OPTIMA

User Reference Guide

8.0
Confidentiality, Copyright Notice & Disclaimer

Due to a policy of continuous product development and refinement, TEOCO Ltd. (and its affiliates,
together “TEOCO”) reserves the right to alter the specifications, representation, descriptions and all
other matters outlined in this publication without prior notice. No part of this document, taken as a
whole or separately, shall be deemed to be part of any contract for a product or commitment of any
kind. Furthermore, this document is provided “As Is” and without any warranty.

This document is the property of TEOCO, which owns the sole and full rights including copyright.
TEOCO retains the sole property rights to all information contained in this document, and without
the written consent of TEOCO given by contract or otherwise in writing, the document must not be
copied, reprinted or reproduced in any manner or form, nor transmitted in any form or by any
means: electronic, mechanical, magnetic or otherwise, either wholly or in part.

The information herein is designated highly confidential and is subject to all restrictions in any law
regarding such matters and the relevant confidentiality and non-disclosure clauses or agreements
issued with TEOCO prior to or after the disclosure. All the information in this document is to be
safeguarded and all steps must be taken to prevent it from being disclosed to any person or entity
other than the direct entity that received it directly from TEOCO.

TEOCO and Netrac® are trademarks of TEOCO.

All other company, brand or product names are trademarks or service marks of their respective
holders.

This is a legal notice and may not be removed or altered in any way.

COPYRIGHT © 2014 TEOCO LTD.

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Your feedback is important to us: The TEOCO Documentation team takes many measures in
order to ensure that our work is of the highest quality.

If you found errors or feel that information is missing, please send your Documentation-related
feedback to [email protected]

Thank you,

The TEOCO Documentation team

Change History
This table shows the change history of this guide:

Edition Date Reason

1 17 September 2014 First edition.

 Introduction

Table of Contents
1 Introduction 13
About This Manual 13
About the OPTIMA Operations and Maintenance Guide 14
Installing OPTIMA 14
Opening OPTIMA 14
About the Quick Help Screen 15

2 About the OPTIMA User Interface 17

About the Main OPTIMA Toolbar 18
About the Home Tab 18
About the Analysis Tab Toolbar 19
About the Administration Tab Toolbar 21
About the User Management Tab Toolbar 22
About the Utilities Tab Toolbar 23
About the OPTIMA Menu Commands 24
About the Modules Tab 24
About the Modules Tab Toolbar 25
About the Main Module Combinations Tab 26
About the Main Module Combinations Tab Toolbar 27
About the Individual Module Combination Tab 28
About the Individual Module Combination Tab Toolbar 29
About the Work Area Tab 31
About the Work Area Toolbar 32
About the Reports Tab 33
About the Reports Tab Toolbar 33
About the Schedules Tab 35
About the Schedules Tab Toolbar 35
About the KPI Manager Tab and Global KPI Tab 37
About the KPI Manager Tab Toolbar 38
About the Global KPI Tab Toolbar 39
About the Alarms Tab 40
About the Alarms Tab Toolbar 41
About the Alarm Handlers Tab 43
About the Alarm Handlers Tab Toolbar 44
About the Sandbox Objects Tab 45
About the Sandbox Objects Tab Toolbar 46
About the Data Explorer 48
About the Data Explorer Toolbar 49
About the Filters Tab 49
About the Filters Tab Toolbar 50
About the Element Hierarchies Tab 52
About the Element Hierarchies Tab Toolbar 52
About the Counter Legend Dialog Box 54
Using Favorites 55

5
 OPTIMA 8.0 User Reference Guide

Creating Personal Favorites 55

Creating Personal Favorite Groups 58
Creating Global Favorite Groups 59
Managing Tabs 60
Setting What is Displayed on a Task Tab 61
Switching Between Open Tabs and Windows 63
Quickly Accessing Favorite Commands 65
Working With OPTIMA Sessions 66
Using Multiple Parallel Database Connections 66
Viewing Large Datasets 67
Managing OPTIMA Sessions 67
About the OPTIMA Message Log Window 68
Using the Find Dialog Box 70

3 Administering OPTIMA 71
Setting Administrator Options 71
Setting General Administrator Options 72
Setting Email Client Options 74
Setting Which Tables and Schemas to Exclude from the Data Explorer 75
Setting the Maximum Number of Parallel Database Connections 76
Defining the Memory Threshold for Viewing Large Datasets 76
Administering the Sandbox 77
About the Database Configuration Settings 96
Defining Data Retention Periods 96
Creating Database Links on the Utilities Tab 98
Defining the Regional Settings 99
About OPTIMA Security 100
Creating Groups 101
Editing and Deleting Groups 101
Using Role Based Access Control (RBAC) in OPTIMA 103
Creating Roles 104
Creating Profiles 111
Editing Users 115
Using Contacts 120
Adding, Editing and Deleting Contacts 121
Adding a Contact Group 122
Editing and Deleting Contact Groups 123
About Table and Field Information Settings 123
Configuring the Table and Field Information Settings 125
Setting Table Security 126
Setting the Granularity Period for a Single Table 126
Assigning Categories to Tables 127
Defining Associations for Tables 127
Adding Comments to Tables 128
Applying Changes to Element and Date Columns in Tables 129
Setting Element Levels for Tables 129
Adding Comments to Table Columns 130
Finding a Counter in the Table and Field Info Tab 130
Synchronizing Table Data 130
Editing Database Tables 132
Searching for Data in the Table Editor 134
Updating Column Values Globally 135
Defining Other Table Properties 139

6
 Introduction

About Categories 139

About Table Periods 141
Creating and Editing Entities 143

4 Setting Up and Querying Data 145

Defining User Preferences 145
Setting Confirmation Requests 145
Setting Grid Preferences 146
Setting Expression Editor Preferences 147
Setting Security 147
Setting Default Grid Options 148
Setting Default Graph Options 149
Setting Trace File Options 150
Setting the Time Zone 151
Using Clocks 153
Offsetting the System Clock 154
Defining Network Events 154
Defining Holidays 156
Defining Maintenance Windows 157
Defining Categories for Maintenance Windows 164
Editing and Deleting Network Events 165
Viewing Network Events on the Network Events Tab 167
Searching for Network Events 169
Finding Tables and Counters 170
Using the Data Explorer 171
Filtering User Schemas and Objects on the Data Explorer Tab 172
Defining a Query 172
Saving and Opening Queries 188
Saving a Query as a User Object on the Data Explorer Tab 188
Editing User Views on the Data Explorer Tab 192
Viewing KPIs on the Data Explorer Tab 196
Using KPIs 196
Creating KPIs 197
Editing Individual KPIs 200
Editing Multiple KPIs 201
Deleting KPIs 202
Exporting and Importing KPIs 203
Viewing KPI Use 206
Synchronizing Associated Tables 206
Recreating Views 207
Using Global KPIs 210
Using Modules 213
About Modules 215
Creating Module Folders 216
Creating Modules 218
Editing and Deleting Modules 227
Copying Modules 228
Importing and Exporting Modules 229
Using Element Hierarchies 230
Creating Element Hierarchies 232
Restricting Access to Element Hierarchies 234
Finding Element Hierarchies 235
Duplicating Element Hierarchies 236
Previewing Element Hierarchies 236
Using the Sandbox 237
Creating Empty Tables in the Sandbox 239
Creating Tables with Data in the Sandbox 244
7
 OPTIMA 8.0 User Reference Guide

Creating Database Links in the Sandbox 248

Creating Synonyms in the Sandbox 249
Editing Sandbox Objects on the Sandbox Objects Tab 250
Deleting Sandbox Objects 252
Duplicating Sandbox Objects 253
Importing Data into a Sandbox Table 254
Viewing Sandbox Objects on the Data Explorer Tab 257
Viewing the Sandbox Management Settings 258
Viewing, Dropping and Restoring Deleted Objects 259
Viewing and Dropping Expired Objects 260

5 Viewing Data 263

Using Module Combinations 263
About Module Combinations 265
Creating Module Combination Folders 267
Creating Module Combinations 270
Editing and Deleting Module Combinations 277
Copying Module Combinations 279
Importing and Exporting Module Combinations 280
Filtering Data in Module Combinations 281
Filtering Data by Selecting Network Elements 282
Setting a Date Range 282
Setting Parameter Values 285
Setting Time Aggregation 286
Drilling Down into Modules Based on KPIs 289
Displaying Trend and Forecast Data for Modules 290
Displaying Trend Data for Modules 290
Displaying Forecast Data for Modules 293
Saving Module Combinations as Templates 296
Loading Module Combination Templates 297
Editing Module Combination Templates 298
Deleting Module Combination Templates 298
Finding Elements in the Modules Pane 298
Finding Elements Within One Module 298
Finding Elements Across Modules 299
Using Filters 299
Copying Module Combinations 314
Filtering Elements in the Modules Pane 315
Creating a Static Filter from a Selection 315
Creating a Static Filter From the Grid Pane 316
Applying Filters 316
Selecting Elements Quickly 318
Displaying Data in Graphs 319

6 Customizing Grids 321

About the Tools for Customizing a Grid 321
Customizing Columns in a Grid 323
Sorting Data Within Grid Columns 323
Fixing Grid Columns 324
Scrolling to a Grid Column 325
Changing the Grid Column Settings 325
Setting Thresholds and Conditional Fonts 327
Shortcuts for Changing Column Settings 328
Refreshing Data 328
Searching for Data in Grids 329

8
 Introduction

Filtering Data in Grids 329

Selecting a Single Value to Filter the Grid 330
Filtering One Column of the Grid 330
Filtering More Than One Column in the Grid 331
Summarizing Data 332
Viewing Details of a Single Network Element in a Grid 334
Printing Grids 336
Exporting Grids 336
Counting Records in Grids 337
Viewing SQL in OPTIMA Grids 337

7 Using Graphs 339

About the Graph Toolbar 339
Changing the Appearance of Graphs 341
Using the General Tab in the Graph Options Dialog Box 341
Changing the Appearance of Graph Axis 343
Changing Graph Line Thickness or Bar Chart Type 345
Using the Functions Tab in the Graph Options Dialog Box 346
Displaying Thresholds on Graphs 348
Using Advanced Options 349
Using Chart Themes 350
About the Navigating Tools 350
Zooming and Scrolling on Graphs 350
Rotating a Graph 351
Viewing Values Using the Cursor Key 351
About the Appearance Tools 352
Viewing the Graph in 3D 352
Viewing Gaps in the Data 354
Displaying Data per Point on a Graph 354
Viewing Maintenance Windows on Graphs 355
Viewing Weekends and Holidays 358
Changing the X-Axis Field 360
Selecting and Extending Trends on a Graph 361
Viewing Details in a Graph 362
Printing Graphs 363
Exporting Graphs 364
Saving Graphs as Pictures 365
About the Series List 365
Ordering the List of Data for a Graph 366
About the 3D Options in the Series List Menu 366
Changing the Colors of the Graph Lines 366
Changing the Type of Graph 367
Changing the Axis Where Data Appears 368
Using the Series List Functions in Line Graphs 368

8 Using Work Areas 371

Creating Work Areas 372
Adding and Removing Module Combinations in Work Areas 372
Adding and Removing Web Pages in Work Areas 374
9
 OPTIMA 8.0 User Reference Guide

Refreshing Data and Switching Tabs 375

Enabling Data Refreshing and Switching 376
Opening Work Areas 376
Exporting and Importing Work Areas 377
Deleting Work Areas 377

9 Generating and Scheduling Reports 379

Download Learning ReportBuilder 379
Using the Reports Tab 380
Creating Folders for Reports 380
Running Reports 383
Creating Reports Using ReportBuilder 384
Creating Excel Reports 430
Restricting Access to Reports 436
Editing and Deleting Reports 437
Copying Reports 438
Printing Reports 438
Exporting and Importing Report Definitions 439
Exporting Reports 440
Scheduling Reports 443
Creating Folders for Schedules 443
Creating a Schedule for a Report 445
Editing and Deleting Schedules 448
Copying Schedules 449
Viewing and Deleting the History of a Schedule 449

10 Using Alarms 451

About Alarm Settings 453
Configuring Vendors 453
Configuring Technologies 454
Configuring Element Types 455
Configuring Problem Texts 457
Configuring Alarm Maintenance Parameters 459
Creating Folders for Alarms and Alarm Handlers 459
Renaming Folders for Alarms and Alarm Handlers 460
Deleting Alarm and Alarm Handler Folders 460
Defining an Alarm 460
Defining Performance Alarms Using the Alarms Wizard 461
Defining Performance Alarms Using the Alarms Editor 465
Activating an Alarm 471
Editing and Deleting an Alarm 471
An Example of Creating a System Alarm 472
About Ripple Counts 473
Assigning Alarms to Contacts 473
Creating an Alarm Handler 474
Activating an Alarm Handler 477
Enabling Contacts to Receive Alerts 477
Viewing, Clearing and Resetting Alarms 478
Viewing and Clearing Alarm Definitions 480
Viewing and Clearing Alarms History 481
Viewing Alarms Run History 483

10
 Introduction

Customizing Alarm Information 484

Sorting Alarm Information by Column 484
About the Alarms Backend Applications 484
Troubleshooting 484

11 Data Forecasting 487

Introduction 487
Configuring from the Command Line 488
Configuring the Application INI File 490
Configuring the [GENERAL] Section 491
Configuring the [Forecast] Section 493
Configuring the [DBinput] Section 494
Configuring the [DBOutput] Section 495
Configuring the [FileInput] Section 495
Configuring the [FileOutput] Section 496
Configuring the [Testing] Section 497
Configuring the [IVDNative] Section 497
Configuring Timestamp Formats 498
Configuring the Algorithm INI File 499
Configuring the [General] Section 500
Configuring the [NAGArima] Section 500
Forecasting Methods 501
Configuring the [Naive] Section 501
Configuring the [SimpleMovingAverage] Section 501
Configuring the [WeightedMovingAverage] Section 501
Configuring the [ExponentialSmoothing] Section 502
Configuring the [LinearRegression] Section 502

Procuring Licenses 503

About License Procurement 503
Generating Lock Codes 504
Installing a Software License Server 505
Using the License Reader 505
Generating New Licenses Online 506
Renewing Licenses Online 508
Migrating Existing Licenses Manually 509
Generating New Licenses Manually 511
Renewing Licenses Manually 512
Monitoring Your Software Licence Server 513
Blocking Users from License Access 514
Setting Up Redundant Servers 515
Administrating License Use 516
Using License Administrator 517
Viewing License Details for Individual Products 518
Getting Licenses for Individual Products 520
Dropping Licences for Individual Products 520
Checking Out Commuter Licenses 521
Checking In Commuter Licenses 521

11
 OPTIMA 8.0 User Reference Guide

Glossary of Terms 523

Index 525

12
 Introduction

1 Introduction

OPTIMA is a network performance management and monitoring software tool that logs and stores
network parameters, enabling you to gain a complete understanding of the current and past
performance of your network.

You can use OPTIMA as part of Netrac, TEOCO's Service Assurance suite.

By accessing and analyzing invaluable performance data, you can:

• Identify and respond quickly to change
• Accurately pinpoint extra capacity requirements
• Deploy network enhancements in a timely and cost effective manner
• Predict future trends in the network or in any specific part of the network

Some typical uses of OPTIMA for network operation and performance management are:
• Daily reporting of cell, site, BSC, MSC and transmission network performance
• Daily reporting of any cluster of cell sites or network elements covering particular cities,
roads or other geographical regions
• Identification of performance anomalies across network regions
• Overall monitoring of alarms and equipment operational status
• Identification and strategic reporting of traffic hotspots and network locations generating
high traffic and revenues

About This Manual

This manual describes how to use OPTIMA to view performance data and statistics. This table
summarizes the information within each chapter:

Use This Chapter For

2 Information on using the OPTIMA desktop interface.

3 Administrator-only information about using Administrator tools.
4-9 User information about setting up and viewing data and using reports.
10 Administrator-only information about using performance alarms.
Important: The Alarms and Alarm Handlers options are only available for
upgraded OPTIMA users with an Alarms license. If OPTIMA 8.0 is the first
version that you are using, then you should use TrafficGuard to create
alarms. For more information, see the TrafficGuard Table-Based User Guide
or the TrafficGuard PM-Based User Guide.
11 Information on the optional I-VIEW Data Forecasting (IVDF) application,
which you can use in conjunction with OPTIMA.

Tip: There is also a Quick Reference Guide that provides a brief 'look-up' reference for OPTIMA.
You can access the Quick Reference at any time by clicking the OPTIMA logo and selecting Quick
Reference.

13
 OPTIMA 8.0 User Reference Guide

About the OPTIMA Operations and Maintenance Guide

The OPTIMA Operations and Maintenance (O&M) Guide is an accompaniment to the OPTIMA
User Reference Guide. It contains the operation and maintenance procedures for the data loading
processes and describes how to install and configure the OPTIMA backend applications.

Please contact AIRCOM International Support to obtain the latest version of the O&M Guide. For
contact details, see Obtaining Support.

Installing OPTIMA
You can install the OPTIMA client from the Performance Apps section of the Netrac portal:

After clicking the OPTIMA button, follow the prompts to install the OPTIMA client. It will open
automatically when the installation is complete.

For more information, see the Netrac Clients Installation Guide.

Opening OPTIMA
To open OPTIMA as part of the Netrac portal:

1. Ensure that your user is assigned to a group that has the OPTIMA role.

For more information, see the Netrac Admin User Guide.

2. On the Performance Apps tab, click Optima.

Tip: You can add it to the favorite applications bar by dragging it into the top right corner:

14
 Introduction

3. In the dialog box that appears, click Run.

OPTIMA opens in a separate window:

Important: You can continue to use OPTIMA after your Netrac session times out.

About the Quick Help Screen

When you first open OPTIMA, the Quick Help welcome screen appears:

Quick Help welcome screen

15
 OPTIMA 8.0 User Reference Guide

This provides a reduced version of the main Help, and can be used as a brief 'look-up' reference for
OPTIMA.

By default, it appears every time you log in. To turn it off:

In the Quick Help screen, de-select the 'Always show quick reference on login' option:

To turn it back on:

1. In OPTIMA, from the Help menu, click Quick Reference.

The Quick Help welcome screen appears.

2. Select the 'Always show quick reference on login' option:

16
 About the OPTIMA User Interface

2 About the OPTIMA User Interface

The user interface consists of a number of elements, which enable you to:
• View, compare and analyze data from performance management counters for network
elements using grids and graphs
• Customize windows and reports
• Define how objects (such as modules and grids) function
• Search for objects such as modules and reports

Important: The main parts of this User Reference Guide describe how to use the standalone
version of OPTIMA, and all of the pictures of the user interface are taken from this version.

The OPTIMA user interface operates using a ribbon system similar to Microsoft Office. This picture
shows an example OPTIMA ribbon:

Example OPTIMA ribbon

The ribbon has the following main features:

• A series of tabs, which divide the user interface according to the main task areas.

Note: These are initially Home, Analysis, Administration, User Management and
Utilities but the list will expand depending on the window panes that you have opened.

• Groupings within each tab divide the functional areas into sub-tasks.
• Command buttons for each sub-task, which can include a number of user-defined favorite
shortcut buttons for quickly accessing the most commonly-used module combinations,
reports and work areas.

When you click on a command button, the chosen sub-task opens as a new tab on the toolbar (with
its own sub-tasks and commands), and also as a tab on the window pane. For example, here is the
Modules tab:

Modules tab on OPTIMA ribbon

17
 OPTIMA 8.0 User Reference Guide

If required, you can minimise the ribbon in order to maximise the amount of available screen space.
To do this:

Right-click any task pane on the ribbon, and from the menu that appears, click Minimize
the Ribbon.

- or -

Double-click the name of the tab that is currently displayed.

Tip: You can add favorite and frequently-accessed commands to the Quick Access Toolbar,
which is always available as part of the main display. For more information, see Quickly Accessing
Favorite Commands on page 65.

About the Main OPTIMA Toolbar

The main OPTIMA toolbar contains a number of default tabs, with associated buttons on each
ribbon. This section describes these tabs in more detail.

About the Home Tab

On the Home tab, you can access and manage your favorites. Favorites are module combinations,
reports and work areas that you use regularly, and by defining them as a favorite you create a
shortcut for them. This means that you can access them quickly and easily.

This picture shows an example Home tab:

Example Home tab

This table describes the functions on the Home tab of the OPTIMA toolbar:

Button Name Description

Manage Personal Favorites Opens the Manage Personal Favorites tab, on which you
can create your own favorites, and organise them into
groups.

Personal Favorites Enables you to select which group of favorites is

displayed.
You can select any of the favorite groups belonging to
the groups for which you are a member, and also:
• Your personal favorites
• All global favorites
• All favorites (global and personal)

18
 About the OPTIMA User Interface

The other buttons on this tab will be for accessing any favorites that have been created, grouped
according to the favorite group to which they belong, with the following symbols used to represent
the favorite type:

Button Favorite Type

Module Combination

Microsoft Excel Report

Work Area

For more information, see Using Favorites on page 55.

About the Analysis Tab Toolbar

This table describes the functions on the Analysis tab of the OPTIMA toolbar:

Task Area Button Name Description

Inspector Modules Opens the Modules tab, on which you can view and
use modules.
For more information, see About the Modules Tab
on page 24.
Module Opens the main Module Combinations tab, on which
Combinations you can view and use module combinations.
For more information, see About the Main Module
Combinations Tab on page 26.
Work Area Opens a new Work Area tab. For more information,
see About the Work Area Tab on page 31.

Reporter Reports Opens the Reports tab, on which you can create
and manage reports. For more information, see
About the Reports Tab on page 33.
Schedules Opens the Schedules tab, on which you can create
and manage schedules for when reports will run.
For more information, see About the Schedules Tab
on page 35.
KPI KPI Manager Opens the KPI Manager tab, on which you can
create and manage KPIs to show collected key
performance data in modules and combination
windows, and on the Map View window.
For more information, see About the KPI Manager
Tab and Global KPI Tab on page 37.
Global KPI Opens the Global KPI tab, on which you can create
and manage global KPI views, which consist of a
single view showing all existing common public KPIs
for various vendor tables.
For more information, see About the KPI Manager
Tab and Global KPI Tab on page 37.

19
 OPTIMA 8.0 User Reference Guide

Task Area Button Name Description

Alarms (license Alarms Opens the Alarms tab, on which you can create and
required) manage alarms.
For more information, see About the Alarms Tab on
page 40.
Alarm Handlers Opens the Alarm Handlers tab, on which you can
create and manage alarm handlers.
For more information, see About the Alarm Handlers
Tab on page 43.
Sandbox Sandbox Objects Opens the Sandbox Objects tab, on which you can
create and view objects in the 'Sandbox'
environment.
For more information, see About the Sandbox
Objects Tab on page 45.
General Data Explorer Open a new Data Explorer tab, on which you can
view database tables and create modules and
reports.
For more information, see About the Data Explorer
on page 48.
Filters Open the Filters tab, on which you can create, edit
and delete personal, group, administrator and
ENTERPRISE filters.
For more information, see About the Filters Tab on
page 49.
Element Open the Element Hierarchies tab, on which you
Hierarchies can create, edit and delete element hierarchies.
Element hierarchies are re-usable SQL queries
which enable you to display network elements in the
form of a hierarchical tree.
For more information, see About the Element
Hierarchies Tab on page 52.

Important:
• The availability of some of these functions depends on your permissions and levels of
object security; for more information, see Using Role Based Access Control (RBAC) in
OPTIMA on page 103.
• The Alarms and Alarm Handlers options are only available for upgraded OPTIMA users
with an Alarms license. If OPTIMA 8.0 is the first version that you are using, then you
should use TrafficGuard to create alarms. For more information, see the TrafficGuard
Table-Based User Guide or the TrafficGuard PM-Based User Guide.

20
 About the OPTIMA User Interface

About the Administration Tab Toolbar

This table describes the functions on the Administration tab of the OPTIMA toolbar:

Task Area Button Name Description

General Administrator Opens the General Administrator Options dialog box,

Options in which you can globally configure a number of
settings:
• The connection to the OPTIMA email client
• The maximum number of concurrent
database sessions available to users
• Miscellaneous options, for example the
maximum number of nodes a module can
display
For more information, see Setting General
Administrator Options on page 72.
Data Dictionary Table and Field Opens a new Table and Field Info tab, on which you
Info can perform a number of tasks related to table and
field settings. For example, you can set the granularity
period for tables or assign summary tables to tables.
For more information, see About Table and Field
Information Settings on page 123.
Table Properties Opens the Table Properties dialog box, in which you
can:
• Create user-defined categories and associate
them with database tables. For more
information, see About Categories on page
139.
• Create table periods, used when running data
queries with time aggregation. For more
information, see About Table Periods on page
141.
• Create entities, which define the element
types and their properties. For more
information, see Creating and Editing Entities
on page 143.
Sandbox Allocation Opens the Sandbox Allocation tab, on which you can
Administration allocate individual space quotas for your users to use
in the 'Sandbox' environment.
For more information, see Administering the Sandbox
on page 77.
Expiry Opens the Sandbox Expiry tab, on which you can
specify when Sandbox objects will expire, and what
happens when they expire.
For more information, see Setting Sandbox Expiry
Options on page 85.
Promotion Opens the Sandbox Promotion Requests tab, on which
you can create and manage Sandbox promotion
requests.
For more information, see Creating and Managing
Sandbox Promotion Requests on page 91.

21
 OPTIMA 8.0 User Reference Guide

Task Area Button Name Description

Global Favorites Manage Global Opens the Manage Global Favorites tab, on which you
Favorites can create groups from the favorites of all users, and
associate these global favorites groups with user
groups.
For more information, see Creating Global Favorite
Groups on page 59.

Important: The availability of some of these functions depends on your permissions and levels of
object security; for more information, see Using Role Based Access Control (RBAC) in OPTIMA on
page 103.

About the User Management Tab Toolbar

This table describes the functions on the User Management tab of the OPTIMA toolbar:

Task Area Button Name Description

Permissions Application Opens the Application Roles tab, on which you can create
Roles and manage roles.
For more information, see Creating Roles on page 104.
Profiles Opens the Profiles tab, on which you can create and
manage profiles.
For more information, see Creating Profiles on page 111.
User Administration Users Opens the Users tab, on which you can edit users.
For more information, see Editing Users on page 115.

Groups Opens the Groups dialog box, in which you can create and
manage groups.
For more information, see Creating Groups on page 101.
Contacts Opens the Contacts dialog box, in which you can create
and manage contact details for individual users and groups
of users.
For more information, see Using Contacts on page 120.

Important: The availability of some of these functions depends on your license permissions and
levels of object security; for more information, see Using Role Based Access Control (RBAC) in
OPTIMA on page 103

22
 About the OPTIMA User Interface

About the Utilities Tab Toolbar

This table describes the functions on the Tools tab of the OPTIMA toolbar:

Task Area Button Name Description

General Window Manager Opens the Window Manager dialog box , which enables
you to locate an open dialog box, and switch to it easily.
For more information, see Switching Between Open
Tabs and Windows on page 63.
Dock All Docks all undocked windows that you have opened.
Windows
For more information, see Managing Tabs on page 60.
Message Log Enables you to display the message log.

Global Clock Opens the Global Clock dialog box, in which you can
set the clock to a particular time and date other than
that of the system clock.
For more information, see Using Clocks on page 153.
Regional Opens the Regional Settings dialog box, in which you
Settings can define the region-specific settings for the OPTIMA
client.
For more information, see Defining the Regional
Settings on page 99.
User Preferences Opens the User Preferences dialog box, in which you
can define a number of user preferences, including your
confirmation requests and grid preferences.
For more information, see Defining User Preferences
on page 145.
Database Data Retention Opens the Data Retention dialog box, in which you can
set retention periods for tables in the database.
For more information, see Defining Data Retention
Periods on page 96.
Database Links Opens the Database Links dialog box, in which you can
create database links. These are used to connect from
one database to another.
For more information, see Creating Database Links on
the Utilities Tab on page 98.
Table Editor Opens the Table Editor dialog box, in which you can
edit the data in any table which has been added to
AIRCOM.EDITABLE_TABLES.
For more information, see Editing Database Tables on
page 132.
Calendar Network Events Opens the Network Events tab, on which you can
define holidays and maintenance periods in order to
model your network environment more accurately.
For more information, see Defining Network Events on
page 154.

Important: The availability of some of these functions depends on your permissions and levels of
object security; for more information, see Using Role Based Access Control (RBAC) in OPTIMA on
page 103.

23
 OPTIMA 8.0 User Reference Guide

About the OPTIMA Menu Commands

On the main OPTIMA toolbar, if you click the main OPTIMA button , you can access a
number of additional functions:

Command Description

About OPTIMA Displays information on the software version, build number and Oracle version
being used.
Help Opens the installed Help system, to find out more about OPTIMA.
Quick Reference Opens the Quick Help Screen, which is a reduced version of the main Help and
can be used as a brief 'look-up' reference for OPTIMA.
For more information, see About the Quick Help Screen.
Exit Closes OPTIMA.

About the Modules Tab

On the Modules tab, if you have Administration or Write permissions for the Module Explorer, you
can set up access to data by defining modules. Modules are used in the same way that you would
use a template to customize the data you want to display.

To open a Modules tab:

On the Analysis tab, click the Modules button .

A new Modules tab opens. This picture shows an example:

The Modules tab is divided into two areas:

• The left-hand pane contains a directory structure in which modules are stored.
• The right-hand pane displays the modules in each folder, as either a simple list or a
detailed list, containing additional information such as the module description, current state
(enabled or not enabled) and so on.

Tip: To change the view, right-click in the pane, and from the menu that appears, point to
View and click either List (for the simple list) or Details (for the detailed list) as required.

To view a module, double-click the module name.

24
 About the OPTIMA User Interface

For more information, see Using Modules on page 213.

About the Modules Tab Toolbar

This table describes the functions on the Modules tab of the OPTIMA toolbar:

Task Area Button Name Description

Module New Enables you to create a new module.

For more information, see Creating Modules on page 218.

Edit Enables you to edit an existing module.

For more information, see Editing and Deleting Modules
on page 227.
Copy Enables you to copy a module.
For more information, see Copying Modules on page 228.

Paste Enables you to paste a copied module.

For more information, see Copying Modules on page 228.

Import Enables you to import a module.

For more information, see Importing and Exporting
Modules on page 229.
Export Enables you to export a module or module folder.
For more information, see Importing and Exporting
Modules on page 229
Run Enables you to perform an unplanned execution of a
module.
For more information, see Using Modules on page 213.
Explorer New Folder Enables you to create a new folder for storing modules.
For more information, see Creating Module Folders on
page 216.
Up One Level Enables you to move up one level in the folder hierarchy.

Find Enables you to search for items on tabs.

For more information, see Using the Find Dialog Box on
page 70.
Rename Enables you to rename a module or model folder.
For more information, see Editing and Deleting Modules
on page 227.
Delete Enables you to delete a module or module folder.
For more information, see Editing and Deleting Modules
on page 227 and Deleting Module Folders on page 216.
View List Enable you to define how information is displayed on the
tab.
For more information, see Setting What is Displayed on a
Task Tab on page 61.
Details

25
 OPTIMA 8.0 User Reference Guide

Task Area Button Name Description

Refresh Enables you to refresh a module.

This is particularly useful if you are working in a multiple
user environment, and want to see the changes made by
other users.
Important: OPTIMA does not automatically refresh the
data.

Important: The availability of some of these functions depends on your permissions and level of
ownership; for more information, see Using Modules on page 213.

About the Main Module Combinations Tab

On the main Module Combinations tab, if you have Administration or Write permissions for Module
Combinations you can create and manage module combinations, which use modules to display
specific data in grid and graph format within the OPTIMA Inspector.

To open the main Module Combinations tab:

On the Analysis tab, click the Module Combinations button .

A Module Combinations tab opens. This picture shows an example:

For more details on the options on the toolbar. see About the Main Module Combinations Tab
Toolbar on page 27.
26
 About the OPTIMA User Interface

When you open an individual module combination, a new tab with its own toolbar opens. For more
information, see About the Individual Module Combination Tab on page 28.

About the Main Module Combinations Tab Toolbar

This table describes the functions on the Module Combinations tab of the OPTIMA toolbar:

Task Area Button Name Description

Module Combinations New Enables you to create a new module

combination.
For more information, see Creating Module
Combinations on page 270.
Edit Enables you to edit an existing module
combination.
For more information, see Editing and Deleting
Module Combinations on page 277.
Copy Enables you to copy module combinations.
For more information, see Copying Module
Combinations on page 279.
Paste Enables you to paste copied module
combinations.
For more information, see Copying Module
Combinations on page 279.
Import Enables you to import a module combination.
For more information, see Importing and
Exporting Module Combinations on page 280.
Export Enables you to export a module combination or
folder.
For more information, see Importing and
Exporting Module Combinations on page 280.
Explorer New Folder Enables you to create a new folder for storing
module combinations.
For more information, see Creating Module
Combination Folders on page 267.
Up One Level Enables you to move up one level in the folder
hierarchy.

Find Enables you to search for items on tabs.

For more information, see Using the Find Dialog
Box on page 70.
Rename Enables you to rename module combinations or
folders.
For more information, see Renaming Module
Combination Folders on page 268.
Delete Enables you to delete module combinations or
folders.
For more information, see Editing and Deleting
Module Combinations on page 277 and
Deleting Module Combination Folders on page
267.

27
 OPTIMA 8.0 User Reference Guide

Task Area Button Name Description

Views List Enable you to define how information is

displayed on the tab.
For more information, see Setting What is
Displayed on a Task Tab on page 61.
Details

Refresh Enables you to refresh the modules in the

combination.
This is particularly useful if you are working in a
multiple user environment, and want to see the
changes made by other users.
Important: OPTIMA does not automatically
refresh the data.
For more information, see Refreshing Modules
in Module Combinations on page 272.

Important: The availability of some of these functions depends on your permissions and level of
ownership; for more information, see Using Module Combinations on page 263.

About the Individual Module Combination Tab

When you open an individual module combination from the main Module Combinations tab, a
new tab opens with its own toolbar.

This picture shows an example:

Tab for an individual module combination

28
 About the OPTIMA User Interface

On this tab you can select which information is displayed for a particular module combination,
display the data graphically and so on. For more information, see Using Module Combinations on
page 263.

For more details on the options on the toolbar. see About the Individual Module Combination Tab
Toolbar on page 29.

About the Individual Module Combination Tab Toolbar

This table describes the functions on the Module Combinations tab of the OPTIMA toolbar:

Task Area Button Name Description

Module Combinations Add Enables you to add a new module to a

combination.
For more information, see Creating
Module Combinations on page 270.
Save Enables you to save the module
combination with the current name in the
current location.
Save As Enables you to save the module
combination with a different name and/or
in a different location.
Run Selected Module Enables you to run a selected module in
a combination.
For more information, see Using Module
Combinations on page 263.
Run All Modules in Enables you to run all of the modules in
Combination a combination.
For more information, see Using Module
Combinations on page 263.

Remove Module from Enables you to delete a module from a

Combination combination.
For more information, see Removing
Modules from Module Combinations on
page 271.
Analysis Forecast Enables you to run and view forecast
data for modules.
For more information, see Displaying
Forecast Data for Modules on page 293.
Trend Enables you to run and view trend data
for modules.
For more information, see Displaying
Trend Data for Modules on page 290.
Explorer Create Link Between Enables you to define links between
Modules modules in a combination.
For more information, see Adding Links
to Module Combinations on page 274.
Parameters Enables you to specify which parameters
you want to use for filtering the data.
For more information, see Setting
Parameter Values on page 285.
View View Graph Enables you to view the module data
within a graph.

29
 OPTIMA 8.0 User Reference Guide

Task Area Button Name Description

View Grid Enables you to view the module date

within a grid.

View Selection Enables you to toggle between showing

and hiding the selection options -
Template, Modules, Filters, Date Range
and Aggregation By.
Graph Add Graph Enables you to add a new graph to the
module combination.
For more information, see Displaying
Data in Graphs on page 319.
Tab/Tile Graphs Enables you to toggle between
displaying each graph as a separate
subtab and as a separate tiled window.
For more information, see Displaying
Data in Graphs on page 319.
Align Horizontally Enables you to display the graphs
horizontally.
For more information, see Displaying
Data in Graphs on page 319.
Undock/Redock All Enables you to detach graphs from the
Graphs module combination and display them in
their own dialog box.
For more information, see Displaying
Data in Graphs on page 319.
Align Vertically Display the graphs vertically.
For more information, see Displaying
Data in Graphs on page 319.
Link/Unlink Graphs Enables you to link graphs that have the
same x-axis field.
For more information, see Displaying
Data in Graphs on page 319.

Save Graphs to HTML Export graphs to an HTML file.

For more information, see Displaying
Data in Graphs on page 319.

Important: The availability of some of these functions depends on your permissions and level of
ownership; for more information, see Using Module Combinations on page 263.

30
 About the OPTIMA User Interface

About the Work Area Tab

On the Work Area tab, if you have Write permissions for Work Areas, you can create, edit and
delete work areas.

Work areas can contain web browser pages, reports exported in HTML format to a server location
and module combinations, and enable you to save all of the items that you regularly use in a single
view. Work areas can also be set up to refresh at specified intervals, and automatically switch
between views as required.

To open a Work Area tab:

On the Analysis tab, click the New Work Area button .

The Work Area tab opens:

For more information, see Using Work Areas on page 371.

31
 OPTIMA 8.0 User Reference Guide

About the Work Area Toolbar

This table describes the Work Area toolbar, which you can use to customize your work area.

Task Area Button Name Description

Work Area Open Enables you to open work area that is stored in the
database.
For more information, see Opening Work Areas on page
376.
Save Save a work area as an *.ini file.

Import Import and export work areas as an *.ini file.

For more information, see Exporting and Importing Work
Areas on page 377.
Export

Delete Delete a work area *.ini file.

For more information, see Deleting Work Areas on page
377.
Web Page Add Enable you to add, edit and remove web pages in the
work area.
For more information, see Adding and Removing Web
Pages in Work Areas on page 374.
Edit

Remove

Combinations Add Enable you to add and remove module combinations in

the work area.
For more information, see Adding and Removing Module
Combinations in Work Areas on page 372.
Remove

Configuration Refresh Interval Set the intervals for refreshing data and switching views.
For more information, see Refreshing Data and
Switching Tabs on page 375.
Switching Enabled Enables you to set the switching option to be on or off.

Refresh Enabled Enables you to set the automatic refresh option to be on

or off.
For more information, see Enabling Data Refreshing and
Switching on page 376

For more options when you have a work area open, right-click the work area and from the menu
that appears, select the appropriate action.

Important: The availability of some of these functions depends on your permissions and level of
ownership; for more information, see Using Work Areas on page 371.

32
 About the OPTIMA User Interface

About the Reports Tab

On the Reports tab, if you have Administration or Write permissions for Reports, you can create,
edit and delete reports of performance data.

Note: All users with Read permissions for Reports can view the data for reports.

To open a new Reports tab:

On the Analysis tab, click the Reports button .

A new Reports tab opens. This picture shows an example:

Important: The ReportBuilder option is only available for upgraded OPTIMA users with a Reports
license. If OPTIMA 8.0 is the first version that you are using, then you should use the Microsoft
Excel report option or Netrac PM Reporter to create reports.

For more information, see Using the Reports Tab on page 380.

About the Reports Tab Toolbar

This table describes the functions on the Reports tab of the OPTIMA toolbar:

Task Area Button Name Description

Report New Enables you to create a new standard (or

ReportBuilder) report.
For more information, see Creating Reports Using
ReportBuilder.
Important: The ReportBuilder option is only
available for upgraded OPTIMA users with a
Reports license. If OPTIMA 8.0 is the first version
that you are using, then you should use the
Microsoft Excel report option or Netrac PM
Reporter to create reports.
New Excel Report Enables you to create a new Excel report.
For more information, see Creating Excel Reports
on page 430.
Edit Enables you to edit an existing report.
For more information, see Editing and Deleting
Reports on page 437.

33
 OPTIMA 8.0 User Reference Guide

Task Area Button Name Description

Copy Enables you to copy a report.

For more information, see Copying Reports on
page 438.
Paste Enables you to paste a copied report.
For more information, see Copying Reports on
page 438.
Import Enables you to import a report definition.
For more information, see Exporting and
Importing Report Definitions on page 439.
Export Enables you to export a report definition.
For more information, see Exporting and
Importing Report Definitions on page 439.
Print Enables you to print a report.
For more information, see Printing Reports on
page 438.
Run Enables you to view a report.
For more information, see Running Reports on
page 383.
Explorer New Folder Enables you to create a new folder for managing
reports.
For more information, see Creating Folders for
Reports on page 380.
Up One Level Enables you to move up one level in the folder
hierarchy.

Find Enables you to search for items on tabs.

For more information, see Using the Find Dialog
Box on page 70.
Rename Enables you to rename reports.
For more information, see Editing and Deleting
Reports on page 437.
Delete Enables you to delete reports.
For more information, see Editing and Deleting
Reports on page 437.
View List Enable you to define how information is displayed
on the tab.
For more information, see Setting What is
Displayed on a Task Tab on page 61.
Details

Refresh Enables you to refresh reports.

This is particularly useful if you are working in a
multiple user environment, and want to see the
changes made by other users.
Important: OPTIMA does not automatically
refresh the data.

Important: The availability of some of these functions depends on your permissions and level of
ownership; for more information, see Using the Reports Tab on page 380.

34
 About the OPTIMA User Interface

About the Schedules Tab

On the Schedules tab, if you have Administration permissions for Schedules, you can create and
manage report schedules that specify when reports will run.

To open a new Schedules tab:

On the Analysis tab, click the Schedules button .

A new Schedules tab opens. This picture shows an example:

For more information, see Scheduling Reports on page 443.

About the Schedules Tab Toolbar

This table describes the functions on the Schedules tab of the OPTIMA toolbar:

Task Area Button Name Description

Schedule New Enables you to create a new schedule for a

report.
For more information, see Creating a Schedule
for a Report on page 445.
Edit Enables you to edit an existing schedule.
For more information, see Editing and Deleting
Schedules on page 448.
Copy Enables you to copy a schedule.
For more information, see Copying Schedules
on page 449.
Paste Enables you to paste a copied schedule.
For more information, see Copying Schedules
on page 449.
Rename Schedule Enables you to rename an existing schedule.
For more information, see Editing and Deleting
Schedules on page 448.
Explorer New Folder Enables you to create a new folder for storing
report schedules.
For more information, see Creating Folders for
Schedules on page 443.
Up One Level Enables you to move up one level in the folder
hierarchy.

35
 OPTIMA 8.0 User Reference Guide

Task Area Button Name Description

Find Enables you to search for items on tabs.

For more information, see Using the Find Dialog
Box on page 70.
Rename Enables you to rename schedule folders.

Delete Enables you to delete an existing schedule.

For more information, see Editing and Deleting
Schedules on page 448.
View List Enable you to define how information is
displayed on the tab.
For more information, see Setting What is
Displayed on a Task Tab on page 61.
Details

Refresh Enables you to refresh schedules.

This is particularly useful if you are working in a
multiple user environment, and want to see the
changes made by other users.
Important: OPTIMA does not automatically
refresh the data.

Important: The availability of some of these functions depends on your permissions and level of
ownership; for more information, see Scheduling Reports on page 443.

36
 About the OPTIMA User Interface

About the KPI Manager Tab and Global KPI Tab

On the KPI Manager tab, if you have Administration or Write permissions for the KPI Manager, you
can create and manage KPIs to show collected key performance data in modules and combination
windows, and on the Map View window.

To open a new KPI Manager tab:

On the Analysis tab, click the KPI Manager button .

The KPI Manager tab opens. This picture shows an example:

For more information, see Using KPIs on page 196.

On the Global KPI tab, if you have Administration or Write permissions on Global KPI, you can
create and manage global KPI views, which consist of a single view showing all existing common
public KPIs for various vendor tables.

To open a new Global KPI tab:

On the Analysis tab, click the Global KPI button .

37
 OPTIMA 8.0 User Reference Guide

A new Global KPI tab opens. This picture shows an example:

For more information, see Using Global KPIs on page 210.

About the KPI Manager Tab Toolbar

This table describes the functions on the KPI Manager tab of the OPTIMA toolbar:

Task Area Button Name Description

KPI New Enables you to create a new KPI.

For more information, see Creating KPIs on page 197.

Edit Enables you to edit an existing KPI.

For more information, see Editing Individual KPIs on page
200.
Import Enables you to import KPIs.
For more information, see Exporting and Importing KPIs on
page 203.
Export Enables you to export KPIs.
For more information, see Exporting and Importing KPIs on
page 203.
Synchronize Enables you to synchronize a base table and its associated
tables to ensure that both have the same KPIs.
For more information, see Synchronizing Associated Tables
on page 206.

38
 About the OPTIMA User Interface

Task Area Button Name Description

Recreate View Enables you to create views for:

• A selected table (For more information, see
Creating Views for a Table on page 207)
• A selected schema (For more information, see
Creating Views for a Schema on page 208)
• All schemas and all tables (For more information,
see Creating Views for All Schemas and All
Tables on page 209)
Explorer View Usage Enables you to view where a particular KPI is used
throughout the network.
For more information, see Viewing KPI Use on page 206.
Delete Enables you to delete an existing KPI.
For more information, see Deleting KPIs on page 202.

View Base Table Enables you to view the KPIs according to base table.

Usage Table Enables you to view the KPIs according to usage table.

Refresh Enables you to refresh KPIs.

This is particularly useful if you are working in a multiple
user environment, and want to see the changes made by
other users.
Important: OPTIMA does not automatically refresh the data.

Important: The availability of some of these functions depends on your permissions and level of
ownership; for more information, see Using KPIs on page 196.

About the Global KPI Tab Toolbar

his table describes the functions on the Global KPI tab of the OPTIMA toolbar:

Task Button Name Description

Area

Global KPI Add Enables you to add a new global KPI.

For more information, see Creating Global KPIs on page 211.

Edit Enables you to edit an existing global KPI.

For more information, see Editing Global KPIs on page 213.

Drop Enables you to drop a global KPI.

For more information, see Deleting Global KPIs on page 213.

View Refresh Enables you to refresh global KPIs.

This is particularly useful if you are working in a multiple user
environment, and want to see the changes made by other users.
Important: OPTIMA does not automatically refresh the data.

39
 OPTIMA 8.0 User Reference Guide

Important: The availability of some of these functions depends on your permissions and level of
ownership; for more information, see Using Global KPIs on page 210.

About the Alarms Tab

On an Alarms tab, if you have Administration or Write permissions for Alarms, you can create and
manage alarms.

Important: The Alarms and Alarm Handlers options are only available for upgraded OPTIMA users
with an Alarms license. If OPTIMA 8.0 is the first version that you are using, then you should use
TrafficGuard to create alarms. For more information, see the TrafficGuard Table-Based User Guide
or the TrafficGuard PM-Based User Guide.

To open a new Alarms tab:

On the Analysis tab, click the Alarms button .

This picture shows an example:

In OPTIMA, there are a number of alarm types:

Alarm Type Description

Performance Performance alarms enable you to set network counter thresholds or key
performance indicators (KPIs) and then receive alerts whenever network
conditions are not met. Network data is processed, at user defined intervals, by
OPTIMA. This data is stored in database tables in the form of counters. Ripple
counts are used to define the threshold conditions for setting or clearing alarms.
The information from these alarms can be:
• Queried in modules and reports
• Viewed in the Alarms Explorer
• Passed on to a fault management system
Performance alarms are based on SQL queries written in OPTIMA.

40
 About the OPTIMA User Interface

Alarm Type Description

System System alarms are alarms raised on OPTIMA events, not performance data
events.
System alarms are based on SQL queries written in OPTIMA.
Threshold Crossing Alert TCAs are loader-specific alarms, which are raised as data is loaded into the
(TCA) OPTIMA database using the Loader. They indicate a discrepancy between the
expected values according to the defined thresholds and the data loaded into
the database after any modification during the loading process.
TCAs are based on columns loaded into raw tables.

Important:
• Users with Admin permissions on Alarms and Alarm Handlers can configure performance
alarms, system alarms and TCAs
• Users with Read permissions on Alarms and Alarm Handlers can only view performance
alarms

On the Alarms tab, the performance and system types are shown on separate tabs.

For more information, see Using Alarms on page 451.

About the Alarms Tab Toolbar

This table describes the functions on the Alarms tab of the OPTIMA toolbar:

Task Area Button Name Description

Alarm Definition New Enables you define a new alarm.

For more information, see Defining an Alarm on page
460.
Edit Enables you to edit an SQL query when you are defining
alarms using the Alarms Editor.
For more information, see Defining Performance Alarms
Using the Alarms Editor on page 465.
Copy Enables you to copy an SQL query when you are
defining alarms using the Alarms Editor.
For more information, see Defining Performance Alarms
Using the Alarms Editor on page 465.
Paste Enables you to paste an SQL query when you are
defining alarms using the Alarms Editor.
For more information, see Defining Performance Alarms
Using the Alarms Editor on page 465.
Explorer New Folder Enables you to create a new folder for storing alarms.
For more information, see Creating Folders for Alarms
and Alarm Handlers on page 459.
Up One Level Enables you to move up one level in the folder hierarchy.

