMP Dynamic Applications. Note that "no response" means that a device did not respond at all. Note that if a device reports that "no OID was found" or "the end of the OID tree was reached", these are considered a legitimate response and would not cause SL1 to abandon the credential.

Queuing Discovery from the Dynamic Applications Manager Page

From the Dynamic Applications Manager page, you can manually run the Dynamic Application alignment portion of discovery for all devices in the system using one or more selected Dynamic Applications.

To manually queue discovery from the Dynamic Applications Manager page:

  1. Go to the Dynamic Applications Manager page (System > Manage > Dynamic Applications).

  2. In the Dynamic Applications Manager page, select the checkbox for each Dynamic Application you want to use for discovery.

  3. In the Select Action drop-down list, select Discover Applications. Select the Go button.

  4. You can also run the Dynamic Application alignment portion of discovery for all devices in the system using a single Dynamic Application. To do this, select the lightning bolt icon () for that Dynamic Application.