9.1 Understanding Adapter HierarchyFiles

A HierarchyFile is an XML file that structures data streams received from various management systems and generates a hierarchy of elements which are used to create rational groupings of events and alarms.

When an Operations Center adapter receives a stream of events from a management system, these events are first translated into Operations Center alarms. Each alarm is processed using the adapter’s HierarchyFile; the alarm cascades down through each rule, either matching or not matching criteria defined for elements. When matched, the alarm displays in Operations Center for the affected element.

Although every alarm displays at many levels in the hierarchy, each has only one affected element. For example, alarms display in the Alarms view for both the affected element and the element’s parent. The affected element is the lowest level in the entire hierarchy that potentially can be affected by a specific alarm.

The name of the affected element displays in the Element column of the Alarms view, as shown in Figure 9-1. As alarms pass through the HierarchyFile, they attach to one or more elements and the affected attribute is set to yes. These elements each become a potential affected element. Operations Center then selects the lowest-level (most specific) of these potential elements as the affected element.

Figure 9-1 Alarms View