Find Enables you to search for alarms (performance or

(Performance system).
Alarm or
System Alarm)

41
 OPTIMA 8.0 User Reference Guide

Task Area Button Name Description

Rename Enables you to rename an alarm or alarm folder.

Delete Enables you to delete an alarm or alarm folder.

View Logs (Alarm, Enables you to view:

Definition,
Historical) • Alarms that are not acknowledged by a third
party Fault Management System (FMS)
• Information about the changes made to alarm
definitions
• Information about historical alarms
For more information, see Viewing, Clearing and
Resetting Alarms on page 478.
List Enable you to define how information is displayed on the
tab.
For more information, see Setting What is Displayed on
Details a Task Tab on page 61.

Refresh Enables you to refresh the alarms.

This is particularly useful if you are working in a multiple
user environment, and want to see the changes made by
other users.
Important: OPTIMA does not automatically refresh the
data.
Settings Vendor Enables you to define vendors that you can then choose
from when you are creating an alarm.
For more information, see Configuring Vendors on page
453.
Technology Enables you to define technologies that you can then
choose from when you are creating an alarm.
For more information, see Configuring Technologies on
page 454.
Element Type Enables you to define element types that you can then
choose from when you are creating an alarm.
For more information, see Configuring Element Types on
page 455.
Problem Text Enables you to define problem text definitions that you
can then choose from when you are creating an alarm.
For more information, see Configuring Problem Texts on
page 457.
Alarm Enables you to configure the parameters that will make
Maintenance up the alarm maintenance routine.
For more information, see Configuring Alarm
Maintenance Parameters on page 459.

Important: The availability of some of these functions depends on your permissions and level of
ownership; for more information, see Using Alarms on page 451.

42
 About the OPTIMA User Interface

About the Alarm Handlers Tab

On the Alarm Handlers tab, if you have Administration or Write permissions for Alarm Handlers
you can create and manage alarm handlers.

Important: The Alarms and Alarm Handlers options are only available for upgraded OPTIMA users
with an Alarms license. If OPTIMA 8.0 is the first version that you are using, then you should use
TrafficGuard to create alarms. For more information, see the TrafficGuard Table-Based User Guide
or the TrafficGuard PM-Based User Guide.

To open a new Alarm Handlers tab:

On the Analysis tab, click the Alarm Handlers button .

A new Alarm Handlers tab opens.

This picture shows an example:

On an Alarm Handlers tab, the performance, TCAs and system types are shown on separate tabs.

For more information, see Assigning Alarms to Contacts on page 473.

43
 OPTIMA 8.0 User Reference Guide

About the Alarm Handlers Tab Toolbar

This table describes the functions on the Alarm Handlers tab of the OPTIMA toolbar:

Task Area Button Name Description

Alarm Handler New Enables you to create a new alarm handler.

For more information, see Creating an Alarm Handler
on page 474.
Edit Enables you to edit an existing alarm handler.

Explorer New Folder Enables you to create a new folder for storing alarm
handlers.
For more information, see Creating Folders for
Alarms and Alarm Handlers on page 459.
Up One Level Enables you to move up one level in the folder
hierarchy.

Contacts Enables you to activate contacts.

For more information, see Enabling Contacts to
Receive Alerts on page 477.
Rename Folder Enables you to rename an alarm handler folder.
For more information, see Renaming Folders for
Alarms and Alarm Handlers on page 460.
Delete Enables you to delete an alarm handler.

View List Enable you to define how information is displayed on

the tab.
For more information, see Setting What is Displayed
Details on a Task Tab on page 61.

Refresh Enables you to refresh the alarm handlers.

Important: The availability of some of these functions depends on your permissions and level of
ownership; for more information, see Using Alarms on page 451.

44
 About the OPTIMA User Interface

About the Sandbox Objects Tab

On the Sandbox Objects tab, if you have Write permissions on the Sandbox you can create and
view database objects in a separate 'Sandbox' environment, which is a user area outside the main
data model area. Database objects created in the Sandbox can be later promoted to the main data
model, using the promotion request process.

To open the Sandbox Objects tab:

On the Analysis tab, click the Sandbox Objects button .

The Sandbox Objects tab appears:

The Sandbox Objects tab contains the following sections:

• The Sandbox Objects tab toolbar enables you to:
o View and perform various actions on tables, database links, views, materialized views
and synonyms
o Import data into Sandbox tables
o View Sandbox promotion requests
• The left pane enables you to view details of all of the Sandbox objects that you have
created - active objects, deleted objects and expired objects
• The right pane enables you to view a range of information related to the management of
your Sandbox - how much space you have been allocated, the current expiry periods, and
the status of your promotion requests

For more information, see Using the Sandbox on page 237.

45
 OPTIMA 8.0 User Reference Guide

About the Sandbox Objects Tab Toolbar

This table describes the functions on the Sandbox Objects tab of the OPTIMA toolbar:

Task Area Button Name Description

Sandbox Object New Empty Table Enables you to create a new empty table in the
Sandbox.
For more information, see Creating Empty Tables
in the Sandbox on page 239.
New Table with Data Enables you to create a new table with preloaded
data in the Sandbox.
For more information, see Creating Tables with
Data in the Sandbox on page 244.
New Database Link Enables you to create private database links to
other databases.
For more information, see Creating Database
Links in the Sandbox on page 248.
New Synonym Enables you to create private synonyms for
objects from other schemas in the Sandbox.
For more information, see Creating Synonyms in
the Sandbox on page 249.
Import Data Enables you to import data from files into
Sandbox tables to use within the 'Sandbox'
environment.
For more information, see Importing Data into a
Sandbox Table on page 254.
Edit Enables you to edit the selected table, view,
materialized view, private database link or
synonym.
For more information, see Editing Sandbox
Objects on the Sandbox Objects Tab on page
250.
Copy Enables you to copy a selected table, view,
materialized view, private database link or
synonym.
For more information, see Duplicating Sandbox
Objects on page 253.
Paste Enables you to paste a copied table, view,
materialized view, private database link or
synonym.
For more information, see Duplicating Sandbox
Objects on page 253.
Delete Enables you to delete tables, views, materialized
views, private database links and synonyms.
For more information, see Deleting Sandbox
Objects on page 252.
Convert to View Enables you to convert a materialized view into a
view.
For more information, see Editing Sandbox
Objects on the Sandbox Objects Tab on page
250.

46
 About the OPTIMA User Interface

Task Area Button Name Description

Restore Enables you restore a deleted object from the

recycle bin to the Sandbox.
For more information, see Viewing, Dropping and
Restoring Deleted Objects on page 259.
Drop Enables you to permanently drop deleted and
expired Sandbox objects from the database.
For more information, see Viewing, Dropping and
Restoring Deleted Objects on page 259.
View Object SQL Enables you to view the SQL query for a
particular object.
The SQL is displayed in a separate Object SQL
dialog box.
View All Objects Enables you to switch between viewing all
Sandbox objects that you have access to and just
those that you own.
Active Objects Enables you to select the data display. There are
three possible options:
• The list of Sandbox objects (default).
• The Sandbox recycle bin. For more
information, see Viewing, Dropping and
Restoring Deleted Objects on page 259.
• The list of Sandbox objects that have expired.
For more information, see Viewing and
Dropping Expired Objects on page 260.
Recycle Bin

Expired Objects

Refresh Enables you to refresh the list of Sandbox objects

at any time.
This is particularly useful if you are working in a
multiple user environment, and want to see the
changes made by other users.
Important: OPTIMA does not automatically
refresh the data.
Promotion Promotion Requests Opens the Promotion Requests tab, on which you
Requests can view and create promotion requests.
For more information, see Creating and Managing
Sandbox Promotion Requests on page 91.

Important: The availability of some of these functions depends on your permissions and level of
ownership; for more information, see Using the Sandbox on page 237.

47
 OPTIMA 8.0 User Reference Guide

About the Data Explorer

On a Data Explorer tab you can view database tables and create modules and reports without
being familiar with SQL. The Data Explorer can be launched from the main toolbar or from the
Module Maker. For more information about the Module Maker, see Creating Modules on page 218.

To open a new Data Explorer tab:

On the Analysis tab, click the Data Explorer button .

A new Data Explorer tab opens. This picture shows an example:

For more information, see Using the Data Explorer on page 171.

Note: The Data Explorer displays both OPTIMA and Netrac PM entities. Netrac PM entities are
displayed in the Global schema, as part of the Configuration category:

For more information on PM entity views, see the Netrac Studio User Guide.

48
 About the OPTIMA User Interface

About the Data Explorer Toolbar

This table describes the functions on the Data Explorer tab of the OPTIMA toolbar:

Task Area Button Name Description

Data Explorer Find Counter Enables you to search for any counter that appears
as a column heading in the database tables.
For more information, see Finding Tables and
Counters on page 170.
Counter Legend Opens the Counter Legend dialog box, in which you
can view a list of all the counters used in OPTIMA.
For more information, see About the Counter Legend
Dialog Box on page 54.
Table Properties Enables you to view the properties for the selected
database table.

View Show Data Grid Enables you to show the data for the selected
database table.

Show SQL Builder Enables you to show the SQL query for the selected
database table.

Refresh Table List Enables you to refresh the tables displayed in the
Data Explorer.
This is particularly useful if you are working in a
multiple user environment, and want to see the
changes made by other users.
Important: OPTIMA does not automatically refresh
the data.

Important: The availability of some of these functions depends on your permissions and level of
ownership; for more information, see Using the Data Explorer on page 171.

About the Filters Tab

On the Filters tab, you can create, edit and delete personal, group, administrator and
ENTERPRISE filters.

For more information about the Filters tab, see Using Filters on page 299.

To open a new Filters tab:

On the Analysis tab, click the Filters button .

49
 OPTIMA 8.0 User Reference Guide

A new Filters tab opens. This picture shows an example:

About the Filters Tab Toolbar

This table describes the functions on the Filters tab of the OPTIMA toolbar:

Task Area Button Name Description

Filter Add Static Filter Enables you to create a static filter, which is a filter
based on fixed filter values that you specify as part of
the filter definition.
For more information, see Creating Static Filters on
the Filters Tab on page 301.
Add Dynamic Filter Enables you to create a dynamic filter, which is a
filter that produce a list of filter values by running a
data query.
For more information, see Creating Dynamic Filters
on the Filters Tab on page 305.
Edit Enables you to edit an existing filter.
For more information, see Editing Filters on the
Filters Tab on page 311.
Copy Enables you to copy an existing filter.
For more information, see Copying Filters on the
Filters Tab on page 313.
Paste Enables you to paste a filter into the selected folder.
For more information, see Copying Filters on the
Filters Tab on page 313.

50
 About the OPTIMA User Interface

Task Area Button Name Description

Explorer Convert to Static Enables you to convert a dynamic filter into a static
Filter filter.
For more information, see Converting a Dynamic
Filter to a Static Filter on page 308.
Find Enables you to locate a filter.
For more information, see Finding Filters on page
312.
Rename Enables you to rename a filter.
For more information, see Renaming Filters on page
311.
Delete Enables you to delete a filter.
For more information, see Deleting Filters on page
312.
View Filter Values Enables you to view the values returned by the filter,
and (if appropriate) the SQL used to create the filter.

List Enable you to define how information is displayed on

the tab.
For more information, see Setting What is Displayed
Details on a Task Tab on page 61.

Refresh Enables you to refresh a filter.

This is particularly useful if you are working in a
multiple user environment, and want to see the
changes made by other users.
Important: OPTIMA does not automatically refresh
the data.

Important: The availability of some of these functions depends on your permissions and level of
ownership; for more information, see Using Filters on page 299.

51
 OPTIMA 8.0 User Reference Guide

About the Element Hierarchies Tab

On the Element Hierarchies tab, you can create, edit and delete element hierarchies. Element
hierarchies are re-usable SQL queries which enable you to display network elements in the form of
a hierarchical tree.

To open a new Element Hierarchies tab:

On the Analysis tab, click the Element Hierarchies button .

A new Element Hierarchies tab opens. This picture shows an example:

For more information, see Using Element Hierarchies on page 230.

About the Element Hierarchies Tab Toolbar

This table describes the functions on the Element Hierarchies tab of the OPTIMA toolbar:

Task Area Button Name Description

Element New Enables you to create a new element hierarchy.

Hierarchy
For more information, see Creating Element Hierarchies on
page 232.
Edit Enables you to edit an element hierarchy.
For more information, see Editing Element Hierarchies on
page 233.
Copy Enables you to copy and paste an element hierarchy.
For more information, see Duplicating Element Hierarchies on

52
 About the OPTIMA User Interface

Task Area Button Name Description

Paste page 236.

Preview Enables you to preview an element hierarchy.

For more information, see Previewing Element Hierarchies on
page 236.
Explorer Find Enables you to search for items on tabs.
For more information, see Using the Find Dialog Box on page
70.
Rename Enables you to rename an element hierarchy.
For more information, see Renaming Element Hierarchies on
page 233.
Delete Enables you to delete an element hierarchy.
For more information, see Deleting Element Hierarchies on
page 234.
View List Enable you to define how information is displayed on the tab.
For more information, see Setting What is Displayed on a
Task Tab on page 61.
Details

Refresh Enables you to refresh an element hierarchy.

This is particularly useful if you are working in a multiple user
environment, and want to see the changes made by other
users.
Important: OPTIMA does not automatically refresh the data.

Important: The availability of some of these functions depends on your permissions and level of
ownership; for more information, see Using Element Hierarchies on page 230.

53
 OPTIMA 8.0 User Reference Guide

About the Counter Legend Dialog Box

The Counter Legend dialog box displays a list of all the counters used in OPTIMA, grouped by
vendor, along with any further information relating to each counter.

This picture shows an example:

Counter Descriptions window

Note: You can only add, edit and delete counters if you have Administration or Write permissions
for the Data Explorer.

To view information about a counter:

1. On the Data Explorer tab, click the Counter Legend button .

2. In the Counter Legend dialog box, select a vendor from the drop-down list.

3. In the Find Value box, type the name of the Counter for which you want more information.

4. Click Find.

The counter is highlighted in the list. Any further information about the counter, if available,
will be displayed.

54
 About the OPTIMA User Interface

Using Favorites
On the Home tab you can customize the way that you use OPTIMA, by creating favorite shortcut
buttons to quickly access your most commonly-used analysis elements (module combinations,
reports and work areas):

Favorites on the Home tab

Favorites are organised into groups, which can be personal to you or associated with the group(s)
to which you belong.

On the Home tab, you can:

• Create, edit and delete your own personal favorites
• Use favorites that belong to a group of which you are a member
• If you have Administration permissions for Global Favorites, you can also create, edit and
delete group favorites

To view a favorite:

On the Home tab, click the favorite that you want to view.

The favorite module combination, report or work area is displayed.

Creating Personal Favorites

On the Manage Personal Favorites tab, you can create personal favorites in the Favorites Library.
Personal favorites are commonly-used module combinations, reports and work areas that you can
access more quickly and easily using a shortcut on the Home tab.

To add a personal favorite:

1. On the Home tab, click the Manage Personal Favorites button .

55
 OPTIMA 8.0 User Reference Guide

The Manage Personal Favorites tab opens:

2. Click the Add button, and from the menu that appears, click the required favorite type:

Important: The ReportBuilder option is only available for upgraded OPTIMA users with a
Reports license. If OPTIMA 8.0 is the first version that you are using, then you should use
the Microsoft Excel report option or Netrac PM Reporter to create reports.

- or -

In the Favorites Library, right-click the empty space and from the menu that appears, click
the appropriate Add option.

56
 About the OPTIMA User Interface

Tip: If the required favorite type is not shown, click the required type in the lower part of the
Favorites Library:

3. In the dialog box that appears, locate the module combination, report or work area that you
want to define as a favorite:

4. Click OK.

The new favorite is added to the library.

To be able to access your new favorite from the Home toolbar, you must now assign it to a
favorite group. For more information, see Creating Personal Favorite Groups on page 58.

Tip: You can quickly add a module combination, report or work area to the Favorites Library from
the Module Combinations tab, Reports tab or Work Area tab respectively. To do this:

1. Right-click the required object (report, work area and so on).

2. From the menu that appears, click Add To Favorites:

The object is added to the Favorites Library.

57
 OPTIMA 8.0 User Reference Guide

Creating Personal Favorite Groups

On the Manage Personal Favorites tab, you can organise the favorites that you have created into
groups, so that they can be displayed on your Home tab.

Important: A favorite cannot be displayed on its own - it must be part of a group. Similarly, a group
without any favorites will not be displayed.

To create a group and add a favorite to it:

1. On the Home tab, click the Manage Personal Favorites button .

The Manage Personal Favorites tab appears.

2. Click the Add Favorite Group button .

- or -

Right-click in the Personal Favorites pane and from the menu that appears, click Add
Group.

A new group is added to the list:

3. To rename the group:

o Right-click it and from the menu that appears, click Rename Group
o Type the name of the new group and then press Enter

4. To add a favorite to the new group, in the Favorites Library, click the required favorite and
drag it onto the group to which you want to add it.

If the required favorite type is not shown, click the required type in the lower part of the
Favorites Library.

Tip: To remove a favorite from a group, right-click the required favorite, and from the menu
that appears, click Remove (or Remove from all Groups, if required).

5. Add more favorites to the group in the same way, and then click Save.

Click the Home tab, and then select the required favorites group.

58
 About the OPTIMA User Interface

The favorite group and favorite are added to the Home tab:

As well as being part of your personal favorites, if you have Administration permissions for Global
Favorites, you can associate the new favorites group with another user group, so that they can also
use these favorites. For more information on how to do this, see Creating Global Favorite Groups
on page 59.

Creating Global Favorite Groups

On the Manage Global Favorites tab, if you have Administration permissions for Global Favorites,
you can:
• Create groups from the favorites of all users
• Associate these global favorite groups with particular user groups, meaning that any user
who is part of a group will see all of the associated favorites on their Home tab

Important: To view and use the items contained in the favorites, users must have the required
object permissions. For more information, see About OPTIMA Security on page 100.

To do this:

1. On the Administration tab, click the Manage Global Favorites button .

The Manage Global Favorites tab appears.

2. Click the Add Favorite Group button .

A new group is added to the list:

3. To rename the group:

o Right-click it and from the menu that appears, click Rename Group
o Type the name of the new group and then press Enter

59
 OPTIMA 8.0 User Reference Guide

4. To add a favorite to the new group, in the Favorites Library, click the required favorite and
drag it onto the group to which you want to add it.

If the required favorite type is not shown, click the required type in the lower part of the
Favorites Library.

Tip: To remove a favorite from a group, right-click the required favorite, and from the menu
that appears, click Remove (or Remove from all Groups, if required).

5. Add more favorites to the group as required.

6. To associate the new favorite group with a user group, in the Global Favorites pane, click
the required favorite group and drag it onto the user group to which you want to add it.

7. Add more favorite groups to the user group as required.

Tip: You can select the order in which the favorite groups will be displayed on the Home
tab by moving them up and down the tree in the User Group pane.

8. Click Save.

Any user that is a member of the selected group will now be able to use the associated
favorites group(s).

Managing Tabs
All of the tabs in OPTIMA can be docked and undocked as required, enabling you to customize the
layout of the user interface in a way that suits you, for example, when using more than one monitor.

In addition, you can rename tabs to be different from the default names they are provided with, to
make them clearer and easier to navigate through. These names will last for the current session.

Tip: You can also manage open tabs and windows using the Open Windows Management dialog
box. For more information, see Switching Between Open Tabs and Windows on page 63.

Undocking and Docking Tabs

To undock a single tab:

Double-click the tab name.

- or -

Right-click the tab name and, from the menu that appears, click Undock current tab.

The required tab is undocked, and appears in its own separate window.

To undock all of the tabs that are currently open, right-click any of the tab names, and from the
menu that appears, click Undock all tabs.

To redock a single window:

Click the Dock as tab button .

The window is docked as a tab.

To redock all of the windows that are currently open, on the Utilities tab, click the Dock All
Windows button .

60
 About the OPTIMA User Interface

Renaming Tabs

To rename a tab:

1. Right-click the tab name and, from the menu that appears, click Rename current tab.

2. In the dialog box that appears, type the new name for the tab.

Tip: To revert to the last saved name, click Reset.

3. Click OK.

The tab is renamed.

Closing Tabs

To close a tab:

Click the Close button on the tab.

- or -

Right-click the tab name, and from the menu that appears, click Close current tab.

To close all open tabs, right-click any of the tab names and, from the menu that appears, click
Close all tabs.

Setting What is Displayed on a Task Tab

When you click a task on the main OPTIMA toolbar, a new tab opens for that task. For example,
here is the tab for the Modules tab:

Modules tab

61
 OPTIMA 8.0 User Reference Guide

For a number of these tabs, you can define how the data is displayed. This table describes the
options:

Button Description

Displays a simple list of the names of the modules, reports and so on.

List
Displays a more detailed list, containing descriptions, modification
information and so on.
Details

This picture shows the List view of the Modules tab:

List View of the Modules tab

This picture shows the Details view of the Modules tab:

Details View of the Modules tab

62
 About the OPTIMA User Interface

Switching Between Open Tabs and Windows

When you are using OPTIMA, you may have many tabs and windows open at the same time. To
make it easier to find the tab or window that you want, you can use the Window Manager dialog
box.

To switch to a specific tab or window that you have opened:

1. On the Utilities tab, click the Window Manager button .

The Window Manager appears:

This displays the window type, as well as the name of the window as it appears on its tab.

Tip: If you have a number of windows of the same type open (for example, a number of
work areas or combinations), you can group them according to type by clicking the column
header and dragging it into the panel above the table.

2. In the Windows List, double-click the window that you want to use.

63
 OPTIMA 8.0 User Reference Guide

The focus switches to the chosen window, and the tab is highlighted:

In this dialog box, you can also rename or close individual open windows, or close all of the open
windows.

To rename a window:

1. Select the window that you want to rename.

2. Click Rename.

- or -

Right-click, and from the menu that appears, click Rename.

3. In the dialog box that appears, type the new name of the window and then click OK.

To close a window:

1. Select the window that you want to close.

2. Click Close.

- or -

Right-click, and from the menu that appears, click Close.

The window is closed.

To close all of the open windows:

1. Click Close All.

2. When prompted, save any changes as required.

All open windows are closed.

Tip: If required, you can reposition the Window Manager as a menu bar or utility pane, attached to
the top, bottom, or either side of the OPTIMA window. To do this:

1. Click the Window Manager dialog box, and then drag it to the required location.

2. Click one of the positioning buttons (top, bottom, left or right) that appear as you move the
Window Manager across the main window.

3. Release the mouse button.

The Window Manager is attached to the window.

64
 About the OPTIMA User Interface

4. Click the Attach Window Manager button to 'lock' the Window Manager window in
place.

Quickly Accessing Favorite Commands

You can add favorite and frequently-accessed commands to the Quick Access toolbar, which is
always available as part of the main display. This picture shows an example Quick Access toolbar,
on which the Modules, Reports and Data Explorer buttons have been added:

Quick Access Toolbar

To add a command button to the Quick Access toolbar:

Right-click the required command button, and from the menu that appears, click Add to
Quick Access Toolbar:

The command button is added to the Quick Access toolbar.

You can choose to have the Quick Access toolbar above the ribbon (which is the default position)
or below the ribbon. To move the ribbon:

1. Click the Quick Access Toolbar button .

- or -

Right-click anywhere in the active area of the ribbon.

2. From the menu that appears, click Show Quick Access Toolbar Below the Ribbon.

The Quick Access Toolbar is moved to below the ribbon.

65
 OPTIMA 8.0 User Reference Guide

Working With OPTIMA Sessions

In OPTIMA, a number of tasks need to connect to the database in order to run. These tasks are:
• Loading/refreshing data on the Modules tab, Module Combinations tab and Data Explorer
tab
• Running or previewing reports on the Reports tab

Each time you perform one of these tasks, OPTIMA connects to the database. Each of these
connections is also known as a session.

To be able to work in the most effective way, it is important to understand how these sessions can
be managed in OPTIMA, particularly in terms of:
• Using multiple parallel database connections
• Viewing large datasets

You can monitor and manage your OPTIMA sessions in the OPTIMA Session Manager. For more
information, see Managing OPTIMA Sessions on page 67.

Using Multiple Parallel Database Connections

In OPTIMA, you can use multiple parallel database connections simultaneously. A number of
OPTIMA tasks require a database connection - for more information, see Working With OPTIMA
Sessions on page 66.

Important: Only users who have Administration permissions for General Admin Options can
specify the number of database connections that can be run in parallel. If you are an administrator,
see Setting Administrator Options on page 71 for more information.

If you try to open another connection after the limit has been reached then you will receive a
message telling you that the limit has been reached (and also telling you what the limit is).

To cancel a particular session while it is running:

• If you are loading or refreshing data on the Modules tab, Module Combinations tab or
Data Explorer tab, click the Cancel button at the bottom of the status bar.

- or -
• If you are running or previewing a report on the Reports tab, right-click in the report
window and from the menu that appears, click Cancel Running Report.

- or -
• Use the OPTIMA Session Manager. For more information, see Managing OPTIMA
Sessions on page 67.

If you are running multiple (ReportBuilder) reports, you can quickly move between them. To do this,
in the report window, right-click and from the menu that appears, click one of the following options:
• Switch to, if you want to re-focus on another running report, and leave the current one
running

- or -
• Switch and Close, if you want to re-focus on another running report, and close the current
report

When a particular session has been completed (that is, when the data has been loaded/refreshed,
or the report has finished running), the time taken to complete the task is displayed in the message
log.
66
 About the OPTIMA User Interface

Viewing Large Datasets

Viewing large datasets - for example, when running large reports or loading a large amount of data
in the Data Explorer - can consume large amounts of memory, and in extreme cases, could cause
memory errors.

To prevent this from happening, a user with Administration permissions for General Admin Options
can allocate a portion of memory that will be reserved for tasks that do not require a database
connection. If you then try to perform one of these database-related tasks (excluding reports),
OPTIMA calculates its memory requirement, and if the non-reserved memory is not sufficient for
performing the task, you will be notified that it cannot be run.

If you are an administrator, see Setting Administrator Options on page 71 for more information.

For a list of the tasks that require a database connection, see Working With OPTIMA Sessions on
page 66.

Managing OPTIMA Sessions

You can use the OPTIMA Session Manager to monitor and manage the active and idle database
sessions.

To open the OPTIMA Session Manager:

In the Window Manager, click the Manage Session Processes button.

The OPTIMA Session Manager appears:

For each current session, you can view the following information:

Item Description

In State The number of minutes in the state indicated in the 'Status' column.
Terminate The number of minutes until the session will be terminated.
Caption The name of the session; this corresponds to the Type in the Window Manager.
Class For internal use only.
Status The current status of the session.

In the OPTIMA Session Manager, you can:

• Terminate running sessions - either immediately, or in a specified number of minutes
• Terminate (or purge) any non-running sessions
• Set the Session Manager to remove any idle sessions after a specified number of minutes

67
 OPTIMA 8.0 User Reference Guide

To terminate a running session:

1. Right-click the required session.

2. From the menu that appears, click the appropriate option:

o To terminate the session immediately, click Terminate
o To terminate the session in a specified number of minutes, point to 'Terminate in' and
then click the required number of minutes

To terminate a session that is not running:

Right-click the required session, and from the menu that appears, click Purge.

To set the Session Manager to remove any idle sessions after a specified number of
minutes:

1. Select the 'Remove idle sessions after n minutes' option:

2. In the minutes box, specify the required number of minutes.

Note: This option will still be active if you close the OPTIMA Session Manager.

About the OPTIMA Message Log Window

The OPTIMA Message Log window opens automatically at the bottom of the main OPTIMA
window when a project is started.

Message Log

It contains messages and warnings, which can include the following types:

Type of Message For Example

Confirmation messages You have opened a project.

Ready message Login has been completed.
Messages relating to files Incomplete map data.
Warnings Failure to commit something to the database.
Out of sequence tasks Committing a site which uses equipment which has not itself been
committed.
Permission warning You do not have permission to perform the requested task.
Loading speed message 2 Modules loaded in 1 second.

68
 About the OPTIMA User Interface

Tip: You can clear the message log at any time. To do this, right-click in the message log, and from
the menu that appears, click Clear Messages.

By default, the Message Log appears at the bottom of the main OPTIMA window, but you can
detach it and move it to another position. You can either re-attach it to the main window in a
different position, or move it to a separate, detached position.

To move the Message Log window:

Double-click the title bar of the message log.

- or -

Click the title bar of the message log, and drag it away from the main OPTIMA window.

The Message Log is detached, and can be moved to another location:

To re-attach it to the main OPTIMA window:

1. Double-click the title bar of the message log again.

- or -

Click one of the positioning buttons (top, bottom, left or right) that appear as you move the
Message Log across the main window.

2. Click the Attach Message Log button to 'lock' the Message Log window in place.

69
 OPTIMA 8.0 User Reference Guide

Using the Find Dialog Box

You can use the Find dialog box to search for items (for example, modules or reports) on a
particular tab. To do this:

1. On the appropriate tab, click the Find button .

- or -

Right-click a folder in the tree, and from the menu that appears, click Find.

The Find dialog box appears.

2. Type the name (or part of the name) of the item you wish to find in the Name field.

If you want to search for whole words or a full name only, select the Find Whole Words
Only or Find Full Name Only checkbox as appropriate.

Note: If you are searching for a name, you cannot use the Find Whole Words Only option.

3. If you have chosen the Find option from the context menu, OPTIMA will search the
currently selected folder. However, you can modify this search if required:
o To include the subfolders of the currently selected folder, select the Include
Subfolders checkbox

- or -
o To search all folders, ensure that the Search Folder checkbox is not selected

If you have chosen the Find option from the View menu, OPTIMA will automatically search
all folders.

4. Click Search.

All items that match the search criteria are displayed in the lower pane.

Note: If you type * in the Find dialog box, then all the items are displayed in the lower
pane.

This picture shows an example:

Tip: You can view an item in the list by double-clicking the item's name, and/or navigate
the Explorer to a folder in the list by double-clicking the folder.

70
 Administering OPTIMA

3 Administering OPTIMA

This section describes the administration tools that are available to OPTIMA users with
Administration permissions.

As part of OPTIMA's Role Based Access Control (RBAC), separate Administration permissions are
available for different components of OPTIMA. Therefore, the availability of some of these functions
depends on the permissions that you have been granted. For more information, contact your main
OPTIMA Administrator.

As a starting point, all OPTIMA installations contain a special administrative user, known as 'nsa'.
This user inherits the 'OPTIMA Administrator' profile, whose permissions cannot be edited.

Setting Administrator Options

In OPTIMA, there are two main groups of global administration options:

Option Type Description

General Enables you to:

• Set the maximum tree size for a module hierarchy
• Choose to prompt users to save combination templates when closing a
combination
• Choose to select all elements for the selected counter in combination
graphs
• Set OPTIMA client settings
• Choose which tables and schemas are not shown on the Data Explorer tab
• Specify your session management requirements - the maximum number of
parallel database connections and the amount of memory to reserve for
other tasks when you are viewing large datasets
Important: To define these settings, you must have Administration permissions for
General Admin Options. For more information, see About OPTIMA Security on page
100.
Sandbox Enables you to:
• Allocate individual space quotas for your users in the 'sandbox'
environment, so that they can create sandbox views on the Data Explorer
tab
• Define when sandbox objects will expire, and what happens to them when
they do expire
• Create and manage requests for promoting sandbox objects from the
'sandbox' environment to the database
Important: To define these settings, you must have Administration permissions for
Sandbox Administration. For more information, see About OPTIMA Security on page
100.

71
 OPTIMA 8.0 User Reference Guide

Setting General Administrator Options

The General Administrator Options dialog box contains a number of the settings that can be
configured globally for users. These include:
• The connection details for the OPTIMA email client
• Miscellaneous options, such as setting a maximum number of nodes a module can display

To set general administrator options:

1. On the Administration tab, click the Administrator Options button .

The General Administrator Options dialog box appears. This picture shows an example:

2. Click the General Options tab.

3. On this tab, you can set the following options:

Item Description

Module Tree Size In order to protect memory consumption, set the maximum number of
nodes that a module can display. The higher the value, the larger the
module size allowed, and therefore the larger the amount of memory
that may be needed to run the module.
If this number is exceeded, then the module tree will not load within a
combination, and an error message is shown.
Tip: The recommended value is 100,000.
Combination Templates If you want to prompt users to update the combination template when
they close a combination, select this option.
Combination Graphs If you want to select all of the elements for a selected counter when
showing combination graphs, select this option.
Enable Auditing If you want to log details of modules and reports that are run (for
auditing purposes), select this option.
The logged details are stored in the database, and can be exported to
a report if required. For more information, see About Auditing Modules
and Reports.

72
 Administering OPTIMA

4. Click OK to save these settings.

For more information on how to set the connection details for the OPTIMA email client, see Setting
Email Client Options on page 74.

For more information on defining which schemas and tables you want to exclude from the Data
Explorer and other modules, see Setting Which Tables and Schemas to Exclude from the Data
Explorer on page 75.

For more information on the advanced settings, see Setting the Maximum Number of Parallel
Database Connections on page 76 and Defining the Memory Threshold for Viewing Large Datasets
on page 76.

About Auditing Modules and Reports

If you select the Enable Auditing option on the General Options tab of the General Administrator
Options dialog box, OPTIMA will log details of:
• Reports that are run or exported from the Reports tab.

Note: The ReportBuilder option is only available for upgraded OPTIMA users with a
Reports license. If OPTIMA 8.0 is the first version that you are using, then you should use
the Microsoft Excel report option or Netrac PM Reporter to create reports.

• Module combinations that are run from the Module Combinations tab or as part of a work
area or favorite.

Note: Details of exported report definitions are not logged as part of auditing.

This table describes the details that are logged in the LOGS.AUDIT_LOG table:

Database Field Item

FUNC_AREA_ID A number indicating whether a report (5) or module combination (2) has
been executed.
ITEM_ID A unique number identifying the report or module combination that has
been executed.
ITEM_NAME The name of the report or module.
ACTION_NAME The name of the action, either 'Module Execution' or 'Report Execution'.
ACTION_ID A number indicating whether the action is a 'Module Execution' (1) or a
'Report Execution' (2).
ACTION_START_DATE The date and time when the module/report started running.
ACTION_END_DATE The date and time when the module/report finished running.
OS_USER_NAME The domain username of the logged in user - for example,
aircomint\john.smith.
ORACLE_USER_NAME The Oracle username of the user defined in the OS_USER_NAME.

You can generate a report displaying this data by specifying the LOGS.AUDIT_LOG table in your
report query.

For more information, see Generating and Scheduling Reports on page 379.

73
 OPTIMA 8.0 User Reference Guide

Setting Email Client Options

In the General Administrator Options dialog box, on the Email Client Settings tab, you can
define the email client.

When you set this option, the client overrides your system's default mail client to use the email
client settings when emailing reports.

Note: The Email Client Settings check will not run if the virus check on your system is blocking
emails. Ensure that you turn off the virus check before you set the email client options.

To set the email client options:

1. On the Administration tab, click the Administrator Options button .

2. In the General Administrator Options dialog box, click the Email Client Settings tab.

This picture shows an example:

3. Select the Use OPTIMA Client checkbox.

4. In the SMTP Server box, type the name of the SMTP server.

5. In the Port Number box, type the port number.

6. In the Report "From" address field box, type the name of the user from whose email ID
the email will be sent.

7. If you want to use authentication, select this option, and then type the SMTP user name
and password.

Tip: If you want to check the connection to the email client, click Test Connection.

8. Click OK.

After you have set these options, the email client is displayed when you export a report to email.

74
 Administering OPTIMA

Tips:
o You can click To or Cc to open the Address Book to retrieve the email addresses.
o Once you have set your email address, click Test Connection to check your
connection. When this succeeds, click Send to export the report via email.

Setting Which Tables and Schemas to Exclude from the Data Explorer
On the Data Explorer Filters tab of the General Administrator Options dialog box, you can set
the OPTIMA database tables and schemas that you want to exclude from the Data Explorer.

This ensures that only the relevant tables and schemas are displayed, so that loading and locating
information is faster.

Important: The selected tables and schemas are not deleted from the database, they are just
removed from the Data Explorer display.

To do this:

1. On the Administration tab, click the Administrator Options button .

2. In the General Administrator Options dialog box, click the Data Explorer Filters tab:

This tab displays all of the tables and schemas that are excluded from the Data Explorer
and the other associated modules.

Tip: By default, a number of rarely used tables and schemas are excluded, but you can
choose to include these if required. To do this, select the required table or schema and
click Delete.

3. To add a table or schema:

o In the appropriate pane, click the Add button.
o In the dialog box that appears, type the name of the table or schema, or a regular
expression to specify a number of tables or schemas.
75
 OPTIMA 8.0 User Reference Guide

Note: If you are using regular expressions, only certain rules are allowed. For tables,
you can only use regular expressions that follow the format 'A...Z a...z 0...9 *._'. For
schemas, you can only use regular expressions that follow the format 'A...Z a...z 0...9
_'.
o Click OK.
o The tables/schemas are added to the list that are excluded from the Data Explorer and
other modules.

4. You can also edit existing table and schema names by:
o Selecting the required table/schema and clicking Edit

- or -
o Double-clicking the table/schema name.

5. Click OK.

Data from the chosen tables and schemas are removed from the Data Explorer.

Tip: If you have the Data Explorer open already, click the Refresh button to apply the
changes.

Setting the Maximum Number of Parallel Database Connections

In the General Administrator Options dialog box, on the Session Management tab, you can set
the maximum number of database connections (or sessions) for OPTIMA that can be open
concurrently.

This is particularly useful for using a number of OPTIMA functions simultaneously, for example
loading/refreshing data on multiple tabs or running several reports at once.

To override the default value:

1. In the Maximum Concurrent Sessions pane, use the Up and Down arrows to select the
required number.

2. Click the 'Update now' button.

Important: If a number of sessions are already running, and you then specify a maximum
that is less than the number of running sessions, OPTIMA will not close any sessions.
Instead, as sessions close, OPTIMA will not allow you to open new ones until the number
of open sessions is below the maximum number.

Tip: In this pane, you can also view how many sessions are available for use at that particular time.

Defining the Memory Threshold for Viewing Large Datasets

In the General Administrator Options dialog box, on the Session Management tab, you can
allocate a portion of memory that will be reserved for tasks not requiring a database connection.
This is particularly useful when you are trying to view large datasets - for example, when running
large reports - and want to keep memory available for other tasks.

Note: Previewing reports is excluded from this, as reports are previewed using a separate
application for each preview, and so have a large amount (2GB) of physical/virtual memory
available already. The only limitations are those of the machine on which the preview is run.

76
 Administering OPTIMA

This value is used as a threshold - you cannot view any dataset which consumes a portion of the
memory greater than the unreserved amount. For example, if the reserved memory is 10%, then
any dataset that requires more than 90% of memory cannot be viewed.

To set a reserved memory value above the default of 10%:

1. Click the slider and drag it to the required value:

2. Click the 'Update now' button.

Tip: In this pane, you can also view how much (virtual) memory is currently being reserved
by Windows for OPTIMA. Not all of this may have been used up because Windows
sometimes tries to optimize performance by reserving memory in advance of its use. For
example, the application may show only 500MB remaining but in reality there is 750MB, of
which 250MB is 'reserved'. This value is also subject to variation based on whether
OPTIMA is, for example, in the foreground or minimised. However this figure rises to the
level expected when processing begins.

Administering the Sandbox

From the Administration tab, you can administer the 'Sandbox' environment in a number of ways.
Sandbox administration is divided into the following tasks:
• Managing individual Sandbox objects, by adding, editing and dropping objects that are
owned by any Sandbox users
• Managing the allocation, expiry and promotion of all sandbox objects

Important: To create Sandbox promotion requests, you need Administration or Write permissions
for the Sandbox. However, to perform any other administration task for the Sandbox, you must
have Administration permissions for Sandbox Administration.

This table describes the ways in which you can administer the Sandbox:

To do this Click this For more information, see

button

Allocate individual space quotas for your Setting Sandbox Allocation Options on
users, and a default space quota for any page 84
user given Administration or Write
permissions on the Sandbox
Specify when Sandbox objects will expire, Setting Sandbox Expiry Options on page
and what happens when they expire 85

Manage (but not implement) the process Creating and Managing Sandbox
for promoting objects from the Sandbox to Promotion Requests on page 91
the database

77
 OPTIMA 8.0 User Reference Guide

About Sandbox Security

This section describes the permissions required to use the Sandbox effectively. Security for the
Sandbox is managed using:
• The RBAC model
• Object level privileges

Note: Privileges for creating Sandbox objects in the Data Explorer are described in a separate
topic. For more information, see About Sandbox Privileges for the Data Explorer on page 79.

The Sandbox and the RBAC Model

This table describes the functional areas and corresponding permissions that are required for the
Sandbox:

Functional Area Permission Description

Type

Sandbox Read Provides read permissions only on Sandbox objects.

Write Provides write permission to create/edit/drop Sandbox objects
in their own schema.
Can also share Sandbox objects that they own with other
users and groups for viewing and editing.
Admin Provides administrative permissions to manage
(create/edit/drop) Sandbox objects on behalf of any of the
users.
Sandbox Admin Provides administrative permissions to administer the
Administration allocation, expiry and promotion of Sandbox objects.
Data Explorer Read Provides read permission for the Data Explorer and allows the
creation/editing/dropping of personal user views.
Write Provides write permission to create/edit/drop user views in
their own schema.
Can also share views that they own with groups for viewing.
Admin Provides administrative permissions to create views on behalf
of any user.
Can also create views in the Data Model schemas.
Data Dictionary Admin Can view all sandbox user objects in the Data Explorer
(irrespective of sharing type – personal, group, system).

For more information on RBAC, see Using Role Based Access Control (RBAC) in OPTIMA on page
103.

78
 Administering OPTIMA

Based on these requirements, it is recommended that you create/use the following profiles:

Profiles Permissions

Data Explorer Writer Data Explorer - Write

Data Administrator Data Explorer - Admin

Data Dictionary - Admin
Sandbox User Sandbox - Read
Data Explorer - Read
Sandbox Writer Sandbox - Write
Data Explorer - Write
Sandbox Admin Sandbox - Admin
Sandbox Administration - Admin

These profiles have different combinations of functional areas and permission types, which will
allow combined access privileges.

Object Level Privileges for the Sandbox

In addition to RBAC, every Sandbox object has a Privilege Access Type field which allows the
owner or an administrator to share the object with other groups or users. Objects can be shared for
viewing, editing the object structure or importing data.

This object level access determines which objects the currently logged in user can view or edit.

Note: Only users with Administration permissions for the Data Dictionary can view all objects (both
data model objects and sandbox user objects) in the Data Explorer irrespective of the object level
permissions set for those objects.

About Sandbox Privileges for the Data Explorer

In order to create views and materialized views, a user must have the necessary SELECT
privileges for the base objects (in other words, for the tables and other views used within the
SELECT statement creating the view). These SELECT grants must have been obtained directly
and not using a database role.

Because of security restrictions the database administrator may not have permitted this level of
access (in other words, they may not have allowed SELECT grant on object to PUBLIC/individual
users) and this may mean that the user cannot create views or materialized views due to having
insufficient privileges.

When creating or editing a view, you should check the following for each table or view used in the
SELECT statement:
• Has a SELECT grant been given to PUBLIC user?
o If 'Yes', then views can be created based on this object.
o If 'No', then check if a SELECT grant has been given to the destination schema (in
other words, the destination owner of the view you are trying to create).

If such a SELECT grant has been given, then views can be created based on this
object. If not, you cannot create views based on this object.

79
 OPTIMA 8.0 User Reference Guide

There are two ways to create views in Data Explorer, depending on a user's profile:
• Sandbox Writers can create or edit views or materialized views in sandbox/user schemas
• Data Explorer Administrators can create views in vendor or global schemas

For both of these methods, you should perform the following checks for every object used in the
SELECT statement for view.

Troubleshooting Sandbox Privileges - Example Problem

For troubleshooting purposes, this section describes an example of resolving problems with
insufficient privileges for a user trying to create views and materialized views in the Data Explorer.

Consider the case of SANDBOX_WRITER_1 user, who is trying to create a view called
SANDBOX_WRITER_1.New_View_1.

To do this, he is using the following SELECT statement containing objects owned by

OPTIMA_ADMINISTRATOR:

SELECT *

FROM

OPTIMA_ADMINISTRATOR.BSCCFG,

OPTIMA_ADMINISTRATOR.BSCCFG1,

OPTIMA_ADMINISTRATOR.EEE333,

SANDBOX_WRITER_1.MY_CELLCFG

If the correct SELECT privileges are not granted on base objects to the required owner of the view
New_View_1 (in this case, SANDBOX_WRITER_1), then OPTIMA reports the following error:

Current action failed due to: Either Table or view (from the SQL) does
not exist, or insufficient SELECT privileges on base objects given to
object owner SANDBOX_WRITER_1. Please contact the administrator.

Note: If you do not get this error and can create the object successfully even if the PUBLIC or
destination schema have not been given the SELECT grant, this means that a system privilege
(such as SELECT_ANY_TABLE) has already granted to the destination schema for the view.

To determine the cause of this error, you should run the following query in the Data Explorer in
order to check if the correct SELECT privileges have been granted to the destination or PUBLIC
schema:

SELECT

(ATP.TABLE_SCHEMA || '.' || ATP.TABLE_NAME) as Base_Object,

ATP.GRANTEE as Select_Granted_To

FROM

ALL_TAB_PRIVS ATP

WHERE

ATP.TABLE_SCHEMA IN ('OPTIMA_ADMINISTRATOR', 'SANDBOX_WRITER_1')

AND -- Specify all the base object owners

ATP.TABLE_NAME IN ('BSCCFG', 'BSCCFG1', 'EEE333', 'MY_CELLCFG')

AND -- Specify all the base objects

80
 Administering OPTIMA

ATP.PRIVILEGE = 'SELECT'

ORDER BY

ATP.TABLE_SCHEMA, ATP.TABLE_NAME, ATP.GRANTEE

The results are displayed in the Data Explorer, on the Preview tab:

Query results on the Preview tab

In this example, the owner SANDBOX_WRITER_1 does not have a SELECT grant on one of the
base objects, OPTIMA_ADMINISTRATOR.BSCCFG.

The following grants have not been given:

User Missing On Base Object

Grants

PUBLIC SELECT OPTIMA_ADMINISTRATOR.BSCCFG

SELECT OPTIMA_ADMINISTRATOR.EEE333

SANDBOX_WRITER_1 SELECT OPTIMA_ADMINISTRATOR.BSCCFG

However, the following grants have been given:

User Grants On Base Object

PUBLIC SELECT OPTIMA_ADMINISTRATOR.BSCCFG1

SANDBOX_WRITER_1 SELECT OPTIMA_ADMINISTRATOR.EEE333

This means that if the SQL contained only these base objects, the respective user could create the
corresponding view.

Note: Even though the EVERYONE role has been granted SELECT on
OPTIMA_ADMINISTRATOR.BSCCFG, the SANDBOX_WRITER_1 user still cannot create the
view, because EVERYONE is a database role.

81
 OPTIMA 8.0 User Reference Guide

Troubleshooting Sandbox Privileges - Example Solution

To solve the problem of the insufficient privileges error, you will need to contact either the object
owner of table/view or the Database Administrator (DBA):
• Ask the owner of object 'BSCCFG' (OPTIMA_ADMINISTRATOR) to grant Read
permissions on the object.

OPTIMA_ADMINISTRATOR can then edit the object and give SANDBOX_WRITER_1

read/select access using the following steps:
o To modify the view to a 'specified access list', while retaining Read access for the
EVERYONE group, then configure the privileges for the view as shown here:

o Then, to allow views being created in schema SANDBOX_WRITER_1 based on object

OPTIMA_ADMINISTRATOR.BSCCFG, then configure the privileges for the view as
shown here.

82
 Administering OPTIMA

- or -
• Ask the DBA to grant SELECT on OPTIMA_ADMINISTRATOR.BSCCFG to
“SANDBOX_WRITER_1” or to PUBLIC

When the above SELECT grants are given to every base object used in the SELECT statement
(being used for view creation), then you can create a new view or materialized view in the desired
destination schema (in this example, SANDBOX_WRITER_1) successfully.

83
 OPTIMA 8.0 User Reference Guide

Setting Sandbox Allocation Options

On the Sandbox Allocation tab, you can allocate individual space quotas for your users to use in
the Sandbox environment. You can also set a default allocation that will be given to any users that
are given Administration or Write permissions for the Sandbox.

Important: OPTIMA Administrators do not get a sandbox allocation by default. You must specify
this allocation in the same way as for other users.

To open the Sandbox Allocation tab:

On the Administration tab, click the Allocation button .

The Sandbox Allocation tab opens. This picture shows an example:

You can sort the user data in a number of different ways:

• To sort the values in descending or ascending order in a particular column, click the
column heading
• To filter the values in a particular column, click the filter icon in the column heading, and
from the list that appears, select the required value:

• To re-order the columns, drag the column into the required position

84
 Administering OPTIMA

To define the space quota for a particular user, or group of users:

1. In the left hand User Data grid, select the user(s).

2. In the Allocate Space pane, type the required allocation (up to the specified maximum
value):

3. Click the Allocate button.

To define a default space quota for users with Administration or Write permissions for the
Sandbox:

1. Click the Default Allocation button .

2. In the dialog box that appears, define the default allocation by typing the required number
of MB or using the up and down arrows:

3. Click the Update button.

The default space allocation is updated.

