> ### Using the Configuration Advisor

> The Configuration Advisor calculates suggested threshold values for rules by analyzing trend data. When you apply a recommended rule threshold setting, the alerts triggered as a result of rule violations provide a more meaningful indication of your resource's performance than if you were to arbitrarily set rule values.

> The Configuration Advisor analyzes a rule's past performance for a specified period of time and, based on this data, indicates a baseline value. A baseline value is a number that serves as the base for calculating a set of possible threshold settings based on your system's past activity for a specific rule.

> It is recommended that you use the Configuration Advisor-related default values for a set period of time (for example, one week) to capture data to the FathomTrendDatabase for a rule. This initial step will provide you sufficient data with which to perform the comparison.

> Keep the following points in mind before you run the Configuration Advisor for the first time:

> - Each rule you want to analyze must have at least 32 data samples stored in the FathomTrendDatabase. This sampling provides sufficient data from which the Configuration Advisor can determine a baseline value and subsequently perform a successful analysis of each rule's data.
> - A polled rule must currently be associated with an active monitoring plan for it to be a candidate for the Configuration Advisor to process.
> - If your monitoring plan contains After-imaging (`AI`) rules but you do not have After-imaging enabled for the database, do not select `AI` rules for analysis. When a monitoring plan contains `AI` rules and `AI` is not enabled for the database, the value stored in the FathomTrendDatabase is zero. The Configuration Advisor works by contrasting the FathomTrendDatabase data against the rule's range of values. Since zero falls outside the range of values, the Configuration Advisor's analysis becomes meaningless and it returns a baseline value that is meaningless.

> To initiate the Configuration Advisor:

> 1. Navigate to the desired Database Details page.
> 2. Click Configuration Advisor. The Configuration Advisor page appears:

> 3. In the Start Date and End date fields, define a date range that Fathom will use to collect data from the FathomTrendDatabase. (The default data range covers one week.)
> 4. In the Choose time period to analyze field, identify the time frame that defines a representative period of time in which the rules are generally active, or being used; this time frame is the period against which you want Fathom to calculate your baseline activity. (The default time period is Monday through Friday, 9:00 AM to 5 PM.)
> Note: Your monitoring plan schedules are not necessarily the best choice for a time frame. A schedule defines a period of time in which rules are in effect; it does not focus on time periods in which your resource usage is highest.
> For example, you may use the default schedule (24 hours a day, 7 days a week) to monitor your system, but want to select Monday through Friday from 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM for calculating your baseline settings.

> 5. In the Select rules (for analysis) field, deselect any rules you do not wish to analyze. The Configuration Advisor can analyze the following database resource rules:
> - AIW Writes Percent Low.
> - BIW Writes Percent Low.
> - Buffer IO High.
> - Buffers Flushed at Checkpoint High.
> - Busy AI Buffer Waits High.
> - Busy BI Buffer Waits High.
> - Checkpoint Length Short.
> - Database Commits Low.
> - Empty AI Buffer Waits High.
> - Empty BI Buffer Waits High.
> Only rules associated with a monitoring plan appear in the Select rules (for analysis) list.

> Note: If you added `AI` rules to a monitoring plan but do not have `AI` enabled on your database, do not select the `AI` rules for analysis.

> 6. Click Submit.
> Note: Once you click Submit, you can browse to other Fathom pages and perform other tasks. You can return to the Configuration Advisor at some later point to check status and result details.

> As the Configuration Advisor calculates the threshold settings, the following information appears, reporting the progress of each calculation it is performing:

> Depending upon the criteria that you set on the initial Configuration Advisor page, the number of rules you selected, and other factors such as your machine's speed, this calculation process could take some time.

> When the Configuration Advisor completes its calculations, the following page appears:

> The following time period was used for analysis section of this page summarizes the values defined on the initial Configuration Advisor page. These values are displayed here to help you to easily recall the time period criteria you set.

> The Rule section contains all the rule-related calculated data. You can now review the Configuration Advisor's recommendations and choose whether or not to update your threshold values. See the "Understanding the recommended threshold settings" section for more information about the Configuration Advisor's calculated values.

> Note: The Configuration Advisor page displays the calculated results data until either Update Selected Rules or Cancel is clicked.

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