Setting Sandbox Expiry Options

On the Sandbox Expiry tab, you can specify when Sandbox objects will expire.

Warning: Expired database links, synonyms, tables and views that have passed their grace period
are simply deleted from the database. However, if you are using materialized views, they can be
converted to normal views instead.

85
 OPTIMA 8.0 User Reference Guide

To do this:

On the Administration tab, click the Expiry button .

The Sandbox Expiry tab opens. This picture shows an example:

In the Object Expiry Date Updates pane, you can view the expiry dates of all of the Sandbox
objects that currently exist.

Tips:
• You can group the objects by a particular column (for example, Object Type) by dragging
the column heading into the dark blue area above the table.
• You can view additional columns in the grid. To do this, right-click any column header,
select Column Chooser, and then drag and drop columns from the Customization dialog
box onto the grid header row.

To enable you to see an object's expiry status at a glance, OPTIMA uses the following colors:

Color Description

Purple The object does not have an expiry date.

Black The object has an expiry date and is within the expiry period.
Amber The object has an expiry date and is within the defined warning period before expiry.
Red The object has expired, but is within the expiry grace period.
Brown The object has expired and has passed its expiry grace period, but has not yet been
removed.
Grey The object has been deleted and is in the Recycle Bin, but is within the deletion grace
period.

The expiry period and warning period are defined in the Global Settings.

86
 Administering OPTIMA

On the Sandbox Expiry tab, you can:

• Set the global Sandbox settings
• Define the expiry options for:
o An individual Sandbox object
o A particular Sandbox object type (for example, tables)
o The objects created by a particular Sandbox user
• Immediately drop all objects that have expired (and have passed their grace period) from
the database

Warning: To enable any expiry settings that you define, you must select the Enable Expiry
checkbox. If you do not select this option, then no objects will ever expire.

Setting the Global Settings for the Sandbox

When you are setting the Sandbox expiry options on the Sandbox Expiry tab, you set a number of
global values that will apply to all Sandbox objects, unless they are overridden by expiry options for
single objects, object types or specific users.

To do this:

1. Specify the following values:

Option Description

Expiry Period for New Objects The number of days after which a newly created object will
expire. The expiry date for an object is calculated as 'Creation
Date + Expiry Period'.
Grace Period after Expiry and Deletion The number of days after the expiry or deletion date for which
the object is kept. Users must request that objects within their
grace period are reinstated before they reach their grace end
date, otherwise they will be dropped.
Warning Period before Expiry The number of days before the expiry date when the user will
be warned that their objects are due to expire.

Note: All of the dates are calculated based on an object's expiry date. For example, if the
current date is 1/12/10, this table shows how this would be converted for the specific expiry
options, based on the values set:

Option Number of Explanation

days

Expiry Period for New 20 An object created on 1/12/10 will expire on 20/12/10.
Objects
(Expiry date = Creation date + 20)
Grace Period 5 After Expiry - If the same object expired on 20/12/10, then
it will have grace end date of 25/12/10.
(Grace end date = Expiry date + 5)
After Expiry - If the same object was deleted on 20/12/10,
then it will have grace end date of 25/12/10.
(Grace end date = Deletion date + 5)
Default Warning Period 2 The user will be warned from 18/12/10 onwards that the
same object is due to expire. This is denoted by the object
being colored in red.
(Warning date = Expiry date - 2)
87
 OPTIMA 8.0 User Reference Guide

2. If any of your users are using materialized views in the Sandbox, select what will happen to
the materialized views when they expire:
o Delete the materialized view from the database
o Convert the materialized view to a normal view, with a new expiry date based on the
Global Expiry Period

3. Click Save Settings.

- or -

On the Sandbox Expiry tab toolbar, click the Save Settings button .

Defining the Expiry Options for Individual Sandbox Objects

On the Sandbox Expiry tab, you can set the expiry option for individual Sandbox objects.

To do this:

1. Select the required object.

Tip: If you want to set the expiry options for a number of Sandbox objects:
o Click each one while holding down the Control key

- or -
o Click the first and last one in the required range while holding down the Shift key

2. Click the Edit Expiry Date button .

- or -

Right-click, and from the menu that appears, click Edit Expiry Date.

Tip: If you only want to edit the expiry options for a single Sandbox object, just double-click
the required object.

The Edit Expiry Date dialog box appears:

3. In this dialog box, select the required option:

o Specify a particular date on which the object will expire
o Expire the object immediately
o Disable object expiry, meaning that it will never expire

88
 Administering OPTIMA

4. If you selected to specify the expiry date, in the Expiry Date pane, click the down arrow
and select the required expiry date from the calendar.

5. Click Save.

Defining the Expiry Options for a Particular Sandbox Object Type

On the Sandbox Expiry tab, you can set the expiry options for a particular Sandbox object type
(for example, database links).

Warning: These settings will override the global settings, but are overridden by the user object
settings.

To do this:

1. Click the Object Type Override button .

The Expiry Period Object Type Override dialog box appears:

2. For the required object type, select the Enable Type Expiry checkbox.

3. In the Period box, type the required number of days after which any objects of that type will
expire.

4. Click Save.

89
 OPTIMA 8.0 User Reference Guide

Defining the Expiry Options for Objects Created by a Particular Sandbox User

On the Sandbox Expiry tab, you can set the expiry options for the Sandbox objects created by a
particular user.

Warning: These settings will override the global settings and the object type settings.

To do this:

1. Click the User Objects Override button .

The Expiry Period User Objects Override dialog box appears:

2. Click Add User.

3. In the dialog box that appears, select the user for which you want to set the Sandbox object
expiry options, and then click OK.

Tip: If you want to set the expiry options for a number of Sandbox users, you can select
more than one user here.

The selected user is added to the User Objects Expiry Override tab.

4. Click the + button next to the user's name to view the list of objects for that user.

5. For the object type for which you want to set an expiry date, select the Enable Type Expiry
checkbox.

6. In the Period box, type the required number of days after which any objects of that type for
the selected user will expire.

90
 Administering OPTIMA

7. Click Save.

Dropping All Expired Sandbox Objects from the Database

On the Sandbox Expiry tab, you can immediately drop (in other words, delete) all expired Sandbox
objects that have passed their grace end dates from the database.

These objects are marked in brown:

Expired Sandbox objects marked in brown

Tip: It is recommended that your administrator configures the 'DROP_EXPIRED_OBJECTS'

procedure to automatically drop all expired sandbox objects on a scheduled basis (for example,
each day at 0500). For more information, see the OPTIMA Operations and Maintenance Guide.

To do this:

Click the Drop All Expired Objects button .

The expired Sandbox objects that have passed their grace period are removed from the
database.

Creating and Managing Sandbox Promotion Requests

On the Sandbox Promotion tab, you can:
• Create requests for promoting Sandbox objects from the 'Sandbox' environment to the
database
• Manage Sandbox promotion requests by accepting or rejecting them for implementation by
the system administrator

Notes:
• To create Sandbox promotion requests, you need Administration or Write permissions for
the Sandbox, or Administration permissions for Sandbox Administration.
• All Sandbox objects must be managed through this process, regardless of who created
them.

91
 OPTIMA 8.0 User Reference Guide

To open the Sandbox Promotion tab:

On the Administration tab, click the Promotion button .

The Sandbox Promotion tab opens. This picture shows an example:

Tips:
• You can see which objects are included in a particular promotion request, by clicking the
request. The included objects are shown in the Objects to be Promoted pane.

• To see the most up-to-date status of a promotion request, click the Refresh button .

Creating and Editing Requests for Promoting Sandbox Objects to the Database

On the Sandbox Promotion tab, if you have Administration or Write permissions for the Sandbox
(or Administration permissions for Sandbox Administration), you can create promotion requests.
These requests are used to manage the promotion of objects created in the 'Sandbox' environment
to the database.

By managing promotions in this way, users can experiment freely in the 'Sandbox', with only
verified and approved objects being added to the production area of the database.

92
 Administering OPTIMA

To create a promotion request:

1. Click the New Promotion Request button .

The New Promotion Request dialog box appears:

2. In the Name pane, type the name for the promotion request.

Note: Check with your Sandbox Administrator if there are any naming conventions for
promotion requests.

3. From the Priority drop-down list, select the priority for the request.

4. Select the due date for this request, which should be before any expiry date of any of the
objects that will be included in this request.

5. If you want to keep a working copy of the objects in the request in the Sandbox, from the
Keep Sandbox Copy drop-down list, select Yes.

- or -

If you do not want any of the objects in the request for further work in the Sandbox, then
select No.

6. In the User Comments pane, add any further information that you want to include.

7. To include a particular Sandbox object in this promotion request:

o In the Available Sandbox Objects pane, click the required object
o While still holding down the mouse button, drag the object into the Objects to be
Promoted pane
o Release the mouse button

93
 OPTIMA 8.0 User Reference Guide

o If you are adding a table, view or materialized view, in the Requested Schema
column, you must select the database schema to which you want to add the object
o If you are adding a table, in the Promote with Data column, you can choose whether
you want to include the data added to the table in the Sandbox or not.

If you choose to include the data, while the associated promotion request is in the
'Pending' or 'In Progress' state you cannot edit the table structure or data.

Tip: To remove a particular Sandbox object from the promotion request, right-click the
required object, and from the menu that appears, click Delete Row.

8. When you have added all of the required Sandbox objects, click Save.

The Sandbox promotion request is added to the list.

To edit a Sandbox request, double-click the required request. The Edit Promotion Request
dialog box appears, in which you can modify the details of the promotion request as required.

Notes:
• You can only edit Sandbox requests that you have created, unless you have Administration
permissions for Sandbox Administration, in which case you can edit all Sandbox requests.
• You cannot edit a Sandbox request after it has been moved out of a Pending state on the
Promotion Requests tab.

Managing Sandbox Promotion Requests

On the Sandbox Promotion tab, if you have Administration permissions for Sandbox
Administration, you can manage promotion requests that have been created.

Important: To manage Sandbox promotion requests, your user profile must contain the Sandbox
Administrator role. To promote your own objects, you still have to create a request yourself, and
follow the promotion process described below.

You can review the Sandbox objects included in the request and then:

1. If the request is to be implemented, it can be moved to 'In Progress'.

2. After the sandbox objects in the request have been added to the production database, it
can then be moved to 'Completed'.

- or -

If the request will not be implemented, it can be moved to 'Rejected'.

Note: Adding sandbox objects to the production database must be done outside OPTIMA.

94
 Administering OPTIMA

To view the details of a promotion request, click the request. The included objects are shown in the
Objects to be Promoted pane:

Viewing the details of a promotion request

The request states are color-coded, so that you can quickly see the current state of a large number
of requests. This table describes the colors used:

Status Color Example

Pending Orange

In Progress Green

Completed Black

Rejected Red

When a Sandbox promotion request is created, it is marked as Pending.

Note: Promotion requests cannot be edited after they have been moved from the Pending state.

95
 OPTIMA 8.0 User Reference Guide

To move a pending request through the promotion process:

1. Right-click the request, and then select the appropriate action:

o In Progress - the request is marked as In Progress, which means that it has been
accepted for promotion and the implementation (done outside of OPTIMA) is currently
in progress.
o Reject - In the dialog box that appears, in the Admin Comments pane state the reason
for the rejection as clearly as possible, and then click Save.

The request is marked as Rejected, which means that it has not been accepted for
promotion to the production database.
o Delete - this cancels the request, and deletes it from the list of requests.

Tips:
o You can also change the status of a request by selecting it, and then clicking the
appropriate button on the Sandbox Promotion Tab toolbar.
o To keep the Sandbox Promotions tab uncluttered, delete rejected requests by right-
clicking and then clicking Delete from the menu that appears.
o To defer reviewing a request, and move it back to a Pending state, click Shelve.

2. When an 'In Progress' promotion request has been implemented, right-click it and click
Complete.

About the Database Configuration Settings

If you have Administration permissions for Utilities, you can define:
• Data retention periods for partitioned tables in the database
• Database links connecting one database to another
• Region-specific settings for the OPTIMA client

Defining Data Retention Periods

In the Data Retention dialog box, if you have Administration permissions for Utilities you can set
retention periods for the tables in the database.

To do this:

On the Utilities tab, click the Data Retention button .

96
 Administering OPTIMA

The Data Retention dialog box appears. This picture shows an example:

To set a new retention period for a table:

1. Click the Add New button.

2. In the dialog box that appears, select the required table from the list, and click OK.

(Only tables which do not already have retention periods appear in this list.)

3. Set the Partition Type (Daily, Weekly and so on).

4. Set the Retention Period, that is, the number of partitions (backwards in time) that you
want to save.

5. Set the Pre-allocation Period, that is, the number of partitions you want to plan ahead for.

6. Set the Priority number (2 is the highest, 10 is the lowest) which sets the partition
maintenance priority.

7. If required, specify the Next Process Date.

8. Click OK.

To edit or view existing retention periods:

1. In the Table Name drop-down list of available partitioned tables, select the appropriate
table.

2. Edit or view the values as required.

3. Click OK.

97
 OPTIMA 8.0 User Reference Guide

Creating Database Links on the Utilities Tab

In the Database Links dialog box, if you have Administration permissions for Utilities you can
create a public database link, which is the way in which Oracle enables you to connect from one
database to another.

Tip: If you have Write permissions for the Sandbox, you can also create database links in the
'sandbox' environment. For more information, see Creating Database Links in the Sandbox on page
248.

To create a database link:

1. On the Utilities tab, click the Database Links button .

The Database Links dialog box appears:

2. Click the Add Database Link button .

The Create Database Link dialog box appears:

98
 Administering OPTIMA

3. In this dialog box, specify the following details:

o In the Link Name text box, type the name of the link.

Important: Link names should not include the full stop/period character ('.').
o In the Database to connect to text box, type the name of the database with which you
want to create a link.

Tip: You can get the name of the database that you want to link to from the
tnsnames.ora file on your computer.
o In the User name and Password for connection text boxes, provide the user name
and password that you have set for that database.

4. Click OK. The new link will appear in the Database Links dialog box.

Once you have created a Database Link, you can use it in the SQL tab in the Data Explorer to get
data from another database in the following way:

Suppose you have created a database link OPT_620_LINK as shown above. Now in the SQL tab
of the Data Explorer, type the following SQL statement:

Select * from CellStats@OPT_620_LINK

where:
• CELLSTATS is the name of the table in the OPT_DEV_620 database
• OPT_620_LINK is the name of the database link

Note: It is important to write the SQL query in the following syntax:

Select * from TableName@DatabaseLinkName

Now, when you click , the information will be retrieved from the OPT_DEV_620 database and
displayed.

Defining the Regional Settings

In the Regional Settings dialog box, you can define the region-specific settings for your OPTIMA
session.

To do this:

1. On the Utilities tab, click the Regional Settings button . The Regional Settings
dialog box appears:

2. From the Oracle NLS_TERRITORY settings drop-down list, select the client locale.

3. Click OK.

99
 OPTIMA 8.0 User Reference Guide

About OPTIMA Security

In OPTIMA, there are three main levels of security. These are described in the following table:

Security Description
Level

User By using OPTIMA's Role Based Access Control (RBAC) functionality, you can manage
users' access to the various functional areas.
This has priority over object security; for example, if you have Administration
permissions for modules, you can edit any module on the Modules tab, regardless of
whether you are a member of the owning group for a particular module.
For more information, see Using Role Based Access Control (RBAC) in OPTIMA on
page 103.
Object Object security has two sublevels:
• Group - By using object ownership based on groups (rather than individual
users), you can manage users' access to specific objects. For example, if
you specify that a particular group owns a report, only users who belong to
that group can modify it - Other users can only see the object.
However, User security always has priority over object security; for
example, if you only have Read permissions for modules, you cannot edit a
module on the Modules tab, even if you are a member of the group which
owns it. Any users with Administration permission for a functional area can
edit objects within that area, regardless of their group membership.
For more information, see Creating Groups on page 101.
• Admin - Objects can be marked as 'Admin' objects, which means that only
users with Administration permissions for that particular functional area can
edit the object.
Folder Folder security is very similar to object security, and also has two sublevels:
• Group - By specifying that a particular group owns a folder, only users who
belong to that group can see a folder, update its name, move it or delete it.
This also applies to its contents; you must own a folder to see the objects
within it, regardless of whether you own the objects or not.
• Admin - Folders can be marked as 'Admin' folders, which means that only
users with Administration permissions for that particular functional area can
edit the folder (and any subfolders).
Folder security does not automatically cascade down to subfolders, although you can
choose to do this when setting the folder security.

Important:
• Only users with Administration permissions for Users can edit users
• Only users with Administration permissions for Groups can create, edit and delete groups
• Users with the Optima Administrator profile have full administration access to all features
and objects

100
 Administering OPTIMA

Creating Groups
On the Groups tab, if you have Administration permissions for Groups, you can create groups and
add users to them. These groups can then be used to provide access to specific objects, for
example report folders or KPIs.

Note: A group called Everyone is created automatically and includes all users. You cannot edit
this group.

To create a group:

1. On the User Management tab, click the Groups button .

2. In the dialog box that appears, click New Group.

3. In the New OPTIMA Group dialog box, type a name and description for the group.

Note: You can only use letters, numbers and the symbols '$', '_' and '#' in the group name.
You cannot use spaces and you must use a letter or number for the first and last
characters.

4. If you have already created the users that you want to become members of this group, click
Add User.

If you have not created any users, you must do this in the Netrac Admin application. For
more information, see the Netrac Admin User Guide.

5. Select the users you want to add to this group and use the > button to move them to the
Destination List.

Tip: Use the Shift and Ctrl keys to highlight more than one user at a time and use the >>
button to add all the users to the Destination List.

6. When you have finished adding users to the Destination List, click OK.

The users who are members of this group are listed in the Members pane of the New
OPTIMA Group dialog box.

7. Click Close to save the new group.

Editing and Deleting Groups

On the Administration tab, if you have Administration permissions for Groups, you can edit and
delete groups.

To edit a group:

1. On the Administration tab, click the Groups button .

The OPTIMA Groups dialog box appears.

2. Double-click the required group.

- or -

Select the group and click the Edit Group button.

101
 OPTIMA 8.0 User Reference Guide

3. In the Edit Group dialog box, modify the description of the group if required.

4. To add another user to the group:

a. Click the Add User button.
b. In the Select Users dialog box, select the user(s) that you want to add, and then click
the right arrow button to move them to the Destination List.

Tip: Use the Shift and Ctrl keys to select more than one user at a time, or click the
double right arrow button to add all users.

5. To remove a user from the group, select the required user and click the Remove User
button.

6. When you have finished making changes, click OK.

To delete a group:

1. On the Administration tab, click the Groups button .

The OPTIMA Groups dialog box displays.

2. Select the required group and click the Delete Group button.

3. Click Yes to confirm.

4. If no objects are owned by the group, then the group is deleted immediately. However, if
there are objects still owned by the group, then the Change OPTIMA Group dialog box
appears, in which you must choose a new owning group. To do this:
o Select the required group from the Group list and click the right arrow button.

- or -
o Double-click the required group in the Group list.

5. Click OK.

6. Click Close.

102
 Administering OPTIMA

Using Role Based Access Control (RBAC) in OPTIMA

OPTIMA uses a Role Based Access Control (RBAC) model to manage users' access to the various
functional areas.

Important: To use OPTIMA, a Netrac user must be given the 'OPTIMA' role. For more information,
see the Netrac Admin User Guide.

The RBAC model is based on four logical entities - permissions, roles, profiles and users. This table
describes these entities:

Item Description

Permission As the lowest level of entity, a permission is the ability to perform an operation on a
particular resource within a function. Permissions apply to the following functional
areas:
• Global • Module • Module • Work Area
Favorites Explorer Combination
• Reports • Schedules • KPI • Global KPI
Manager
• Sandbox • Sandbox • Data • Filters
Administration Explorer
• Element • General Admin • Data • Users
Hierarchies Options Dictionary
• Groups • Contacts • Profiles and • Alarms
Application
Roles
• Alarm • Table Editor • Holiday • Data
Handlers Entry Retention
• Database •
Links
'Read Reports', 'Write Modules' and 'Administer Alarms' are all examples of
permissions in different functions.
'Read Reports', 'Write Reports' and 'Administer Reports' are all examples of
permissions in the same function - Reports.
In OPTIMA, all permissions are pre-defined and cannot be modified.
Role A role is a group of one or more permissions assigned to carry out a logical function.
Alarms Administrator is an example of a role, and could contain 'Administer Alarms'
and 'Administer Alarm Handlers' permissions.
For a list of the pre-defined application roles, see About the Default OPTIMA
Application Roles on page 109.
Profile A profile is a group of one or more roles, collated to create a specific authorization
configuration.
Super Administrator is an example of a profile, and could contain the Alarms
Administrator, Sandbox Administrator and Filters Administrator roles.
For a list of the pre-defined user profiles, see About the OPTIMA Default User Profiles
on page 114.
User As the highest level of entity, a user is assigned one or more profiles appropriate to
their job function, which provides them with the required permissions.
Important: Users must be assigned at least one profile at any time.

103
 OPTIMA 8.0 User Reference Guide

This picture shows a diagram that illustrates the concepts of an RBAC model:

RBAC Model Concept Diagram

Important: The Alarms and Alarm Handlers permissions, roles and profiles are only available for
upgraded OPTIMA administrators with an Alarms license. If OPTIMA 8.0 is the first version that you
are using, you should use TrafficGuard to create alarms. For more information, see the
TrafficGuard Table-Based User Guide or the TrafficGuard PM-Based User Guide.

An installation of OPTIMA begins with a single default user, 'nsa', who has all of the default profiles
assigned to it and can therefore perform any task within OPTIMA.

The 'nsa' user exists to ensure that access to any of the functionality is not lost, and is used to
create smaller, more segmented administrator profiles for further users. After these profiles have
been created, the system DBA could then lock the 'nsa' user to prevent access. For more
information, contact your system DBA.

Creating Roles
On the Application Roles tab, if you have Administration or Write permissions for Profiles and
Application Roles, you can create a role.

Roles are function-specific groups of one or more permissions. Roles can be grouped into profiles,
which are then assigned to users in order to provide the necessary permissions for that user to
perform their job. For more information on this model, see Using Role Based Access Control
(RBAC) in OPTIMA on page 103.

104
 Administering OPTIMA

Some example roles are described in the following table:

Role Permissions

Alarm Administrator Alarm Handlers - Write

Alarms Admin - Write
Contacts - Read
Data Explorer - Admin
Element Hierarchies - Admin
Favorites - Read
Filters - Write
Global KPI - Write
Groups - Read
KPI Manager - Write
Module Combination - Write
Module Explorer - Write
Reports - Write
Sandbox - Write
Schedules - Write
Work Area - Write
Report User Reports - Read
Sandbox Writer Sandbox - Write

There are generally three types of role, corresponding to the three levels of permission:
• Administrator roles - contain Admin permissions
• Writer roles - contain Write permissions
• User roles - contain Read permissions

Important:
• OPTIMA contains some default roles, which are based on those used in previous versions.
You can use, edit, or delete them as required - however, you cannot edit or delete the
system role, OPTIMA Administrator (marked in brown). For more information on what
permissions are contained in these roles, see About the Default OPTIMA Application Roles
on page 109.
• The Alarms and Alarm Handlers permissions, roles and profiles are only available for
upgraded OPTIMA administrators with an Alarms license. If OPTIMA 8.0 is the first version
that you are using, you should use TrafficGuard to create alarms. For more information,
see the TrafficGuard Table-Based User Guide or the TrafficGuard PM-Based User Guide.

You can also create entirely new roles or new roles based on existing ones.

105
 OPTIMA 8.0 User Reference Guide

To create an entirely new role:

1. On the User Management tab, click the Application Roles button .

The Application Roles tab appears:

2. Click the Add Application Role button .

3. In the dialog box that appears, type a name and (if required) a description for the new role.

4. In the Permission pane, select the required permissions for this role:

.
106
 Administering OPTIMA

5. Click Next.

A summary of the role's permissions appears, listing the permissions that you have
selected as well as any additional associated permissions that are required as a result of
your selections:

6. Click Save.

To create a role based on an existing one:

1. Select the required role, and then click the Copy button .

- or -

Right-click the role, and from the menu that appears, click Copy.

2. Click the Paste button .

- or -

Right-click in the Application Role pane, and from the menu that appears, click Paste.

A copy of the role is created, which you can then edit as required.

For more information on how to do this, see Editing and Deleting Roles on page 108.

107
 OPTIMA 8.0 User Reference Guide

Editing and Deleting Roles

On the Application Roles tab, you can edit existing roles - for example, change the name or
modify which permissions are assigned. You can also delete unwanted roles.

To open the Application Roles tab:

On the User Management tab, click the Application Roles button .

To edit a role:

Important: Any changes to a role will affect any profile to which this role is assigned. If any users
assigned this profile are already logged in, then they must log out and then back in to adopt the
changes.

3. Select the role that you want to edit, and click the Edit button .

4. In the dialog box that appears, edit the role as required, and then click Save.

To delete a role:

1. Select the role that you want to delete.

2. Click the Delete button .

- or -

Right-click, and from the menu that appears, click Delete.

3. In the dialog box that appears, click Yes.

The role is deleted.

Important:
• You cannot delete the OPTIMA_ADMINISTRATOR role.
• You cannot delete a role that has been assigned to a profile. For more information on how
to unassign roles from profiles, see Editing and Deleting Profiles on page 114.

108
 Administering OPTIMA

About the Default OPTIMA Application Roles

There are a number of default application roles available for users in OPTIMA. They are created
during installation and determine the level of system access for a user assigned to a profile
containing that role.

The default profiles can be summarized as follows:

This Application Role Provides

OPTIMA Administrators Full administrative access to the OPTIMA client. This role may not be
edited or deleted.
Alarm Administrators Administrative access to the Alarms module.
Alarm Users Read-only access to the Alarms module.
Alarm Writers Write access to the Alarms module.
Analysis Administrators Administrative access to the analysis functional areas.
Analysis Users Basic (mainly read-only) level access to the analysis functional areas.
Analysis Writers Advanced level access to the analysis functional areas
Dashboard Administrators Administrative access to dashboards.
Sandbox Administrators Administrative access to the Sandbox.
Sandbox Users Read-only access to the Sandbox.
Sandbox Writers Write access to the Sandbox.
Security Administrators Administrative access to the user management functional areas.
Security Users Read-only access to the user management functional areas.
System Administrators Administrative access to the system management functional areas.

Important: The Alarms and Alarm Handlers permissions, roles and profiles are only available for
upgraded OPTIMA administrators with an Alarms license. If OPTIMA 8.0 is the first version that you
are using, you should use TrafficGuard to create alarms. For more information, see the
TrafficGuard Table-Based User Guide or the TrafficGuard PM-Based User Guide.

These default profiles are described in more detail in the table below (A = Administrator, W = Write,
R = Read, N = None):
OPTIMA Administrators

Alarm Administrators

Alarm Users

Alarm Writers

Analysis Administrators

Analysis Users

Analysis Writers

Dashboard Administrators

Sandbox Administrators

Sandbox Users

Sandbox Writers

Security Administrators

Security Users

System Administrators

Permission/Role

Alarm Handlers A A R W N N N N N N N N N N
Alarms A A R W N N N N N N N N N N
Contacts A N N N N N N N N N N A R N
Dashboard Administration A N N N N N N A N N N N N N
Data Dictionary A N N N N N N N N N N N N A

109
 OPTIMA 8.0 User Reference Guide

OPTIMA Administrators

Alarm Administrators

Alarm Users

Alarm Writers

Analysis Administrators

Analysis Users

Analysis Writers

Dashboard Administrators

Sandbox Administrators

Sandbox Users

Sandbox Writers

Security Administrators

Security Users

System Administrators
Permission/Role

Data Explorer A R N R A R W N W N W N N N
Data Retention A N N N A R R N N N N N N A
Database Links A N N N N N N N N N N N N A
Element Hierarchies* A N N N A R W N N N N N N N
Filters* A N N N A R W N N N N N N N
General Admin Options A N N N N N N N N N N N N A
Global Favorites A N N N A N N N N N N N N N
Global KPI W N N N W R W N N N N N N N
Groups A N N N N N N N N N N A R N
Holiday Entry A N N N A R R N N N N N N A
KPI Manager* A N N N A R W N N N N N N N
Module Combination A N N N A W W N N N N N N N
Module Explorer A N N N A R W N N N N N N N
Profiles and Application A N N N N N N N N N N A R N
Roles
Reports A N N N A R W N N N N N N N
Sandbox A N N N N N N N A R W N N N
Sandbox Administration A N N N N N N N A N N N N N
Schedules A N N N A R W N N N N N N N
Table Editor A N N N N N N N N N N N N A
Users A N N N N N N N N N N A R N
Work Area W N N N W W W N N N N N N N

Important:
• If a user has Read permission for any of the items marked with an asterisk (*), they can
create personal objects of that type (for example, KPIs)
• Although the OPTIMA Administrator has Administrator rights to the Sandbox, the role does
not have a sandbox allocation by default. The allocation must be defined in the same way
as for other users.

110
 Administering OPTIMA

Creating Profiles
On the Application Roles tab, if you have Administration or Write permissions for Profiles and
Application Roles, you can create a profile.

Profiles are groups of one or more roles, collated to create specific authorisation configurations.
Profiles are assigned to users in order to provide the necessary permissions for that user to
perform their job. For more information on this model, see Using Role Based Access Control
(RBAC) in OPTIMA on page 103.

Some example profiles are described in the following table:

Profile Roles Permissions

Super User Alarms User Alarm Handlers - Read

Alarms - Read

KPI User Global KPI - Read

KPI Manager - Read
Sandbox User Sandbox - Read

Super Writer Alarms Writer Alarm Handlers - Write

Alarms - Write
KPI Writer Global KPI - Write
KPI Manager - Write
Sandbox Writer Sandbox - Write

Super Administrator KPI Administrator Global KPI - Admin

KPI Manager - Admin
Report Administrator Reports - Admin
Schedules - Admin

You cannot assign individual permissions to profiles; the allocation of appropriate permissions
should be managed through the creation of roles, which can then be added to the required profile.

Notes:
• OPTIMA contains some default profiles, which are based on roles used in previous
versions. You can use, edit, or delete them as required - however, you cannot edit or
delete the system profile, OPTIMA Administrator (marked in brown). For more information
on what permissions are contained in these profiles, see About the OPTIMA Default User
Profiles on page 114.
• The Alarms and Alarm Handlers permissions, roles and profiles are only available for
upgraded OPTIMA administrators with an Alarms license. If OPTIMA 8.0 is the first version
that you are using, you should use TrafficGuard to create alarms. For more information,
see the TrafficGuard Table-Based User Guide or the TrafficGuard PM-Based User Guide.

111
 OPTIMA 8.0 User Reference Guide

To create an entirely new profile:

1. On the User Management tab, click the Profiles button .

The Profiles tab appears:

2. Click the Add Profile button .

3. In the dialog box that appears, type a name and (if required) a description for the new
profile.

112
 Administering OPTIMA

4. In the Application Role pane, select the required application roles for this profile:

5. Click Save.

To create a profile based on an existing one:

1. Select the required profile, and then click the Copy button .

- or -

Right-click, and from the menu that appears, click Copy.

2. Click the Paste button .

- or -

Right-click in the Profiles pane, and from the menu that appears, click Paste.

A copy of the profile is created, which you can then edit as required.

For more information on how to do this, see Editing and Deleting Profiles on page 114.

113
 OPTIMA 8.0 User Reference Guide

Editing and Deleting Profiles

On the Profiles tab, you can edit profiles - for example, change the name or modify which roles are
assigned. You can also delete unwanted profiles.

To open the Profiles tab:

On the User Management tab, click the Profiles button .

Important:
• Any changes to a profile will affect any user to which this profile is assigned. If any users
assigned this profile are already logged in, then the changes will not take effect until the
next time they log in.
• You cannot delete a profile that is assigned to an active user.
• You cannot edit or delete the OPTIMA Administrators profile.

To edit a profile:

1. Select the profile that you want to edit, and click the Edit button .

2. In the dialog box that appears, edit the profile as required, and then click Save.

To delete a profile:

1. Select the profile that you want to delete.

2. Click the Delete button .

- or -

Right-click, and from the menu that appears, click Delete.

3. In the dialog box that appears, click Yes.

The profile is deleted.

About the OPTIMA Default User Profiles

There are a number of default profiles available for users in OPTIMA. They are created during
installation and determine the level of system access for a user assigned to that profile.

Note: These default profiles have been designed to emulate the roles that existed in previous
versions of OPTIMA.

114
 Administering OPTIMA

The default profiles and their associated roles are described in the table below:

This Profile Contains These Summary Description

Roles

OPTIMA Administrator OPTIMA Administrators Full administrative access to the OPTIMA client.
This profile may not be edited or deleted.
OPTIMA Advanced User Alarm Users Write access to analysis functionality.
Analysis Writers
Sandbox Writers
OPTIMA Alarm Administrator Alarm Writers Write access to the analysis functionality and
Alarms module.
Analysis Writers
Sandbox Writers
OPTIMA Sandbox Alarm Users Write access to the analysis functionality and
Administrator administrative access to the Sandbox.
Analysis Writers
Sandbox Administrators
OPTIMA User Alarm Users Read access to the analysis functionality.
Analysis Users
Sandbox Users
OPTIMA User Administrator Security Administrators Access for the administration of users and
groups.
This includes the management of profiles, roles
and permissions provided to each user.

Important: The Alarms and Alarm Handlers permissions, roles and profiles are only available for
upgraded OPTIMA administrators with an Alarms license. If OPTIMA 8.0 is the first version that you
are using, you should use TrafficGuard to create alarms. For more information, see the
TrafficGuard Table-Based User Guide or the TrafficGuard PM-Based User Guide.

For more information on the permissions associated with each role, see About the Default OPTIMA
Application Roles on page 109.

Editing Users
On the Users tab, if you have Administration permissions for Users, you can edit user details and
permissions.

In this way, you can fine tune the permissions for a particular user; by default, users who are given
the 'OPTIMA' role in Netrac are given the 'OPTIMA User' profile, but you may want to provide
'Write' access to various functional areas.

Tip: To see all of the permissions for a user, click the Show Permissions button .

You can change:

• User details, such as contact information
• The profile(s) assigned to the user

115
 OPTIMA 8.0 User Reference Guide

Important:
• You cannot edit the 'nsa' user, because this is the default OPTIMA administrator user.
• You cannot edit important user details (for example, user name or department) in OPTIMA;
these details can only be edited in the Netrac Admin application. For more information, see
the Netrac Admin User Guide.
• To use OPTIMA, a Netrac user must be part of a group that has the 'OPTIMA' role. For
more information, see the Netrac Admin User Guide.
• Users must be assigned at least one profile at any time; if you need to replace a user's
profile, the new one must be assigned before the old one can be unassigned.

To edit a user:

1. On the User Management tab, click the Users button .

The Users tab appears, displaying all of the users that exist:

Note: If a user's Account Status is 'Locked', they were once assigned the 'OPTIMA' role in
Netrac Admin, but do not have it any more.

2. Double-click the user that you want to edit.

- or -

Select the user and click the Edit button .

Tip: You can edit more than one user at the same time, by selecting the required users
while holding down the Shift key.

116
 Administering OPTIMA

The Edit User dialog box appears:

3. On the Contact Details tab, specify the full name of the user (to a maximum of 100
characters). You can also optionally define the email, mobile number and description of the
user.

Tip: If the user already exists as a contact in the Contacts list, click Contacts, select the
contact and then click Assign Contact. The contact details are automatically completed.

Note: If you enter a new set of contact details, they are automatically added to the
Contacts list when you save the user.

4. On the Other Details tab, select the consumer group for this user from the drop-down list.
The consumer group can be used for resource management by the system administrator.

For more information on consumer groups, see the OPTIMA Operations and Maintenance
Guide.

5. On the Group Membership tab, select the groups to which the user belongs. By default,
the user is a member of the 'EVERYONE' group.

6. If you have selected more than one group, select the user groups whose favorites that you
want to associate with the user:

Note: For existing users that have been upgraded, if they belong to more than one group,
then the default favorite group will be the 'EVERYONE' group. For more information on
favorite groups, see Using Favorites on page 55.

7. On the Permission Details tab, click the Profiles subtab.

117
 OPTIMA 8.0 User Reference Guide

8. Select which profile(s) you want to assign to the user:

Important:
o Every user must be assigned at least one profile.
o The Alarms and Alarm Handlers permissions, roles and profiles are only available for
upgraded OPTIMA administrators with an Alarms license. If OPTIMA 8.0 is the first
version that you are using, you should use TrafficGuard to create alarms. For more
information, see the TrafficGuard Table-Based User Guide or the TrafficGuard PM-
Based User Guide.

Tip: To see what roles and permissions are contained in a profile, click the plus sign to
expand it, or click the View Assigned Permissions button.

9. As well as entire profiles, you can assign individual permissions to a user. To do this, click
the Special Permissions tab and select the required permissions:

Note: When you select specific permissions in this way, any necessary associated
permissions are added automatically.

10. When you have assigned all of the required permissions, click Save.

118
 Administering OPTIMA

Searching for Users

On the Users tab, you can search for a particular user within the list, if, for example, you want to
edit that user's details.

To do this:

1. In the User Name column, hover in the top right-hand corner.

The Filter button appears:

2. Click the Filter button, and from the drop-down list that appears, click Custom.

The Custom AutoFilter dialog box appears:

3. To create your filter query:

o Select the required operator (for example, equals)
o In the right-hand value box type the value corresponding to the function:

o If you want to add another condition to the query, select the required logical operator
('And' or 'Or') and then define the operator and value in the lower section of the dialog
box

4. Click OK.

All users matching the filter query are listed on the Users tab, and all other users are
filtered out.

Tips:
• In your filter query, if you select the 'like' operator, you can use the following wildcard
characters:
o Underscore ('_') to search for a particular term followed by any single character - for
example 'Jon_' could return 'Jon1', 'Jon3' and 'Jon7'

119
 OPTIMA 8.0 User Reference Guide

o Percentage sign ('%') to search for a particular term followed by any series of
characters - for example, 'Jon%' could return 'Jon6', 'Jon66' and 'Jon666'.
• To toggle the filter on and off, select the filter checkbox in the lower left-hand corner:

• To edit the filter, click the Edit Filter button in the lower right-hand corner

Using Contacts
On the Contacts tab, if you have Administration permissions for Contacts, you can save contact
details for individual users and groups of users. These contact details are stored in the Contacts
dialog box and, once saved, can be:
• Assigned when you create users.
• Selected in the Schedule Editor to determine who reports are emailed to. For more
information about scheduling reports, see Scheduling Reports on page 443.
• Selected in an alarm handler to determine who receives alerts when an alarm is raised. For
more information about alarms, see Using Alarms on page 451.

Important: The Alarms and Alarm Handlers options are only available for upgraded OPTIMA users
with an Alarms license. If OPTIMA 8.0 is the first version that you are using, then you should use
TrafficGuard to create alarms. For more information, see the TrafficGuard Table-Based User Guide
or the TrafficGuard PM-Based User Guide.

To open the Contacts dialog box:

On the User Management tab, click the Contacts button .

Contacts that contain a group of users are underlined and shown in green text. This picture shows
an example:

Contacts dialog box

120
 Administering OPTIMA

In the Contacts dialog box, you can:

• Search the list of contacts by selecting a column from the Search column drop-down list
and then typing the text you are looking for into the Search Text field. As you type text into
the Search Text field, non-matching contacts are removed. To clear the search text and
restore the list of contacts, click the Show all contacts button.

Tip: You can use wildcards to represent characters in your search text. There are two
wildcards you can use:
o Asterisk (*) - to represent zero or more characters. For example, if you type 'BSC*', you
will find all the elements that begin BSC.
o Question mark (?) – to represent a single character. For example, if you type 'BSC?',
you will find all the four-character elements that begin BSC, such as BSC1 or BSC2.

• Filter the list of contacts by selecting All Groups or All Users from the Contacts type
drop-down list.
• Sort the list of contacts by clicking on any of the column headings.

Adding, Editing and Deleting Contacts

To add a contact in the Contacts dialog box:

1. Click the Add Contact button .

2. In the dialog box that appears, type the required details.

3. If you want the contact to be able to receive notifications when any associated alarms are
raised, select the Enable checkbox.

4. Click OK to save the contact.

5. Click OK to close the Contacts dialog box.

To edit a contact:

1. Double-click the contact name.

- or -

Select the required contact, and then click the Edit button .

2. Edit the contact details as required.

Important: You cannot modify the contact name. If you want to change this, you will have
to recreate the contact.

3. Click OK to save the changes.

To delete a contact:

1. Select the required contact, and then click the Delete button .

2. In the dialog box that appears, click Yes.

The contact is deleted.

121
 OPTIMA 8.0 User Reference Guide

Adding a Contact Group

In the Contacts dialog box, you can add a group of users as a contact group. This enables many
individuals to receive the same:
• Report when a scheduled report is emailed. For more information about scheduling reports,
see Scheduling Reports on page 443.
• Alert when an alarm is set or cleared. For more information about alarms, see Using
Alarms on page 451.

To add a contact group:

1. Ensure you have created the contacts that you want to include in the group. For more
information, see Adding, Editing and Deleting Contacts on page 121.

2. Click the Add Group button .

3. Type a name for the group.

4. Type the email address and telephone number to be used for sending reports and/or alarm
alerts.

5. In the Notes pane, add a description (compulsory).

6. Click the 'Modify members' button.

7. In the dialog box that appears, click Add.

8. In the Name pane, select the required contact and then click Add.

- or -

In the text box above the Name pane, type the part or all of the name of the required
contact and click Add.

The contact that most closely matches the typed name (based on alphabetical order) is
added to the group.

Tip: To view the properties of a user, click Properties and in the dialog box that appears
make the changes required.

Note: If you have specified a group email address, any contacts assigned to this email
group do not need to be added here.

9. When you have finished adding contacts, click OK and, in the dialog box that appears, click
Yes.

10. Click OK to close the Group Members dialog box.

11. In the Contact Group Properties dialog box, click OK and, in the dialog box that appears,
click Yes to save the group.

The contact group is shown in the Contacts dialog box. Groups are signified by underlined
green text.

122
 Administering OPTIMA

Editing and Deleting Contact Groups

To edit a contact group:

1. Double-click the contact group that you want to edit.

- or -

Select the contact group and click the Edit button .

2. In the Contact Group Properties dialog box, edit the details as necessary.

3. Click OK to save the changes.

To delete a contact group:

Important: Individual contacts within the group are not deleted.

1. Select the required group, and then click the Delete button .

2. In the dialog box that appears, click Yes.

The contact group is deleted.

About Table and Field Information Settings

On the Table and Field Info tab, if you have Administration permissions for the Data Dictionary,
you can use table and field information settings to:
• Allow groups of users access to certain tables
• Set the granularity period for tables
• Set the table period for tables
• Assign tables to specific categories
• Assign summary tables to tables
• Add comments to tables and table columns

Tables can be configured individually or all at the same time using the Settings Wizard.

To open the Table and Field Info tab:

On the Administration tab, click the Table and Field Info button .

123
 OPTIMA 8.0 User Reference Guide

This picture shows an example:

Table and Field Info dialog box

Tip: If required, you can filter the displayed objects. To do this:

1. Right-click in the white space of the tree pane

2. From the menu that appears, click the required filter option:
o Current User - shows only the objects for the user that is currently logged in
o Available Objects - shows the current user's objects and all other objects for which the
user has Read permissions or greater
o All Users - shows the current user's objects, all other objects for which the user has
Read permissions or greater and all other users (but not their schemas)

124
 Administering OPTIMA

Configuring the Table and Field Information Settings

On the Table and Field Info tab, you can configure the table and field information settings using the
Settings Wizard. This wizard enables you to change permission, category and granularity period
settings for one or more tables at the same time, rather than changing them individually.

To set table and field information settings:

1. In the tree view, select a table, category or schema.

This selection determines which tables will be available to configure in the Settings Wizard.
For example, if you select a category or schema, then all of the underlying tables will be
available.

2. Click the Edit Table Settings button .

- or -

Right-click the schema, category or table you selected and then, from the menu that
appears, click Change Settings.

3. On the first page of the Settings Wizard, select the tables you want to use and then click
Next.

Tip: If you want to select more than one table, hold down the Shift key and click the tables
you want to select.

Note: You cannot apply permissions to tables marked in red as these are internal tables. If
your selection includes internal tables, you must unselect them otherwise you will not be
able to apply permissions. You can still apply category and granularity period settings to
internal tables.

4. On the Table Permission page, select:

o The group you want to apply permissions to
o Whether the permissions are to be reset, updated or removed

For more information about table permissions, see Setting Table Security on page 126.

5. Click Next.

6. On the Table Info Settings page, select:

o The granularity period to be applied to all selected tables. For more information about
granularity periods, see Setting the Granularity Period for a Single Table on page 126.
o The category to be applied to all selected tables. For more information about
categories, see Assigning Categories to Tables on page 127.

7. Click Next.

8. Click Finish to apply your settings and close the Settings Wizard.

125
 OPTIMA 8.0 User Reference Guide

Setting Table Security

On the Table and Field Info tab, if you have Administration permissions for the Data Dictionary,
you can configure security at the table level by using groups. For example, you can choose to allow
a group of users access to certain tables.

Important: You must create groups before you can assign them. For more information, see
Creating Groups on page 101.

To set security for a table:

1. In the tree view, select the required table.

2. Click the Security tab, and then click the Assign Groups button.

A list of available groups appears.

Note: You cannot apply permissions to internal tables (marked in red). If your select an
internal table, the Assign Groups button will be disabled.

3. Select the group(s) you want to have access to this table and use the > button to move
them all to the Destination List at the same time.

Tip: Use the Shift and Ctrl keys to select more than one group at a time and use the >>
button to add all the groups to the Destination List.

4. Click OK.

5. Click Apply to apply the group permissions to the table.

6. Click Yes to confirm.

Setting the Granularity Period for a Single Table

The granularity period is used by the Map View window to determine which is the nearest time
stamp and therefore what data is returned. This means that you do not have to select the exact
time stamp. For example, if you set the granularity period to 15 minutes, data for 13.00 will be
displayed if you select 13.15.

On the Table and Field Info tab, if you have Administration permissions for the Data Dictionary,
you can set the granularity period for a single table or use the Settings Wizard to set the
granularity period for all the tables in a category or schema. This is usually done once during the
initial set-up.

To set the granularity period for a single table:

1. In the tree view, select the required table.

2. Click the Table Info tab.

3. Click the Apply Table Granularity checkbox and in the Period column, use the up and
down arrows to select the number of periods.

4. Select a period type from the drop-down list.

5. If you want to assign a table period, select the table period you require from the drop-down
list.

126
 Administering OPTIMA

Tip: If you want to create a new table period, you can open the Table Properties dialog
box by clicking the button . For more information, see Creating and Editing Table
Periods on page 142.

6. Click Apply.

7. Click Yes to confirm.

Assigning Categories to Tables

All database tables must be assigned a category to appear in the Data Explorer list of tables. When
you create a new database table, a category is automatically assigned when you repopulate the
Table and Field Info tab. For more information about repopulating tables, see Synchronizing Table
Data on page 130.

However, on the Table and Field Info tab, if you have Administration permissions for the Data
Dictionary, you can also manually assign a category to a table. To do this:

1. In the tree view, select the table you want to set the category for.

2. Click the Table Info tab.

3. Click the Apply Table Category checkbox and select a category from the drop-down list.

Tip: If you want to create a new category, you can open the Table Properties dialog box
by clicking the button . For more information, see Creating and Editing Categories on
page 140.

4. Click Apply.

5. Click Yes to confirm.

For more information on categories, see About Categories on page 139.

Defining Associations for Tables

Associated tables associate a summary table/view with its source raw table and vice versa, and are
used for:
• Synchronizing table KPIs. For more information, see Synchronizing Associated Tables on
page 206.
• Time aggregation. For more information, see Enabling Time Aggregation for a Query on
page 186.

On the Table and Field Info tab, if you have Administration permissions for the Data Dictionary,
you can define associated tables in a number of ways:
• Generate associated tables when synchronising the OPTIMA's data dictionary with the
OPTIMA user interface. For more information, see Synchronizing Table Data on page 130.
• Manually define your own associations for a single table.

127
 OPTIMA 8.0 User Reference Guide

To define associations manually:

1. In the tree view, select the table to which you want to assign an associated table.

2. Click the Table Info tab.

3. In the Associated Tables pane, click the Modify list button.

4. In the Table Selection dialog box that appears, select a schema from the Schema drop-
down list.

5. Select the associated table(s) you want to assign to the selected table and use the > button
to move them all to the Destination List at the same time.

Tip: Use the Shift and Ctrl keys to highlight more than one associated table at a time or
use the >> button to add all the associated tables to the Destination List.

Note: To add associated tables from more than one schema, repeat steps 5 and 6.

6. Click OK.

7. If you want to assign a table period for an associated table, click in the table's row and
select the table period you require from the drop-down list. This picture shows an example:

8. Click Apply to save your changes.

9. Click Yes to confirm.

Adding Comments to Tables

On the Table and Field Info tab, if you have Administration permissions for the Data Dictionary,
you can add comments to a table.

To do this:

1. In the tree view, select the table to which you want to add a comment.

2. Click the Table Info tab.

3. Click the Apply Table Comment checkbox and type a comment in the Comment box.

4. Click Apply.

5. Click Yes to confirm.

Tip: You can also add comments to individual columns within tables. For more information, see
Adding Comments to Table Columns on page 130.

128
 Administering OPTIMA

Applying Changes to Element and Date Columns in Tables

On the Table and Field Info tab, if you have Administration permissions for the Data Dictionary, you
can set the element and date columns at the table level.

To do this:

1. In the tree view, select the required table.

2. Click the Table Info tab.

3. Select the Apply Changes to Element and Date columns option.

4. From the Element Column drop-down list, select the element level for the selected table.

This will be used as the element level for that table throughout OPTIMA.

Note: The KPIs of the table will only be displayed on the 2D Map View if you set the
element level to match the corresponding field in ASSET.

5. From the Date Column drop-down list, select the date level for the selected table.

This will be used as the date level for that table throughout OPTIMA.

6. Click Apply.

7. Click Yes to confirm.

Setting Element Levels for Tables

On the Table and Field Info tab, if you have Administration permissions for the Data Dictionary,
you can set the element level of the table.

To do this:

1. In the tree view, select the required table.

2. Click the Table Info tab.

3. Select the Apply Table Level checkbox.

4. From the Table Level drop-down list, select the level of the selected table.

Note: The KPIs of the table will only be displayed on the 2D Map View if you set the table
to a CELL level.

5. Click Apply.

6. Click Yes to confirm.

129
 OPTIMA 8.0 User Reference Guide

Adding Comments to Table Columns

On the Table and Field Info tab, if you have Administration permissions for the Data Dictionary,
you can add a comment to a column in a table.

To do this:

1. On the Administration tab, click the Table and Field Info button .

2. In the tree view of the Table and Field Info tab, select the table which contains the column
you want to add a comment to.

3. Click the Column tab.

4. Find the relevant column in the list and click its Comments cell.

5. Type the comment you want to add and click Apply.

6. Click Yes to confirm.

Tip: You can also add comments to the entire table. For more information, see Adding Comments
to Tables on page 128.

Finding a Counter in the Table and Field Info Tab

You can search the database tables for counters in the Table and Field Info dialog box in the
same way you can in the Data Explorer. For information about how to do this, see Finding Tables
and Counters on page 170.

Synchronizing Table Data

On the Table and Field Info tab, you should synchronize the table data when:
• Tables or columns have been created or removed in the database, and you want to view
these changes in the Table and Field Info dialog box and the Data Explorer.
• You want to create table associations based on the summary configuration tables in the
database. (For more information, see How OPTIMA Generates Associated Tables on page
131).

Important:
• To repopulate data, you must have Administration permissions for the Data Dictionary
• To create table associations, the summary configuration tables must be configured
correctly

To synchronise the table data:

1. On the Administration tab, click the Table and Field Info button .

The Table and Field Info tab appears.

2. Click the Regenerate Table Info button .

130
 Administering OPTIMA

3. In the dialog box that appears, select the appropriate option, depending on whether you
want to regenerate:
o Only the table information that has changed in the database
o All table information

Warning: If you choose to regenerate all table information, then the category and
granularity period settings for all tables will be reset to the default values.

4. Click the Regenerate button.

5. Click Yes to confirm.

When you repopulate the Table and Field Info dialog box with new tables, category names are
automatically assigned according to the naming convention for the table. The following table
describes the naming conventions:

Category Convention

KPI Tables beginning with V.

Summary Tables beginning with XX.
Configuration Hard-coded configuration tables.
Counters All other tables.

For more information about categories, see About Categories on page 139.

How OPTIMA Generates Associated Tables

If you create associated tables using the Regenerate Table Info option in the Table and Field Info
dialog box, the associated tables are generated as follows:
• An associated table is created for each pair of source and destination tables defined within
the summary report.

For example, the (subhourly) raw table ERICSSON_GERAN.CELLSTATS will have the
following associated tables generated:
o ERICSSON_GERAN.CELLSTATS_HR
o ERICSSON_GERAN.CELLSTATS_DY (this could be derived from the
ERICSSON_GERAN.CELLSTATS_HR)
o ERICSSON_GERAN.CELLSTATS.BHDY
• Associated tables are also created for all of the other relationships within the hierarchy.
This means that for the ERICSSON_GERAN.CELLSTATS example, the entire list of
associations would be as follows (totalling 12 in all):

TABLE_NAME ASSOCIATED_TABLE_NAME

ERICSSON_GERAN.CELLSTATS ERICSSON_GERAN.CELLSTATS_HR
ERICSSON_GERAN.CELLSTATS ERICSSON_GERAN.CELLSTATS_DY
ERICSSON_GERAN.CELLSTATS ERICSSON_GERAN.CELLSTATS_BHDY
ERICSSON_GERAN.CELLSTATS_HR ERICSSON_GERAN.CELLSTATS
ERICSSON_GERAN.CELLSTATS_HR ERICSSON_GERAN.CELLSTATS_DY
ERICSSON_GERAN.CELLSTATS_HR ERICSSON_GERAN.CELLSTATS_BHDY
ERICSSON_GERAN.CELLSTATS_DY ERICSSON_GERAN.CELLSTATS

131
 OPTIMA 8.0 User Reference Guide

ERICSSON_GERAN.CELLSTATS_DY ERICSSON_GERAN.CELLSTATS_HR
ERICSSON_GERAN.CELLSTATS_DY ERICSSON_GERAN.CELLSTATS_BHDY
ERICSSON_GERAN.CELLSTATS_BHDY ERICSSON_GERAN.CELLSTATS
ERICSSON_GERAN.CELLSTATS_BHDY ERICSSON_GERAN.CELLSTATS_HR

ERICSSON_GERAN.CELLSTATS_BHDY ERICSSON_GERAN.CELLSTATS_DY

Editing Database Tables

In the Table Editor dialog box, if you have Administration permissions for the Data Dictionary, you
can use the Table Editor to edit the data in any table which has been added to
AIRCOM.EDITABLE_TABLES.

Tables are added to AIRCOM.EDITABLE_TABLES using the database. If

AIRCOM.EDITABLE_TABLES is empty, a message box is displayed when the Table Editor is
opened.

Important: Only an ORACLE DBA can add new tables to AIRCOM.EDITABLE_TABLES. For any
new tables added, the following grant must be given by the DBA at the same time:

GRANT SELECT, INSERT, UPDATE, DELETE ON <table name> TO

OPTIMA_TABLE_EDITORS;

To open the Table Editor dialog box:

On the Utilities tab, click the Table Editor button .

- or -

In the Data Explorer, right-click the required table, and from the menu that appears, click
Edit Table Data.

132
 Administering OPTIMA

The Table Editor dialog box appears. This picture shows an example:

You can edit the table details by:

• Performing a mass update, which simultaneously updates all of the values for one column.
For more information on how to do this, see Updating Column Values Globally on page
135.
• Adding, editing and deleting rows of data in the Data pane.

To add a row to a table:

1. From the Table drop-down list, select the table that you want to edit.

Note: Table data is returned a few rows at a time. You can return all of the rows by
scrolling to the end of data but this can take a few seconds for large tables.

2. Click the Insert Record button .

3. Type the required information on the new row.

4. Click Apply to save your changes to the database.

5. Click OK to close the Table Editor dialog box.

133
 OPTIMA 8.0 User Reference Guide

To edit a row in a table:

1. From the Table drop-down list, select the table that you want to edit.

2. Double-click the required row.

- or -

Select the required row and click the Edit Record button .

3. Make the required changes.

4. Click Apply to save your changes to the database.

5. Click OK to close the Table Editor dialog box.

To delete a row from a table:

1. From the Table drop-down list, select the table that you want to edit.

2. Select the required row, and click the Delete Record button .

3. In the dialog box that appears, click OK.

4. Click Apply to save your changes to the database.

Tips:
• To revert back to the last Applied state at any time, click the Undo button.
• You can use the options in the Search pane of the Table Editor dialog box to search for
specific table rows. For more information, see Searching for Data in the Table Editor on
page 134.
• To filter the table data, click the Filter button .

Searching for Data in the Table Editor

When editing database tables in the Table Editor, you can quickly locate a data row that you want
to edit by using the Search pane.

To do this:

1. From the Column drop-down list, select a column on which you want to search.

2. In the Value pane, type the column value on which you want to search.

3. Select any special search conditions that you want to use:

o Match the exact search term
o Find whole words only
o Use search 'wildcards':

134
 Administering OPTIMA

If you use this wildcard character The search returns

? (for example, '401?') All rows that begin with 401.

* (for example, in '401*') All rows of 4 characters in length, that begin with 401.

o Search down the list of rows from the top, or up the list of rows from the bottom

4. Click the Find First button.

The first row matching the search is highlighted in the Data pane:

5. Click the Find Next button to move to the next row that matches the search.

Updating Column Values Globally

In the Table Editor dialog box, rather than editing individual rows of table data, you can perform a
mass update. This simultaneously updates all of the values for one column.

To do this:

1. Click the Mass Update button.

The Mass Update dialog box appears, in which you can create the SQL update script for
editing the table data.

2. Click the Set Values button.

In the Values dialog box, double-click the column that you want to update:

3. In the right-hand pane, type the new value for the column:

The SQL for this column value change appears in the lower pane.

4. If you want to edit another value, double-click the column and add the value as before.

5. Click OK.

135
 OPTIMA 8.0 User Reference Guide

6. If you want to set this value for a limited number of rows, rather than all of them:
o In the Mass Update dialog box, click the Set Condition button.
o In the Condition dialog box that appears, define the conditions. For more information
and examples, see Defining Conditions for Mass Updates on page 136:

o Click OK.

In the Mass Update dialog box, the SQL update script is complete:

In this example, for the OPTIMA_ADMINISTRATOR.NEWTABLEWITHDATA table, the

script will change the REGION value to 'Southern' in every row where it is currently set
to 'Northern'.

7. Click Apply to run the script.

Warning: If you run the script, the changes are applied immediately, not when you click
Apply in the Table Editor. Therefore you cannot undo these changes.

8. Click Yes to confirm.

The script is run, and the changes that you have defined are made to the table in the Table
Editor.

Defining Conditions for Mass Updates

If you are updating column values globally, you can set special conditions to define precisely which
rows will be updated.

Note: If you do not specify any conditions, all rows will be updated.

This section describes some examples.

136
 Administering OPTIMA

Scenario 1: Changing a Column Value Where it is Currently Set to Another Specified Value

One of the simplest examples is changing a column value from one to another.

For example, due to changes in reporting procedures, you may want to change the
MAX_ELEMENTS_PER_NOTIFICATION value to '5' in every row where it is set to '4'.

To do this:

1. Ensure that you have specified your value correctly:

o In the Mass Update dialog box, click the Set Values button
o In the Values dialog box, double-click the MAX_ELEMENTS_PER_NOTIFICATION
column
o In the right-hand pane, type '5'

The Values dialog box should look like this:

2. In the Mass Update dialog box, click the Set Conditions button.

3. In the Condition dialog box that appears, double-click the

MAX_ELEMENTS_PER_NOTIFICATION column.

4. In the right-hand pane, select the 'equals' operator, and then type '4'.

The Condition dialog box should look like this:

5. Click OK.

Your SQL update script should look like this:

137
 OPTIMA 8.0 User Reference Guide

Scenario 2: Changing a Column Value Where it is Currently Set to Any Value Except the
Specified One

You may want to protect rows where a column is set to a particular value. Therefore, you can
change the value on all columns except the specified ones.

For example, you may want to keep certain rows with their original REGION value ('Southern'),
while changing the REGION value for all other rows to 'North Western'.

To do this:

1. Ensure that you have specified your value correctly:

o In the Mass Update dialog box, click the Set Values button
o In the Values dialog box, double-click the REGION column
o In the right-hand pane, type 'North Western'
o Click OK

2. In the Mass Update dialog box, click the Set Conditions button.

3. In the Condition dialog box that appears, double-click the 'NOT' logical operator.

4. Double-click the REGION column.

5. In the right-hand pane, select the 'equals' operator, and then type 'Southern'.

6. Click OK.

Your SQL update script should be as follows:

UPDATE OPTIMA_ADMINISTRATOR.NEWTABLEWITHDATA SET REGION = 'North

Western' WHERE NOT REGION = 'Southern'

Scenario 3: Changing a Column Value Where Another Column is Set to a Specified Value

You may want to change the value of particular column based on the value of a completely different
one.

For example, you may want to set the REGION value for a row based on the CELL value. You may
want to change all rows with a CELL value starting with '401 ...' to have a REGION of 'North
Western'.

To do this:

1. Ensure that you have specified your value correctly:

o In the Mass Update dialog box, click the Set Values button
o In the Values dialog box, double-click the REGION column
o In the right-hand pane, type 'North Western'
o Click OK

2. In the Mass Update dialog box, click the Set Conditions button.

3. In the Condition dialog box that appears, double-click the CELL column.

4. In the right-hand pane, select the 'equals' operator, and then type '401*'.

5. Click OK.

Your SQL update script should look as follows:

138
 Administering OPTIMA

UPDATE OPTIMA_ADMINISTRATOR.NEWTABLEWITHDATA SET REGION = 'North

Western' WHERE CELL = '401*'

Scenario 4: Changing a Column Value Where Two Columns are Set to Specified Values

You do not have to limit the conditions to one column value - you can specify two or more column
values to include.

For example, a row's ERLANG value may be set according to its REGION and CELL values - all
rows with a CELL value beginning with '401...' in the 'North Western' REGION should have their
ERLANG values normalised to '6.55'.

To do this:

1. Ensure that you have specified your value correctly:

o In the Mass Update dialog box, click the Set Values button
o In the Values dialog box, double-click the ERLANG column
o In the right-hand pane, type '6.55'
o Click OK

2. In the Mass Update dialog box, click the Set Conditions button.

3. In the Condition dialog box that appears, double-click the REGION column.

4. In the right-hand pane, type 'North Western'.

5. Double-click the CELL column.

6. In the right-hand pane, select the 'equals' operator, and then type '401*'.

7. Click OK.

Your SQL update script should look like this:

UPDATE OPTIMA_ADMINISTRATOR.NEWTABLEWITHDATA SET ERLANG = '6.55'

WHERE REGION = 'North Western' AND CELL = '401*'

Defining Other Table Properties

As well as editing table data using the Table Editor dialog box, you must also define a number of
table properties:
• Table categories
• Table periods
• Table entities

About Categories
All the tables in the database are assigned a category. Categories are used to group tables in the
Data Explorer. If a table does not have a category assigned to it, then it will not appear in the Data
Explorer list of tables.

The categories can be manually assigned or automatically assigned when you repopulate the Table
and Field Info dialog box. For more information about repopulating tables, see Synchronizing Table
Data on page 130.

139
 OPTIMA 8.0 User Reference Guide

OPTIMA has four default categories, which cannot be changed or deleted:

• Configuration
• Counters
• KPI
• Summary

However, if you have Administration permissions for the Data Dictionary, you can create additional
user-defined categories and then associate them with database tables.

Creating and Editing Categories

If you have Administration permissions for the Data Dictionary, you can create additional user-
defined categories and then associate them with database tables.

To create a category:

1. On the Administration tab or the Table and Field Info tab, click the Table Properties

button .

The Table Properties dialog box appears:

2. On the Table Categories tab, click Add.

3. In the Add Category dialog box, type a name and description for the category, and then
click OK.

140
 Administering OPTIMA

To edit a user-defined category:

1. In the Table Properties dialog box, on the Table Categories tab:

o Double-click the category that you want to edit.

- or -
o Select the category that you want to edit, and then click Edit.

Note: You cannot edit the default categories.

2. Edit the name and description as required, and then click OK.

To delete a user-defined category:

Important: When you delete a category, you must reassign other categories to all the tables that
were in the category you have deleted. If you do not assign other categories, the tables will not
appear on the Data Explorer tab.

1. In the Table Properties dialog box, on the Table Categories tab, select the category you
want to delete.

Note: You cannot delete the default categories.

2. Click Remove, and then click OK.

About Table Periods

All the tables in the database must be assigned a table period. For information about assigning time
periods, see Setting the Granularity Period for a Single Table on page 126.

Table periods are used when running data queries with time aggregation. If a table does not have a
period assigned to it, then it cannot be used for time aggregation. For more information about time
aggregation, see Enabling Time Aggregation for a Query on page 186.

OPTIMA comes pre-configured with several default table periods, for example, Hourly and Daily,
and also a Not Applicable period for tables such as configuration tables that do not contain time-
related data.

If you have Administration permissions for the Data Dictionary, you can:
• Use the Table Properties dialog box to add, edit and remove table periods. For more
information, see Creating and Editing Table Periods on page 142.
• Add, edit and remove entities. For more information, see Creating and Editing Entities on
page 143.

Note: The Not Applicable period cannot be changed or deleted.

141
 OPTIMA 8.0 User Reference Guide

Creating and Editing Table Periods

If you have Administration permissions for the Data Dictionary, you can create user-defined table
periods and then assign those periods to database tables. For more information, see Setting the
Granularity Period for a Single Table on page 126.

To create a table period:

1. On the Administration tab or on the Table and Field Info tab, click the Table Properties

button .

The Table Properties dialog box appears.

2. Click the Table Periods tab. This picture shows an example:

3. Click Add.

4. In the Add Table Period dialog box, type a name and description for the table period.

5. Click OK.

6. In the Table Properties dialog box, click Close.

To edit a user-defined table period:

1. In the Table Properties dialog box, on the Table Periods tab:

o Double-click the table period.

- or -
o Highlight the table period you want to edit, and then click Edit.

2. Modify the name and description as required.

142
 Administering OPTIMA

3. Click OK.

4. In the Table Properties dialog box, click Close.

To delete a user-defined table period:

1. In the Table Properties dialog box, on the Table Periods tab, highlight the table period
you want to delete.

2. Click Remove.

3. Click OK to confirm the deletion.

4. In the Table Properties dialog box, click Close.

Creating and Editing Entities

If you have Administration permissions for the Data Dictionary, on the Entity Map tab of the Table
Properties dialog box, you can view and define all of the element types and their properties.

Note: This tab displays both OPTIMA and Netrac PM entities. For more information on PM entity
views, see the Netrac Studio User Guide.

To create an entity:

1. On the Administration tab or on the Table and Field Info tab, click the Table Properties

button .

The Table Properties dialog box appears.

2. Click the Entity Map tab. This picture shows an example:

3. Click Add.

143
 OPTIMA 8.0 User Reference Guide

4. In the dialog box that appears, define the properties of the entity, which are described in the
following table:

Property Description

Entity Name Name of the entity

Display Name Display Name of the entity
Comment Information about the entity
Physical Indicates whether it is a physical or logical entity.
1: Logical
0: Physical
Priority Priority of the entity in the network
Custom_K Indicates if it is an TEOCO created entity which cannot be edited or deleted
1: TEOCO
0: User

5. In the Entity Name text box, type the name of the entity.

6. In the Display Name text box, type the display name for the entity.

7. Select the Entity Type as logical or physical.

8. In the Comment text box, type a comment for the entity.

When you add details of this new entity, it automatically appears in the Current Network
Priority pane.

9. In the Current Network Priority pane, drag and drop the new entity at the level at which
you want it to be used in the network.

10. Click Save.

This new entity is now visible in the list of entities and it is located at the same level at
which you placed it in the Current Network Priority pane.

To edit an entity:

1. Double-click that the entity that you want to edit.

- or -

Select the entity that you want to edit, and click Edit.

2. In the dialog box that appears, make changes to the entity.

3. Click Save.

Note: You cannot edit or delete the entities which are shown in Red, as these have been created
by AIRCOM.

To delete an entity:

1. Select the entity that you want to delete, and click Remove.

2. Click Yes to delete the entity.

144
 Setting Up and Querying Data

4 Setting Up and Querying Data

OPTIMA uses counters to continually record the performance of each operational network element.
The data from these counters is stored in an Oracle database that can be queried using the Data
Explorer. From the Data Explorer you can:
• Search for a counter
• View query results in grid format

If you have Administration permissions for the Module Explorer, then you can set up access to data
by defining modules, which are then used in module combinations, to display specific data in grid
and graph format. Modules are used in the same way that you would use a template to customize
the data you want to display.

Defining User Preferences

There are a number of user preferences that you can define using the User Preferences dialog box,
including setting your confirmation requests and grid preferences. These options, once defined, are
stored in the database and will be available each time you use OPTIMA.

Note: User preferences are stored per username. When you exit OPTIMA, your user preferences
are saved to the database. If another user with the same username as you then logs in, they will
have your user preferences.

To open the User Preferences dialog box:

On the Utilities tab, click the User Preferences button .

Setting Confirmation Requests

You can choose to have certain actions, for example opening a read-only copy of a module
combination that is already open, confirmed before the action is carried out.

To set confirmation requests:

1. On the Utilities tab, click the User Preferences button .

The User Preferences dialog box appears.

2. On the Confirmations tab, choose the required actions by selecting the Enable checkbox:
o Confirming the selection of an element in the module tree
o Confirming the selection of linked modules
o Confirming the opening of a read-only combination - that is, one already opened by
another user

145
 OPTIMA 8.0 User Reference Guide

3. Click OK.

Setting Grid Preferences

When a grid contains a large number of records, the background processing may slow down the
speed with which data is shown in the grid. You can prevent this by disabling the tools after a given
number of records are returned from a query.

You can also set a limit on the number of values available to select from when you are filtering a
column in a grid.

To set preferences for the grid:

1. On the Utilities tab, click the User Preferences button .

The User Preferences dialog box appears.

2. On the Grid Settings tab, type the number of:

o Records after which tools will be disabled.
o Values available when filtering columns.
o Columns to load in the Data Explorer. You can override this option when you are using
the Data Explorer.

3. Click OK.

146
 Setting Up and Querying Data

Setting Expression Editor Preferences

When you define a query in the Expression Editor, you can choose what to insert when creating an
expression.

To set this:

1. On the Utilities tab, click the User Preferences button .

The User Preferences dialog box appears.

2. On the Expression Editor tab, select how you want the function to appear:
o As a function name only
o As a function name with parameters as well

3. Click OK.

Setting Security
You can assign a particular group to be the default owner of all new objects, such as reports and
modules, that are created.

Note: If you do not do this, objects that you create will not be assigned to a default group and will
be available to all users.

To set the default group for new objects:

1. On the Utilities tab, click the User Preferences button .

The User Preferences dialog box appears.

2. On the Security tab, select the default group for new objects from the drop-down list:

147
 OPTIMA 8.0 User Reference Guide

3. Click OK.

Note: You can also assign owning groups at the individual object level, for example, for a specific
report.

Setting Default Grid Options

You can set grid options to use as your default settings for all of the grids in OPTIMA. For more
information about grids, see Customizing Grids on page 321.

To set default grid options:

1. On the Utilities tab, click the User Preferences button .

The User Preferences dialog box appears.

2. On the User Defaults tab, on the Grid Options sub-tab, complete the following
information:

In this field: Do this:

Highlight Row Select this checkbox if you want the Row Highlight option to be set by default. For
more information, see Viewing Details of a Single Network Element in a Grid on
page 334.
Autofit All Select this checkbox if you want to autofit the columns of grids by default.
Columns
Show Toolbar Select this checkbox if you want the grid toolbar to be available by default. For
more information, see About the Tools for Customizing a Grid on page 321.
Change Default Click this button to open the Font dialog box. In the Font dialog box, select how
Grid Font you want the text to appear and then click OK to save your changes.

This picture shows an example:

3. When you have finished, click OK to save your default settings and exit the User
Preferences dialog box.

148
 Setting Up and Querying Data

Setting Default Graph Options

You can set graph options to use as your default settings for all graphs. For more information about
graphs, see Using Graphs on page 339.

To set default graph options:

1. On the Utilities tab, click the User Preferences button .

The User Preferences dialog box appears.

2. On the User Defaults tab, click the Graph Options sub-tab. This picture shows an
example:

3. On the General sub-tab, set the following options:

Use this option: To:

3D View View graphs in 3D.

Show Gaps Show gaps in graph data.
Show Points Show data value points.
Show Toolbar Show the graph toolbar.
Auto marks Set the auto marks.
Select all elements Select all the elements automatically after you select the counter when
displaying a graph for a particular combination.
Show Weekends Show weekend data points.
Show Holidays Show holiday data points
Weekend color Change the weekend color. To do this, click the Change button and then, in
the Color dialog box that appears, click on the color you want to use and click
OK.
Holiday color Change the holiday color. To do this, click the Change button and then, in the
Color dialog box that appears, click on the color you want to use and click OK.
Background color Change the background color. To do this, click the Change button and then, in
the Color dialog box that appears, click on the color you want to use and click
OK.

For more information about these options, see About the Graph Toolbar on page 339 and
Changing the Appearance of Graphs on page 341.

149
 OPTIMA 8.0 User Reference Guide

4. On the Legend sub-tab:

o Select the Show Legend checkbox if you want a legend key to be displayed with all
graphs.
o Set the alignment of the legend key, in the Legend Alignment pane, by clicking the
required option such as Left, Right, Top or Bottom.

5. When you have finished, click OK to save your default settings and close the User
Preferences dialog box.

Setting Trace File Options

The trace file maintains a record of the SQL that is executed while you are logged in to OPTIMA.
The following shows an example trace file entry:

Timestamp: 29/06/2009 09:39:41

Select USER_NAME from SECURITY_USER where USER_NAME = :USER_NAME
:USER_NAME = OPTIMA_ADMINISTRATOR

Each time you logout and login again, the existing trace file is overwritten.

Note: The trace file can become very large if you are logged in for a long period of time.

To set trace file options:

1. On the Utilities tab, click the User Preferences button .

The User Preferences dialog box appears.

2. On the Directories tab, complete the following information:

In this field Do this

Trace File Directory Browse to the folder in which you want the trace file to be stored.
Tip: If you want to create a new folder for the trace file, click the New Folder
button.
Create Trace File Select this checkbox if you want OPTIMA to create a trace file.

This picture shows an example:

3. Click OK.

150
 Setting Up and Querying Data

Setting the Time Zone

If your network spans a number of defined time zones, you must specify which time zone they are
in when they log in for the first time. This is important for data handling purposes, particularly in
relation to report scheduling.

For more information, see Using OPTIMA Across Different Time Zones on page 152.

This has to be specified immediately when you log in, but it can be changed at any time using the
Time Zone tab of the User Preferences dialog box. To do this:

1. On the Utilities tab, click the User Preferences button .

The User Preferences dialog box appears.

2. Click the Time Zone tab. This picture shows an example:

3. Select the required time zone and then click Update.

The time zone details in the Message Log are updated with the new time zone:

The User Preferences dialog box also shows two additional times:
o The OS Time - this is the Operating System Time, and should match the PC clock.
o The Universal Time - this is based on the Universal Time Zone, which represents the
time at the location of the database (recorded as the SYSDATE in the database).

4. Click OK.

151
 OPTIMA 8.0 User Reference Guide

Using OPTIMA Across Different Time Zones

If your network is spread across more than one time zone, the associated time zone difference can
cause discrepancies in any OPTIMA application which handles data - particularly, report scheduling
and summary.

For example, you may be running a daily network summary that covers a network across multiple
time zones. If the last hour of data from the farthest part of the network is 5 hours behind the rest of
the network, there will be a delay of 5 hours on the summary. This in turn will affect the schedule.

If time zone support is not used and the client and database machines are in different time zones,
there could be ambiguity in scheduled time.

You may also have network elements that have child nodes that span time zones - for example,
MSCs with BSCs in regions that have different time zones. If time zone support is not used, this
could cause problems because there would be data from two different time zones coming in - for
example, 9am ET (Eastern Time) is 8am CT (Central Time). This means that if the BH is
summarized at 9am, it would not be truly representative of the elements in both time zones.

To manage time zone support, there are a number of different time definitions used in OPTIMA,
which are described in this table:

Term Description

Local Time Date and time of data, stored as the date and time of the data.
Also known as consistent.
Natural Time Date and time of data, driven by the local time zone.
Universal Time Date and time of data, driven by the universal time zone.
Also known as the System Time.
Selected Time Date and time of data, driven by the selected time zone.
By default, this is the same as the Universal Time.
User Time Zone The time zone that the connected user/process is within. This is displayed in the
OPTIMA Message Log.
Note: If the client is run over Citrix, the User Time Zone is still regarded as where the
client is located, not where the Citrix server is located.
Universal Time Zone The time zone in which the database is located.
Also known as the System, Global or Database Time Zone.

Important: Currently, time zone support for alarm forwarding is not available.

152
 Setting Up and Querying Data

Using Clocks
When running OPTIMA, it is common practice to have it connected to the system clock to show
today’s data. However, sometimes you will want to view and compare data for a different date and
time. You can do this by using the global clock.

To set the global clock:

1. On the Utilities tab, click the Global Clock button .

The Global Clock dialog box appears:

2. In the dialog box that appears, ensure that the Set to system clock option is not selected.

3. To change the year, click on the year at the top of the calendar and type the year that you
want.

4. Use the arrows to scroll to the correct month then click a date on the calendar.

5. Click the hour and change the time as required, then repeat for minutes and seconds.

6. Providing there is data for that date, you can display the data in different ways:
o If you are using OPTIMA with ENTERPRISE, click Update Map to apply the time you
have chosen to any open Map View window. For more information, see Viewing Data
on the Map.
o To review data collected over the same period, ensure that in each combination
window, in the Date Range pane, the Synchronize to global clock option is selected.

7. When you have finished reviewing data, you can reset the date and time to the system
clock again by opening the global clock and selecting the Set to system clock option.

153
 OPTIMA 8.0 User Reference Guide

Offsetting the System Clock

When data is collected by OPTIMA, there is usually a 15-30 minute processing delay after the end
of the reporting period before that data is available for use. You can take account of this delay by
offsetting the system clock. To do this:

1. On the Utilities tab, click the Clock button .

The Global Clock dialog box appears.

2. In the Offset pane, select the Enable checkbox.

3. Select an offset period using the arrow keys and drop-down menu.

4. Close the global clock.

Defining Network Events

Network events are user-defined holidays or maintenance periods which involve upgrades or
general work to be carried out across the entire network or upon individual elements. In OPTIMA,
you can define these and display them in a calendar view and/or module combination graphs, in
order to model your network environment more accurately.

To create a network event:

1. On the Utilities tab, click the Network Events button .

The Network Events tab appears, displaying any network events due to occur today, this
week or this month depending on the selected view:

154
 Setting Up and Querying Data

Tip: To change the calendar view, click the button representing the appropriate time period

- Day , Week or Month .

2. Click the Add Network Event button .

- or -

In the calendar view, double-click the required day for the network event (or any one of the
days for a longer event).

- or -

In the calendar view, right-click the required day for the network event (or any one of the
days for a longer event), and from the menu that appears, click Add.

Tip: You can also select a series of days by clicking and dragging.

The Add Event dialog box appears:

155
 OPTIMA 8.0 User Reference Guide

3. Select the event type. This table describes the available event types:

Event Type Description

Holiday A period during which network performance may be affected by large-scale

(for example, national) periods of leave or extended leisure time.
A typical holiday could be New Year’s Eve/Day, when a large number of
messages and calls may be made.
Maintenance A period during which network performance may be affected by periods of
Window maintenance – for example, there may be a partial or total loss of system
power or capacity.

For more information on how to continue defining your network event, see the appropriate
section:
o Defining Holidays on page 156
o Defining Maintenance Windows on page 157

4. When you have finished defining your network events, you can view them:
o On the Network Events tab
o On graphs

Defining Holidays
In the Add Event dialog box, if you are defining a holiday, follow these steps to finish your
definition:

1. Type the name of the holiday.

2. If required, in the Description pane, type a description of the holiday.

3. Select the start and end dates and times.

Tip: To specify the event as lasting for the full time between the dates you have specified,
select the 'All day event' option.

156
 Setting Up and Querying Data

This picture shows an example holiday:

4. Click Save.

Defining Maintenance Windows

In the Add Event dialog box, if you are defining a maintenance window, follow these steps to
finish your definition:

1. Select the appropriate category for the maintenance window.

Tip: You can define the available list of categories (excluding the default choices). For
more information, see Defining Categories for Maintenance Windows on page 164.

2. Type the name of the maintenance window.

3. If required, in the Description pane, type a description of the maintenance window.

4. Select the start and end dates and times.

Tip: To specify the event as lasting for the full time between the dates you have specified,
select the 'All day event' option.

157
 OPTIMA 8.0 User Reference Guide

5. If all of the elements in your network will be affected by the maintenance window, select the
'Apply to all elements' option.

- or -

If you want to select the elements that will be affected by the maintenance window, click
the Add Elements button.

The Element Selection dialog box appears.

In this dialog box, you can select elements in a number of ways. For more information, see
the appropriate section:
o Manually
o Based on an element hierarchy
o Using an SQL query
o Based on a configuration table
o From a filter (static or dynamic)

Important: The element names that you specify must match the hierarchy that you have
defined in the corresponding module combination, for example 'BSC1.Cell4.40171'. This is
particularly important if your element names are not unique.

6. Click Save.

Selecting Elements for Maintenance Windows Manually

When defining a maintenance window, you can manually select the elements that will be affected.

To do this:

1. In the Element Selection dialog box, from the 'Select Mode' drop-down list, select
Manual.

2. In the Element Name pane, type the name of the network elements that will be affected,
separating each element name with either a carriage return or comma:

Important: The element names that you specify must match the hierarchy that you have
defined in the corresponding module combination, for example 'BSC1.Cell4.40171'. This is
particularly important if your element names are not unique.

158
 Setting Up and Querying Data

3. When you have defined all of the required elements, click OK.

Selecting Elements for Maintenance Windows Based on an Element Hierarchy

When defining a maintenance window, you can select the elements that will be affected on the
basis of an existing element hierarchy.

Note: You can only use this option if you have defined at least one element hierarchy. For more
information, see Creating Element Hierarchies on page 232.

To do this:

1. In the Element Selection dialog box, from the 'Select Mode' drop-down list, select
Hierarchy.

2. From the Hierarchy drop-down list, select the required hierarchy:

In the Elements pane, all of the network elements within that hierarchy appear:

Tip: Click the View SQL button to view the SQL query associated with the selected
hierarchy.

159
 OPTIMA 8.0 User Reference Guide

3. Select the elements that will be affected by the maintenance window.

Tip: To select all of the elements within a particular hierarchy, right-click anywhere in the
elements pane, and then click Select All. Alternatively, to select all of the elements at a
particular level within the hierarchy, right-click any element at the required level, and from
the menu that appears, click 'Select all at this level'.

Important: The element names that you specify must match the hierarchy that you have
defined in the corresponding module combination, for example 'BSC1.Cell4.40171'. This is
particularly important if your element names are not unique.

Therefore, if you select a 'child' element (in other words, below the first level of the
hierarchy) and want to include any parent nodes as well:
o Right-click the 'child' element, and from the menu that appears, click Include/Exclude
Parent Node.

Tip: You can select more than one 'child' element.

o In the dialog box that appears, select the parent node(s) that you want to include, and
then click OK.

Tip: You can also exclude particular parent nodes by using the same option, and then
deselecting the required parent nodes.

4. When you have defined all of the required elements, click OK.

Selecting Elements for Maintenance Windows Using an SQL Query

When defining a maintenance window, you can use an SQL query in the Data Explorer to select the
elements that will be affected.

To do this:

1. In the Element Selection dialog box, from the 'Select Mode' drop-down list, select SQL.

The Data Explorer opens.

2. Define your query as required, using the SQL tab.

For more information, see Defining a Query on page 172.

3. In the Data Explorer, click OK.

4. All of the elements that match your query appear in the Element Selection dialog box:

Tip: To see the SQL query at any time, click View SQL.

160
 Setting Up and Querying Data

5. Select the elements that will be affected by the maintenance window.

Tip: To select all of the elements within a particular hierarchy, right-click anywhere in the
elements pane, and then click Select All. Alternatively, to select all of the elements at a
particular level within the hierarchy, right-click any element at the required level, and from
the menu that appears, click 'Select all at this level'.

Important: The element names that you specify must match the hierarchy that you have
defined in the corresponding module combination, for example 'BSC1.Cell4.40171'. This is
particularly important if your element names are not unique.

Therefore, if you select a 'child' element (in other words, below the first level of the
hierarchy) and want to include any parent nodes as well:
o Right-click the 'child' element, and from the menu that appears, click Include/Exclude
Parent Node.

Tip: You can select more than one 'child' element.

o In the dialog box that appears, select the parent node(s) that you want to include, and
then click OK.

Tip: You can also exclude particular parent nodes using the same option, and then
deselecting the required parent nodes.

6. Click OK.

Selecting Elements for Maintenance Windows Based on a Configuration Table

When defining a maintenance window, you can use an existing configuration (config) table to select
the elements that will be affected.

To do this:

1. In the Element Selection dialog box, from the 'Select Mode' drop-down list, select Config
Table.

The Tables pane displays all of the configuration tables in the database (and their
corresponding columns):

161
 OPTIMA 8.0 User Reference Guide

2. In the Columns pane, select the column names that correspond to the elements that you
want to include, and then click the Generate Hierarchies button.

The order in which you select the column names will determine the hierarchy. For example,
if you select Region, MSC and then Cell, the hierarchy will be Region-MSC-Cell.

Tip: To select all columns for the selected table, select the 'Columns' checkbox.

3. A list of all of the network elements contained within the configuration table and matching
the column criteria appear in the Hierarchies pane:

Tip: To see the SQL query for the generated hierarchy, click View SQL.

4. Select the elements that will be affected by the maintenance window.

Tip: To select all of the elements within a particular hierarchy, right-click anywhere in the
elements pane, and then click Select All. Alternatively, to select all of the elements at a
particular level within the hierarchy, right-click any element at the required level, and from
the menu that appears, click 'Select all at this level'.

Warning: The element names that you specify must match the hierarchy that you have
defined in the corresponding module combination, for example 'BSC1.Cell4.40171'. This is
particularly important if your element names are not unique.

Therefore, if you select a 'child' element (in other words, below the first level of the
hierarchy) and you want to include any parent nodes as well:
o Right-click the 'child' element, and from the menu that appears, click Include/Exclude
Parent Node.

Tip: You can select more than one 'child' element.

o In the dialog box that appears, select the parent node(s) that you want to include, and
then click OK.

162
 Setting Up and Querying Data

Tip: You can also exclude particular parent nodes using the same option, and then
deselecting the required parent nodes.

5. Click OK.

Selecting Elements for Maintenance Windows From a Filter

When defining a maintenance window, you can use an existing static or dynamic filter to select the
elements that will be affected.

To do this:

1. In the Element Selection dialog box, from the 'Select Mode' drop-down list, select Filters.

2. In the Filters pane, select the filter containing the elements that will be affected by the
maintenance window.

The Filter Values pane displays all of the elements contained within the selected filter:

Tip: If you are using a dynamic filter, to see the SQL query for this filter, click View SQL.

3. From this list, select the required network elements.

Tip: To select a group of consecutive elements, hold down the Shift key and then click the
first and last elements required.

- or -

To select a group of non-consecutive elements, hold down the Ctrl key and then click each
required element.

4. Click OK.

163
 OPTIMA 8.0 User Reference Guide

Defining Categories for Maintenance Windows

When defining maintenance windows, you can classify an event by selecting its category from an
available list.

On the Network Events tab, you can define the categories that appear on the list, according to any
classifications that you use to define your network and processes.

To define your own categories:

1. Click the Modify Category button .

2. The Modify Category dialog box appears:

3. To add a new category, click Add.

4. In the dialog box that appears, type the name of the new category, and then click OK:

The new category is added to the list.

5. Click Close.

You can now select the new category when defining maintenance windows.

164
 Setting Up and Querying Data

In the Modify Category dialog box, you can also rename or delete a category. To do this:

1. Select the required category, and then click Rename or Delete as required.

Warning: If you delete a category that is assigned to any network event, the category field
for that network event will be left without a value.

2. If you are renaming a category, in the dialog box that appears, type the new name of the
category and then click OK.

- or -

If you are deleting a category, click Yes to confirm the deletion.

Editing and Deleting Network Events

On the Network Events tab, you can edit and delete network events that have been defined.

To edit a network event.

1. On the calendar view, select the network event that you want to edit:

2. Click the Edit Network Event button .

- or -

Right-click, and from the menu that appears, click Edit.

165
 OPTIMA 8.0 User Reference Guide

3. The Edit Network Event dialog box appears, in which you can edit the details as required:

4. When you have finished editing the details, click OK.

To delete a network event:

1. On the calendar view, select the network event that you want to delete:

Tip: If you want to delete more than one network event, select multiple events by clicking
each one while holding down the Ctrl key.

2. Click the Delete Network Event button .

- or -

Right-click, and from the menu that appears, click Delete.

166
 Setting Up and Querying Data

3. In the dialog box that appears, click Yes to confirm the deletion.

The network event is removed from the calendar and deleted from the database.

Viewing Network Events on the Network Events Tab

On the Network Events tab, you can view any network events that have been defined.

Tip: You can also view network events on graphs. For more information, see Viewing Maintenance
Windows on Graphs on page 355.

This tab uses a calendar view similar to the Microsoft Outlook calendar. When you open the
Network Events tab, the Day view is displayed by default:

Network Events tab - Day view

To change the calendar view, click the button representing the appropriate time period - Day

, Week or Month .

167
 OPTIMA 8.0 User Reference Guide

To view the network events for a particular period:

1. Ensure the calendar view is set to show the appropriate time period.

2. In the date picker (in top right-hand pane), click the day or week that you want to view:

- or -

If you want to view an entire month, in the first month displayed in the date picker, click the
left and right arrow buttons to find the month that you want to view:

Tip: You can also double-click the month and year, and set them as required.

Note: If you are in Month view, clicking a particular day will change the Network Events tab
back to Day view.

The calendar view displays the network events for the selected period.

Note: If you are using day view, the calendar display will show the current time at the
centre of the view. This means that you may have to scroll upwards or hover over a
network event to view its details.

In the Event Summary pane, you can also view summary details for network events. To do this:

Click an event in the calendar view to view its details.

Tips:
o You can select multiple events in the calendar view if you want to view more than one
event summary
o Click a particular day in the date picker to see the number of network events for that
day
o In Month view, select a series of days in the date picker to see the number of network
events for that period

168
 Setting Up and Querying Data

Searching for Network Events

On the Network Events tab, you can search for network events that have been defined. This is
particularly useful if you have a large number of events spread across a wide range of dates.

To do this:

1. Click in the Search pane:

2. From the menu that appears, select which text fields you want to search on - category
name, description text, element name, event name or all fields.

3. In the text box type the search text, which can be a whole or partial string:

4. Click the Search button .

The Network Events Search Results dialog box appears, displaying all of the defined
network events that match the search:

5. To view any of these network events on the calendar view, select the required event in the
Network Events Results dialog box.

The selected event is displayed and highlighted in the calendar view.

6. To view (and if required, edit) the details of any of the found network events, double-click
the required event.

The Edit Network Event dialog box appears.

169
 OPTIMA 8.0 User Reference Guide

Finding Tables and Counters

You can search the database tables for any counter that appears as a column heading in the
database tables. For example, you can search for Cell but not the cell name 10A.

To find a counter on the Data Explorer tab:

1. If you want to search in a particular table or schema, in the Data Explorer tree, select the
required table/schema.

2. Click the Find Counter button .

- or -

Right-click the table/schema, and from the menu that appears, click Find Counter.

The Find Counter dialog box appears:

3. In the Find Counter dialog box, type the name of the counter you wish to find. If you want
to search for whole words only, select the Find Whole Words Only checkbox.

Tip: You can use wildcards to represent characters in counter names. There are two
wildcards you can use:
o Asterisk (*) - to represent zero or more characters. For example, if you type 'BSC*', you
will filter all the elements that begin BSC.
o Question mark (?) – to represent a single character. For example, if you type 'BSC?',
you will filter all the four-character elements that begin BSC, such as BSC1 or BSC2.

4. If you are searching in a particular table or schema, ensure that the 'Find Counter in'
checkbox is selected.

5. Click the Find First button.

The first occurrence of the counter is highlighted on the Column tab.

6. Click the Find Next button and the next occurrence of the counter is highlighted.

7. Click Cancel to close the dialog box and return to the Data Explorer tab.

Tip: You can also choose to exclude certain database tables and schemas from the Data Explorer
tab display, which makes loading and locating information faster. For more information, see Setting
Which Tables and Schemas to Exclude from the Data Explorer on page 75.

170
 Setting Up and Querying Data

Using the Data Explorer

On the Data Explorer tab, if you have Read permissions, you can find counters and view data from
the database tables.

To open the Data Explorer tab:

On the Analysis tab, click the Data Explorer button on the main toolbar.

The Data Explorer tab appears. This picture shows an example:

Note: The Data Explorer displays both OPTIMA and Netrac PM entities. Netrac PM entities are
displayed in the Global schema, as part of the Configuration category:

For more information on PM entity views, see the Netrac Studio User Guide.

171
 OPTIMA 8.0 User Reference Guide

The Data Explorer is made up of a number of panes. The following table describes the three main
panes:

From The You Can

Schema List pane Browse the list of schemas and the database tables associated with them. The
tables are grouped into categories, for example Configuration, Counters, KPI and
Summary. Categories can only be created by users who have Administration
permissions for the Data Dictionary. For more information, see About Categories
on page 139.
You can select which user schemas/objects are displayed. For more information,
see Filtering User Schemas and Objects on the Data Explorer Tab on page 172.
Columns / Data / View the column headings, data, KPIs and SQL query definition for the selected
KPI/Definition tabs table.

Tip: Hide or show this pane by clicking the Show Data Grid button .
Builder / SQL / Filters / Build a query using SQL or by dragging and dropping tables to create the query if
Parameters / Column you are not familiar with SQL.
Settings / Preview tabs
Tip: Hide or show this pane by clicking the View menu and then clicking the Show

SQL Builder button .

Tip: If you have Administration permissions for General Admin Options, you can choose to exclude
certain database tables and schemas from what is shown on the Data Explorer tab, which makes
loading and locating information faster. For more information, see Setting Which Tables and
Schemas to Exclude from the Data Explorer on page 75.

Filtering User Schemas and Objects on the Data Explorer Tab

On the Data Explorer tab, in the Schema List pane you can select which particular user schemas
and objects are displayed.

To do this, right-click, and from the menu that appears, click the appropriate option:

Option Description

Current User Shows only the schema for the user that is currently logged in.
Available Objects Shows:
• The current user's schema
• All other objects for which the user has Read permissions or greater,
grouped under the user to which they belong
All Users Shows:
• The current user's schema
• All other objects for which the user has Read permissions or greater,
grouped under the user to which they belong
• All other users (but not their schemas)

Defining a Query
You can define a query which returns data from the database tables. You can use this query to
view data in the Data Explorer or you can create a query as part of a module or report.
172
 Setting Up and Querying Data

Note: You must have Administration or Write permissions for the Module Explorer to create
modules.

Follow these steps to define a query:

1. Create the query using either the Builder tab or the SQL tab.

Tip: If you are not familiar with SQL, you can use the Builder tab to create the query.
However, the Builder tab is disabled if your database is not using Oracle 10g or above, or
you have manually edited the SQL on the SQL tab.

2. Add unions to the query.

3. Add filters to the query.

4. Define parameters for the query.

5. Enable time aggregation for the query.

6. Preview the results of the query.

7. Save the query to file or as a custom view.

Important: Before saving the query, you should ensure that any comments in the SQL
start with '/*' and end with '*/'. If you use any other characters (for example '--'), then the
SQL may fail to work in OPTIMA.

Using the Builder Tab to Define a Query

To define a query using the Builder tab:

1. In the Data Explorer, click the Builder tab.

2. Add tables to the Builder tab by:

o Double-clicking the table names in the Schema List

- or -
o Selecting a table name and then, while holding down the left mouse button, dragging it
onto the Builder tab.

Tips:
o You can add OPTIMA tables and/or PM entity views. Netrac PM entity views are
displayed in the Global schema, as part of the Configuration category:

For more information on PM entity views, see the Netrac Studio User Guide.

173
 OPTIMA 8.0 User Reference Guide

o To remove a table from the Builder tab, select the table and click the button in the
top-right of the table box.

3. Select which columns you want to include in the query by clicking the boxes next to the
column headings.

Tip: You can select and clear all the columns by clicking next to the table heading.

4. Add links between the tables by selecting a column heading in one table and then, while
holding down the left mouse button, dragging the heading to a column heading in another
table.

If the two columns cannot be linked, the following icon appears .

Tip: To remove a link, right-click it and then click Delete Link.

5. Set the link type by double-clicking the link and selecting a type. By default, all links are
inner links. This means that only rows with matching values in the linked columns will be
displayed when the query is run.

6. Select the KPIs that you want to include in your SQL query. You can do this by selecting a
KPI in the KPI pane and dragging it to the Selected KPI pane. This picture shows an
example:

Tip: You can quickly locate a particular KPI by using the Find KPI option. For more
information, see Locating KPIs in the Data Explorer and KPI Manager on page 176.

174
 Setting Up and Querying Data

7. When you have selected the tables and columns for your query, you need to define the
query using the tabs below the Builder tab. The following table describes these tabs:

Use This Tab To

Criteria Create the Where clause by adding conditions, each of which may contain
one or more criteria.
The default compose condition is All. To change this, click on the word
highlighted in blue and, from the menu that appears, select the appropriate
compose condition.
Click the circle, and from the menu that appears, click Add Condition.
In the line that appears, click to select the first part of the criterion and type a
value or press Shift + Enter. From the menu that appears, double-click to
select the table or column.
The default rule is =. To change this, click on the rule and, from the menu that
appears, select the appropriate rule.
Select the second part of the criterion and type a value or press Shift + Enter.
From the menu that appears, double-click to select the table or column.
To delete a condition, click on the circled number for that condition and from
the menu that appears, click Delete Condition.
To create a compose condition, add a condition and click on its circled
number. From the menu that appears, click Make Compose Condition.
Selection View the selected table columns. Here you can choose to return an
aggregate value for a column instead of a single row value. To do this:
Double-click in the Aggregate column for the appropriate table column and,
from the menu that appears, select the aggregate function.
Notes:
• You cannot set aggregation for KPI columns here
• You cannot set aggregation and grouping on the same column
Grouping criteria Create the Having clause. You can only do this if you have included an
aggregate function in the query.
The Having clause is created in the same way as the Where clause, which is
described for the Criteria tab.
Note: You cannot set grouping and aggregation on the same column.
Sorting Define the order for the returned data. The left pane contains all the columns
included in the query. Use the arrows to move the columns to the right pane
to include them in the returned data. You can move all the columns by

clicking the button.

Use the Up and Down buttons to set the order of the columns in the right
pane.
You can change the sort order for each column alphabetically by selecting the
column heading it in the right pane and then clicking the A-Z or Z-A button.

8. When you have finished, you can add filters and/or parameters to the query. For more
information, see Adding Filters to a Query on page 179 and Defining Parameters for a
Query on page 179.

You can preview the results of the query at any time. For more information, see Previewing the
Results of a Query on page 187.

175
 OPTIMA 8.0 User Reference Guide

Locating KPIs in the Data Explorer and KPI Manager

If you are using the Data Explorer (for example, to define a query) or the KPI Manager, you can
quickly find a particular KPI by using the Find KPI option.

To do this:

1. Right-click in the KPI pane.

2. From the menu that appears, click Find KPI.

The Find KPI dialog box appears:

3. Type the name of the KPI that you want to find. If you want to search for whole words only,
select the Find Whole Words Only checkbox.

4. Click the Find First button.

The first occurrence of the KPI is highlighted in the KPI tree.

5. Click the Find Next button and the next occurrence of the KPI is highlighted.

6. Click Cancel to close the dialog box and return to the Data Explorer or KPI Manager.

Using the SQL Tab to Define a Query

You can use the SQL tab to define a new query or a query that has been created on the Builder
tab.

Warning: If you do this, the Builder tab will be disabled and any further changes to the query must
be made on the SQL tab.

To define a query using the SQL tab:

1. In the Data Explorer, click the SQL tab.

2. Type the SQL for your query.

Tips:
o You can automatically add text to the SQL tab by double-clicking, or dragging and
dropping, items from the Oracle Commands pane, the Schema List and the
Columns tab.
o You can find and replace SQL that you have added, by using the Find and Replace
button or right-clicking in the SQL pane and clicking Find and Replace from the
menu that appears.
o You can use OPTIMA tables and/or Netrac PM entity views. Netrac PM entities are
displayed in the Global schema, as part of the Configuration category:

176
 Setting Up and Querying Data

For more information on PM entity views, see the Netrac Studio User Guide.

3. You can automatically add a KPI to the SQL query by clicking the KPI tab.

To do this:
o Click the KPI tab.
o In the KPI tree, select the required KPI.

Tip: You can quickly locate a particular KPI by using the Find KPI option. For more
information, see Locating KPIs in the Data Explorer and KPI Manager on page 176.
o Drag and drop the required KPI into the SQL pane. The KPI is added in the form of a
KPI parameter. For example, a KPI with the name Total_Calls is shown as
%KPI(Total_Calls).

Tip: You can hover your mouse over the KPI to see a tool tip showing the KPI formula.

Note: Using the KPI within a SQL statement will update the KPI_Param table. Hence,
you can update the KPI dynamically as the changes will be reflected.

Tip: You can right-click on a KPI category and sort the KPIs into different categories as
shown in this picture:

4. To add a complex expression using the Expression Editor, click the Insert Expression
button .

5. Create the expression by double-clicking column headings and selecting items from the
drop-down menus. Click OK to add the expression to the SQL tab.

6. When you have finished, if you have not already added filters and/or parameters to the
query, you can add them using the corresponding tabs. For more information, see Adding
Filters to a Query on page 179 and Specifying Default Parameter Values on page 181.

Warning: Before saving the query, you should ensure that any comments in the SQL start
with '/*' and end with '*/'. If you use any other characters (for example '--'), then the SQL
may fail to work in OPTIMA.

You can preview the results of the query at any time. For more information, see Previewing the
Results of a Query on page 187.

177
 OPTIMA 8.0 User Reference Guide

Adding Unions to Queries

You can use unions to combine the results of two or more queries. There are two types of union:
Union and Union All. Use Union if you want to select only distinct values when the queries are run
and Union All if you want to select all values.

To add a union to a query:

1. In the Data Explorer, ensure that you have defined a query.

2. Click the Builder tab.

3. Right-click in the Query List and, from the menu that appears, click Add union.

Tip: If you cannot see the query list, click the Show/Hide Query tree button .

A new query with a Union All is added to the Builder tab. This picture shows an example:

4. If you want to use Union rather than Union All, right-click the query in the Query List and
then, from the menu that appears, click Union All to deselect it.

5. Create the second query. For information about how to do this, see Using the Builder Tab
to Define a Query on page 173.

Note: All corresponding columns need to be of the same data type.

6. When you have finished, if you have not already added filters and/or parameters to the
query, you can add them using the corresponding tabs. For more information, see Adding
Filters to a Query on page 179 and Defining Parameters for a Query on page 179.

You can preview the results of the union at any time. For more information, see Previewing the
Results of a Query on page 187.

178
 Setting Up and Querying Data

Adding Filters to a Query

You can add a date filter and an element filter to a query to further define the query. When the
query is run, you will be asked to choose a date range or select a filter.

Note: The Filters tab is disabled if you use the Data Explorer to create a report query. For more
information, see Defining Queries on page 385.

If the query is created as part of a module, the element filter option will be replaced by elements
selected from the module element tree in the Module Maker.

To add a filter to a query:

1. In the Data Explorer, ensure that you have defined your query.

2. Click the Filters tab.

3. To add a date filter:

a. In the Date pane, in the Data Field column, from the drop-down list, select the data
field on which you want to filter.

Tip: Select the Show All Fields checkbox if you want to see all of the data fields.
b. Select the 'Use in Filter' checkbox to enable this filter setting.

4. To add an element filter:

a. In the Elements pane, in the Data Field column, from the drop-down list, select the
data field on which you want to filter.

Tip: Select the Show All Fields checkbox if you want to see all of the data fields.
b. Select the 'Use in Filter' checkbox to enable this filter setting.
c. If you want to use element aggregation on this filter, select the Element Agg option.

5. To add another element filter, click the Add button.

6. You can now preview the results of the query.

Defining Parameters for a Query

You can define parameters, using items such as formulae or counters, to filter data when a query is
run. For example, you could define a parameter to filter all dropped calls greater than 10%.

You can use parameters in:

• Modules
• Reports
• Report Schedules

To quickly define a parameter (or parameters) based on the available field (or fields) in the
current query:

1. In the Data Explorer, ensure that you have defined your query.

2. Click the Parameters tab.

3. Click the Add All Data Fields button .

179
 OPTIMA 8.0 User Reference Guide

All of the available fields in the current query are added as parameters, and appear in the
parameters list:

If a parameter has already been created for a particular field, you will be given the option to
create a new one with a different name or just keep the existing one.

To define a parameter manually:

1. In the Data Explorer, ensure that you have defined your query.

2. Click the Parameters tab.

3. Click the Add Parameter button . The Parameter Editor dialog box appears. This
picture shows an example:

4. In the Parameter Editor dialog box, complete the following information on the Counters or
KPIs tab:

In this field: Do this:

Name Type a name for the parameter.

- or -
Leave blank if you want this field to be automatically updated with a
counter name when you create the parameter.
Data Type Select a data type from the drop-down list.
- or -
Leave blank if you want this field to be automatically updated with a
counter data type when you create the parameter.

180
 Setting Up and Querying Data

In this field: Do this:

Prefix table / alias name Select this checkbox if you want to prefix columns with the table or alias
name.

5. Create a parameter by double-clicking column headings and selecting items from the drop-
down menus.

6. When you have finished, click OK to save the parameter and return to the Data Explorer.

Now when you run the query, you will be asked to specify parameter values based on the criteria
you have set. For more information, see Previewing the Results of a Query on page 187.

Tip: If you do not want to specify parameter values each time you run the query, you can set
default parameter values. For detailed information about how to do this, see Specifying Default
Parameter Values on page 181.

Specifying Default Parameter Values

If you have created a parameter for a query, you can set a default value for that parameter. The
default value will be pre-selected when the parameter is run.

To specify a default parameter value:

1. In the Data Explorer, ensure that you have Defining Parameters for a Query on page 179

2. Click the Parameters tab.

3. On the Parameters tab, complete the following information:

In this field Do this

Operator Select an operator from the drop-down list. For example, if you want to create a
filter that only returns data for an exact value, then select the = operator.

Values Type the default value(s) for the parameter.

Note: Multiple values must be separated by commas.
- or -

Click the Values button and, in the dialog box that appears, set the default
values you require and click OK.
Note: This button is only available when using certain data types (DATE and
NUMBER) and/or operators (Between, Not Between, In List and Not In List).
Show All Select this checkbox if you want the parameter to display all of the values of the
field.

Note: The name, formula and data type are all defined when you create the parameter.

This picture shows an example:

4. You can now preview the query with the default parameter value(s) pre-selected. For more
information, see Previewing the Results of a Query on page 187.

181
 OPTIMA 8.0 User Reference Guide

Editing and Deleting Parameters

To edit a parameter:

1. On the Data Explorer tab, click the Parameters tab.

2. Select the parameter you want to edit and click the Edit Parameter button .

- or -

Double-click the parameter name.

3. In the Parameter Editor dialog box that appears, make the required changes.

4. When you have finished, click OK to save your changes and return to the Data Explorer.

To delete a single parameter:

1. On the Data Explorer tab, click the Parameters tab.

2. Select the parameter that you want to delete and click the Delete Parameter button .

3. Click Yes to confirm.

The parameter is deleted.

To delete all parameters:

1. On the Data Explorer tab, click the Parameters tab.

2. Click the Clear All Parameters button .

All parameters in the parameters list are deleted.

About Explain Plan

The Explain Plan option enables you to determine the execution plan that the Oracle database
follows to execute a specified SQL statement.

The Explain Plan statement inserts a row describing each step of the execution plan into a
specified table. If you are using cost-based optimization, then this statement also determines the
cost of executing the statement. If any domain indexes are defined on the table, then it also inserts
user-defined CPU and I/O costs.

To issue an Explain Plan statement, you must have the necessary privileges to:
• Insert rows into an existing output table that you specify to hold the execution plan
• Execute the SQL statement for which you are determining the execution plan
• Access a view if the SQL statement is based on a particular view

182
 Setting Up and Querying Data

To view the explain plan for a SQL query:

1. In the Data Explorer, ensure that you have defined a query.

2. Click the Explain Plan button to view the explain plan. The dialog box that appears
gives the execution plan that the Oracle database will follow to execute the defined query.

This picture shows an example of the Explain Plan dialog box:

Example of an Explain Plan

The following statement determines the execution plan and cost for an UPDATE statement and
inserts rows describing the execution plan into plan_table with the STATEMENT_ID value of
'Raise in Tokyo':

SET STATEMENT_ID = 'Raise in Tokyo'

INTO plan_table

FOR UPDATE employees

SET salary = salary * 1.10

WHERE department_id =

(SELECT department_id FROM departments

WHERE location_id = 1200);

The following SELECT statement queries plan_table and returns the execution plan and the cost:

SELECT LPAD(' ',2*(LEVEL-1))||operation operation, options,

object_name, position

FROM plan_table

START WITH id = 0 AND statement_id = 'Raise in Tokyo'

CONNECT BY PRIOR id = parent_id AND

statement_id = 'Raise in Tokyo';

183
 OPTIMA 8.0 User Reference Guide

The query returns this execution plan:

Operation Option Object_Name Position

UPDATE STATEMENT 2

UPDATE EMPLOYEES 1

TABLE ACCESS FULL EMPLOYEES 1

VIEW index$_join$_002 1

HASH JOIN 1

INDEX RANGE SCAN DEPT_LOCATION_IX 1

INDEX FAST FULL SCAN DEPT_ID_PK 2

The value in the POSITION column of the first row shows that the statement has a cost of 2.

Selecting Filter Values and Parameters

The Selection dialog box enables you to select filter values and parameters.

The following table describes when the Selection dialog box appears:

This Component/Event Opens the Selection Dialog Box When

Data Explorer You define filters, parameters, element aggregation for the query or
when time aggregation is available for the tables used.

Reports You preview a report that has filters, parameters, element and time
aggregation.
Alarms You set values to alarms in the Alarm Wizard.
Ambiguous KPI Selection You are trying to use ambiguous KPIs.
(Ambiguous KPIs are KPIs with the The Selection dialog box will appear so that you can select the KPI
same name but different formula.) that you want to use.

This picture shows an example of the Selection dialog box:

184
 Setting Up and Querying Data

The following table describes the various panes in the Selection dialog box:

In This Pane Do This

Queries From the Queries pane, select a particular query.

Note: Once you select a particular query, the right-hand pane has all
the information pertaining to the selected query.
Under the Element Agg column, select the element level at which you
want to run the query – the default level, for example: CELL, or at
parent level, for example: BSC, to return the aggregated data.
Note: You can right-click in the Queries pane to see the aggregated
data query.
Date Range Select the date range to be applied to the query. You can click the date
text box or you can click to change the date.
Note: Select the Apply to all queries checkbox if you want to apply the
date range to all the queries.
Element Selection/Parameters Select the elements and the parameters for the query. To do so:

1. Select the Element Hierarchy tab and click to select an element

hierarchy.
2. Click the Filter tab and select the filter. For more information, see
Adding Filters to a Query on page 179.
3. Click the Manual Input tab and type in your manual elements.
Note: Select the Apply to all queries checkbox if you want to apply your
selection to all the queries. Select the Include all elements checkbox if
you want to include all the elements.
KPI Settings This tab will list all the ambiguous KPIs.
For more information on how to use this pane, see Resolving
Ambiguous KPIs on page 186.
1. From the list of ambiguous KPIs, select the KPI that you want to use.
2. If the KPI that you have selected is an aggregated KPI, then from
the Global Aggregation drop-down list, select the type of aggregation.
The aggregation type is displayed in the Global Agg column of the
Queries pane.
Tip: If you want to apply the selected aggregation type to all of the
queries within the report, select the Apply Global Aggregation to All
Queries checkbox.
Save settings as default This option is available only if you have accessed the Selection dialog
box while previewing a report. Select this option to save the report
settings as default.

185
 OPTIMA 8.0 User Reference Guide

Resolving Ambiguous KPIs

If you have KPIs with the same name but with different formulas, then you must select which of
these 'ambiguous KPIs' applies to the query (or queries) that you are running, so that OPTIMA will
use the correct formula.

To resolve ambiguous KPIs:

1. From the list of ambiguous KPIs, select the KPI(s) that you want to use.

As well as selecting and de-selecting individual KPIs, you can also use the following
options:

Option Description

Select All You can choose this option if there is only one table referenced in the
selected query.
This option will select all of the KPIs that are at the first level of the
displayed Ambiguous KPI tree.
Select KPIs for All If you select this option, for all queries, OPTIMA will select all of the
Queries KPIs that are at the first level of the displayed Ambiguous KPI tree.

Tip: If you have more than one query, then you can use the Clear All option to clear the
selected KPIs in all of the queries simultaneously.

Notes:
o The only formulas that will be available will be those that reference the tables (and
associated tables) used in the selected query.
o If there is only one formula for a listed KPI, then this formula will be selected
automatically, and can only be un-selected by clicking the Clear All button.

2. If the KPI that you have selected is an aggregated KPI, then from the Global Aggregation
drop-down list, select the type of aggregation. The aggregation type is displayed in the
Global Agg column of the Queries pane.

Tip: If you want to apply the selected aggregation type to all of the queries within the
report, select the Apply Global Aggregation to All Queries checkbox.

Enabling Time Aggregation for a Query

Time aggregation enables you to display data for different time periods (hourly, daily, weekly, and
so on) in the same query. Time Aggregation is applied by replacing tables in a data query with the
corresponding associated tables for the selected time period. This means you do not have to create
separate queries for each time period you want to display.

Before you can use time aggregation, you must first configure:
• A table period for each table in the query. For more information, see Setting the Granularity
Period for a Single Table on page 126.
• An associated table for each time period, for example, which table contains hourly, daily,
and weekly busy hour data. For more information, see Defining Associations for Tables on
page 127.

Note: Time aggregation can only be applied in a query if the associated tables and table periods
have been configured for every table defined in the query (excluding configuration tables).

To enable time aggregation:

1. In the Data Explorer, ensure that you have defined your query.

2. Select the Enable Time-Aggregation checkbox.

186
 Setting Up and Querying Data

You will now be asked to select a time period each time the query is run. For more information, see
Previewing the Results of a Query on page 187.

Previewing the Results of a Query

At any time during the creation of a query, you can preview its results in a grid on the Preview tab.
To do this:

1. In the Data Explorer, click the Execute SQL button .

2. If you have included filters and/or parameters in the query, the Selection dialog box
appears. This table describes how you can filter the query:

On this tab Do this:

Network Elements Select a filter from the list that appears and then select elements
you wish to include using the arrow keys to move the elements to
the Selection pane.
You can add elements from any number of filters. For more
information about creating filters, see Adding Filters to a Query on
page 179.
Date Range - Range sub-tab Select the period over which you require data.
To link to the global clock:
1. Select the Start or End checkbox and then select Synchronize
to Global Clock. The current date and time display.
2. Type the desired period in the Period box.
Note: You cannot synchronize to the global clock if you set start
and end dates.
To specify a duration whose start or end date you know, click
either the Start or End checkbox and choose the correct date,
then specify the desired period in the period box.
To specify a period whose start and end dates you know, select
the Start and End checkboxes and choose the required dates.
Date Range - Exclude / Select which days you want to include in the date range. Right-
Include sub-tab click the Dates of Week area and, from the menu that appears,
you can Select All or Deselect All the days or choose just
Weekdays or Weekends.
Select the Start and End hours for the days you have included.
Select the checkbox if you want to Exclude Holidays. For more
information about holidays, see Defining Network Events on page
154.
Parameters Select an operator from the drop-down list and then type a value
for the parameter.
Note: The parameter value must match the specified data type,
otherwise an error message will be displayed when the query is
run.
For more information about parameters, see Defining Parameters
for a Query on page 179.
Time Aggregation Select the time period on which you want to run the query.
Note: A time period is only available if an associated table with
that table period has been set for every data table in the query. If
the associated tables have not been configured for any one of the
tables in the query, the list will be empty and disabled. For more
information, see Defining Associations for Tables on page 127.
For more information about time aggregation, see Enabling Time
Aggregation for a Query on page 186.

187
 OPTIMA 8.0 User Reference Guide

3. Click OK to close the Selection dialog box and run the query.

4. You can now customize how the data is shown in the grid. For more information about
customizing grids, see Customizing Grids on page 321.

Saving and Opening Queries

When you have created a query, you can save it so you can use it again. Queries are saved as
SQL files.

Warning: Before saving the query, you should ensure that any comments in the SQL start with '/*'
and end with '*/'. If you use any other characters (for example '--'), then the SQL may fail to work in
OPTIMA.

To save a query:

1. In the Data Explorer, click the Save To File button .

2. In the Save SQL File dialog box, open the folder in which you wish to save the file and type
a name for the file.

Tip: If the required folder does not exist, click the Create New Folder button .

3. Click Save.

To open an existing query:

1. In the Data Explorer, click the Open File button .

2. In the Load SQL File dialog box, find the query file you wish to load and click Open.

The query is loaded in to the Data Explorer.

Saving a Query as a User Object on the Data Explorer Tab

In the Data Explorer, if you have Administration or Write permissions for the Sandbox, you can
save a query as a user object (a view, materialized view or table), as well as edit and delete
existing user objects.

OPTIMA provides a 'Sandbox' environment in which you can create user objects without affecting
other users.

Important: Before you can do this:

• Your Sandbox administrator must have allocated a space quota for you in the Sandbox.
This space quota cannot be exceeded when creating or refreshing user objects. For more
information, see Administering the Sandbox on page 77.
• You must have the appropriate privileges in the database. For more information, see About
Sandbox Privileges for the Data Explorer on page 79 or contact your database
administrator.

User views (views or materialized views) are reusable data queries that can be used in reports,
modules, alarms, KPIs and other queries. They can be considered as equivalent to predefined SQL
statements.

User views do not have an automatic expiry date. If this is required, it must be set manually. For
more information, see Defining the Expiry Options for a Particular Sandbox Object Type on page
89.
188
 Setting Up and Querying Data

There are two types of user view, described in the following table:

Item Description

Do not contain stored data, and can be used at any time to obtain the current
Views data.
Contain stored data, by taking a 'snapshot' of the data at a given time.
Materialized Views
A materialized view can be updated at any time, by right-clicking it and selecting
'Refresh Sandbox View'.
Important: The table on which you want to base the materialized view must
have a Primary Key. If it does not, OPTIMA provides the error message 'ORA-
12014: Table "<name>" does not contain primary key constraint' and cannot
create the materialized view.

To save a query as a user object:

1. In the Data Explorer, click the Save As User View button .

2. The Create New Table / View / Materialized View dialog box appears. This picture shows
an example:

3. Select the required object type.

4. Specify the object owner. By default, this is you as the user creating the object but, if you
have Administration permissions for the Sandbox or Data Explorer, you can change this if
required.

189
 OPTIMA 8.0 User Reference Guide

5. Specify the object name.

Tip: If you are creating a view, it is recommended that you fully qualify the object name to
include the schema name - for example, 'AIRCOM.MainView'. This will make it easier for
other users to copy and paste the view. For more information, see Duplicating User
Objects on the Data Explorer Tab on page 194.

6. Select the category under which the user view will be stored on the Data Explorer tab.

7. In the Specify Privilege Access Type pane, select who will have access to this object:
o Everyone (read access only)
o Only you
o A defined group of people in a specified access list

Note: If you are saving a materialized view, the Specify Privilege Access Type pane is
located on the Object Privileges tab.

8. If you have selected a specified access list, on the Groups and Users tabs:
o Click the respective Add buttons to select the required groups and/or users to which
you want to grant access
o Indicate whether they will have read or edit access using the checkboxes

9. If you are saving a materialized view, on the Other Options tab, you can additionally set
OPTIMA to refresh automatically at a defined interval. To do this:
o Select the 'Enable refresh option for materialized view' checkbox.
o Choose the required interval unit, and then the interval value, for example 1 hour:

Warning: Setting materialized views to refresh frequently (for example, every minute) can
impact on database performance.

- or -

If you are saving a table, on the Other Options tab, you can additionally include
comments.

10. Click Save.

11. Click Yes to confirm.

The user object is displayed in the Schema List pane of the Data Explorer.

Note: You can share user objects between users by copying and pasting. For more information,
see Duplicating User Objects on the Data Explorer Tab on page 194.

190
 Setting Up and Querying Data

Defining Indexes for Sandbox Materialized Views

In the Data Explorer, you can create an index for a Sandbox materialized view. Creating indexes
can increase performance, as queries run on the underlying tables can run faster when they use a
good index.

Note: If you have Administration permissions for the Sandbox, you can define indexes for any
materialized view in a user's Sandbox. If you have Write permissions, you can only define indexes
for the materialized views that you have created.

To define a materialized view index:

1. Select the required materialized view.

2. Right-click, and from the menu that appears, click Edit Sandbox Materialized View Index.

The Sandbox View Index Management dialog box appears. This picture shows an
example:

3. Click Add.

4. In the dialog box that appears, in the New Index Name pane, type a name for the new
index.

5. In the left-hand pane, select the first parameter that you want to include in the index, and

then click the right arrow button .

6. Repeat for each parameter that you want to include.

7. Ensure that the parameters are in the correct order, using the Up and Down buttons to re-
arrange them.

Tip: You may want to prioritise particular parameters (by moving them higher up the list)
based on the expected results - parameters that return fewer entities will be processed
quicker than those that return a large number.

8. When you have included all of the parameters in the correct order, click Save.

The new index for the materialized view is created.

9. Click Close.

191
 OPTIMA 8.0 User Reference Guide

To edit an existing materialized view index:

1. From the Current Index(es) drop-down list, select the index that you want to edit.

2. Click Edit.

3. In the dialog box that appears, make the required changes.

Important: You cannot edit the name of an existing index.

4. Click Save to save your changes, and then click Close.

To delete a materialized view index:

1. From the Current Index(es) drop-down list, select the index that you want to delete.

Important: You cannot delete the primary key index.

2. Click Delete.

The required index is deleted.

3. Click Close.

Editing User Views on the Data Explorer Tab

In the Data Explorer, you can edit user views (in other words, materialized views and views)
created in the Sandbox.

Important:
• To edit a user view, you must have created the object or have Administration permissions
for the Sandbox.
• You cannot edit a user view that is included in a promotion request that is Pending or In
Progress. For more information, see Managing Sandbox Promotion Requests on page 94.
• You cannot edit Sandbox tables, private database links or private synonyms from the Data
Explorer. For more information on how to edit them in the Sandbox, see Editing Sandbox
Objects on the Sandbox Objects Tab on page 250.

Note: You can share user views between users by copying and pasting. For more information, see
Duplicating User Objects on the Data Explorer Tab on page 194.

To do this:

1. In the Data Explorer, in the Schema List pane for the required user, select the user view
that you want to edit.

2. Right-click and, from the menu that appears, point to Object Options and then click Edit
User View.

192
 Setting Up and Querying Data

The SQL tab appears, displaying the SQL for the user view:

Tip: You can find and replace SQL by using the Find and Replace button or right-
clicking in the SQL pane and clicking Find and Replace from the menu that appears.

3. Make any required changes to the SQL, then click the Save as User View button .

Warning: Before saving the query, you should ensure that any comments in the SQL start
with '/*' and end with '*/'. If you use any other characters (for example '--'), then the SQL
may fail to work in OPTIMA.

The Sandbox Wizard dialog box appears. This picture shows an example:

Tip: To see the SQL formula for the user view at any time, click the View SQL button.

193
 OPTIMA 8.0 User Reference Guide

4. Edit the details as required.

Important: The Object Owner and Object Name are read-only, and cannot be edited.

For more information, see Saving a Query as a User Object on the Data Explorer Tab on
page 188.

5. When you have finished editing the details, click Save to return to the Data Explorer.

To refresh the data displayed for a materialized view:

1. In the Data Explorer, in the Schema List pane, select the required materialized view.

2. Right-click, and from the menu that appears, click Refresh Sandbox View.

Dropping User Views on the Data Explorer Tab

On the Data Explorer tab, you can drop user views (in other words, materialized views and views)
created in the Sandbox.

Important: To drop a user view, you must have created it or have Administration permissions for
the Data Explorer.

To delete a Sandbox object:

1. In the Schema List pane, select the view that you want to delete.

2. Right-click and, from the menu that appears, point to Object Options and then click Drop
Object.

3. Click Yes to confirm.

The view is removed from the Schema List in the Data Explorer.

Duplicating User Objects on the Data Explorer Tab

In the Data Explorer, you can create multiple copies of a user object.

In addition, if you have Administration permissions for the Sandbox, you can paste objects into
other users' schema.

To do this:

194
 Setting Up and Querying Data

1. In the Schema List pane, right-click the required user object, from the menu that appears,
click Copy:

2. Select the user with which you want to share the user object.

3. Right-click, and from the menu that appears, click Paste:

Tip: You can select the same user if you want to create multiple copies for a single user.

4. If the name of the original view has not been qualified, then the select statement that
OPTIMA first uses to try to create the duplicate view will not be valid.

If this happens a dialog box appears, enabling you to correct the SQL statement.

195
 OPTIMA 8.0 User Reference Guide

For example:
o User A creates a table and then a view from that table, using 'create view x as select *
from MyTable'
o User B attempts to copy the table
o OPTIMA will try to use the select statement 'select * from MyTable', but this is not valid
because the table is not in B's schema
o The view name must be qualified in the select statement to become 'select * from
A.MyTable'.

5. In the dialog box that appears, type a new (unique) name for the user object, and then click
OK.

The user object is copied into the list of objects for that user.

Viewing KPIs on the Data Explorer Tab

You can view information about existing KPIs on the KPI tab, on the Data Explorer tab.

To do this:

In the Data Explorer, select the base table for which you want to see the KPIs.

This picture shows an example:

The KPI tab indicates the name, equation and description of the KPI. It also indicates
whether the KPI is valid (true) or not (false).

Using KPIs
On the KPI Manager tab, you can create and manage KPIs, which show collected key performance
data in both OPTIMA Inspector (using modules and combination windows) and on the Map View
window.

The types of KPI that you can view and create depend on your permissions for the KPI Manager:
• If you have Read permissions, you can:
o Create, edit and delete your own personal KPIs
o View KPIs that belong to a group of which you are a member
• If you have Write permissions, you can also:
o Create group KPIs
o Edit and delete group KPIs that you have created and edit 'public' KPIs (in other words,
KPIs assigned to the 'EVERYONE' group)
• If you have Administration permissions, you can also:
o Edit and delete all personal and group KPIs, regardless of who created them
o Edit and delete Admin KPIs

Note: From the drop-down list on the right-hand side of the KPI Manager tab, you can select the
criteria to group the KPIs.

196
 Setting Up and Querying Data

When you open a KPI Manager tab, you can view information about existing KPIs which you have
access to in a tree structure grouped by the following:

Option Grouped on the basis of

Security Security levels

Security, Schema, Table Security levels, schema levels, and table level
Security, Table Security levels, and table level
Security, Element Level Security levels, and element levels

This picture shows an example of KPIs grouped at the security level:

KPI Manager

Tip: You can quickly locate a particular KPI by using the Find KPI option. For more information,
see Locating KPIs in the Data Explorer and KPI Manager on page 176.

Creating KPIs
On the KPI Manager tab, you can create KPIs.

Note: The types of KPI that you can create depend on your permissions for the KPI Manager. For
more information, see Using KPIs on page 196.

To do this:

1. Click the New KPI button .

2. In the KPI dialog box that appears, complete the following information:

In This Box: Do This:

Name Type a name for the KPI

Important: You cannot use the same name for two public KPIs on the same base
table.

197
 OPTIMA 8.0 User Reference Guide

In This Box: Do This:

Description Type a description for the KPI

Security Select the required security type:
• To create a personal KPI, select the Personal option
- or -
• To create a group KPI, select the Group option, and then click Select
Group to select all the groups that share the selected KPI.
Note: Select the Admin option if you only want users with Administration permissions
for KPIs to be able to edit or delete this KPI.
Data 1. Select the Multi table KPI option if you want to share the KPI with more than one
table.
2. Click the Select/show tables button.
3. In the Select Valid KPI Tables dialog box that appears, select the required KPI
usage tables and click Save.
-or-
1. From the Base schema drop-down list, select a base schema for the KPI.
2. From the Base table drop-down list, select a base table for the KPI.
If you are using OPTIMA with ENTERPRISE, and want the KPI to be visible on the
Map View, select the 'Display on 2D Map' checkbox.
Note: This option is only available if the KPI is a single table KPI and the selected
table is set to the 'Cell' element level.
Equation Type an equation to define the KPI, using the available columns.
Note: The equation must be in correct Oracle syntax.

You can build complex equations using the Expression Editor. Click to open the
Expression Editor. Double-click a KPI in the Counters for Equation list to have it added
to the equation.
Note: To activate the aggregation function, you need to write the following equation:
% aggr(tch)
where tch is the KPI equation.
Element From the drop-down list, select the element aggregation function.
Aggregation
Note: This function will replace the '%aggr' keyword when the KPI aggregation
function is used in the Query Builder.
Time Aggregation From the drop-down list, select the time aggregation function.
Note: This function will replace the '%aggr' keyword when the KPI aggregation
function is used in the Query Builder.

198
 Setting Up and Querying Data

This picture shows an example of the New KPI dialog box:

In this example, a personal KPI is being created with the base schema as ERICSSON2G
and base table as BSCGPRS.

3. Click Save. When prompted, click Yes to create and view the list of tables.

These usage tables are the ones on which this new KPI is valid.

Note: To make dynamic changes to this list, select the checkboxes corresponding to the
tables in which you want to use the KPI.

199
 OPTIMA 8.0 User Reference Guide

This picture shows an example of KPI Usage Tables:

4. Click Save to create the KPI.

Editing Individual KPIs

On the KPI Manager tab, you can edit KPIs individually or edit a number of them at the same time.

Note: The types of KPI that you can edit depend on your permissions for the KPI Manager. For
more information, see Using KPIs on page 196.

To edit an individual KPI:

1. Select the KPI that you want to edit, and then click the Edit KPI button .

- or -

Double-click the KPI that you want to edit.

Tip: If you have a large number of KPIs, you can search for the one that you want to edit.
For more information, see Locating KPIs in the Data Explorer and KPI Manager on page
176.

2. In the Edit KPI dialog box, modify the KPI information as required.

3. Click Save to save your changes. When you click Save, the following message appears:

If you click Yes, the system displays the list of KPI usage tables that were selected while
creating the KPI. You can change your selection.

200
 Setting Up and Querying Data

If you click No, the system will validate the edited KPI against the list of usage tables that
were selected previously. If the KPI is no longer valid, then that table is removed from the
usage list; otherwise that table remains in the usage list.

For information on how to edit a number of KPIs at the same time, see Editing Multiple KPIs on
page 201.

Editing Multiple KPIs

On the KPI Manager tab, you can edit a number of KPIs at the same time, rather than individually.

Note: The types of KPI that you can edit depend on your permissions for the KPI Manager. For
more information, see Using KPIs on page 196.

To edit a group of KPIs:

1. Select the KPIs that you want to edit, and then click the Edit KPI button . To select
multiple KPIs, click each one while holding down the Ctrl key.

- or -

Right-click the selected KPIs, and from the menu that appears, click Edit KPI.

Tip: If you have a large number of KPIs, you can search for the one that you want to edit.
For more information, see Locating KPIs in the Data Explorer and KPI Manager on page
176.

The Edit KPIs dialog box appears:

201
 OPTIMA 8.0 User Reference Guide

The left-hand pane shows all the KPIs that you have selected in the KPI Manager screen.
All the changes made in this dialog box will be applied to this list of KPIs.

2. Select the Security checkbox to change the security levels for the selected KPIs. If you
select the Group option, then you will be able to add and remove groups.

To add or remove groups, click the Add Groups or Remove Groups buttons.

In the dialog box that appears, select the KPIs that you want to add or remove in the left-

hand pane and click to move the selected KPIs to the right-hand pane. Click OK.

Note: The Destination List pane will not show any existing groups.

3. Click the Administrative rights checkbox to give admin rights to the selected KPIs.

Note: The Admin checkbox is active only if you have administrative rights, and you have
selected Group as the Security option.

4. Select the 'Base table and schema' checkbox if you want to change the base schema and
table of the selected KPIs. From the Schema and Table drop-down lists, select the
appropriate schema and table.

Note: When you change the base table and schema for the KPIs, OPTIMA will perform an
update. Only those KPIs for which the new table and schema are valid (according to the
equation of the selected KPIs) are updated.

5. Select the Time aggregation and Element aggregation checkboxes to edit the
aggregation details for the KPIs. The new selected time and element aggregation values
will be applied only to those KPIs that have %aggr defined in their equations.

6. Click Save to Apply the changes to the selected KPIs.

Deleting KPIs
On the KPI Manager tab, you can delete single or multiple KPIs.

Note: The types of KPI that you can delete depend on your permissions for the KPI Manager. For
more information, see Using KPIs on page 196.

To do this:

1. On the KPI Manager tab, select the KPI(s) that you want to delete.

To select multiple KPIs, click each one while holding down the Ctrl key.

Tip: If you have a large number of KPIs, you can search for the one that you want to
delete. For more information, see Locating KPIs in the Data Explorer and KPI Manager on
page 176.

2. Click the Delete KPI button .

- or -

Right-click and from the menu that appears, click Delete KPI.

202
 Setting Up and Querying Data

3. In the dialog box that appears, click Yes to confirm the deletion. The selected KPIs are
deleted.

Exporting and Importing KPIs

On the KPI Manager tab, you can export and import KPIs to move them between databases.

To export a KPI:

Note: You must have Read permissions for the KPI Manager to export KPIs.

1. Select the KPI that you want to export, and then click the Export button .

- or -

Right-click the required KPI and from the menu that appears, click Export.

Tip: If you have a large number of KPIs, you can search for the one that you want to edit.
For more information, see Locating KPIs in the Data Explorer and KPI Manager on page
176.

2. In the dialog box that appears, click OK to confirm.

3. Browse to the folder to which you want to export the KPI.

4. Click OK. The KPI is exported.

Notes:
o The file format for exporting a KPI is .KPI
o When you export a multi table KPI, the base tables of the KPI are not exported

You can import individual KPIs or a group of KPIs from a CSV file. For more information on
importing a group of KPIs, see Importing KPIs in Bulk from a CSV File on page 204.

Important:
• You must have Administration or Write permissions for the KPI Manager to import KPIs
• You cannot use the bulk import for KPIs that contain %KPI in their equation. You must
import these individually

To import individual KPIs:

1. Click the Import KPI button .

- or -

Right-click in the KPI pane and from the menu that appears, click Import.

2. In the Confirm dialog box that appears, click OK.

The Import Objects dialog box appears.

203
 OPTIMA 8.0 User Reference Guide

3. Click the Browse button to browse to the location from where you want to import the
KPI.

4. Click OK. The contents of the folder are displayed in the Import Objects window.

This picture shows an example:

5. Select the KPI that you want to import and click OK.

Note: If you import a multi table KPI, there will be an option to set the base tables for it.
Click Yes to set the base tables for the multi table KPI that you are importing. In the dialog
box that appears, click to set the base table.

6. Click Save. The KPI is imported.

Note: If you do not select the base table, then the KPI is imported and saved as an invalid
KPI.

Importing KPIs in Bulk from a CSV File

On the KPI Manager tab, if you have Administration or Write permissions for the KPI Manager, you
can import KPIs (including those that contain aggregation) in bulk from a *.csv file.

The values in the file should be in the following format:

{KPI Name, DESC, EQUATION, SCHEMANAME, TABLE, TIME_AGG, ELEMENT_AGG}

Where:
• KPI Name is a valid field name in ORACLE
• DESC, EQUATION, TIME_AGG and ELEMENT_AGG are in double quotes if they contain
a space or a comma, for example

{KPI Name, Desc, "NVL (Field,0)", Schema, Table, Time_Agg, Element_Agg}

• TIME_AGG and ELEMENT_AGG contain the equations used for time aggregation and
element aggregation respectively
• Only DESC, TIME_AGG and ELEMENT_AGG can be NULL

The first line of the CSV file should be a header line which contains all of the column names.

204
 Setting Up and Querying Data

To perform a bulk KPI import:

1. Click the Import KPI button .

- or -

Right-click in the KPI pane and from the menu that appears, click Import.

2. In the Confirm dialog box that appears, click OK.

3. The Import Objects dialog box appears.

4. Click the Browse button to browse to the location from where you want to import the
KPI file.

5. Click OK. The contents of the folder are displayed in the Import Objects window.

6. Select the KPI file that you want to import and click OK.

7. If you want to import the KPIs as public KPIs, click Yes.

- or -

If you want to import the KPIs as personal KPIs just for the current user, click No.

If you try to import a public KPI that already exists in the database, then the import will work
differently, depending on whether you have Administration or Write permissions:
o If you have Administration permissions, you will be prompted to either overwrite the
existing one or not import the KPI at all. You can choose to do this for all KPIs at once
or decide for each one individually.
o If you only have Write permissions, and the KPI already exists as a public KPI, then it
will be imported as a personal KPI. If it already exists as a personal KPI, then it will be
imported as another personal KPI with the same name and a different identifier.

205
 OPTIMA 8.0 User Reference Guide

Viewing KPI Use

On the KPI Manager tab, you can view where a particular KPI is used throughout the network.

The types of KPI that you can view depend on your permissions for the KPI Manager. For more
information, see Using KPIs on page 196.

To view KPI use:

Select the required KPI, and then click the View Usage button .

- or -

Right-click the KPI and from the menu that appears, click View KPI Use.

The KPI Use dialog box appears:

The KPI Use dialog box shows:

o In which objects (reports, tables, modules and so on) the selected KPI is used
o The location of those objects
o The tables in which the KPI is used

Synchronizing Associated Tables

On the KPI Manager tab, if you have Write or Administration permissions for a KPI, you can
synchronize a KPI's base table with its associated tables to ensure that they all use the KPI.

To synchronize associated tables:

1. Select the required KPI, and then click the Synchronize button .

- or -

Right-click and from the menu that appears, click Synchronize.

2. Click Yes to confirm that you want to synchronize the base table with the associated tables.

206
 Setting Up and Querying Data

3. In the dialog box that appears, select the tables that you want to synchronize:

4. Click the Synchronize button.

OPTIMA checks each associated table to check whether the KPI is valid for it. If it is valid,
then that table is added to the list of usage tables for that KPI, otherwise it is removed.

Recreating Views
On the KPI Manager tab, if you have Write or Administration permissions for a KPI, you can create
KPI views for a number of levels:

Option Creates Views For

Selected Table The base table of the selected KPI

Selected Schema All the tables in the base schema of the selected KPI
All All the tables in all the schemas

Note: You can only create views for public KPIs.

Creating Views for a Table

On the KPI Manager tab, to create a view for a base table:

1. Select the KPI associated with the base table for which you want to create a view.

2. Click the Recreate View button and from the menu that appears, click Selected
Table.

- or -

Right-click and from the menu that appears, point to Recreate View and click Selected
table.

3. Click Yes to confirm.

4. Select the checkbox corresponding to the base table of the selected KPI.

Note: In this case, there is only one base table displayed as you are creating the view for a
table.

5. Click Process. The view is created.

207
 OPTIMA 8.0 User Reference Guide

This picture shows an example of the Create KPI Views dialog box:

The Status column indicates:

o Whether the view has been created successfully
o Number of the Valid KPIs for the base table/Total KPIs, for example, Success(86/87)
indicates 86 valid KPIs/87 total KPIs
o Whether the KPI is valid or not

The Message column indicates:

o Errors for the invalid KPIs

6. Click Close.

Creating Views for a Schema

On the KPI Manager tab, to create a view for a schema:

1. Select the KPI associated with the base schema that includes the base tables for which you
want to create views.

2. Click the Recreate View button and from the menu that appears, click Selected
Schema.

- or -

Right-click and from the menu that appears, point to Recreate View and click Selected
schema.

The Create KPI Views dialog box appears, and lists the selected schema with all the
usage tables under that schema. These are the usage tables in the base schema that were
selected while creating the KPI.

3. Select the tables for which you want to create the view.

4. Click Process. The view is created.

208
 Setting Up and Querying Data

This picture shows an example of the Create KPI Views dialog box:

The Status column indicates:

o Whether the view has been created successfully
o Number of the Valid KPIs for the base table/Total KPIs, for example, Success(2/2)
indicates 2 valid KPIs/2 total KPIs
o Whether the KPI is valid or not

The Message column indicates:

o Errors for the invalid KPIs

5. Click Close.

Creating Views for All Schemas and All Tables

On the KPI Manager tab, to create views for all schemas and all tables:

1. Click the Recreate View button and from the menu that appears, click All.

- or -

Right-click and from the menu that appears, point to Recreate View and click All.

The Create KPI Views dialog box appears, listing all of the schemas and all usage tables.
These are the usage tables in the base schemas that were selected while creating the KPI.

2. Select the schemas and respective base tables for which you want to create the view.

3. Click Process. The view is created.

209
 OPTIMA 8.0 User Reference Guide

This picture shows an example of the Create KPI Views dialog box:

The Status column indicates:

o Whether the view has been created successfully
o Number of the Valid KPIs for the base table/Total KPIs, for example, Success(108/108)
indicates 108 valid KPIs/108 total KPIs
o Whether the KPI is valid or not

The Message column indicates:

o Errors for the invalid KPIs

4. Click Close.

Using Global KPIs

A global KPI consists of a single view showing all existing public KPIs for various vendor tables.

Notes:
• To be included in a global KPI, a KPI must be a public KPI.
• The KPI names must match across all of the tables selected for the global KPI.
• The KPIs listed in the view will be the ones that exist when you create the view. If you add
another KPI afterwards, you will have to create the view again for this new KPI to be
shown.

210
 Setting Up and Querying Data

If you have Read permissions for Global KPIs, you can view the global KPIs that have been
created. To do this:

1. On the Analysis tab, click the Global KPI button .

The Global KPIs tab appears. This picture shows an example:

2. In the left-hand pane, expand the tree and select the global KPI that you want to see.

The global KPI shows the data of the current view that you have selected. It also specifies
the KPI name, equation, and the description.

Warning: If a KPI that can be aggregated, then the aggregation formula will be deleted
from the global KPI. That means, the %aggr formula for a particular KPI will not be
displayed in the Global KPI dialog box.

Creating Global KPIs

On the Global KPIs tab, if you have Write permissions for Global KPIs, you can create a global KPI.

To do this:

1. Click the Add Global KPI button .

- or -

Right-click in the left-hand pane and then click Add Global KPI.

The Add Global KPI dialog box appears, listing all of the tables for different schemas in
the left-hand pane.

2. Select the tables that you want to include in the global KPI.

3. In the right-hand pane, click the Configure button. The first grid is populated with your
selection.
211
 OPTIMA 8.0 User Reference Guide

The table in the grid lists the following:

o The primary key for each table that you have selected
o The public KPIs for each table that you have selected

This picture shows an example:

Important: You can change the primary key values. To do this, click the column to edit the
primary key. When editing the primary key values, you must ensure that:
o All the values must be of the same data type
o Each column name must be unique

If, for example, there are two column names that are same, then you will not be able to
save the global KPI and an error message will appear in the Message Log. However, it will
be possible for you to preview the global KPI and see the results.

4. Click the Preview button to see the configurations for the global view. The second grid is
populated with the global view values.

The information is based on each vendor and its primary keys and KPIs.

This picture shows an example of the second grid at the bottom:

5. In the View Name text box, type the name of the global KPI.

212
 Setting Up and Querying Data

6. In the View Description text box, type a description.

7. Click Save.

Editing Global KPIs

On the Global KPIs tab, if you have Write permissions for Global KPIs, you can edit a global KPI.

To do this:

1. Select the global KPI that you want to edit, and then click the Edit Global KPI button

- or -

Right-click the global KPI and from the menu that appears, click Edit Global KPI.

2. In the dialog box that appears, make the required changes.

3. Click Create Global View to save.

Deleting Global KPIs

On the Global KPIs tab, if you have Write permissions for Global KPIs, you can delete a global
KPI.

To do this:

1. Select the global KPI that you want to delete, and then click the Drop Global KPI button

- or -

Right-click the global KPI and from the menu that appears, click Drop Global KPI.

2. Click Yes to confirm the deletion.

Using Modules
If you have Administration or Write permissions for the Modules tab, you can:
• Create and delete module folders
• Create modules
• Edit and delete modules
• Restrict editing of modules
• Import and export modules

For more information on modules, see About Modules on page 215.

To open the Modules tab, on the Analysis tab, click the Modules button .

213
 OPTIMA 8.0 User Reference Guide

The Modules tab opens:

Example Modules tab

If you have Administration permissions for the Module Explorer, you can also restrict access to
folders and modules.

Note: All users with Read permissions for the Module Explorer can view modules.

To view a module:

1. Select the folder containing the modules you want to view. A list of the modules will appear
in the right-hand pane.

Tip: You can choose to view the modules as a list or as a list with details. To change

between the two, click the List button or Details button as required.

2. Select the required module, click the Run button and from the menu that appears,
click Single Module.

- or -

Right-click the required module, and from the menu that appears, click Run.

The module opens in a new module combination.

You can also view all modules, by clicking the Run button, and then clicking All Modules.

To close a module:

Click the Close button on the tab for that module combination.

To close a module while it is still retrieving information from the database, click the Cancel button
at the bottom of the status bar:

Closing a module while it is retrieving information from the database

Note: You cannot close a module after OPTIMA has started to update the Modules tab display with
the retrieved information.

214
 Setting Up and Querying Data

About Modules
OPTIMA modules consist of:
• Module details – name, description, name of creator, creation date, name of the last person
to edit the module and the date last edited.
• A database query that enables you to create a network element tree for displaying and
selecting specific network elements.
• Base queries to return data when elements are selected from the tree-view. A separate
query can be defined for each tree level. For example, you may have BSCs on one level
and cells on the next level. Therefore you could have a query for each of these.

The main parts of a module are:

• The module details:

• The network element tree:

• The tree-level queries:

215
 OPTIMA 8.0 User Reference Guide

Creating Module Folders

On the Modules tab, if you have Administration or Write permissions for the Module Explorer, you
can create and delete folders for modules.

To create a new folder:

1. Browse to where you want to create the new folder and then click the New Folder button

- or -

Right-click and, from the menu that appears, click New Folder.

2. Type a name for your new folder and press Enter.

Tip: If you have Administration or Write permissions for the Module Explorer, you can restrict
access to folders to prevent other users from accessing them. For more information about this, see
Restricting Access to Module Folders on page 216.

Deleting Module Folders

On the Modules tab, if you have Administration or Write permissions for Modules, you can delete
folders.

Warning: If you delete a module folder, OPTIMA will also delete all of the modules contained in it.

To do this:

1. Select the folder that you want to delete, and then click the Delete button .

- or -

Right-click the required folder and from the menu that appears, click Delete.

2. In the dialog box that appears, click Yes to confirm.

Restricting Access to Module Folders

On the Modules tab, you can restrict access to module folders in the following ways:
• If you have Administration or Write permissions for Modules, you can select which user
groups can access the folder
• If you have Administration permissions for Modules, you can define a folder as an Admin
folder, meaning that only users with Administration permissions can edit, move or delete
them

To restrict access to a folder:

1. Select the folder that you want to restrict.

2. Right-click and from the menu that appears, click Properties.

The Module Folder Properties dialog box appears.

216
 Setting Up and Querying Data

3. Click the Security tab:

4. To set the folder as an Admin folder, select the Admin Folder checkbox.

- or -

To select which user groups can access the folder:

o Click the Add button
o Select the required group(s) from the Source list
o Click the right arrow button to move them to the Destination List
o Click OK

5. If you want to cascade these permissions to any sub-folders, select the appropriate option:

Select To Assign Access To

Do not cascade The selected folder level and its objects only. Users of the group will not
permissions be able to access any subfolders unless they are a member of a group
with access to those folders.
Cascade permission The selected folder and its subfolders. This option will not overwrite any
changes to child folders existing groups that have already been assigned to the folder or
subfolders.
Cascade all permission to The selected folder and its subfolders. This option overwrites existing
child folders groups that have already been assigned to the folder or subfolders.

6. Click OK.

217
 OPTIMA 8.0 User Reference Guide

Creating Modules
On the Modules tab, if you have Administration or Write permissions for the Module Explorer, you
can create modules.

To do this:

1. On the Modules tab, click the New button .

- or -

Right-click in the Modules tab and from the menu that appears, click New Module.

The New Module dialog box appears:

2. In the Details pane:

o Type a name and a description for the new module
o Select the Enabled checkbox to enable OPTIMA_Users to use the module

3. In the Element Hierarchy pane you define the selection tree information to be displayed by
the module. To do this either:
o Click Select to open the Element Hierarchy Selection dialog box. Select the element
hierarchy you want to use and click OK. For more information, see Using Element
Hierarchies on page 230.

o If you want to manually edit the element hierarchy SQL, click Edit Query . In the
Data Explorer that appears, edit the query as required. When you have finished,
check that any comments in the SQL start with '/*' and end with '*/'. If you use any
other characters (for example '--').

Then click OK, and then click Yes to save your changes. For more information, see
Using the Data Explorer on page 171.

218
 Setting Up and Querying Data

Editing an element hierarchy in this way breaks the link between the module and
the original element hierarchy. Any changes that you make will not be updated in the
original element hierarchy. Similarly, changes to the original element hierarchy will not
be captured by the module.

- or -

o Click Edit Query and, in the Data Explorer that appears, define the query for the
network element tree. When you have finished, check that any comments in the SQL
start with '/*' and end with '*/'.

Then click OK, and then click Yes to save your changes. For more information, see
Using the Data Explorer on page 171.

Important: When creating a network element tree, you should choose your elements
from database tables which allow smaller querying, making the return of data faster.
Your statement should also return data with no duplicates thereby making the
operation of the statement simpler.

In order to meet both of the above criteria it is strongly recommended that you query
the Configuration tables. The addition of a DISTINCT or WHERE command will also
prevent duplicates being returned if you choose to query other database tables.

Tips:

o If the Element Hierarchy pane is hidden, click the Preview Query/Tree button to
display it.
o You can find and replace SQL that you have added, by using the Find and Replace
button or right-clicking in the SQL pane and clicking Find and Replace from the
menu that appears.

4. When you have defined the selection tree, click Preview Tree to view the selection tree you
have created.

A network element tree of the information you have just entered appears on the Preview
tab. This picture shows an example:

Note: If you have included a date filter in the SQL, you must also define a date and time in
the Date Time Entry dialog box. Select a date range and click OK to continue.

219
 OPTIMA 8.0 User Reference Guide

5. In the Element Queries pane you can define a separate query for each tree level. This
customizes the data displayed in a grid or graph when an item is selected from the network
element tree. The following table describes how to do this:

In this column Do this

Description Click in the row and, in the dialog box that appears, type a description and
click OK.
Query Click in the row and, in the dialog box that appears, click Edit. In the Data
Explorer that appears, define the tree level query.
When you have finished, click OK, and then click Yes to save your
changes. For more information about the Data Explorer, see Using the
Data Explorer on page 171.
Graph Type Click in the row and select the type of graph you require from the drop-
down list.
The graph is shown when you run a module in a combination window. For
more information, see Using Graphs on page 339.
X-Axis Field Click in the row and select the x-axis field you require from the drop-down
list.
Plot Data Click in the row and, in the dialog box that appears, choose how you want
to plot data by selecting the appropriate radio button and clicking OK.

6. Click OK to finish.

Element Aggregation in Module Queries

Element Aggregation enables a module data query defined at one element level (e.g. the cell level)
to be run at parent element levels (e.g. the BSC and MSC level) to return aggregated data. For
example, if a query defined at the cell level returns traffic data for individual cells, the same query
when run at the BSC level can be configured to return average or total traffic data by BSC.

For example, consider the element hierarchy shown here:

• Network
• MSC
• BSC
• Cell

In this hierarchy, a data query defined at the Cell level can be run at the BSC, MSC, and Network
level. A data query defined at the BSC level can be run at the MSC and Network level, and so on.

When the query is run at a parent element level, OPTIMA generates an aggregation query by
enclosing the original query in an outer Group by query. The outer query has:
• A SELECT clause that contains the parent elements, all date-time fields, and the
aggregated counters
• A GROUP BY clause that groups the data by the parent elements and the date-time fields

For example, supposing that your CELL element level query is:

SELECT

ERICSSON2G.CELLSTATS.BSC,

ERICSSON2G.CELLSTATS.CELL,

ERICSSON2G.CELLSTATS.SDATE,

ERICSSON2G.CELLSTATS.ERLANG

220
 Setting Up and Querying Data

FROM ERICSSON2G.CELLSTATS

When the query is run at the BSC level, the query is modified to produce the aggregation query
shown here. The aggregation functions applied to each counter are specified when the query is
defined.

SELECT BSC, SDATE, AVG(ERLANG)

FROM

SELECT

ERICSSON2G.CELLSTATS.BSC,

ERICSSON2G.CELLSTATS.CELL,

ERICSSON2G.CELLSTATS.SDATE,

ERICSSON2G.CELLSTATS.ERLANG

FROM ERICSSON2G.CELLSTATS

GROUP BY BSC, SDATE

Configuring Element Aggregation

On the Modules tab, if you have Administration or Write permissions for the Module Explorer, you
can configure a module to use element aggregation.

To do this:

1. Select the folder containing the modules you want to view. A list of the modules appears in
the right-hand pane.

2. Double-click a module name to view that module.

3. In the Edit Module dialog box, in the Element Queries pane, double-click the element
level for which the query is defined.

The Data Explorer opens.

4. In the elements list box in the Filters tab, set the data field for each element level at which
you want to run the query. (When the data field is set, the element agg checkbox is
automatically selected to indicate that the query can run at that element level.)

5. In the Column Settings tab, set the aggregation functions for each counter that you want
to include in the aggregated queries.

Note: You can select a standard aggregation function, such as AVG, SUM, or write your
own aggregation formula using the Expression Editor.

221
 OPTIMA 8.0 User Reference Guide

The following table describes the different column types for each column and data field:

Note: Only the query 'Counter' columns can be aggregated.

Column Description
Type

Identifier Indicates the text fields in the SQL query.

DateTime Indicates the date and time fields in the SQL query.
Counter Indicates the numerical fields in the SQL query.

This picture shows the Column Settings tab:

6. Set the aggregation type. For more information on how to do this, see Setting the
Aggregation Type for Element Aggregation on page 222.

7. In the Data Explorer, click OK and then click Yes to save the changes.

Note: You can click the View/Test element aggregation SQL button to view the aggregation
query and check that the query is valid.

Setting the Aggregation Type for Element Aggregation

When you are configuring element aggregation, to set the aggregation type:

Click the Aggregate Type column corresponding to the Counter column type and select a
function from the drop-down list to set the aggregate type and formula.

Note: If there is a KPI defined in the SQL query, then you will not be able to set the
aggregate type for it. This is because the aggregation type for a KPI is set while defining a
KPI. For more information, see Creating KPIs on page 197.

222
 Setting Up and Querying Data

If required, you can define your own aggregation function.

To do this for each counter type:

1. Select the User Defined option from the drop-down list.

2. In the Aggregate Formula column, click and type the formula directly in the cell or click
to launch the Expression Editor.

- or -

To do this for multiple counters at the same time:

1. Click the Set Multiple Aggregates button .

2. From the Global Aggregate drop-down list in the Quick Aggregation dialog box that
appears, select the counter type you require.

3. Click the Apply Aggregate to All Fields button if you want to apply the counter type
to all columns.

- or -

If you want to apply the counter type to one or more columns, select the column(s) in the

Field Name list and click the Apply Aggregate to Selected Fields button .

Note: You can only set the aggregate type and formula for the COUNTER column type. If
you select User Defined aggregate type, click the Aggregate Formula column to define a
new aggregate type in the Expression Editor dialog box.

Tips:
o Use the Shift and Ctrl keys to highlight more than one column at a time
o To clear all counters, click the Clear All Aggregates button

4. Click OK to save your changes and close the Quick Aggregation dialog box.

223
 OPTIMA 8.0 User Reference Guide

This picture shows an example of the Quick Aggregation dialog box:

Setting the Aggregate Description for Element Aggregation

When you are configuring element aggregation, to set the aggregate description:

1. In the Description column, type the description for the column.

- or -

Click the Get Default Column Descriptions button to populate the description column
with the data. This data is present in the table and field information dialog box. For more
information, see About Table and Field Information Settings on page 123.

Note: You can edit this description information and it is saved only for this data query. It
does not get reflected in the Table and Field Information Settings.

2. Click Preview SQL . The Selection dialog box opens. Select the elements and
parameters for element aggregation. For more information, see Selecting Filter Values and
Parameters on page 184.

3. Click OK to run the query.

The Preview tab is populated with the output data of the aggregated query.

224
 Setting Up and Querying Data

Displaying Element Aggregated Data

Element Aggregation allows you to change a module element level query by aggregating to a
parent level. For more information on element aggregation, see Element Aggregation in Module
Queries on page 220.

When a module query is run at a parent element level, aggregated data is displayed in both the
data grid and in the graph.

Note: The aggregated data is displayed in the graph only if a graph is defined.

On the Modules tab, if you have Administration or Write permissions for the Module Explorer, you
can set the level at which you want to run a module data query.

To do this:

1. On the Analysis tab, click the Module Combinations button .

2. On the Module Combinations tab, select a folder containing the module combinations you
want to view. A list of module combinations appears in the right-hand pane.

3. Double-click a module combination.

4. In the Modules pane, expand a module to view its element tree.

5. Select the elements whose data query you want to run.

For example, in the picture shown here, the selected module has an element tree
containing BSCs, site names, and cells. As shown, five cells are selected, hence the cell
level data query is run.

225
 OPTIMA 8.0 User Reference Guide

6. Select the element level at which you want the data query. You can do this in two ways:
o Right-click a Cell and from the menu that appears, point to Run Level (Element
Aggregation) and click the element level (Cell, Sitename, BSC) at which you want to
run the query as shown in the picture here:

o In the Aggregation By pane, select the element aggregation level in the Element
column:

Note: When you select a parent level for element aggregation, all the elements at that
level are marked in green. For example, if you select the run level for element aggregation
as SiteName, the sites in the tree are shown in green.

7. From the toolbar, click to run the selected module.

226
 Setting Up and Querying Data

Editing and Deleting Modules

On the Modules tab, if you have Administration or Write permissions for the Module Explorer, and
you are a member of the group that owns the module, you can edit, rename and delete modules.

To edit a module:

1. Select the module that you want to edit, and then click the Edit button .

- or -

Right-click the required module and from the menu that appears, click Edit.

- or -

Double-click the required module.

2. Edit the module as required, and then click OK.

To rename a module:

1. Select the module that you want to rename, and then click the Rename button .

- or -

Right-click the required module and from the menu that appears, click Rename.

2. Type the new name for the module, and then press Enter.

To delete a module:

1. Select the module that you want to delete, and then click the Delete button .

- or -

Right-click the required module and from the menu that appears, click Delete.

2. In the dialog box that appears, click Yes to confirm.

Restricting Editing of Modules

On the Modules tab, you can restrict access to modules by:
• Defining a module as an Admin module, meaning that only users with Administration
permissions can edit, move or delete them
• Selecting which user group can edit, move or delete the module

To restrict access to a module, you must have:

• Administration permissions for the Module Explorer

- or -
• Write permissions for the Module Explorer, and be a member of the group that owns the
module

227
 OPTIMA 8.0 User Reference Guide

To restrict access to a module:

1. Select the module that you want to restrict.

2. Right-click and from the menu that appears, click Properties.

3. In the Module Properties dialog box, select the owning group from the drop-down list:

- or -

To set the module as an Admin module, select the Admin Module checkbox:

4. Click OK.

Copying Modules
On the Modules tab, if you have Administration or Write permissions for the Module Explorer, you
can copy existing modules and then modify them.

To do this:

1. Select the module(s) that you want to copy.

Tip: Use the Shift and Ctrl keys to select more than one module at a time.

2. Click the Copy button .

- or -

228
 Setting Up and Querying Data

Right-click and from the menu that appears, click Copy.

3. Select the folder into which you want to copy the module(s).

4. Click the Paste button .

- or -

Right-click and from the menu that appears, click Paste.

The modules are copied to the selected folder.

Importing and Exporting Modules

On the Modules tab, you can import and export modules and folders of modules to move them
between databases.

To import a module or module folder:

Note: You must have Administration or Write permissions for the Module Explorer to import
modules/module folders, or Administration permissions to import Admin modules/Admin folders.

1. Select the folder into which you want to import the module(s)/folder(s), and click the Import

button .

- or -

Right-click the folder and from the menu that appears, click Import.

2. Click OK to confirm.

3. In the Import Modules dialog box, click the Browse button.

4. In the Browse for Folder dialog box, select the folder that contains the module(s)/folder(s)
that you want to import and click OK.

5. In the File Name list, select the module file that you want to import and click OK.

Tip: Use the Shift and Ctrl keys to select more than one file at a time.

6. If your selection includes modules in subfolders, you will be asked if you want to recreate
the directory structure on the Modules tab.

Click Yes to recreate the directory structure, otherwise click No.

7. Click OK to confirm. The module(s)/folder(s) are imported to the specified folder.

229
 OPTIMA 8.0 User Reference Guide

To export a module or module folder:

Note: You must have Read permissions for the Module Explorer to export modules/module folders
(including Admin modules/Admin folders).

1. Select the module(s)/folder that you want to export, and click the Export button .

- or -

Right-click the required module(s)/folder and from the menu that appears, click Export.

Tip: Use the Shift and Ctrl keys to select more than one module at a time.

2. If your selection includes modules in subfolders, then in the Export Modules dialog box,
set the following options by selecting or clearing the appropriate checkboxes:

Item Description

Export modules from Select this option if you want to export the modules
subfolders contained in the subfolders as well as the selected folder.
Create folders in destination If you have chosen to export modules from subfolders,
directory select this option if you want to recreate the directory
structure in your destination directory.

3. Click OK.

4. In the Browse for Folder dialog box, select the folder into which you want to export the
module(s)/folder and click OK.

5. Click OK to confirm. The module(s)/folder are exported to the specified folder.

Using Element Hierarchies

On the Element Hierarchies tab, you can create, edit and delete element hierarchies. Element
hierarchies are re-usable SQL queries which enable you to display network elements in the form of
a hierarchical tree. You can use element hierarchies in modules instead of defining a new element
tree SQL query each time you create a module. For more information, see Using Modules on page
213.

The types of element hierarchy that you can view and create depends on your permissions for
Element Hierarchies:
• If you have Read permissions, you can:
o Create, edit and delete your own personal element hierarchies
o View element hierarchies that belong to a group of which you are a member
• If you have Write permissions, you can also:
o Create group element hierarchies
o Create, edit and delete system element hierarchies
o Edit and delete element hierarchies that belong to a group of which you are a member
• If you have Administration permissions, you can also:
o Edit and delete all personal and group element hierarchies, regardless of who created
them

230
 Setting Up and Querying Data

To open the Element Hierarchies tab:

On the Analysis tab, click the Element Hierarchies button .

The Element Hierarchies tab opens, this picture shows an example:

Element Hierarchies tab

To view the different types of element hierarchy available, in the left-hand pane, click the element
hierarchy type you want to view:

All existing element hierarchies of that type are then displayed in the right-hand pane.

231
 OPTIMA 8.0 User Reference Guide

Creating Element Hierarchies

On the Element Hierarchies tab, you can create element hierarchies.The type of element
hierarchies that you can create depends on your permissions; for more information, see Using
Element Hierarchies on page 230.

To do this:

1. Click the New button .

- or -

Right-click in the white space and from the menu that appears, click New.

The Element Hierarchy wizard appears.

2. Complete the following information:

In this field: Do this:

Name Type a name for the element hierarchy.

Description Type a description for the element hierarchy.
Type Select the required element hierarchy type by selecting the appropriate radio
button.

3. Click Next

4. Define the data query for the element hierarchy. To do this:

o Click Edit. The Data Explorer appears.
o In the Data Explorer, define the SQL for the element hierarchy. For more information,
see Defining a Query on page 172.
o When you have finished, click OK and then click Yes to save your changes. The SQL
is added to the SQL pane.

5. Click Next. The query is executed and the results are displayed.

6. Click Next.

7. If you are creating a group or system element hierarchy, complete the following information:

In this field: Do this:

Admin Only Select this checkbox if you only want users with Administration permissions for
Element Hierarchies to access the element hierarchy.
Note: This option is only enabled for system element hierarchies.
Group list Select the user group(s) that can use the element hierarchy.
To add a new group:
1. Click Add.
2. In the Select Groups dialog box that appears, select the group(s) you want to
have access to this element hierarchy and use the > button to move them to
the Destination List.
Tip: Use the Shift and Ctrl keys to select more than one group at a time and
use the >> button to add all the groups to the Destination List.

8. Click Next, check your element hierarchy details and then click Finish. The element
hierarchy is now available from the list on the Element Hierarchies tab.

232
 Setting Up and Querying Data

Editing Element Hierarchies

On the Element Hierarchies tab, you can edit existing element hierarchies.

Note: The types of element hierarchy that you can edit depends on your permissions for Element
Hierarchies. For more information, see Using Element Hierarchies on page 230.

To edit an element hierarchy:

1. Select the element hierarchy that you want to edit.

2. Click the Edit button .

- or -

Double-click the element hierarchy.

- or -

Right-click, and from the menu that appears, click Edit.

3. If the element hierarchy is used by any modules, a message box is displayed listing these
modules. Click Yes to continue editing the element hierarchy.

4. In the Element Hierarchy (Edit) dialog box that appears, edit the element hierarchy details
as required on each page.

5. When you are satisfied, click the Finish button on the final page.

Renaming Element Hierarchies

On the Element Hierarchies tab, you can rename existing element hierarchies.

Note: The types of element hierarchy that you can edit depends on your permissions for Element
Hierarchies. For more information, see Using Element Hierarchies on page 230.

To do this:

1. Select the element hierarchy you want to rename.

2. Click the Rename button .

- or -

Right-click, and from the menu that appears, click Rename.

3. Type the new name for the element hierarchy and press Enter.

233
 OPTIMA 8.0 User Reference Guide

Deleting Element Hierarchies

On the Element Hierarchies tab, you can delete a element hierarchy.

Note: The types of element hierarchy that you can delete depends on your permissions for Element
Hierarchies. For more information, see Using Element Hierarchies on page 230.

To delete an element hierarchy:

1. Select the element hierarchy you want to delete.

Note: You cannot delete an element hierarchy that is in use by any modules.

2. Click the Delete button .

- or -

Right-click and, from the menu that appears, click Delete.

3. In the dialog box that appears, click Yes to confirm.

Restricting Access to Element Hierarchies

On the Element Hierarchies tab, if you have created a group element hierarchy or have
Administration permissions for Element Hierarchies, you can restrict access to it by selecting which
groups are allowed to use that group element hierarchy. To do this:

1. Right-click the required element hierarchy and from the menu that appears, click
Properties. The Element Hierarchy Properties dialog box appears.

2. On the Security tab, click Add.

3. In the dialog box that appears, select the group(s) that you want to grant access to this
element hierarchy.

Tip: Use the Shift and Ctrl keys to select more than one group.

4. Click the > button to move them to the Destination List.

Tip: Use the >> button to add all the groups to the Destination List.

5. Click OK.

234
 Setting Up and Querying Data

Finding Element Hierarchies

On the Element Hierarchies tab, if you want to view a particular element hierarchy, you can
search for it in the database.

To find an element hierarchy:

1. In the left-hand pane, click the required element hierarchy type:

Note: The types of element hierarchy that you can view depends on your permissions for
Element Hierarchies. For more information, see Using Element Hierarchies on page 230.

2. On the Element Hierarchies tab, click the Find button .

3. In the Find Element Hierarchy dialog box that appears, type the name of the element
hierarchy you wish to find:

Note: Element hierarchy names are not case-sensitive, but you can choose to search on
whole words only.

4. Click Find First and the first occurrence of the element hierarchy is highlighted.

5. Click Find Next and the next occurrence of the element hierarchy is highlighted.

235
 OPTIMA 8.0 User Reference Guide

Duplicating Element Hierarchies

On the Element Hierarchies tab, you can duplicate element hierarchies by copying and pasting
them.

Note: The type of element hierarchies that you can duplicate depends on your permissions; for
more information, see Using Element Hierarchies on page 230.

To copy an element hierarchy:

1. Select the element hierarchy that you want to copy, and then click the Copy button .

- or -

Right-click the required element hierarchy, and from the menu that appears, click Copy.

2. Click the Paste button .

- or -

Right-click, and from the menu that appears, click Paste.

Previewing Element Hierarchies

On the Element Hierarchies tab, you can preview the results of an element hierarchy.

Note: The type of element hierarchies that you can preview depends on your permissions; for more
information, see Using Element Hierarchies on page 230.

To preview an element hierarchy:

1. Select the element hierarchy that you want to preview.

2. Click the Preview Element Hierarchy button .

3. Click the Preview tab and then click OK to run the hierarchy query.

The results of the query are displayed:

236
 Setting Up and Querying Data

Using the Sandbox

On the Sandbox Objects tab, OPTIMA provides a 'Sandbox' environment in which you can create
custom objects without affecting other users.

For information on the required permissions required to use the Sandbox, see About Sandbox
Security on page 78.

Note: In the Data Explorer, you can also create and edit views, materialized views and tables. For
more information, see Saving a Query as a User Object on the Data Explorer Tab on page 188.

Important:
• You must have a Sandbox license in order to use the full functionality of this feature.
Without a license, you will only be able to perform limited tasks, such as creating user
views in the Data Explorer.
• To use the Sandbox, a user (including the OPTIMA Administrator) must have a designated
space allocation. For more information, see Setting Sandbox Allocation Options on page
84 or contact your Sandbox administrator.

To open the Sandbox environment:

1. On the Analysis tab, click the Sandbox Objects button .

2. The Sandbox Objects tab appears. By default, this shows all Sandbox objects that are
currently active:

237
 OPTIMA 8.0 User Reference Guide

The Edit Locked and Import Data Locked columns indicate whether or not the object can
be edited or have data imported into it respectively. Objects may be locked if they are part
of a promotion request. For more information, see Creating and Managing Sandbox
Promotion Requests on page 91.

On the Sandbox Objects tab, you can:

• View all of the sandbox objects - both those created on the Sandbox Objects tab and those
created in the Data Explorer.

Note: For more information on creating Sandbox objects in the Data Explorer, see Saving
a Query as a User Object on the Data Explorer Tab on page 188.

• Create empty tables

• Create tables containing imported data
• Create links between databases
• Create synonyms
• View the Sandbox management settings:
o Information on your database space allocation for sandbox objects
o Settings for the expiry of sandbox objects
o The current status of any promotion requests that you have made
• View, drop and restore deleted sandbox objects
• View and drop expired objects

Tips:
• To group the tables by a particular column (for example, by object type), drag the required
column to the space at the top of the table:

238
 Setting Up and Querying Data

• To filter the values in a particular column, click the filter button, and from the drop-down list
or dialog box, select the required value:

• To alphabetically sort the tables by a particular column (for example, by type), double-click
the column name.

• To refresh the Sandbox at any time, click the Refresh button .

• To view the sql query for a particular object in a separate dialog box, click the Show

Object SQL button .

Creating Empty Tables in the Sandbox

On the Sandbox Objects tab, you can create empty tables, in which you can define all of the
details - columns, constraints, privileges and so on.

Note: On this tab, you can also create tables based on existing files. For more information, see
Creating Tables with Data in the Sandbox on page 244.

To do this:

1. In the Sandbox Objects pane, click the New Empty Table button .

239
 OPTIMA 8.0 User Reference Guide

The New tab appears:

2. In the Table Name box, type the name of the new table.

Note: The name of each Sandbox object must be unique; for example, you cannot use the
same name for both a table and a database link.

3. By default, a new table is owned by the person who created it, but if you have
Administration permissions for the Sandbox and want to assign this table to another owner,
select them from the drop-down list.

4. From the Category drop-down list, select the table category under which the table will be
stored on the Data Explorer tab.

5. You can create your table in a number of stages:

o Create columns
o Create constraints
o Create indexes
o Create comments
o Create privileges

Tip: To view the table script at any time, click the View Script button.

6. When you have completed the table details, click the Save button.

Creating Table Columns in the Sandbox

When creating a table in the Sandbox, you can create your own table columns.

To do this:

1. Click the Columns tab.

2. Click the Add Column button.

A new column is added to the table:

240
 Setting Up and Querying Data

3. Modify the details of the new column as required:

o Type the column name

Tip: To rename a column, double-click the current name.

o Select the data type from the drop-down list
o Define the size (if appropriate for the data type)
o Specify a default value, if required
o Select the checkbox to make the column not nullable

Tip: To make a column a primary key, configure this on the Constraints tab.

4. Add more columns to the table as required.

Tip: To view the table script at any time, click the View Script button.

5. You can continue to define your database table by creating:

o Table constraints
o Table indexes
o Table comments
o Table privileges

- or -

If you have defined the rest of the table properties, click the Save button.

Creating Table Constraints in the Sandbox

When creating a table in the Sandbox, you can create your own table constraints and assign them
to the columns in your table.

To do this:

1. Click the Constraints tab.

2. Click the Add Constraint button.

3. In the dialog box that appears:

o Type a name for the constraint
o Select the constraint type - Check or Primary Key
o Click OK

The new constraint is added to the table:

4. Depending on the type of constraint you have chosen, you must define your constraint
further:
o If you are defining an integrity check constraint, in the Check Condition box, specify
the integrity check rule (for example, ''VERSIONNUMBER' IS NOT NULL'').

241
 OPTIMA 8.0 User Reference Guide

o If you are defining a primary key constraint, specify the columns that you want to make
primary keys by selecting them in the Available Columns pane and clicking the right
arrow button.

Columns that are primary keys will be marked with a key symbol in the Primary Key
column on the Columns tab:

5. By default, the constraint is enabled. To disable it, de-select the checkbox in the Enabled
column.

6. Add more constraints to the table as required.

Tip: To view the table script at any time, click the View Script button.

7. You can continue to define your database table by creating:

o Table indexes

Note: If you have created (and saved) a primary key constraint, a corresponding
unique index is created automatically.
o Table comments
o Table privileges

- or -

If you have defined the rest of the table properties, click the Save button.

When you save a primary key constraint, a unique index is created automatically.

Creating Table Indexes in the Sandbox

When creating a table in the Sandbox, you can create your own table indexes.

Note: If you have created (and saved) a primary key constraint, a corresponding unique index is
created automatically.

To do this:

1. Click the Indexes tab.

2. Click the Add Index button.

3. In the dialog box that appears:

o Type a name for the index
o Select the index type - Normal or Unique

The new index is added to the table:

242
 Setting Up and Querying Data

4. In the Index Columns pane, specify the columns that you want to include in the index by
selecting them in the Available Columns pane and clicking the right arrow button.

Tip: To view the table script at any time, click the View Script button.

5. You can continue to define your database table by creating:

o Table comments
o Table privileges

- or -

If you have defined the rest of the table properties, click Save.

Creating Table Comments in the Sandbox

When creating a table in the Sandbox, you can add comments to both the table and individual
columns.

To do this:

1. Click the Comments tab.

2. In the Table Comments pane, you can type a comment related to the entire table:

3. In the Column Comments pane, you can type separate comments for each column:

4. You can continue to define your database table by creating table privileges.

- or -

If you have defined the rest of the table properties, click the Save button.

Tip: To view the table script at any time, click the View Script button.

243
 OPTIMA 8.0 User Reference Guide

Creating Table Privileges in the Sandbox

When creating a table in the Sandbox, you can specify the user and group privileges for the table.

To do this:

1. Click the Privileges tab.

2. On this tab, select the required privilege option:

Option Description

Read access for everyone Provide only read access for all users.
Personal Limit access to the owner of the table and users with
Administration permissions for the Sandbox.
Specified access list Allow access by a defined list of groups or users

3. If you select the 'Specified access list' option, the Access Privileges for Groups and
Users pane appears, in which you can select which existing groups and/or users can
access the table.

To provide access to a particular group:

o Click the Add Group button
o In the new row that appears, select the name of the group from the Group Name drop-
down list
o Select which table privileges they should have by selecting the appropriate checkboxes
- by default, all groups have read access, but you can additionally grant them Edit
Object and/or Edit Data privileges

To provide access to an individual user:

o Click the Add User button
o In the new row that appears, select the name of the user from the Username drop-
down list
o Select which table privileges they should have by selecting the appropriate checkboxes
- by default, all groups have read access, but you can additionally grant them Edit
Object and/or Edit Data privileges

4. Click Save when you have specified all of the required privileges for this table.

Creating Tables with Data in the Sandbox

On the Sandbox Objects tab, as well as creating empty tables in which you can add data yourself,
you can also create tables that already have data in them. This is done by importing *.csv or *.txt
files of existing tables, which you can then modify and experiment with in the 'Sandbox'
environment.

To do this:

1. Click the New Table with Data button .

A New Table with Data tab opens.

2. In the Select File box, type the location and name of the file containing the data that you
want to import.

Tip: Click the Browse button to navigate to the file, and then click Open.

244
 Setting Up and Querying Data

3. Specify the column separator used in the file.

This should be valid for the particular file type; *.csv files can only use commas as a
separator. However, in *.txt files you can use any separator.

4. Click the Load File Columns button.

The file columns used in the file appear in the File Column pane.

5. Add the imported columns to the table as required.

You can do this in a number of ways; for more information, see Adding Imported Columns
to Sandbox Tables on page 246.

Tip: To modify any of the column data (for example, the Data Type), double-click the
appropriate cell and make the required changes.

6. To add additional columns, click the Add Column button

- or -

To remove columns:
o Select the required column and then click the Remove Column button

- or -
o Click the Remove All Columns button

7. In the Table Owner box, select the owner of the table.

Note: By default, this is the name of the user who created the table, but if you have
Administration permissions for the Sandbox you can change this to another user if
required.

8. In the Table Name box, type a name for your new table.

Note: The name of each Sandbox object must be unique; for example, you cannot use the
same name for both a table and a database link.

9. In the Table Category box, from the Category drop-down list, select the required category.

10. If you want preview the table data before importing it into the Sandbox, click the arrow next
to the Preview button and then:
o Select the number of rows that you want to preview, by either selecting the Preview All
Rows option or specifying a number of rows from the top (for example, 10 rows from
the top will show the first 10 rows).

Warning: If you are importing a large file, the Preview All Rows option may take some
time; it is recommended that you preview a smaller, specified number of rows instead.
o To load the preview, click the Start Preview button.

The loading progress is shown; to stop it at any time, click the Stop button. The
loading will stop, and only the data loaded up to that point will be available for preview.

When the preview has finished loading, the Preview dialog box appears.

11. If you are satisfied with the data that will be imported, click Close in the Preview dialog box
and then click the 'Create New Table and Import File Data' button.

The import progress is shown; to stop it at any time, click the Stop button.

245
 OPTIMA 8.0 User Reference Guide

Tip: While the data is imported, you can work on other tasks in OPTIMA. When the import
finishes, an information window appears.

When the table data has been imported, you can view it on the Data Explorer tab.

Adding Imported Columns to Sandbox Tables

If you are creating tables with data in the Sandbox, you can add imported columns to the table in a
number of ways. You can:
• Create corresponding table columns for all of the imported columns
• Add a selected number of imported columns to the table
• Manually add new columns to the table, and then map the imported columns onto them by:
o Mapping column names automatically, based on name (if the names are a direct
match)
o Creating new mappings
o Appending existing mappings
o Using an imported mappings file to map the column names
o Using the Expression Editor

For more information on mapping expressions, see About the Column Mapping Expressions Used
in the Sandbox on page 248.

Tips:
• To undo all of the mappings at any time, click the Clear Mapping Expressions button

.
• If you want to use these mappings for future imports into this table, select the Save
Mappings checkbox. If you subsequently edit the mapping, then you must select the Save
Mappings checkbox again.
• If you want to use these mappings for future imports into other tables, click the Export

Column Mappings to File button .

To create corresponding table columns for all of the imported columns:

Click the 'Create 1:1 Table Columns for all File Columns' button .

A new column is created in the table for each imported file column.

To add a selected group of imported columns to the Sandbox table:

1. Select the required columns.

To select more than one column at a time, click each column while holding down the Ctrl
key.

2. Click the Add Selected File Columns to Table button .

The selected columns are added to the Sandbox table.

246
 Setting Up and Querying Data

To map the imported columns onto manually added table columns:

1. Add the required columns. For more information on how to do this, see Creating Tables
with Data in the Sandbox on page 244.

2. Click the Sync Mapping by Name button .

The matching column names appear in the Mapping Expression column.

To manually map the column names with new mappings:

1. In the File Column pane, click the required column name.

To select more than one column at a time, click each column while holding down the Ctrl
key.

2. Drag the column name(s) into the empty Mapping Expression row for the corresponding
column.

3. Release the mouse button.

The two column names are mapped together, meaning that data imported under the
mapped columns will be grouped together.

If you selected more than one column, they will be separated with spaces.

Tip: In the Mapping Expression pane, you can manually add other operators or functions,
such as concatenate (||) and so on, as required.

To manually map the column names by appending existing mappings:

1. In the File Column pane, click the required column name.

2. Drag the column name onto the existing mapping expression for the corresponding column:

To use a *.csv that contains a set of column mappings that you want to use for this table:

1. Click the Import Column Mappings from File button .

2. In the dialog box that appears, select the required *.csv file and then click Open.

The mappings are loaded.

To use the Expression Editor to define the column mapping:

1. In the Mapping Expression cell, click the Expression Editor button that appears when
you hover at the far right side.

2. Build the complex equations for the column mappings as required, and then click OK.

247
 OPTIMA 8.0 User Reference Guide

About the Column Mapping Expressions Used in the Sandbox

You can use column mapping expressions to create mappings between the columns in a database
table in the Sandbox and the columns within a data file that you want to import.The database table
can be an existing one, or one that you are creating.

OPTIMA then uses these mappings to import the data correctly.

When you are defining the column mappings, you should consider the following points:
• The most basic mapping expression is just a file column name, with no formulas.
• You can map the same file column name to more than one table column.
• You do not need to define mapping expressions for all table columns. As a minimum, at
least one table column should have a mapping expression defined.
• Mapping expressions can contain:
o Any Oracle function or operator, such as maths operators or concatenate (||).
o OPTIMA Oracle functions, such as ERLANGB_CAPACITY(), ERLANGB_GOS(),
ERLANGB_OFFERED(), or FACTORIAL()

Creating Database Links in the Sandbox

On the Sandbox Objects tab, you can create private links between databases.You can use these
links to connect to other remote databases from the current database that you are logged into.

To do this:

1. In the Create pane, click the New Database Link button .

The New Database Link tab appears:

2. Specify a name for the database link.

248
 Setting Up and Querying Data

Note: The name of each Sandbox object must be unique; for example, you cannot use the
same name for both a table and a database link.

3. Define the connection details for the database:

o Username
o Password
o Database name

Tip: To check that these details are correct, click the Test Connection button.

4. To view the corresponding script for the private database link, click the View Script button.

5. When you are satisfied with the database link definition, click Save.

Creating Synonyms in the Sandbox

On the Sandbox Objects tab, you can create synonyms.

To do this:

1. In the Create pane, click the New Synonym button .

The Sandbox Create Synonym tab appears:

2. In the Synonym pane, type a name for the synonym.

Note: The name of each Sandbox object must be unique; for example, you cannot use the
same name for both a synonym and a table.

3. In the Translation pane, specify the details of the object to which the synonym translates:
o Database link
o Object owner

249
 OPTIMA 8.0 User Reference Guide

o Object type
o Object name (mandatory)

4. To view the corresponding script for the synonym, click the View Script button.

5. Click the Save button.

Editing Sandbox Objects on the Sandbox Objects Tab

On the Sandbox Objects tab, you can edit existing Sandbox objects.

Important:
• To edit a Sandbox object, you must have:
o Created the object

- or -
o Write permissions (or Edit Object privileges) on the object

- or -
o Administration permissions for the Sandbox

The only exception to this is database links; only the owner can edit them.
• You cannot edit a Sandbox object that has a lock symbol in the Edit Locked column:

• You cannot edit a Sandbox object that is included in a promotion request that is Pending or
In Progress. For more information, see Managing Sandbox Promotion Requests on page
94.

To edit Sandbox objects:

1. Select the required object and then:

o Click the Edit button .

- or -
o Right-click, and from the menu that appears, click Edit.

- or -

Double-click the required Sandbox object.

250
 Setting Up and Querying Data

2. If you are editing a table, database link or synonym, the relevant edit pane is displayed as a
subtab on the Sandbox Objects tab:

- or -

If you are editing a normal view or materialized view, the object opens in the Data Explorer:

3. Edit the details of the Sandbox object as required.

Important: There are a number of restrictions on editing Sandbox objects:

o You cannot change the owner or name of a Sandbox object
o You cannot edit unique indexes - to replace a unique index, you must delete it (after
removing any columns with PK constraints) and create a new one

251
 OPTIMA 8.0 User Reference Guide

Note: If you are editing a table, you can import data directly into the table. For more
information, see Importing Data into a Sandbox Table on page 254.

4. When you have finished making changes, click the Save button.

You can also convert a materialized view into a view. Materialized views contain stored data by
taking a 'snapshot' of the data at a given time, whereas views do not contain stored data, and can
be used at any time to obtain the current data.

For more information on views and materialized views, see Saving a Query as a User Object on the
Data Explorer Tab on page 188.

To convert a materialized view:

1. Select the required materialized view.

2. Click the Convert to View button .

- or -

Right-click and from the menu that appears, click Convert to View.

3. Click Yes to confirm.

The materialized view is converted, and moved into the list of Views.

Deleting Sandbox Objects

On the Sandbox Objects tab, you can delete any active Sandbox objects that you own. If you have
Administration permissions on the Sandbox, you can also delete any active Sandbox objects.

To do this, select the required object, and then:

• Click the Delete button

- or -
• Right-click, and from the menu that appears, click Delete

The selected Sandbox object is removed from the Sandbox Objects tab, and moved to the
Recycle Bin tab. It will remain there until the end of the grace period, at which point it will be
moved to the Expired Objects tab.

Warning: Deleted Sandbox objects can be restored from the Recycle Bin tab, but not from the
Expired Objects tab. For more information on how to restore or permanently remove deleted
objects, see Viewing, Dropping and Restoring Deleted Objects on page 259.

252
 Setting Up and Querying Data

Duplicating Sandbox Objects

On the Sandbox Objects tab, you can duplicate objects; this means that a user can have multiple
copies of the same objects, or a number of users can have a copy of the same object.

Important: The security settings for an object are not duplicated, and must be defined separately.

To duplicate a Sandbox object:

1. Select the required object.

2. Click the Copy button

- or -

Right-click, and from the menu that appears, click Copy:

3. Select the location under which you want to paste the object (for example, under a

particular user or the appropriate object type), and then click the Paste button .

- or -

Right-click the first row below the required location, and from the menu that appears, click
Paste:

253
 OPTIMA 8.0 User Reference Guide

You can select the same user if you want to create multiple copies for a single user.

Important: To paste an object into another user's schema, you must have Administration
permissions for the Sandbox.

4. In the dialog box that appears, type a new (unique) name for the Sandbox object, and then
click OK.

The Sandbox object is copied into the list of objects.

Importing Data into a Sandbox Table

If you are editing tables, you can import table data from *.csv or *.txt files to use within the
'Sandbox' environment.

For more information on the file format, see About the File Format for Importing Sandbox Table
Data on page 256.

Important: You cannot import data into a table that:

• Has a lock symbol in the Import Data Locked column.
• Is included in a promotion request that is Pending or In Progress. For more information,
see Managing Sandbox Promotion Requests on page 94.

To import table data:

1. On the Sandbox Objects tab, select the table into which you want to import data and click
the Import Data button

- or -

In the Data Explorer, right-click, and from the menu that appears, click Import Data. The
Sandbox Objects tab appears.

2. In the Select File pane, type the location and name of the file that you want to import, or
click the Browse button to locate it.

3. Specify the Column Separator.

This should be valid for the particular file type; *.csv files can only use commas as a
separator. However, in *.txt files you can use any separator.

4. Click the Load File Columns button.

The file columns used in the import file appear in the File Column pane.

5. Define the mapping expressions for each of the table columns.

For more information on how to do this, see Mapping Sandbox Data for Import on page
255.

Note: You do not have to map all of the imported file columns in the Mapping Expression
pane; only those columns that are mapped will have data imported into them.

6. If you want to preview the table data before importing it into the Sandbox, click the arrow
next to the Preview button, and then:
o Select the number of rows that you want to preview, by either selecting the Preview All
Rows checkbox or specifying a number of rows from the top (for example, 10 rows
from the top will show the first 10 rows, 5 rows from the top will show the first 5 and so
on)

254
 Setting Up and Querying Data

Warning: If you have a large number of rows, loading them all for preview could take a
long time.
o To load the preview, click the Start Preview button.

The loading progress is shown; to stop it at any time, click the Stop button. The
loading will stop, and only the data loaded up to that point will be available for preview.

When the preview has finished loading, the Preview dialog box appears.

7. If you want to truncate the table before doing the import (by removing all of the table rows)
click the 'Delete All Rows in Database Table' button .

8. When you are ready to import the data, in the Import File Data pane click the Start button.

The import progress is shown; to stop it at any time, click the Stop button.

When the table data has been imported, you can view it on the Data Explorer tab.

Mapping Sandbox Data for Import

When importing data into Sandbox tables, you can map the imported data in a number of ways:
• Mapping column names automatically, based on name (if the names are a direct match)
• Using an imported mappings file to map the column names
• Manually mapping the column names, by:
o Creating new mappings
o Appending existing mappings
• Using the Expression Editor

Note: You cannot add or remove columns when importing data into an existing table.

For more information on mapping expressions, see About the Column Mapping Expressions Used
in the Sandbox on page 248.

Tips:
• To undo all of the mappings at any time, click the Clear Mapping Expressions button

.
• If you want to use these mappings for future imports into this table, select the Save
Mappings checkbox.

If you subsequently edit the mapping, then you must select the Save Mappings checkbox
again.
• If you want to use these mappings for future imports into other tables, click the Export

Column Mappings from File button .

To map the column names of the imported file to those that already exist in the Sandbox
table:

Click the Sync Mapping by Name button .

The matching column names appear in the Mapping Expression column.

255
 OPTIMA 8.0 User Reference Guide

To use a *.csv that contains a set of column mappings that you want to use for this table:

1. Click the Import Column Mappings from File button .

2. In the dialog box that appears, select the required *.csv file and then click Open.

The mappings are loaded.

To manually map the column names with new mappings:

1. In the File Column pane, click the required column name.

2. Drag the column name into the empty Mapping Expression row for the corresponding
column.

3. Release the mouse button.

The two column names are mapped together, meaning that data imported under the
mapped columns will be grouped together.

To manually map the column names by appending existing mappings:

1. In the File Column pane, click the required column name.

2. Drag the column name onto the existing mapping expression for the corresponding column.

3. Release the mouse button.

The column name is appended to the end of the existing mapping string.

To use the Expression Editor to define the column mapping:

1. In the Mapping Expression cell, click the Expression Editor button that appears when
you hover in the right-hand corner of the cell.

2. Build the complex equations for the column mappings as required, and then click OK.

About the File Format for Importing Sandbox Table Data

When importing Sandbox table data, the *.csv or *.txt file must follow this format:
• The first row should contain the column headers.
• Column names should only contain alphanumeric characters, the symbols $, _, # or space.
• Column names cannot be repeated on the same file column header row.
• *.csv files can only use commas as a separator. However, in *.txt files you can use any
separator.
• *.csv files must follow the standard rules for *.csv files - for example, if you want to include
commas within the data of the column, then this data must be enclosed in double quotation
marks, as in the following example:
col1_data, col2_data, col3_data, "col4_data, with additional data"
• To import geometry type data, the following format should be used:
o Each shape should be enclosed in double quotation marks
o The shape type must be stated
o After the shape type, its set of points should be enclosed in double brackets
o The separate point coordinates should be separated by commas

256
 Setting Up and Querying Data

For example:

"POLYGON ((1.0 1.0, 5.0 1.0, 5.0 7.0, 1.0 7.0, 1.0 1.0))"

Note: You can only import geometry type data if the client database has Oracle Spatial
installed.

Viewing Sandbox Objects on the Data Explorer Tab

You can also view Sandbox objects on the Data Explorer tab, listed under the user that owns
them. These can be objects created on the Sandbox Objects tab or in the Data Explorer.

Note: You can only view objects that you own or for which you have Read permissions. However, if
you have Administration permissions for the Sandbox, you can view all user objects.

This picture shows an example:

Viewing Sandbox Objects on the Data Explorer

The different Sandbox objects are represented by the following symbols:

Symbol Object

Database link

Table

Materialized View

View

These objects are also color-coded as follows:

Color Description

Purple The object does not have an expiry date.

Black The object has an expiry date and is within the expiry period.
Amber The object has an expiry date and is within the defined warning period before expiry.

Note: Objects that have expired are not displayed in the Data Explorer. If they have not been
dropped, you can view them on the Expired Objects tab. For more information, see Viewing and
Dropping Expired Objects on page 260.

257
 OPTIMA 8.0 User Reference Guide

Viewing the Sandbox Management Settings

On the Sandbox Objects tab, you can view a range of information related to the management of
your Sandbox.

The settings displayed in the Objects Allocation Info and Object Expiry Info panes are defined
by your Sandbox Administrator (or anyone with the correct Sandbox Administration permissions). If
you have the correct permissions, see Administering the Sandbox on page 77 for more information
on how to change these settings.

This table describes the information that you can view:

Item Description Description

My Objects Allocation Info Each user with Sandbox Admin or

Write permissions is allocated a
portion of database space.
This pane tells you how much
space you have been allocated (in
MB) and how much of this
allocation (in MB and percentage
terms) you have used so far.

My Object Expiry Info A number of parameters are used

in OPTIMA in order to manage the
life cycle of the Sandbox objects.
The Object Expiry Info pane
displays:
• Whether the global expiry
option has been enabled or
not, which determines if
Sandbox objects have an
expiry date
• The number of days after
which all objects will expire
• The number of days after
the expiry date when an
object will be available for
recovery (which must be
requested to the Sandbox
administrator)
• The number of days before
the expiry date when you
will be warned that their
objects are due to expire
• Any expiry periods that are
related to a specific object
type, and override the
global settings

258
 Setting Up and Querying Data

Item Description Description

My Pending / In Progress / Promotion requests can be in four

Completed / Rejected different states:
Promotion Requests
• Pending - The request has
not yet been reviewed.
• In Progress - The request is
currently under review
• Completed - The request
has been reviewed and
accepted
• Rejected - The request has
been reviewed and rejected
In these separate panes, you view
the current state of any Sandbox
promotion requests that you have
made.

Viewing, Dropping and Restoring Deleted Objects

On the Recycle Bin subtab of the Sandbox Objects tab, you can see all of the objects that have
been deleted, but are still within their grace period.

Note: Deleted objects are sandbox objects that have been deleted by a user, regardless of their
expiry date. Expired objects are sandbox objects that have passed their expiry date, and are moved
to the Expired Objects subtab automatically.

To view the Recycle Bin subtab:

Click the Recycle Bin button .

- or -

Click the Recycle Bin subtab:

This picture shows an example:

Recycle Bin subtab

259
 OPTIMA 8.0 User Reference Guide

Sandbox objects in the Recycle Bin are included in a user's individual Sandbox space quota.

You can drop deleted objects from the database or restore them to the Active Objects subtab. To
drop an object:

1. Select the required object.

2. Right-click, and from the menu that appears, click Drop.

- or -

Click the Drop button .

The object is removed from the list of deleted objects and the database as well.

To restore an object to the Active Objects subtab:

1. Select the required object.

2. Right-click, and from the menu that appears, click Restore.

- or -

Click the Restore button .

The object is moved back to the Active Objects subtab, with its original expiry date (before
deletion).

Viewing and Dropping Expired Objects

On the Expired Objects subtab of the Sandbox Objects tab, you can see all of the objects that
have automatically passed their expiry date or been manually deleted, and have passed their grace
period.

To view the Expired Objects subtab:

Click the Expired Objects button .

- or -

Click the Expired Objects subtab:

260
 Setting Up and Querying Data

This picture shows an example:

Expired objects subtab

It is recommended that your administrator configures the 'DROP_EXPIRED_OBJECTS' procedure

to automatically drop all expired sandbox objects from the database on a scheduled basis (for
example, each day at 0500). For more information, see the OPTIMA Operations and Maintenance
Guide.

Alternatively, you can drop individual unused and expired objects from the database, in order to
immediately release the tablespace that these objects are using. To do this:

1. Select the required object.

2. Right-click, and from the menu that appears, click Drop.

- or -

Click the Drop button .

The object is removed from the list of expired objects and the database as well.

Important:
• You cannot directly restore expired objects - to restore an expired object, a user with
Administration permissions for Sandbox Administration must reset the expiry date to be in
the future
• You cannot restore deleted objects that have passed their grace period. You can only
restore them within their grace period, from the Recycle Bin. For more information, see
Viewing, Dropping and Restoring Deleted Objects on page 259.

261
 OPTIMA 8.0 User Reference Guide

262
 Viewing Data

5 Viewing Data

OPTIMA enables you to view specific data from your network using combination windows, which
you can define yourself. For example, you can display cell statistics within a certain date range in
both a graph and a grid layout.

Using Module Combinations

On the Module Combinations tab, if you have Administration or Write permissions for Module
Combinations, you can:
• Create and delete module combination folders
• Create module combinations
• Edit and delete module combinations
• Restrict editing of module combinations
• Import and export module combinations

For more information on module combinations, see About Module Combinations on page 265.

To open the Module Combinations tab, on the Analysis tab, click the Module Combinations

button .

The Module Combinations tab opens:

Example Module Combinations tab

If you have Administration permissions for Module Combinations, you can also restrict access to
folders and module combinations.

All users with Read permissions for Module Combinations can view module combinations.

263
 OPTIMA 8.0 User Reference Guide

To view a module combination:

1. Select the folder containing the module combination you want to view. A list of the module
combinations will appear in the right-hand pane.

Tip: You can choose to view the module combinations as a list or as a list with details. To

change between the two, click the List button or Details button as required.

2. Double-click on a module combination name to open that module combination.

3. Select the data you want to view, for example, the network elements and date. For more
information, see Filtering Data in Module Combinations on page 281.

4. To view a single module, select the required module, and click the Run Single Module

button .

- or -

To view all modules for a combination, click the Run All Modules button .

To close a module combination:

Click the Close button on the tab for that module combination.

To close a module combination while it is still retrieving information from the database, click the
Cancel button at the bottom of the status bar:

Closing a module combination while it is loading

Note: You cannot close a module combination after OPTIMA has started to update the Module
Combinations tab display with the retrieved information.

264
 Viewing Data

About Module Combinations

In OPTIMA, you can view data in either a pre-defined module combination or a module combination
you have created.

A module combination is made up of a number of panes. This picture shows an example:

Combination Window Example

The following table describes how you can customize the window using these panes.

This Pane Enables you to

Modules Add and remove modules that customize the

data that is to be displayed in the module
combination. For more information, see
Creating Module Combinations on page 270.
You can run one module, or a combination of
modules.

265
 OPTIMA 8.0 User Reference Guide

This Pane Enables you to

Filters Select, create and edit custom filters. You can

hide or display this pane by clicking on the title
bar. For more information, see Filtering
Elements in the Modules Pane on page 315.
Important: To create filters, you must have
Administration or Write permissions for Filters.

Date Range Set the date range for the data to be displayed.
You can hide or display this pane by clicking on
the title bar. For more information, see Setting a
Date Range on page 282.

Grid Display the data. You can modify the order of

the data as well as search for specific
information. For more information, see
Customizing Grids on page 321.

Series List Select what data appears in the graph pane.

For more information, see About the Series List
on page 365.

266
 Viewing Data

This Pane Enables you to

Graphs Display the data in a graph format. For more

information, see Displaying Data in Graphs on
page 319.

Before you can use module combinations, a user with Administration or Write permissions for the
Module Explorer must have first defined the modules. For more information, see Creating Modules
on page 218.

Creating Module Combination Folders

On the Module Combinations tab, if you have Administration or Write permissions for Module
Combinations, you can create and delete folders for module combinations.

To create a new folder:

1. Browse to where you want to create the new folder and then click the New Folder

button .

- or -

Right-click, and from the menu that appears, click New Folder.

2. Type a name for your new folder and press Enter.

Tips:
• You can also create a new folder when creating a new combination window or saving a
copy of an existing combination, using the Create New folder button .
• If you have Administration or Write permissions for the Module Explorer, you can restrict
access to folders to prevent other users from accessing them. For more information, see
Restricting Access to Module Combination Folders on page 268.

Deleting Module Combination Folders

On the Module Combinations tab, if you have Administration or Write permissions for Module
Combinations, you can delete folders.

Warning: If you delete a module combination folder, OPTIMA will also delete all of the module
combinations contained in it.

267
 OPTIMA 8.0 User Reference Guide

To do this:

1. Select the folder that you want to delete, and then click the Delete button .

- or -

Right-click the required folder and from the menu that appears, click Delete.

2. In the dialog box that appears, click Yes to confirm.

Renaming Module Combination Folders

On the Module Combinations tab, you can rename existing module combination folders.

To do this:

1. Select the module combination folder that you want to rename.

2. Click the Rename button .

- or -

Right-click, and from the menu that appears, click Rename.

3. Type the name for the new module combination folder and press Enter.

Restricting Access to Module Combination Folders

On the Module Combinations tab, you can restrict access to module combination folders in the
following ways:
• If you have Administration or Write permissions for Module Combinations, you can select
which user groups can access the folder
• If you have Administration permissions for Module Combinations, you can define a folder
as an Admin folder, meaning that only users with Administration permissions can edit,
move or delete them

To restrict access to a folder:

1. Select the folder that you want to restrict.

2. Right-click and from the menu that appears, click Properties.

The Combination Folder Properties dialog box appears.

268
 Viewing Data

3. Click the Security tab:

4. To set the folder as an Admin folder, select the Admin Folder checkbox.

- or -

To select which user groups can access the folder:

o Click the Add button
o Select the required group(s) from the Source list
o Click the right arrow button to move them to the Destination List
o Click OK

5. If you want to cascade these permissions to any subfolders, select the appropriate option:

Select To Assign Access To

Do not cascade The selected folder level and its objects only. Users of the group will not
permissions be able to access any subfolders unless they are a member of a group
with access to those folders.
Cascade permission The selected folder and its subfolders. This option will not overwrite any
changes to child folders existing groups that have already been assigned to the folder or
subfolders.
Cascade all permission to The selected folder and its subfolders. This option overwrites existing
child folders groups that have already been assigned to the folder or subfolders.

6. Click OK.

269
 OPTIMA 8.0 User Reference Guide

Creating Module Combinations

On the Module Combinations tab, if you have Administration or Write permissions for Module
Combinations, you can create module combinations.

To do this:

1. On the Module Combinations tab, click the New Module Combination button .

- or -

Right-click in the Module Combinations tab and from the menu that appears, click New
Module Combination.

2. On the New Module Combination tab that appears:

a. Right-click the Modules pane and, from the menu that appears, click Add Module.

- or -

Click the Add Module to Combination button .

b. From the Select Module dialog box, select the module you wish to use and click
Open. The module appears in the Module pane.

3. You can now create links between the modules to view associated element data. For more
information, see Displaying Element Data Across Modules on page 272.

4. To save the combination, right-click the Modules pane and, from the menu that appears,
click Save.

– or –

Click the Save button .

270
 Viewing Data

The Save Module Combination dialog box appears:

In this dialog box:

a. Select the folder in which you want to save the module combination.

Tip: If the required folder does not exist, then click the Create New Folder button .
b. Type a name and (if required) a description and click Save.

Removing Modules from Module Combinations

On the Module Combinations tab, if you have Administration or Write permissions for Module
Combinations, you can remove a module from a combination.

To do this:

1. In the Modules pane, select the module you want to remove and click the Remove button

2. In the Confirm dialog box that appears, click Yes to delete the module.

3. To save the window, click the Save button .

- or -

To save a copy of the window:

a. Click the Save As button .

271
 OPTIMA 8.0 User Reference Guide

b. Select the folder in which you want to save the module combination.

Tip: If the required folder does not exist, then click the Create New Folder button .

Type a name and (if required) a description and click Save.

Note: Removing a module from a combination window does not delete that module from the
Modules tab.

Refreshing Modules in Module Combinations

On the Module Combinations tab, if you have Read permissions for module combinations, you
can refresh the module(s) in a module combination, to ensure that it is the most up-to-date version.

This is particularly useful if you are working in a multiple user environment, and want to see the
changes made by other users.

Important: OPTIMA does not automatically refresh the data.

To do this:

1. In the Modules pane, highlight the module(s) you want to refresh.

Tip: You can select a folder, in order to refresh all of the modules in that folder.

2. Click the Refresh button .

- or -

Right-click and, from the menu that appears, click Refresh Module.

3. In the dialog box that appears, click Yes to confirm.

The selected module is refreshed.

Displaying Element Data Across Modules

When you collate modules together in combinations, you can also add links between them so that
the modules display data for the same elements selected from any of the module network element
trees.

Note: To create module combinations and use module links, you must have Administration or Write
permissions for Module Combinations.

272
 Viewing Data

There are two different types of link:

Item Description

Tree Links Between modules and link elements in the module trees.
When an element in one module tree is selected, all other elements with the same name
are automatically selected in the other module trees. Links can be edited to include other
matching attributes.
Drill Down Links Between levels in the same or other modules.
Drill down links do not have default settings. When you create a drill down link, you also
have to select a field to be used in the link. This link will enable you to view data from
linked modules.

To enable or disable linking within a combination:

In the Module pane, right-click and from the menu that appears, click Enable Linking:

273
 OPTIMA 8.0 User Reference Guide

Adding Links to Module Combinations

To add links to a module combination:

1. Click the Edit Module Links button .

- or -

Right-click the Modules pane and, from the menu that appears, click Edit Links.

The Module Links dialog box appears:

The Modules pane lists each module and each level under that module for which data is
available.

2. In the Modules pane, double-click the level for which you want to create a link.

274
 Viewing Data

The Link Editor appears:

3. Select the type of link you want to create, either a Tree link or a Drill down link.

Important: If the link is between data levels in the same module, you must select Drill
down link.

4. From the Parent Levels/Data Fields listed in the Source Module pane, select the
level/field you want to link.

5. From the Target Module and Tree Level menus, select the module and level you want to
link to.

The Parent Levels pane shows the list of available levels.

6. Highlight the level you want to link to and click the > and < buttons to add or remove links
from the Parent Links pane.

Note: If you have selected a drill down link, the first link is automatically set to the target
module tree level.

7. When you have finished adding links to the Parent Links pane, click OK.

8. In the Module Links dialog box, click OK to save the changes and return to the combination
window.

You can now run the linked modules from the grid.

275
 OPTIMA 8.0 User Reference Guide

Editing and Removing Links

To edit a link:

1. In the Links pane of the Module Links dialog box:

o Double-click the link that you want to edit.

- or -
o Select the link that you want to edit, and then click Edit.

2. Make the required changes and click OK.

3. In the Module Links dialog box, click OK to save the changes and return to the module
combination.

To remove a link:

1. In the Links pane of the Module Links dialog box, select the link.

2. Click Remove.

The link is removed.

3. Click OK to save the changes and return to the module combination.

Running Linked Modules

When you have added drill-down links between modules, you can run the linked modules from
either the grid or the graph.

Note: Elements in a grid column that have available drill-down links are underlined and shown in
blue text.

To run linked modules from the grid:

1. If you want to run the linked modules for a single element, double-click the element name
for which you wish to run linked modules. For example cell 306A.

- or -

If you want to run the linked modules for more than one element:
a. Click the first element in the column and then hold down the left mouse button to
highlight all of the elements for which you want to run linked modules

Note: You cannot select multiple columns.

b. Right-click, and from the menu that appears, click Multi Element Drill Down

2. In the dialog box that appears, select the linked modules that you want to run.

3. Click OK to run the linked modules.

The data for the linked modules will appear in the grid.

To run linked modules from the graph:

1. Double-click the series point for which you wish to run linked modules.

2. In the dialog box that appears, select the linked modules that you want to run.

3. Click OK to run the linked modules.

276
 Viewing Data

The data for the linked modules will appear in the grid.

Editing and Deleting Module Combinations

On the Module Combinations tab, if you have Administration or Write permissions for module
combinations, and you are a member of the group that owns the module combination, you can edit,
rename and delete module combinations.

Note: Deleting a module combination does not delete the associated modules from the Modules
tab.

To edit a module combination:

1. Select the module combination that you want to edit, and then click the Edit button .

- or -

Right-click the required module combination and from the menu that appears, click Edit.

- or -

Double-click the required module combination.

2. On the tab for the module combination, edit it as required, and then click Save.

To rename a module combination:

1. Select the module combination that you want to rename, and then click the Rename button

- or -

Right-click the required module combination and from the menu that appears, click
Rename.

2. Type the new name and then press Enter.

To delete a module combination:

1. Select the module combination that you want to delete, and then click the Delete button

- or -

Right-click the required module combination and from the menu that appears, click Delete.

2. In the dialog box that appears, click Yes to confirm.

277
 OPTIMA 8.0 User Reference Guide

Restricting Editing of Module Combinations

On the Module Combinations tab, you can restrict access to module combinations by:
• Defining a module combination as an Admin Combination, meaning that only users with
Administration permissions can edit, move or delete them
• Selecting which user group can edit, move or delete the module combination

To restrict access to a module combination, you must have:

• Administration permissions for Module Combinations

- or -
• Write permissions for Module Combinations, and be a member of the group that owns the
module combination

To restrict access to a module combination:

1. Select the module combination that you want to restrict.

2. Right-click and from the menu that appears, click Properties.

3. In the Module Combination Properties dialog box, select the owning group from the drop-
down list:

- or -

To set the module combination as an Admin Combination, select the Admin Combination
checkbox:

4. Click OK.

278
 Viewing Data

Copying Module Combinations

On the Module Combinations tab, if you have Administration or Write permissions for module
combinations, you can copy existing module combinations in a number of ways (and then modify
them):
• Using the Copy option in the Combinations pane
• Using the Save As option in the Module Combination dialog box

To use the Copy option:

1. On the Analysis tab, click the Module Combinations button .

2. In the Combinations pane, select the module combination(s) that you want to copy.

Tip: Use the Shift and Ctrl keys to select more than one module combination at a time.

3. Click the Copy button .

- or -

Right-click and, from the menu that appears, click Copy.

4. Select the folder into which you want to copy the module combination(s).

5. Click the Paste button .

- or -

Right-click and, from the menu that appears, click Paste.

The module combinations are copied to the specified folder.

To use the Save As option:

1. In the Combinations pane, double-click the module combination that you want to copy.

The module combination opens.

2. On the Module Combinations toolbar, click the Save As button .

3. In the Save Module Combination dialog box:

o Select the folder in which you want to save the copy of the module combination.

Tip: If the required folder does not exist, then click the Create New Folder button .
o Type a name and (if required) a description and click Save.

Warning: To save a copy of the module combination, and not just overwrite the version
that you have opened, ensure that either the name or folder are different to the original.

279
 OPTIMA 8.0 User Reference Guide

Importing and Exporting Module Combinations

On the Module Combinations tab, you can import and export module combinations to move them
between databases.

To import a module combination:

Note: You must have Read permissions for Module Combinations to import module
combinations/folders (including Admin combinations/folders).

1. Select the folder into which you want to import the module combination(s)/folder(s), and

click the Import button .

- or -

Right-click the folder and from the menu that appears, click Import.

2. Click OK to confirm.

3. In the Import Module Combinations dialog box, click the Browse button.

4. In the Browse for Folder dialog box, select the folder which contains the module
combination(s)/folder(s) that you want to import and click OK.

5. In the File Name list, select the module combination file that you want to import and click
OK.

Tip: Use the Shift and Ctrl keys to select more than one file at a time.

6. If your selection includes module combinations in subfolders, you will be asked if you want
to recreate the directory structure on the Module Combinations tab.

Click Yes to recreate the directory structure, otherwise click No.

7. Click OK to confirm. The module combination(s)/folder(s) are imported to the specified

folder.

To export a module combination or module combination folder:

Note: You must have Read permissions for Module Combinations to export module
combinations/folders, or Administration permissions to export Admin combinations/Admin folders.

1. On the Module Combinations tab, select the module combination(s)/folder that you want
to export.

Tip: Use the Shift and Ctrl keys to select more than one module combination and/or folder
at a time.

2. Click the Export button and from the menu that appears, click either Export
Combination or Export Folder as required.

- or -

Right-click, and from the menu that appears, click Export.

280
 Viewing Data

3. If your selection includes module combinations in subfolders, then in the Export Module
Combinations dialog box, set the following options by selecting or clearing the appropriate
checkboxes:

Item Description

Export module combinations Select this option if you want to export the module combinations
from subfolders contained in the subfolders as well as the selected folder.
Create folders in destination If you have chosen to export module combinations from
directory subfolders, select this option if you want to recreate the directory
structure in your destination directory.

4. Click OK.

5. In the Browse for Folder dialog box, select the folder into which you want to export the
module combination(s)/folder and click OK.

6. Click OK to confirm. The module combination(s)/folder are exported to the specified folder.

Filtering Data in Module Combinations

In a module combination, you can filter the data you view in the grid and graph panes by:
• Selecting network elements from the modules in the module combination. Data is only
displayed for the selected items.
• Setting a date range. This option is available if a date filter has been included in the
module.
• Setting parameter values. This option is available if a parameter has been included in the
module.
• Setting time aggregation. This option is available if time aggregation has been configured.
• 'Drilling' further down into the data, based on:
o The time period of the data
o The counters used in the KPIs for that module

Note: To view module combinations, you must have Read permissions for Module Combinations.

281
 OPTIMA 8.0 User Reference Guide

Filtering Data by Selecting Network Elements

You can select network elements from modules to restrict the data shown in the module
combination. You can select elements in the following ways:
• If you know where the network element appears in the module tree, click the + sign to
expand the tree under the module containing the element you want and select the
checkbox.

• If you do not know where the element appears in the module tree, you can search for it
within one module or across all modules. For more information, see Finding Elements in
the Modules Pane on page 298.
• You can apply a filter to select a defined group of elements within the modules. For
information, see Filtering Elements in the Modules Pane on page 315.

Tip: You can select or clear all the elements under each network element by right-clicking the
element name and, from the menu that appears, clicking Clear or Clear All.

When you have selected the network element(s), click the Run Single Module button to
refresh the data based on this filtering.

Setting a Date Range

You can restrict data by filtering on the current date or over a specified date range.

To select a date or date range:

1. On the New Module Combination tab, click the double down arrow to expand the
Date Range pane.

2. In the Date Range pane, click the Date Range button . The Changing Date
Parameter dialog box appears.

Tip: You can also quickly specify a date range. For more information, see Quickly Setting
a Date Range on page 284.

282
 Viewing Data

3. On the Range tab, select the period over which you require data in one of these ways:

To Do this

Link to the global Select the Start or End checkbox and then select Synchronize to Global Clock.
clock The current date and time appears.
Type the required period in the Period box. For example, 2 days.
You can set a global data and time in the Main Clock. For more information,
see Using Clocks on page 153.
Specify a duration Click either the Start or End checkbox and choose the correct date.
whose start or end
Tip: Click the down arrow button to display the calendar, from which you can
date you know
pick the required date.
Enter the desired period in the period box. For example, 1 week.
Select the Include Time checkbox, if you wish to set the start or end time in
hours and minutes.
Specify a period Select the Start and End checkboxes and choose the required dates.
whose start and
Tip: Click the down arrow button to display the calendar, from which you can
end dates you know
pick the required date.
Select the Include Time checkbox, if you wish to set the start or end time in
hours and minutes.
Note: You cannot synchronize to the global clock if you set a start and end
date.

4. To modify your time period further, on the Exclude/Include tab:

a. Select which days you want to include in the date range. Right-click the Dates of
Week area and, from the menu that appears, you can Select All or Deselect All the
days or choose just Weekdays or Weekends.
b. Select the Start and End hours for the days you have included.
c. Select the checkbox if you want to Exclude Holidays.

5. Click the Run Single Module button or the Run All Modules button as
required to refresh the data.

Data for the period that you specified is displayed. The dates you set are saved for this
window and you can save different dates for each window separately unless you have
linked to the global clock.

283
 OPTIMA 8.0 User Reference Guide

Quickly Setting a Date Range

In the Date Range pane of the Module Combination tab, you can quickly set a basic date range,
rather than defining all of the details.

To quickly specify an absolute range:

1. Ensure that the first radio button is selected:

2. In the From pane, click the down arrow and select the required start date and time:

Tip: You can also type the start and end dates/times manually.

3. In the To pane, click the down arrow and select the required end date and time.

To quickly specify a relative range, based on the current date and time:

1. Select the Relative from now option.

2. Select how far you want to go back in time - for example, 1 week:

If the current date/time was 11:30:00 on 16/04/2014, and you select 1 week, OPTIMA
would return all data between 11:30:00 on 09/02/2014 and now.

284
 Viewing Data

Setting Parameter Values

If you have pre-defined parameters, you can set parameter values to filter module data. For more
information about defining parameters, see Defining Parameters for a Query on page 179.

To set parameter values:

1. On the tab for the specific module combination, click the Parameters button .

The Module Settings dialog box appears.

2. On the Parameters tab, complete the following information:

In this Do this
field

Operator Select an operator from the drop-down list. For example, if you want to create a filter
that only returns data for an exact value, then select the = operator.
Values Type the default value(s) for the parameter.
Note: Multiple values must be separated by commas.
- or -

Click the Values button and, in the dialog box that appears, set the default
values you require and click OK.
Note: This button is only available when using certain data types (DATE and
NUMBER) and/or operators (Between, Not Between, In List and Not In List).
Show All Select this checkbox if you want the parameter to display all of the values of the field.

3. If you want to set parameter values globally for all modules with the same parameter, select
the parameter you require and click Apply Selected Values Globally.

4. Click OK.

5. Click the Run Single Module button or the Run All Modules button as
required to refresh the data.

285
 OPTIMA 8.0 User Reference Guide

Setting Time Aggregation

If time aggregation has been configured for a module, you can set the time period at which to run
the module. For more information about time aggregation, see Enabling Time Aggregation for a
Query on page 186.

To set time aggregation:

1. On the New Module Combination tab, click the down arrow button to expand the
Aggregation By pane.

2. In the Time column, select the required time period for the module:

3. In the Element column, select the element hierarchy level at which you want the query to
run.

4. Click the Run Single Module button or the Run All Modules button as
required to refresh the data.

The selected time period is indicated by the name of the tab, for example daily:

286
 Viewing Data

Drilling Down into Modules Based on Time

If a module has time aggregation enabled, you can drill down within it based on date (and time).

The time aggregation for a particular module is indicated by the subtab below the module name -
for example, daily:

To drill down into a module based on time:

1. Double-click the date column for the particular element into which you want to drill down.

The Date Time Picker appears:

Tip: The Summary pane contains a brief view of the drill down options selected.

If required, select an aggregation type:

o If you select a different time aggregation type to the one already displayed, a new tab
for this type is added, and when the module is run across this time aggregation type
the new data is also added to the Series List so that it can be plotted on the graph.

- or -

287
 OPTIMA 8.0 User Reference Guide

o If you select element aggregation, you can choose to run the module at a different
element level.

2. If you do not want to use an aggregation type, but want to run the module over a specified
time period instead, on the Range tab, select the period over which you require data in one
of these ways:

To Do this

Link to the global Select the Start or End checkbox and then select Synchronize to global clock.
clock The current date and time appears.
Type the required period in the Period box. For example, 2 days.
You can set a global data and time in the Main Clock. For more information,
see Using Clocks on page 153.
Specify a Click either the Start or End checkbox and choose the correct date.
duration whose
start or end date Enter the desired period in the period box. For example, 1 week.
you know Select the Include time checkbox, if you wish to set the start or end time in
hours and minutes.
Specify a period Select the Start and End checkboxes and choose the required dates.
whose start and
end dates you Select the Include Time checkbox, if you wish to set the start or end time in
know hours and minutes.
Note: You cannot synchronize to the global clock if you set a start and end
date.

3. To modify your time period further, on the Exclude/Include tab:

o Select which days you want to include in the date range. Right-click the Dates of Week
area and, from the menu that appears, you can Select All or Deselect All the days or
choose just Weekdays or Weekends.
o Select the Start and End hours for the days you have included.
o Select the checkbox if you want to Exclude Holidays. For more information about
holidays, see Defining Network Events on page 154.

4. Click OK.

288
 Viewing Data

Drilling Down into Modules Based on KPIs

As well as drilling down into modules based on time, you can also drill down into the KPIs used in
the module, and analyze the counters used within that KPI.

Note: You cannot drill down into ambiguous KPIs or aggregated KPIs.

To do this:

1. Double-click a cell in the required KPI column:

A new tab appears, displaying the counters and their values for that KPI:

Tip: The whole KPI is still displayed, and is highlighted. In this example, K_4 (KPI) is the
main KPI, with two counters - KPI_4_1 (KPI) and KPI_4_2 (KPI).

2. If you have drilled down into a KPI containing other KPIs, you can double-click one of these
KPI columns to drill further into the KPI:

289
 OPTIMA 8.0 User Reference Guide

3. To create a graph based on the KPI drilldown data, select the tab and click the Add Graph

button .

The new graph appears:

Warning: If you re-run the corresponding module, the drilldown grids and graphs are cleared, and
must be created again for the new data.

Displaying Trend and Forecast Data for Modules

After you have displayed data for module combinations, you can generate trends and forecasts for
numerical data:
• A trend is a general pattern or direction that the data has followed in the past
• A forecast is the general pattern or direction that the data may follow in the future, based
on past data

Displaying Trend Data for Modules

To display trend data for modules, based on either the original module data or data produced from
drilling down into time or KPIs:

1. In the data grid, select one of the cells in the column for which you want to display trend
data.

Note: You can only trend numerical data.

290
 Viewing Data

2. Click the Trend button .

- or -

Right-click, and from the menu that appears, click Trend Metric.

The Trend Algorithms dialog box appears:

3. Choose one of the trending algorithms.

For more information, see About the Trending Algorithms on page 292.

4. You can also define a threshold value - this is used as the acceptable data 'norm' by which
the trend data that is generated will be evaluated.

Note: The threshold appears as a straight line on the trend graph. In this example, the
threshold is 1.5:

5. Click Run to generate the trend.

291
 OPTIMA 8.0 User Reference Guide

The Trending tab appears, displaying the trend results:

6. To display a graph of the trend data, ensure that the Trend tab is selected, and click the
Add Graph button.

This picture shows an example:

About the Trending Algorithms

If you want to display trending data for modules, you can choose from a number of methods:
• Simple Linear Regression (a and b are computed from input data):

fest (x) = a * x + b;
• Exponential Smoothing

fest (x) = a * f (x - 1) + (1 - a) * fest (x - 1)

• Weighted Moving Average of window size w and weights w1, w2, ..., ww (weights should
have a sum of 1)

fest (x) = w1 * f (x - 1) + w2 * f (x - 2) + ... + ww * f (x - w)

• Simple Moving Average of window size w

fest (x) = ( f (x - 1) + f (x - 2) + ... + f (x - w) ) / w

• Polynomial Regression of 2nd order (a, b and c are computed from input data)

292
 Viewing Data

fest (x) = a * x ^ 2 + b * x + c
• Polynomial Regression of 3rd order (a, b, c and d are computed from input data)

fest (x) = a * x ^ 3 + b * x ^ 2 + c * x + d
• Polynomial Regression of 4th order (a, b, c, d and e are computed from input data)

fest (x) = a * x ^ 4 + b * x ^ 3 + c * 2 + d * x + e
• Polynomial Regression of 5th order (a, b, c, d, e and g are computed from input data)

fest (x) = a * x ^ 5 + b * x ^ 4 + c * 3 + d * x ^ 2 + e * x + g

The functions produce the trends but no standard errors are calculated.

Displaying Forecast Data for Modules

To display forecast data for modules, based on either the original module data or data
produced from drilling down into time or KPIs:

1. In the data grid, select one of the cells in the column for which you want to display forecast
data.

Note: You can only forecast numerical data.

2. Click the Forecast button .

- or -

Right-click, and from the menu that appears, click Forecast Metric.

The Forecast Algorithms dialog box appears:

3. Select Automatic or Manual.

293
 OPTIMA 8.0 User Reference Guide

4. If you select automatic, OPTIMA will use the SARIMA algorithm with the best determined
settings, where 'best' means the one that produces modelled data closest to the real data
and with the smallest amount of deviation.

- or -

If you select manual:

a. Choose the required algorithm.
b. If you have selected SARIMA define the corresponding algorithm settings.

For more information, see About the Forecast Algorithms on page 295.

5. Specify the length of time for which you want to create the forecast. The granularity of the
forecasting period is the same as the granularity of the original module combination data.

Note: This cannot be more than 25% of the overall period covered by the original data - for
example, if the original data is 8 days' duration, the forecasting period cannot be more than
2 days.

6. You can also define a threshold value - this is used as the acceptable data 'norm' by which
the forecast data that is generated will be evaluated.

The threshold appears as a straight amber line on the forecast graph. In this example, the
threshold is 120,000,000:

7. Click Run to generate the forecast.

The Forecast tab appears, displaying the forecast results:

294
 Viewing Data

8. To display a graph of the forecast data, ensure that the Forecast tab is selected, and click
the Add Graph button.

This picture shows an example:

About the Forecast Algorithms

If you want to display forecast data for modules, you can choose from a number of methods.

In forecasting, the forecasted values of a series f(x) at a time x is considered to be dependent on

past values of f(x). The different algorithms are as follows:
• SARIMA

Seasonal autoregressive integrated moving average of a time series:

( ) ( )
Φ p B s Φ p (B )∇ s ∇ d Yt = a + Q Q B S θ (B )et
D

If you choose the SARIMA algorithm, you must set the following parameter values:

Item Description

q This can be either 0 or 7.

p This can be either 0 or 7.

d This can be either 0 or 1.
Q This can be either 0 or 7.
P This can be either 0 or 7.
D This can be either 0 or 1.

S This can be 0, 4, 7 or 12.

• Simple Linear Regression (a and b are computed from input data):

fest (x) = a * x + b;
• Exponential Smoothing

fest (x) = a * f (x - 1) + (1 - a) * fest (x - 1)

• Weighted Moving Average of window size w and weights w1, w2, ..., ww (weights should
have a sum of 1)

fest (x) = w1 * f (x - 1) + w2 * f (x - 2) + ... + ww * f (x - w)

• Simple Moving Average of window size w

fest (x) = ( f (x - 1) + f (x - 2) + ... + f (x - w) ) / w

• Polynomial Regression of 2nd order (a, b and c are computed from input data)

295
 OPTIMA 8.0 User Reference Guide

fest (x) = a * x ^ 2 + b * x + c
• Polynomial Regression of 3rd order (a, b, c and d are computed from input data)

fest (x) = a * x ^ 3 + b * x ^ 2 + c * x + d
• Polynomial Regression of 4th order (a, b, c, d and e are computed from input data)

fest (x) = a * x ^ 4 + b * x ^ 3 + c * 2 + d * x + e
• Polynomial Regression of 5th order (a, b, c, d, e and g are computed from input data)

fest (x) = a * x ^ 5 + b * x ^ 4 + c * 3 + d * x ^ 2 + e * x + g

Saving Module Combinations as Templates

On the Module Combinations tab, if you want to save the settings of a module combination and
reuse them, you can save them as a template. You can also set a template to be your personal
default for a module combination.

Note: To save module combinations as templates, you must have Administration or Write
permissions for Module Combinations.

When you save a module combination as a template, the following details are saved:
• Layout
• Font
• Colors
• Threshold
• Module Selection
• Date Range
• Tiling information of the graphs
• Graph Scroll Information

If you are the creator of a module combination and you set a template to be the default, it becomes
the default template for every user viewing the module combination unless they have personal
settings particular to that module combination.

296
 Viewing Data

To save a module combination as a template:

1. On the tab for the module combination, click the down arrow to expand the Template
pane.

2. In the Template pane, click Save As New Template.

This picture shows an example:

3. In the dialog box that appears, type a name and click OK to save your template.

Loading Module Combination Templates

If you have created your own module combination template, you can load it when you open a
module combination.

To load a module combination template:

1. On the tab for the module combination to which you want to apply the template, click the
down arrow to expand the Template pane.

2. In the Template pane:

o Select the template you want to load from the Change to Load Template drop-down
list.
o If you want to run the template straight away, select the Run All Modules Immediately
checkbox.

- or -

If you just want to load the template without running the modules, leave this checkbox
unselected.

This picture shows an example:

3. In the message box that appears, click Yes to confirm. The template is loaded.

297
 OPTIMA 8.0 User Reference Guide

Editing Module Combination Templates

If you are the creator of a module combination template, you can edit that template and/or set it as
the default template for a module combination.

To edit a module combination template:

1. On the tab for the module combination that uses that template, click the down arrow to
expand the Template pane.

2. Make the required changes to the module combination and then click Update Settings.

3. In the message box that appears, click OK. The template is updated with the new settings.

4. If you want to set the template as the default template, click Set As Default Template and,
in the message box that appears, click OK.

The template is set as the default for a module combination.

Deleting Module Combination Templates

To delete a module combination template:

1. On the tab for a module combination that uses the template, click the down arrow to
expand the Template pane.

2. In the Template pane, select the template you want to delete from the Change to Load
Template drop-down list.

3. In the message box that appears, click Yes to confirm. The template is deleted.

Finding Elements in the Modules Pane

If you want to view data for a particular network element or group of elements, you can search for it
in the Modules pane of a module combination using the following options:
• Find in module – use this to find elements within a single module.
• Find across modules – use this to find elements across a number of modules.

Note: To view module combinations, you must have Read permissions for Module Combinations.

Finding Elements Within One Module

If you want to search in one module for a single network element:

1. In the Modules pane of the tab for the module combination, highlight the module you want
to search.

2. Right-click the Modules pane and, from the menu that appears, click Find in Module.

3. In the Find dialog box, type the element you want to find.

4. Click Find Next. If the element is found, it is highlighted in the Modules pane. You can now
select that element and run the module to view the data.

298
 Viewing Data

Finding Elements Across Modules

If you want to search across several modules for a network element:

1. In the Modules pane of the tab for the module combination, highlight a module.

2. Right-click and from the menu that appears, click Find Across Modules.

3. In the Find Across Modules dialog box, type the element you want to find.

4. Click Find Next. If the item is found, it is highlighted in the Modules pane. You can now
select that element and run the module to view the data.

Using Filters
On the Filters tab, you can create, edit and delete filters.

The types of filter that you can define depend on your permissions:

This Type Can be Used By And is Stored

Personal The user who creates them and users with In the OPTIMA database
Administration permissions on Filters.
Any user with Read permissions on Filters can create
personal filters.
Group The user who creates them, group members, and users In the OPTIMA database
with Administration permissions on Filters.
Any user with Write permissions on Filters can create
Group Filters.
System Users with Administration permissions on Filters. In the OPTIMA database
ENTERPRISE Any user with the correct ENTERPRISE permissions. In the ENTERPRISE
database
Note: OPTIMA's RBAC system does not include
ENTERPRISE-related permissions.

Note: You cannot create ENTERPRISE filters when using the standalone version of OPTIMA.

To open the Filters tab, on the Analysis tab, click the Filters button .

299
 OPTIMA 8.0 User Reference Guide

The Filters tab opens, this picture shows an example:

Filters tab

To view the different types of filter available on the Filters tab:

In the left-hand pane, click the filter type you want to view. All existing filters of that type are
then displayed in the right-hand pane. For example, click Group to view the Group filters.

Tip: If you only want to view your own personal filters, right-click in the left-hand pane and, from the
menu that appears, click Show only current user's filters.

300
 Viewing Data

Creating Static Filters on the Filters Tab

On the Filters tab, if you have Administration or Write permissions for Filters, you can create static
filters, which are based on fixed values that you specify as part of the filter definition.

To create a static filter:

1. On the Filters tab, click the Add Static Filter button .

The Static filter (Add) dialog box appears. This picture shows an example:

2. Complete the following information:

In this field: Do this:

Name Type a name for the filter.

Description Type a description for the filter.
Filter Type Choose the filter type you require by selecting the appropriate radio button.
If you are using OPTIMA as part of ENTERPRISE, you can create User or
System filters, whereas if you are using OPTIMA as a standalone product, you
can create Personal, Group or Administrator filters.

3. Click Next.

4. If you are creating a static filter from the grid pane of a module combination, in the
Available Fields pane, select the network level on which you want to filter.

Tip: You can specify certain criteria that the elements at that network level must satisfy in
order to be included in the list of available filter values. To do this:
o Select the Configure Filter Threshold option.
o Click the Filter Threshold button.
o In the dialog box that appears, specify the field, operator and value for the threshold.

301
 OPTIMA 8.0 User Reference Guide

For example, you could set a threshold for the Cell level, which specifies that cells
should only be included in the filter if their SDCCH_DROP_RATE value is greater than
0.4:

- or -

If you want to use an existing threshold, select the Use Existing Threshold option and
from the drop-down list, select the required threshold.
o Click OK.

5. Click Next.

6. Complete the following information:

In this Do this:
pane:

Filter Values Type the values on which you want to filter. For example, if you want to filter on cell
10A, type 'Cell10A'.
Tip: You can use wildcards to represent characters in filter values. There are two
wildcards you can use:
• Asterisk (*) - to represent zero or more characters. For example, if you
type 'BSC*', you will filter all the values that begin BSC.
• Question mark (?) – to represent a single character. For example, if you
type 'BSC?', you will filter all the four-character values that begin BSC,
such as BSC1 or BSC2.
Note: You cannot use wildcards with ENTERPRISE filters.
Important: If your filter uses a field value that contains a period, then you must
enclose the entire field value in double quotation marks (“”) to make the filter valid.
Load Filter If you want to load filter values from a file, click the Browse button, browse to the
filter file and click Open.

302
 Viewing Data

This picture shows an example:

7. Click Next.

8. If you chose to save your filter as a Group or System filter, select the user group(s) that can
use the filter.

To add a new group:

o Click Add.
o In the Select Groups dialog box that appears, select the group(s) you want to have
access to this filter and use the > button to move them to the Destination List.

Tip: Use the Shift and Ctrl keys to select more than one group at a time and use the >>
button to add all the groups to the Destination List.

9. Click Next.

10. Check your filter details.

303
 OPTIMA 8.0 User Reference Guide

This picture shows an example:

11. Click Finish. The filter is now available from the list of filters that appear on the Filters tab:

304
 Viewing Data

Creating Dynamic Filters on the Filters Tab

On the Filters tab, if you have Administration or Write permissions for Filters, you can create
dynamic filters, which produce a list of filter values by running a data query.

This type of filter is called dynamic because the values returned by the data query can change. For
example, you could define a dynamic query to return all cells with percentage dropped calls less
than 5% in the past 24 hours, which could return different filter values each time it was run.

To create a dynamic filter:

1. On the Filters tab, click the Add Dynamic Filter button .

The Dynamic filter (Add) dialog box appears. This picture shows an example:

2. Complete the following information:

In this field: Do this:

Name Type a name for the filter.

Description Type a description for the filter.
Filter Type Choose the filter type you require by selecting the appropriate radio button.

3. Click Next.

4. Define the data query for the dynamic filter:

o Click Edit. The Data Explorer appears.
o In the Data Explorer, define the SQL for the data query. For more information, see
Defining a Query on page 172.
o When you have finished, click OK, and then click Yes to save your SQL.

305
 OPTIMA 8.0 User Reference Guide

This picture shows an example:

5. Click Next. The query is executed and the filter results are displayed in the Filter Values
pane of the Filter Values tab.

This picture shows an example:

6. Click Next.

306
 Viewing Data

7. If you chose to save your filter as a Group or Administration filter, the Security tab appears.
On the Security tab, select the user group(s) that can use the filter.

To add a new group:

o Click Add.
o In the Select Groups dialog box that appears, select the group(s) you want to have
access to this filter and use the > button to move them to the Destination List.

Tip: Use the Shift and Ctrl keys to select more than one group at a time and use the >>
button to add all the groups to the Destination List.

8. On the Complete Filter tab, check your filter details.

This picture shows an example:

307
 OPTIMA 8.0 User Reference Guide

9. Click Finish. The filter is now available from the list of filters that appear on the Filters tab:

Converting a Dynamic Filter to a Static Filter

On the Filters tab, you can convert a dynamic filter into a static one.The types of filter that you can
convert depends on your permissions and level of ownership; for more information, see Using
Filters on page 299.

There are two options you can use to convert dynamic filters into static filters. This table describes
the two options:

Use this option: To:

Create New Filter Convert a dynamic filter into a static filter which you can change the name,
description and/or type.
Replace Dynamic Filter Convert a dynamic filter into a static filter with exactly the same name, description
and type.

To create a new static filter from a dynamic filter:

1. On the Filters tab, select the dynamic filter you want to convert.

2. Click the Convert to Static Filter button , and from the menu that appears, click
Create New Filter.

- or -

Right-click, point to Convert to Static Filter and click Create New Filter.

The dynamic filter's data query is executed and then the Custom Filter (Convert Dynamic
Filter to Static Filter) dialog box appears.

308
 Viewing Data

3. In the Custom Filter (Convert Dynamic Filter to Static Filter) dialog box, on the first page of
the wizard, you can:
o Type a new name and/or a description for the filter
o Change the filter type by selecting the appropriate radio button

4. Click Next. The results of the data query are displayed as fixed filter values in the Filter
Values pane.

5. Click Next.

6. If you chose to save your filter as a Group or Administration filter, complete the following
information:

In this field: Do this:

Admin Only Select this checkbox if you only want Administrators to access the filter.
Note: This option is only enabled for Administration filters.

Group list Select the user group(s) that can use the filter.
To add a new group:
1. Click Add.
2. In the Select Groups dialog box that appears, select the group(s) you want
to have access to this filter and use the > button to move them to the
Destination List.
Tip: Use the Shift and Ctrl keys to select more than one group at a time and
use the >> button to add all the groups to the Destination List.

7. Click Next.

8. Check your filter details and then click Finish. A new static filter is created.

To replace a dynamic filter with a static filter:

1. On the Filters tab, select the dynamic filter that you want to convert.

2. Click the Convert to Static Filter button , and from the menu that appears, click
Replace Dynamic Filter.

- or -

Right-click, point to Convert to Static Filter and click Replace Dynamic Filter.

3. In the dialog box that appears, click Yes to confirm. The data query is executed and a new
static filter is created. The results of the data query provide the fixed filter values for the
new static filter.

309
 OPTIMA 8.0 User Reference Guide

Setting Filter Security

If you are the creator of a group filter or you have Administration permissions on Filters, you can
select which groups are allowed to use the selected group filter. To do this:

1. On the Filters tab, select the group filter.

2. Right-click and, from the menu that appears, click Properties. The Filter Properties dialog
box appears:

3. On the Security tab, define the user group(s) that can use the filter. To add a new group:
o Click Add.
o In the Select Groups dialog box that appears, select the group(s) you want to have
access to this filter and use the right arrow button to move them to the Destination
List.

310
 Viewing Data

Tip: Use the Shift and Ctrl keys to select more than one group at a time and use the
double right arrow button to add all of the selected groups to the Destination List.

4. Click Apply to save your changes.

5. Click OK to close the Filter Properties dialog box and return to the Filters tab.

Editing Filters on the Filters Tab

On the Filters tab, you can edit existing filters. The types of filter that you can edit depends on your
permissions and level of ownership; for more information, see Using Filters on page 299.

Note: You cannot edit ENTERPRISE filters when using the standalone version of OPTIMA.

To do this:

1. Select the filter that you want to edit and click the Edit button .

- or -

Double-click the filter that you want to edit.

- or -

Right-click the filter that you want to edit, and from the menu that appears, click Edit Filter.

2. In the Custom filter (Edit) dialog box that appears, edit the filter details as required on
each page. When you are satisfied, click the Finish button on the final page.

Renaming Filters
On the Filters tab, you can rename a filter. The types of filter that you can rename depends on your
permissions and level of ownership; for more information, see Using Filters on page 299.

To rename a filter:

1. Select the required filter.

2. Click the Rename Filter button .

311
 OPTIMA 8.0 User Reference Guide

- or -

Right-click, and from the menu that appears, click Rename.

3. Type in the new name for the filter and press Enter.

Deleting Filters
On the Filters tab, you can delete filters. The types of filter that you can edit depends on your
permissions and level of ownership; for more information, see Using Filters on page 299.

Note: You cannot delete ENTERPRISE filters when using the standalone version of OPTIMA.

To delete a filter:

1. On the Filters tab, select the filter you want to delete.

2. Click the Delete button .

- or -

Right-click, and from the menu that appears, click Delete.

3. In the message box that appears, click Yes to confirm. The filter is deleted from the list of
filters on the Filters tab.

Finding Filters
If you want to view a particular filter, you can search for it in the database.

To find a filter:

1. Click the Find button .

The Find Filter dialog box appears:

2. In the Find Filter dialog box that appears, type the name (or partial name) of the filter(s) you
wish to find.

Tip: To restrict the search further, select the 'Find whole words only' checkbox.

3. Click Find First.

312
 Viewing Data

The first filter that matches the criteria is highlighted:

4. To highlight the next filter that matches the criteria, click Find Next.

Copying Filters on the Filters Tab

On the Filters tab, you can copy and paste filters. In this way you can use an existing filter as a
template for another, rather than re-create the filter entirely.

The types of filter that you can copy and paste depends on your permissions and level of
ownership; for more information, see Using Filters on page 299.

To copy a filter:

1. Select the filter(s) that you want to copy.

Tip: Use the Shift and Ctrl keys to select more than one filter at a time.

2. Click the Copy button .

- or -

Right-click and, from the menu that appears, click Copy Filter.

3. Select the folder into which you want to copy the filter(s).

4. Click the Paste button .

- or -

Right-click, and from the menu that appears, click Paste.

The filters are copied to the specified folder.

313
 OPTIMA 8.0 User Reference Guide

Copying Module Combinations

On the Module Combinations tab, if you have Administration or Write permissions for module
combinations, you can copy existing module combinations in a number of ways (and then modify
them):
• Using the Copy option in the Combinations pane
• Using the Save As option in the Module Combination dialog box

To use the Copy option:

1. On the Analysis tab, click the Module Combinations button .

2. In the Combinations pane, select the module combination(s) that you want to copy.

Tip: Use the Shift and Ctrl keys to select more than one module combination at a time.

3. Click the Copy button .

- or -

Right-click and, from the menu that appears, click Copy.

4. Select the folder into which you want to copy the module combination(s).

5. Click the Paste button .

- or -

Right-click and, from the menu that appears, click Paste.

The module combinations are copied to the specified folder.

To use the Save As option:

1. In the Combinations pane, double-click the module combination that you want to copy.

The module combination opens.

2. On the Module Combinations toolbar, click the Save As button .

3. In the Save Module Combination dialog box:

o Select the folder in which you want to save the copy of the module combination.

Tip: If the required folder does not exist, then click the Create New Folder button .
o Type a name and (if required) a description and click Save.

Warning: To save a copy of the module combination, and not just overwrite the version
that you have opened, ensure that either the name or folder are different to the original.

314
 Viewing Data

Filtering Elements in the Modules Pane

On the Module Combinations tab, on a subtab for a module combination, in the Modules pane
you can use filters to select a subset of performance data based on particular network elements.
For example, you might want to select data for cells 10A, 10B and 10C only if these are known to
be a group of problem cells.

Filters are found in the Filters pane. If the pane is hidden, click the Filters title bar to display it:

Filters pane

If you have Administration or Write permissions for Filters, you can create custom filters on the
Filters tab. For more information see Using Filters on page 299.

Creating a Static Filter from a Selection

You can create a static filter by selecting network elements in the Modules pane. For more
information about static filters, see Creating Static Filters on the Filters Tab on page 301.

To create a static filter from a selection:

1. In the Modules pane, select the checkbox for each element that you want to add to the
filter.

2. Right-click the Modules pane and, from the menu that appears, click Create Filter From
Selection.

3. To include the parent elements for each element you have selected, click With Path.

- or -

To include just the selected element names, click Without Path.

4. In the Custom Filter dialog box that appears, complete the filter details as required on
each page. For more information, see Creating Static Filters on the Filters Tab on page
301.

5. When you are satisfied, click the Finish button on the final page.

315
 OPTIMA 8.0 User Reference Guide

The filter is now available from the list of filters that appear in the Filters pane. This picture
shows an example:

Creating a Static Filter From the Grid Pane

If you have run a module and data is displayed in the grid, you can create a static filter from the
Grid pane . The filter will only contain the elements shown in the grid. For more information about
static filters, see Creating Static Filters on the Filters Tab on page 301.

To create a static filter from the Grid pane:

1. Right-click and, from the menu that appears, click Create Filter.

- or -

Click the Create Filter button .

The Custom Filter dialog box appears.

2. Complete the filter details as required on each page. For more information, see Creating
Static Filters on the Filters Tab on page 301.

3. When you are satisfied, click the Finish button on the final page.

The filter is now available from the list of filters that appears in the Filters pane.

Applying Filters
In the Filters pane, you can apply filters in different ways using the Filters pane toolbar. This
picture shows the Filters pane toolbar:

Filters Pane toolbar

316
 Viewing Data

This table describes the buttons on the Filters pane toolbar:

Butto Description
n

Open the Filters dialog box.

Apply to the Module Tree.

Select in Module Tree.

Apply Filter to Grid and Graph.

Clear Filter Selection.

Refresh Filters dialog box.

This is particularly useful if you are working in a multiple user environment, and want to see the
changes made by other users.
Important: OPTIMA does not automatically refresh the data.
Run Filter directly.

To apply a filter:

1. In the Filters pane, select the filter you want to apply by selecting its checkbox.

Tip: You can apply more than one filter at a time. To select another filter simply select its
checkbox.

When you select a filter, the word Include is displayed next to it. This means that the filter's
values will be included when the filter is applied. You can exclude a filter's values by
clicking Include and changing it to Exclude.

2. If you want the filter(s) to apply to all modules, ensure the Apply: all modules checkbox is
selected.

3. If you only want the filter(s) to apply to a selected module, clear the Apply: all Modules
checkbox and, in the Modules pane, select the module you want to filter.

317
 OPTIMA 8.0 User Reference Guide

4. Apply the selected filter(s) by using one of the three methods described in the following
table:

If you want to: Do this:

Apply the selected

filter(s) to the module Click the Select in Module Tree button .
tree. The elements within the filter(s) are selected in the Modules pane.
Only show the
selected filter(s) in the Click the Apply Filter to Module Tree button .
module tree. Only the elements within the filter(s) are shown in the Modules pane.
Apply the selected
filter(s) to the grid and Click the Apply to Grid and Graph button .
graph. Only the elements within the filter(s) are shown in the grid.

Note: When you apply a filter, any elements you have previously selected will be cleared.

Selecting Elements Quickly

You can use the Quick Selection list to select a list of elements in the Modules pane. You can
also re-use previous lists.

Note: When you apply a filter, any elements you have previously selected will be cleared.

To quickly select elements:

1. In the Filters pane, in the Quick Selection drop-down, type the list of elements you want to
select. The elements must be separated by commas, for example, 10A,11B,11C.

Tip: You can use wildcards to represent characters in filter values. There are two wildcards
you can use:
o Asterisk (*) - to represent zero or more characters. For example, if you type 'BSC*', you
will filter all the elements that begin BSC.
o Question mark (?) – to represent a single character. For example, if you type 'BSC?',
you will filter all the four-character elements that begin BSC, such as BSC1 or BSC2.

2. Click one of the buttons on the Filters Pane toolbar to apply your selection. For more
information, see Applying Filters on page 316.

The Quick Selection drop-down list holds the previous ten quick selection filters. To re-use one of
these filters:

1. From the Quick Selection drop-down list, select the one you want to use.

2. Click one of the buttons on the Filters Pane toolbar to apply your selection. For more
information, see Applying Filters on page 316.

318
 Viewing Data

Displaying Data in Graphs

On the Module Combinations tab, on a subtab for a module combination, in the Graphs pane of the
toolbar, if you have Administration or Write permissions for module combinations, and you are a
member of the group that owns the module combination, you can add and arrange graphs.

The following table describes the options that are available in the Graphs pane:

Click this button: To:

Add a new graph to the module combination, based on the data in the
Add Graph selected tab..
You can add as many graphs as required.
Switch between displaying the graphs as separate subtabs and as
Tab/Tile Graphs separate tiled windows.
By default the graphs are displayed as subtabs, so click the button to
switch to separate windows, and then click it again to switch back to
separate tabs.
Display the graphs horizontally, in other words, one on top of the other.
Align Horizontally
Detach graphs from the module combination and display them in their own
Undock/Redock All Graphs dialog box.
To redock the graphs, click the button again.
Display the graphs vertically, in other words, side-by-side.
Align Vertically
Link graphs that have the same x-axis field. In the message box that
Link/Unlink Graphs appears, you can choose to link graphs by either x-axis only or by x-axis
and y-axis. Once you have linked your graphs, they will zoom and scroll in
unison.
To unlink graphs, click the button again.
Export graphs to an HTML file.
Save Graphs to HTML
For more information, see Saving Graphs as Pictures on page 365.

For detailed information about customizing graphs, see Using Graphs on page 339.

Important:
• To display graphs correctly, if the column values that you want to display concatenate two
other column values together (and exceed 30 characters) or contain regular expressions or
formulas you must ensure that you have specified an alias for the graph to use instead. To
do this, define aliases for the concatenated columns in the SQL query, using double
quotation marks before and after the alias name - for example,
ERICSSON2G.CELLCFG.BSC||'.'||E"E2G.CELLCFG.BSC". You can use a space between
the column name and alias instead of quotation marks.
• If you attempt to display a graph based on a grid, the graph will not be displayed until the
grid has completely loaded. This can make the graph appear slow.

319
 OPTIMA 8.0 User Reference Guide

320
 Customizing Grids

6 Customizing Grids

You can show data in grid format when you run either:
• A performance alarm in the Alarm Explorer
• A module in a module combination
• A query in the Data Explorer

For modules, a separate grid is displayed for each module in the combination window. You can
switch between grids by clicking the appropriate tab above the grid. This picture shows an example:

Example Combination Window

Many of the tools used are accessed by right-clicking the grid.

You can also set options to use as the default settings for all grids. For information about how to do
this, see Setting Default Grid Options on page 148.

Important:
• When a grid contains a large number of records some of the tools, such as filtering and
grouping, may slow down the speed with which data is shown in the grid. This is due to the
background processing of these tools. You can prevent this slow down by disabling these
tools after a given number of records are returned from a query. For more information, see
Setting Grid Preferences on page 146.
• If you attempt to display a graph based on a grid, the graph will not be displayed until the
grid has completely loaded. This can make the graph appear slow.

About the Tools for Customizing a Grid

To view the tools menu, hover the mouse cursor over a grid and right-click. This table describes the
menu that appears:

Menu Option Description

Fix columns Expands to fix a number of columns.

Print Prints the grid.
Export to ... Exports a grid.
Format Options ... Expands for you to format the grid.
Multi Element Drill Down Run linked modules.

321
 OPTIMA 8.0 User Reference Guide

Menu Option Description

Record Count Counts how many entries there are in a record.

View Grid Details Shows the details for a selected row in a grid.
Scroll to Column Enables you to scroll horizontally to a specific column.
Server-side Sorting Enables server-side sorting.
Show SQL Displays the SQL used to generate the grid.
Create Filter Opens the Add Filter window.
Customize Summaries Enables you to customize summaries of data in the grid.
Enable Grid Advanced Options Enables/disables advanced grid options
Toolbars ... Expands for you to show/hide the Toolbar and Search bar.

You can show the toolbar above the grid by pointing to Toolbars and from the menu that appears
select Toolbar. The toolbar duplicates most of the options in the popup menu:

Grid toolbar

Button Description

Fix N columns

Print grid

Export grid to Excel

Record count

View grid details

Grid column settings

Apply best column fit

Refresh grid data

Create filter

Enable advanced grid options

Load all columns

Apply order to graphs

322
 Customizing Grids

Customizing Columns in a Grid

You can customize the way each grid displays data using the tools described in the following
sections.

If you have defined a maximum number of columns to display when you run a query (for more
information, see Setting Grid Preferences on page 146), then all the columns may not appear in the
grid. If you want to display all the columns before you begin to customize them, click the Load All

Columns button .

Sorting Data Within Grid Columns

To see by which column data in the grid is sorted, look for the arrow in the column heading. An up
arrow indicates data is in ascending order and a down arrow indicates data is in descending order:

Grid columns

To sort the data using the column headings:

Click the heading for the column by which you wish to sort the data.

Tip: If you want to sort by more than one column, hold down the Shift key and click the
heading for each column by which you want to sort the data.

The table refreshes to show information sorted in ascending or descending order by the
column you clicked.

To clear a sort on a column:

Hold down the Ctrl key and click the heading for the column from which you want to
remove the sort.

Sorting Data Before Running a Module

Before you run a module, you can sort data on the server. This is particularly useful if you know the
query will return a large amount of data. The sorting function is much quicker when run on the
server.

To sort data on the server:

1. Highlight the module in the Modules pane.

2. Right-click the grid and, from the menu that appears, click Server-side Sorting.

323
 OPTIMA 8.0 User Reference Guide

3. In the Sort Order dialog box that appears, highlight the column by which you want to sort
the data and click the right arrow button. Repeat this step for all the columns you want to
sort by:

Tip: You can move all the selected columns back to the list on the left by clicking the
double left arrow button.

4. Sort the columns in the right-hand pane by using the Up and Down buttons.

5. Use the ASC or DESC button to switch between ascending and descending sort orders for
each column.

6. Click OK to return to the grid.

7. You can now run the module. To do this, in the Modules pane:

Click the Run Highlighted Module button .

Fixing Grid Columns

In OPTIMA, for windows that contain a grid showing data, you can choose to fix any number of
columns in that grid. This means that they remain displayed while the other columns of data will still
scroll.

For example, in a window showing Cell Statistics, you might want to have the Cell Identification and
Site name columns fixed so that they are always shown when you are scrolling through the data.
This makes it easy to see which information belongs to which cell.

To fix columns:

Right-click the grid, point to Fix columns and choose the number of columns you wish to
fix.

- or -

Click the Fix N Columns button and in the Fix Columns dialog box that appears, type
the number of columns and click OK.

324
 Customizing Grids

Scrolling to a Grid Column

A data grid can contain an infinite number of columns, depending on the information defined in the
database query. To assist you in locating a column more easily, you can quickly scroll to a grid
column.

To do this:

1. Ensure the Row Highlight option is not selected. For more information, see Viewing
Details of a Single Network Element in a Grid on page 334.

2. Right-click the grid and, from the menu that appears, select Scroll to Column.

3. In the Scroll to column dialog box, from the drop-down list that appears, select the column
to which you want to scroll:

4. Click OK.

The data grid automatically moves to the column that you have selected.

Changing the Grid Column Settings

OPTIMA enables you to change the column settings. You can set the position, size and width of
columns and also hide columns. You can also change how text appears in the columns.

To change the column settings:

1. Right-click the grid, and from the menu that appears, point to Format Options and then
click Column Settings.

- or -

Click the Column Settings button .

325
 OPTIMA 8.0 User Reference Guide

The Column Settings dialog box appears:

2. In this dialog box, set up your columns as required:

To: Do this:

Move a column up or Select the column from the list and click the Move Up and Move Down
down buttons as appropriate.
Move a column to the Select the column from the list and click the Move to First and Move to
beginning or end Last buttons as appropriate.
Change the width of Double-click on the column you want to modify and, in the Column dialog
the column box, type the width you want the column to be.
– or –
Select the column to which you want to make changes and click the Edit
button. In the Column dialog box, type the width you want the column to
be.
– or –
Click in the Width column next to the column to which you want to make
changes and type in the width you want the column to be.
Hide or show a hidden Select the checkbox in the Show column for each column to want to
column display. You can Show All, or Hide All, by clicking the Show All or Hide
All buttons.

Tip: You can also use shortcuts to quickly edit columns. For more information, see
Shortcuts for Changing Column Settings on page 328.

You can change how the text appears in all the columns in your grid by changing the column fonts.
If you have also set threshold and conditional fonts, these will overwrite the column font.

To change the column font:

1. Right-click the grid and, from the menu that appears, point to Format Options and then
click select Font.

2. In the Font dialog box that appears, select how you want the text to appear.

You can set the font, font style, font size and so on.

3. Click OK to close the Font dialog box and save the changes.

326
 Customizing Grids

Setting Thresholds and Conditional Fonts

You can use conditional fonts to highlight certain data values, for example, if you want to show
congestion greater than 1% in blue, and greater than 2 % in red. You can do this as part of the
process of setting thresholds.

Warning: Conditional fonts will override counter thresholds that have been set via the Thresholds
window. For example, if the conditional font has been set on a column containing Erlang data, the
data will be displayed using the conditional fonts rather than the global Erlang threshold colors.

To set thresholds:

1. Right-click the grid and, from the menu that appears, point to Format Options and then
click Column Settings.

- or -

Click the Column Settings button .

2. In the Column Settings dialog box, double-click one of the Threshold columns.

The Column dialog box appears:

3. Select one of the numbered checkboxes to enable that threshold.

4. Type a value for the threshold and select a logical operator (=, <>, >, >=, <, <=) from the
drop-down menu.

5. Click the button to set the conditional fonts. You can set the color, size and font type.

6. Click OK to close the Font dialog box and then click OK to close the Column dialog box.

Note : You can set up to three thresholds for each column.

327
 OPTIMA 8.0 User Reference Guide

7. Click OK to close the Column Settings dialog box.

Data that falls between the thresholds defined for the column can then be viewed in the
grid:

Shortcuts for Changing Column Settings

You can also change the column settings in the grid using the following shortcuts:

To: Do this:

Change the position of a column Select the column and drag it to the desired location in the table.

Change the width of the column Place the cursor between the column titles (above the column divider)
then click and drag the cursor to the required width.
Automatically size the column so Place the cursor between the column titles (above the column divider)
you can read all the column text then double-click between the columns. The column to the left will
automatically resize.

Refreshing Data
The Refresh data option is used to update data in the grid to show the most recent query run.

This is particularly useful if you are working in a multiple user environment, and want to see the
changes made by other users.

Important: OPTIMA does not automatically refresh the data.

To refresh data:

Right-click the grid and, from the menu that appears, select Refresh Data.

- or -

Click the Refresh Data button .

328
 Customizing Grids

Searching for Data in Grids

You can search for data in a grid using the Search toolbar. To do this:

1. Right-click the grid and, from the menu that appears, point to Toolbars.

2. Make sure the toolbar is displayed by selecting Search bar:

The Search bar appears at the bottom of the grid pane:

3. In the Search On box, from the drop-down list select the item that you want to find.

4. In the For box, type a value or element name as required.

5. Select the checkboxes if you want to find a Partial Match and/or you want your search to
be Case Insensitive.

Note: If you search for a partial match of CELL and 301, the search would return all cells
containing the number 301. That is 30100, 30101, 40301 and so on.

6. Click Find to start the search.

The grid scrolls and the line that contains the nearest match to your search is indicated
with an arrow:

Filtering Data in Grids

You can filter the data in one or more columns of the grid. This makes it easier to view specific
information. For example, the grid could display data for a number of days, but you may want to
quickly view the data for just one of those days.

Tip: If a column has a filter applied to it, the filter arrow is shown in blue.

Using filters, you can define the data in the grid in the following ways:
• Display data for a single value from one or more columns, for example BSC1
• Display data which is filtered by rules applied to one column, for example where the Erlang
is less than 5 or greater than 10
• Display data which is filtered by rules applied to more than one column, for example where
the Erlang is less than 5 or greater than 10 and the BSC is equal to BSC1

329
 OPTIMA 8.0 User Reference Guide

Selecting a Single Value to Filter the Grid

You can select a single value from any column in the grid and only view the data which applies to
that value.

To select a value:

Click the filter icon on the heading of the column you want to filter and, from the menu that
appears, click the required value. Repeat this for each column that you wish to filter.

To remove a filter:

Click the filter icon on the heading of the column from which you want to remove the filter
and then click All.

You can limit the number of values that are listed by editing your user preferences. For more
information, see Setting Grid Preferences on page 146.

Filtering One Column of the Grid

You can create a filter which applies to only one column of the grid but uses rules to return more
than one value in that column.

To create a filter:

1. Click the filter icon on the heading of the column you want to filter and, from the menu that
appears, click Custom.

The Custom Filter dialog box appears.

2. Select a rule and type a value for your filter. If the value is a date, click the arrow in the
value box and a calendar appears from which you can select a date.

3. If you want to define a second rule, you must select a logical operator for your filter.

4. Click OK.

The grid refreshes to show only the filtered data, the filtered column's arrow changes to
blue and a summary of the filter appears below the grid.

5. Repeat steps 1-4 for each column that you wish to filter.

330
 Customizing Grids

To remove a filter:

Click the filter icon on the heading of the column from which you want to remove the filter
and then click All.

- or -

Click X in the filter summary below the grid pane:

Filtering More Than One Column in the Grid

You can create a filter which applies to more than one column of the grid and uses rules to return
more than one value for each column. This is done in the Filter Builder.

To open the Filter Builder:

Click Customize, to the right of the filter summary, below the grid.

To create a filter in the Filter Builder:

1. Click Filter and select Add Condition.

2. In the condition row that appears, the first column from the grid is automatically displayed.
To change this, click the column name and from the list of columns that appear select the
appropriate one.

3. To select an operator, click on the default operator and from the list that appears select the
appropriate operator.

331
 OPTIMA 8.0 User Reference Guide

4. To select a value, click Empty and type a value. If the value is a date, click the arrow in the
value box and a calendar appears from which you can select a date.

5. Repeat steps 1-4 until you have defined your filter.

6. Click Apply to view the grid with the filter applied.

7. Click OK to save the filter and close the Filter Builder.

To remove a filter:

Click the filter icon on the heading of the column from which you want to remove the filter
and then click All.

- or -

Click X in the filter summary below the grid pane:

Summarizing Data
OPTIMA enables you to summarize the data contained in the grid.

You choose at least one column by which you wish to group the data, for example, you could
choose to group by CELL.

Important: The data in the column you choose to group by cannot be summarized.

You can then summarize each column by one summary type, that is either count, average,
minimum, maximum or total. For example:

Summaries Example

To create a summary of data in one or more columns:

1. Right-click and, from the menu that appears, click Customize Summaries.

2. In the Quick Aggregation dialog box that appears, select the summary type you require
from the Global Aggregate drop-down list.

3. If you want to apply the summary type to all columns, click the Apply Aggregate to All
Fields button .

332
 Customizing Grids

- or -

If you want to apply the summary type to one or more columns, select the column(s) in the
Field Name list and click the Apply Aggregate to Selected Fields button .

Tip: Use the Shift and Ctrl keys to highlight more than one column at a time.

This picture shows an example:

Tip: To clear all summaries, click the Clear All Aggregates button .

4. Click OK to save your changes and close the Quick Aggregation dialog box.

To view summarized data:

1. Ensure you have created a summary for each column you want to summarize then decide
by which column you want to group the data, this column must not have a summary
created for it.

2. Click the heading of the column by which you want to group the data and drag the heading
into the grey area above the grid.

The grid displays the summaries.

333
 OPTIMA 8.0 User Reference Guide

3. Repeat steps 1-2 for each column by which you want to group the data.

To remove the summaries:

Click the heading in the gray area above the grid and drag it back onto the grid.

Viewing Details of a Single Network Element in a Grid

If your grid has many columns, you might want to highlight a row or view all the details for a single
network element. In OPTIMA, you can do this is two ways:

Highlighting a Row in a Grid

You can analyze the data contained within a row more easily by using the Row Highlight option.
This marks any selected row with a blue background, and colors the text accordingly.

This picture shows an example:

Row Highlighting

To turn this option on (and off):

1. Right-click in the grid.

2. From the menu that appears, point to Format Options and then click Row Highlight.

Viewing Details in a Grid

To view details for a single network element:

1. Select a cell in the row for the element you wish to view.

2. Right-click and, from the menu that appears, select View Grid Details.

- or -

Click the View Grid Details button .

3. A Grid Details window appears, detailing information on your chosen element.

334
 Customizing Grids

This picture shows an example:

4. In the Grid Details window, you can manipulate your data in the following ways:

To Do This

Move the position of data Click the data you wish to move and drag it to the required position.

Sort the details by Field Click on the Field name or Data header box to sort the details. Click
name or Data again to view the details in descending order.
Delete a piece of data Right-click the data and from the menu that appears, click Delete.
Note: Deleting data in this way removes it from the Grid Dialog Box only;
it still remains in the Cell Statistics window.
Print the data In the Grid Details window, right-click and, from the menu that appears,
select Print or Print Preview.
Note: This will only print data for this network element.
Freeze the data in the Grid Right-click the data, and from the menu that appears, click Detach.
Details window
If you then choose to view the details for another element in the grid,
OPTIMA opens a new Grid Details window appears, rather than
refreshing the existing one.

335
 OPTIMA 8.0 User Reference Guide

Printing Grids
From the combination window, you can print:
• A single network element. To do this, you first need to view the details for that single
element, for more information on this, see Viewing Details of a Single Network Element in
a Grid on page 334.
• The entire grid.

To print an entire grid:

1. Right-click the grid, and from the menu that appears, click Print.

- or -

Click the Print button .

2. In the Print dialog box, choose your options then click OK.

Exporting Grids
You can export grids to:
• A CSV or HTML file
• The Clipboard, from where you can paste the grid into other applications
• A Microsoft Excel spreadsheet

To export a grid:

1. Right-click the grid, point to Export and choose one of the following:
o Clipboard
o File as CSV
o File as HTML
o Excel

- or -

If you just want to export to Excel, click the Export to Excel button .

2. If you export to the clipboard, open an application and paste the grid.

– or –

If you export to Excel, an Excel spreadsheet displaying the data opens.

– or –

If you select .CSV or .HTML, select the required location, type a filename then click Save.

Tip: If the required folder does not exist, click the Create New Folder button .

Note: When you export a grid to a version of Excel earlier than 2007, there is a limitation
that each worksheet of the Excel spreadsheet can contain only 65,000 rows. Hence, if
there are more than 65,000 rows to be exported, you will be prompted to create more
worksheets.

3. Click Yes to continue. The data will be divided across various worksheets within a single
Excel spreadsheet.

336
 Customizing Grids

Counting Records in Grids

You can count the total number of cells shown in the grid, even for a particular filter displayed.

To count the records shown:

Right-click the grid and, from the menu that appears, click Record Count.

- or -

Click the Record Count button .

A dialog box appears, displaying the number of records:

Viewing SQL in OPTIMA Grids

You can view the SQL query used in the module that calls the data shown in the grid. You might
want to do this to check you are querying the correct tables, or you may wish to copy the SQL to
use it elsewhere.

To view the SQL:

Right-click the grid and, from the menu that appears, select Show SQL.

A window appears, showing the SQL. This picture shows an example:

Tip: You can copy the SQL in this window by selecting it, and pressing Ctrl+C.

337
 OPTIMA 8.0 User Reference Guide

338
 Using Graphs

7 Using Graphs

When you run a module in the Module Combination window, the data is shown in grid and graph
format. This chapter describes the tools you can use to customize the graph.

Many of the tools used are accessed by right-clicking the graph.

Important: If the column values that you want to display concatenate two other column values
together (and exceed 30 characters) or contain regular expressions or formulas, you must ensure
that you have specified an alias for the graph to use in order to display graphs correctly. To do this,
define aliases for the concatenated columns in the SQL query, using double quotation marks before
and after the alias name - for example, ERICSSON2G.CELLCFG.BSC||'.'||E"E2G.CELLCFG.BSC".
You can use a space between the column name and alias instead of quotation marks.

About the Graph Toolbar

On the graph toolbar, you can access all of the functions for navigating, printing, exporting and
changing the appearance of graphs.

This picture shows the graph toolbar:

Graph toolbar

On this toolbar, the following options are available:

Button Name Description

Arrow and Manual Enables you to manually zoom in and out on a graph.
Zoom
For more information, see Zooming and Scrolling on Graphs.
Rotate Enables you to rotate graphs in either direction.
For more information, see Rotating a Graph on page 351.
Cross Cursor Enables you to view values between different points.
For more information, see Viewing Values Using the Cursor Key
on page 351.
Drag Enables you to scroll to a particular point on the graph.
For more information, see Zooming and Scrolling on Graphs.
Zoom In and Zoom Out Enables you to point to an area of the graph and zoom in or
zoom out.
For more information, see Zooming and Scrolling on Graphs.
Undo Last Zoom Enables you to undo the last zoom you performed.
For more information, see Zooming and Scrolling on Graphs.
Zoom Reset Enables you to reset the zooming on the graph to its original
display.
For more information, see Zooming and Scrolling on Graphs.
View 3D Enables you to view your graph in three dimensions.
For more information, see Viewing the Graph in 3D on page 352.

339
 OPTIMA 8.0 User Reference Guide

Button Name Description

Show Gaps Enables you to view gaps, or missing data values, in the data
shown in a graph.
For more information, see Viewing Gaps in the Data on page
354.
Show Points Enables you to analyze data related to a specific point on the
graph.
For more information, see Displaying Data per Point on a Graph
on page 354.
Show Weekends Enables you to view or analyze points that occur at the weekend.
For more information, see Viewing Weekends and Holidays on
page 358.
Show Holidays Enables you to view or analyze points that occur during
designated holiday periods.
For more information, see Viewing Weekends and Holidays on
page 358.
Show Maintenance Enables you to view or analyze points that occur during
Windows designated maintenance periods.
For more information, see Viewing Maintenance Windows on
Graphs on page 355.
Show Threshold Enables you to view any threshold lines that have been defined.
For more information, see Displaying Thresholds on Graphs on
page 348.
Show Extents Enables you to extend a trend that has been defined.
For more information, see Selecting and Extending Trends on a
Graph on page 361.
Export Enables you to export a graph to the clipboard, to a file or to an
email.
For more information, see Exporting Graphs on page 364.
Print Preview Enables you to print a graph, after previewing its appearance.
For more information, see Printing Graphs on page 363.
Save Graph as Picture Enables you to save a snapshot of the graph as a picture image.
For more information, see Saving Graphs as Pictures on page
365.
Resize Graphs Enables you to change the size of the graph.

Show/Hide Tree Enable you to show and hide the series list.
For more information, see About the Series List on page 365.

Tip: You can also access these options by right-clicking in a graph.

340
 Using Graphs

Changing the Appearance of Graphs

You can set up the properties of graphs using the Graph Options dialog box. Once this is set up
for one graph, it is used as the default for all other graphs.

To open the Graph Options dialog box:

Right-click the graph and from the menu that appears, click Properties.

You can edit the graph options on a number of tabs:

• General
• Axis
• Series
• Functions
• Threshold Lines
• Advanced Options
• Chart Themes

Using the General Tab in the Graph Options Dialog Box

On the General tab of the Graph Options dialog box you can:
• Choose to show or hide the legend key and amend the alignment
• Select auto marks
• Edit the background color

This picture shows the General tab:

General tab of the Graph Options dialog box

Showing and Hiding the Legend Key

You can select to show or hide the legend key in the Graph Options dialog box. To do this:

1. Right-click the graph and from the menu that appears, click Properties.

2. On the General tab, select the Show Legend checkbox.

3. To amend the alignment of the legend key, in the Legend Alignment pane, click the
required option such as Left, Right, Top or Bottom.

4. Click Apply to view the changes and then click OK to save the changes.

341
 OPTIMA 8.0 User Reference Guide

Setting the Auto Marks

You can set the mouse so that when it is hovered over a series, the information about that point in
the series is automatically:
• Displayed in the graph
• Highlighted in the grid

This is known as auto marks. To set the auto marks:

1. Right-click a graph and from the menu that appears, click Properties.

2. On the General tab, select the Auto marks checkbox.

3. Click Apply to view the changes and then click OK to save the changes.

Now when you hover over a point on a graph, the information is automatically displayed, as
shown here:

Setting the Background Color

You can set the background color for the entire graph area. To set a color:

1. Right-click a graph and from the menu that appears, click Properties.

2. On the General tab, click the Change button next to the background color.

3. In the Color dialog box that appears, click on the color you want to use and click OK.

4. In the Graph Options dialog box, click Apply to view the changes and then click OK to
save the changes.

342
 Using Graphs

Changing the Appearance of Graph Axis

On the Axis tab of the Graph Options dialog box, you can:
• Add grid lines to your graph
• Change the values of each axis
• Hide the x-axis border
• Amend the date format
• Change the angle of the labels on each axis
• Change the position of the x-axis border

This picture shows the Axis tab:

Axis tab of the Graph Options dialog box

Adding Grid Lines

To add grid lines to the graph:

1. Right-click the graph then, from the menu that appears, click Properties.

2. Select the Axis tab and click the Grid Lines checkbox for the relevant axis, either left,
bottom or right.

3. Click Apply to view the changes and then click OK to save the changes.

To remove grid lines, repeat the process.

Changing the Values of an Axis

You may want to change the values of an axis because you wish to view the values as a
percentage, or because values for one or two selected counters shown on different axes may be
too small to display.

To change the values of an axis in a graph:

1. Right-click the graph then, from the menu that appears, click Properties.

2. On the Axis tab, under the axis you want to change, clear the Automatic checkbox and
insert the required minimum and maximum values.

3. Click Apply to view the changes and then click OK to save the changes.

343
 OPTIMA 8.0 User Reference Guide

Hiding the Border

If you want to hide the x-axis border of a graph:

1. Right-click the graph and from the menu that appears, click Properties.

2. On the Axis tab, in the Bottom pane, select the Hide Border checkbox.

3. Click Apply to view the changes and then click OK to save the changes.

Changing the Date Format

If you want to change the format of any dates that are shown on the graph axis:

1. Right-click the graph and from the menu that appears, click Properties.

2. On the Axis tab, in the Bottom pane, select the required Date Format from the list.

3. Click Apply to view the changes and then click OK to save the changes.

Changing the Angle of the Labels

You can change the angle of the labels on the bottom axis to enable more labels to be viewed. To
do this:

1. Right-click the graph and from the menu that appears, click Properties.

2. On the Axis tab, in the Bottom pane, use the up and down arrows on the Angle box to
select the angle in degrees.

3. Click Apply to view the changes and then click OK to save the changes.

Changing the Position of the Border

If you want to change the position of the x-axis border:

1. Right-click the graph and from the menu that appears, click Properties.

2. On the Axis tab, in the Bottom pane, use the up and down arrows on the Position box to
select a percentage between -100% and 100%.

3. Click Apply to view the changes and then click OK to save the changes.

344
 Using Graphs

Changing Graph Line Thickness or Bar Chart Type

On the Series tab of the Graph Options dialog box, you can alter the appearance of the series
data when displayed as a line on a line graph or as a bar on a bar chart.

This picture shows the Series tab:

Series tab of the Graph Options dialog box

If your graph is a line graph, you can adjust the thickness of the lines displayed.

To do this:

1. Right-click the graph and from the menu that appears, click Properties.

2. On the Series tab, in the Line Series Thickness pane, select the required line thickness –
Thin, Medium or Thick.

3. Click Apply to view the changes and then click OK to save the changes.

If your graph is a bar graph, you can adjust the thickness of the bars displayed.

To do this:

1. Right-click the graph and from the menu that appears, click Properties.

2. On the Series tab, in the Bar Series Options pane, choose how you want the bars to
appear – None, Side, Stacked, Stacked 100%.

3. If your bar graph has DATETIME on the X-axis, you can specify the thickness of the bars
by typing a number between 0 and 100 in the Bar Width field.

4. Click Apply to view the changes and then click OK to save the changes.

345
 OPTIMA 8.0 User Reference Guide

Using the Functions Tab in the Graph Options Dialog Box

On the Functions tab of the Graph Options dialog box, you can set a gap period. The gap period
is normally set at twice the data capture period, for example, if the data is captured at hourly
intervals, then the gap period would be set at two hours.

This picture shows the Functions tab:

Functions tab in the Graph Options dialog box

To set the gap period:

1. Right-click the graph and from the menu that appears, click Properties.

2. On the Functions tab, in the Gap period pane, use the up and down arrows to set the
number and from the drop-down list select the time period.

3. In the Moving Average Function pane, you can define a number of time periods from
which to take a moving average.

In statistics, the moving average is a series of averages taken from different subsets of the
full data set. In OPTIMA, it can smooth out short-term fluctuations and highlight longer-term
trends or cycles.

For more information, see Example of Setting a Moving Average on page 346.

Note: If the number of time periods is left as the default value of 1, then no moving
average is calculated (because a single time period contains one value).

4. Click Apply to view the changes and then click OK to save the changes.

346
 Using Graphs

Example of Setting a Moving Average

For example, take the following set of data points taken at different time periods:

Time 08 08 08 08 09 09 09 09 10 10 10 10 11 11
00 15 30 45 00 15 30 45 00 15 30 45 00 15

Value 3 7 12 16 19 22 23 23 27 30 33 34 35 35

If you set a moving average function value of 2 time periods, then the values will be averaged
as follows:

Time 08 08 08 08 09 09 09 09 10 10 10 10 11 11
00 15 30 45 00 15 30 45 00 15 30 45 00 15

Value 3 7 12 16 19 22 23 23 27 30 33 34 35 35

Moving 9.5 17.5 22.5 25 31.5 34.5

Averag
es

Moving 5 14 20.5 23 28.5 33.5 35

Averag
es

Creating a final set of average values for the graph:

5 9.5 14 17.5 20.5 22.5 23 25 28.5 31.5 33.5 34.5 35

As another example, if you set a moving average function of 3 time periods, then the values
will be averaged as follows:

Time 08 08 08 08 09 09 09 09 10 10 10 10 11 11
00 15 30 45 00 15 30 45 00 15 30 45 00 15

Value 3 7 12 16 19 22 23 23 27 30 33 34 35 35

Moving 7.3 19 24.3 32.3

Averag
es

Moving 11.7 21.3 26.7 34

Averag
es

Moving 15.7 22.7 30 34.7

Averag
es

Creating a final set of average values for the graph:

7.3 11.7 15.7 19 21.3 22.7 24.3 26.7 30 32.3 34 34.7

347
 OPTIMA 8.0 User Reference Guide

Displaying Thresholds on Graphs

On the Threshold Lines tab of the Graph Options dialog box, you can set thresholds and then
display a threshold line in the graph.

Note: This does not affect the threshold display options in the Grid.

This picture shows the Threshold Lines tab:

Threshold Lines tab of the Graph Options dialog box

To set the threshold:

1. Right-click the graph and from the menu that appears, click Properties.

2. On the Threshold Lines tab, click Add.

3. Type a name for the threshold, for example GSM_Standard.

4. Insert a value.

5. Select the Axis and choose a color.

6. Click OK.

7. In the Graph Display Options dialog box, click OK to save the changes.

Tip: To edit or delete a threshold, highlight the threshold and click Edit and make your changes or
click Delete.

To display threshold lines:

Right-click the graph and from the menu that appears, click Show Threshold Lines.

- or -

Click the Show Threshold button .

The threshold lines for this graph are displayed.

348
 Using Graphs

Using Advanced Options

On the Advanced Options tab of the Graph Options dialog box you can set a wide range of graph
options.

This picture shows the Advanced Options tab:

Advanced Options tab of the Graph Options dialog box

The Advanced Options tab has two sub-tabs which are described in the following table:

On this sub-tab: You can:

Chart Perform or set many of the options for graphs, for example:
• Print Preview
• Zoom
• Scroll
• Axis
• Titles
• Legend
Export Set the options for exporting graphs.

349
 OPTIMA 8.0 User Reference Guide

Using Chart Themes

On the Chart Themes tab of the Graph Options dialog box, you can apply pre-defined themes,
such as Windows XP, to your graphs.

This picture shows the Chart Themes tab:

Chart Themes tab of the Graph Options dialog box

To apply a theme to a graph:

1. Right-click the graph and, from the menu that appears, click Properties.

2. On the Chart Themes tab, select a theme from the list in the left-hand pane.

3. Click Apply to apply the theme to your graph.

4. Click OK to save your changes and return to the combination window.

About the Navigating Tools

You can use the following tools to navigate around the graphs:
• Zoom
• Rotate
• Cursor

Zooming and Scrolling on Graphs

You can point to an area on the graph and manually zoom in or zoom out. To do this:

1. Click the Arrow & Manual Zoom button on the toolbar.

2. Click and hold the left mouse button on the graph and drag the cursor to select an area:
dragging to the right zooms in the graph, dragging to the left zooms out, and so on.

3. Release the left mouse button to achieve the desired effect.

You also have options to zoom in or zoom out by only 10%. To do this:

To zoom in or out on a graph:

On the graph, right-click and from the menu that appears, click Zoom In or Zoom Out as
appropriate.

- or -

Click the Zoom In button or the Zoom Out button as required.

350
 Using Graphs

Tips:

o To undo the last zoom you performed, click the Undo Last Zoom button
o To reset the zooming on the graph to its original display, click the Zoom Reset button

You can also scroll to a particular point on the graph. To do this:

1. On the graph, right-click and from the menu that appears, point to Mouse Options and
click Drag Mode.

- or -

Click the Drag Mode button on the toolbar.

2. Click and hold the left mouse button on the graph and drag the cursor in the required
direction: dragging to the right scrolls the graph right, dragging to the left scrolls the graph
left, and so on.

To turn scrolling off, click the Drag Mode button again.

Rotating a Graph
You can rotate graphs using the rotating tool. To do this:

1. On the graph, right-click and then from the menu that appears, point to Mouse Options
and click Rotate.

- or -

Click the Rotate button on the toolbar.

2. Click and hold the left mouse button on the graph and drag the cursor in the required
direction.

To turn the rotating tool off, click any one of the following buttons on the toolbar:

• Arrow & Manual Zoom button

• Cursor button

• Drag button

Viewing Values Using the Cursor Key

Use the cursor key to view values between points. To select the cursor:

1. On the graph, right-click and from the menu that appears, point to Mouse Options and
click Cursor.

- or -

Click the Cursor button on the toolbar.

2. Hover with the mouse over the graph and drag the cursor in the required direction, the
values are highlighted on the graph.

351
 OPTIMA 8.0 User Reference Guide

To turn the cursor tool off, click any one of the following buttons on the toolbar:

• Arrow & Manual Zoom button .

• Rotate button .

This button is active only if the graph is in the 3D view.

• Drag button .

About the Appearance Tools

You can use the following tools to change the appearance of the graphs:
• View 3D
• Show Gaps
• Show Points
• Show Weekends and Holidays

Viewing the Graph in 3D

You can view graphs in 2D or in 3D.

To view a graph in 3D:

On the graph, right-click and from the menu that appears, click View 3D.

- or -

Click the View 3D button on the toolbar.

To revert to a 2D graph, click the View 3D button again.

352
 Using Graphs

This picture shows a graph in 2D:

2D graph

This picture shows the same graph in 3D:

3D graph

353
 OPTIMA 8.0 User Reference Guide

Viewing Gaps in the Data

You can view gaps, or missing data values, in the data shown in a graph.

The gap period is set on the Functions tab in the Graph Options dialog box. For more
information, see Using the Functions Tab in the Graph Options Dialog Box on page 346.

To view the gaps in the data:

1. Ensure you have set the required gap period.

2. On the graph, right-click and from the menu that appears, point to Extra Info and click
Show Gaps.

- or -

Click the Show Gaps button on the toolbar.

The gaps will display on the graph.

Tip: To view the gaps in more detail, use the zooming tool.

To remove gaps from the graph, click the Show Gaps button.

Displaying Data per Point on a Graph

You may wish to study data related to a specific point on a graph. To do this:

1. Right-click a graph and from the menu that appears, point to Extra Info and click Show
Points.

- or -

Click the Show Points button on the toolbar.

354
 Using Graphs

The data points are marked on the graph:

2. Click the specific point on the graph. The Counter value and the date appear. The grid also
scrolls to this value, enabling you to see the relevant data in tabular form.

You can also view the information on the graph automatically with the mouse hovered over
the points. This is called auto marks. For more information, see Using the General Tab in
the Graph Options Dialog Box on page 341.

To remove the points from the graph, click the Show Points button.

Viewing Maintenance Windows on Graphs

In module combinations, you may want to view periods of maintenance (or 'windows'), during which
network or element performance will be affected by upgrades or other general maintenance work.

Maintenance windows consist of a window name, description, start and end dates and a list of the
elements affected.

For more information on how to create maintenance windows, see Defining Maintenance Windows
on page 157.

355
 OPTIMA 8.0 User Reference Guide

To view maintenance windows for the elements displayed on the graph:

Click the Show Maintenance Windows button on the toolbar.

- or -

On the graph, right-click and from the menu that appears, point to Extra Info and click
Show Maintenance Windows.

The maintenance windows are shown as a series of solid circle points, with signs (square
brackets) marking the start and end points of each maintenance window:

To change the color of the points and signs, change the series color. For more information,
see Changing the Colors of the Graph Lines on page 366.

To remove the maintenance window from the graph, click the Show Maintenance Windows
button again.

356
 Using Graphs

You can display different levels of detail for specific maintenance windows, depending on what you
hover over:
• If you hover over one of the maintenance window points, or any other part of the series line
that falls within the maintenance window, you can view the name, description, start and
end dates and times of the maintenance window, as well as the date and time for the
particular point:

• If you hover over either of the maintenance window signs you can view the name and
description of the maintenance window, as well as the date and time of the start or end of
the maintenance window, depending on which sign you are hovering over.

357
 OPTIMA 8.0 User Reference Guide

Note: For any point, sign or other part of the series line, you can view details for up to three
maintenance windows at once. Any other additional maintenance windows that affect the point,
sign or other part of the series line are only listed underneath:

Displaying more than three maintenance windows

Viewing Weekends and Holidays

You may wish to view or analyze points that occur at the weekend or on holidays.

For more information on defining holidays, see Defining Holidays on page 156.

To do this:

On the graph, right-click and from the menu that appears, point to Extra Info and click
either Show Weekends or Show Holidays.

- or -

Click the Show Weekends button or Show Holiday button on the toolbar.

The weekend or holiday periods are indicated on the graph.

o Weekends are marked with solid shading:

358
 Using Graphs

o Holidays are marked with 'hatched' shading:

To remove the shading from the graph, click the Show Weekend or Show Holiday button
again.

359
 OPTIMA 8.0 User Reference Guide

Changing the X-Axis Field

To change the x-axis field of a graph:

1. Right-click the graph and, from the menu that appears, click Change X-Axis Field.

2. In the message box that appears, click Yes to confirm.

3. In the Select Field dialog box that appears, in the left-hand pane, select the module with
the field that you want to be the x-axis. This picture shows an example:

4. Select either Date Type or Non-Date type from the View drop-down list, depending on
which data type you require.

5. In the right-hand pane, double-click the field you want to be the x-axis field.

Note: All x-axis fields must have matching data types.

6. When you have finished, click OK to save your changes and return to the combination
window.

360
 Using Graphs

Selecting and Extending Trends on a Graph

To select a trend:

1. From the Series list, select the Counters or the Elements tab.

2. On the selected tab, select a node.

3. Right-click and from the menu that appears, point to Series Properties and click All Series
Options.

This picture shows an example:

4. In the dialog box that appears, click the Functions column corresponding to the selected
node.

5. Select the Trend Function Type.

Click the Color column to select the color of the trend in the graph.

This picture shows an example of selecting a trend for a node:

6. Click OK.

361
 OPTIMA 8.0 User Reference Guide

To extend a trend:

1. Select a trend.

2. On the graph, right-click and from the menu that appears, click Show Extents.

- or -

Select the Show Extents button from the toolbar.

3. In the Time Period dialog box that appears, use the up and down arrows and the drop-
down list to select how far you would like to extend the trends.

This picture shows an example:

4. Click OK to view the extended trend.

Viewing Details in a Graph

To view details for a series point on a graph:

1. Select the point on the graph you wish to view details about.

2. Right-click and, from the menu that appears, click View Details.

A Grid Details window appears, detailing information on your chosen point.

This picture shows an example:

3. In the Grid Details window, you can sort your data by clicking on the Field name or Data
header box.

362
 Using Graphs

Printing Graphs
From the combination window, you can print a graph.

To do this:

1. Right-click the graph and from the menu that appears, click Print Preview.

- or -

Click the Print Preview button from the toolbar.

The Print Preview dialog box appears:

2. In the Print Preview window, configure the following items so your graph prints as
required:

Set the: By Doing This:

Printer Selecting a printer from the list. You can set the printer properties by clicking the
Setup button.
Paper Selecting either Portrait or Landscape.
Orientation
Margins Using the up and down arrows next to each margin value.
- or -
Selecting the View Margins checkbox and dragging the margins to the desired
position on the preview of the graph.
Detail Level Dragging the Detail arrow to either More or Normal.

3. Click the Print button.

363
 OPTIMA 8.0 User Reference Guide

Exporting Graphs
From the combination window, you can export a graph:
• To the Clipboard
• To a File
• Via email

To export a graph:

1. Right-click the graph and from the menu that appears, click Export.

- or -

Click the Export button .

2. In the Export dialog box that appears, select the format type for exporting the graph:

3. If you want to save the graph to the Clipboard, click Clipboard. The graph is saved to the
clipboard.

- or -

If you want to export the graph to a File, click File and in the Save as window that appears,
browse to the appropriate folder and save your graph.

Tip: If the required folder does not exist, click the Create New Folder button .

- or -

If you want to export the graph via email, click Email and in the Choose profile dialog box,
ensure the profile is correct and click OK. The graph is added to a blank email as an
attachment.

If the export is successful, a 'Completed' message appears beneath the selected option, for
example:

4. When you have completed your export, in the Export dialog box, click Close.

364
 Using Graphs

Saving Graphs as Pictures

From the combination window, you can save a graph as a picture.

To do this:

1. In the Graph pane of the Module Combination toolbar, click the Save Graph as Picture
button .

2. In the Save As dialog box that appears, browse to the appropriate folder, type a name, and
click Save.

Tip: If the required folder does not exist, click the Create New Folder button .

The graph is saved as a JPEG file.

About the Series List

The series list is shown to the left of the graph pane, and displays the counters and elements
available for selection within the graph.

Select counters and elements to display their corresponding series values on the graph.

This picture shows the series list:

You can show and hide the series list.

To show or hide the list:

Right-click the graph, from the menu that appears click Visible Tree

- or -

Click the Show/Hide Tree button

To view the series list tool menu:

Right-click the series list.

Tip: Use the Selections Options to select all the data in the series list and the Unselect
all option to deselect the data.

From the series list you can:

• Order data in the series list
• Move series along the z axis when viewing a graph in 3D
• Change the colors used on the graph
• Change the axis where data appears
• Change the graph type between bar, line and point graphs
365
 OPTIMA 8.0 User Reference Guide

• Access extra functions if the graph is a line graph

Ordering the List of Data for a Graph

You may wish to order performance data in the list to the left of the graph. OPTIMA enables you to
sort this data alphabetically. This is useful for displaying related data together when multiple
elements have been selected for viewing.

To order the list of data that you can display on a graph:

1. Right-click the series list.

2. From the menu that appears, click Sort.

About the 3D Options in the Series List Menu

The 3D options are only available when a graph is in 3D mode. You can use the 3D options to
move series in a graph on the z axis forward one, back one or right to the beginning of the axis or
to the end of the axis. To do this:

1. Right-click the series list.

2. From the menu that appears select 3D Options and then select the option you require.

Changing the Colors of the Graph Lines

To change the color of a graph line:

1. In the series list pane, select the node for which you want to change the color and right-
click.

2. From the menu that appears, point to Series Properties and click All Series Options.

3. In the dialog box that appears, click the Color column corresponding to the selected node.

4. Choose a color from the color palette.

5. Click OK to close the dialog box. This applies the color to the graph.

366
 Using Graphs

You can also change the color of a series in the following way:

1. Select a series on the graph.

2. Right-click and click Change Series Color.

3. In the dialog box that appears, select a color for the series:

4. Click OK. The series has the selected color in the graph.

Changing the Type of Graph

You may wish to display data on different types of graph. You can use this function to switch
between area, bar, line and point graphs.

To do this:

Right-click the series list and, from the menu that appears, point to Change Graph Type
and click either Area, Bar, Line or Point.

The graph data is then displayed in the new graph type.

Tip: If you do this at the module level, you can change the graph type for all items in the
series list.

367
 OPTIMA 8.0 User Reference Guide

Changing the Axis Where Data Appears

If you are comparing two graphs, it is sometimes easier to gain an accurate picture or comparison
when the graphs you are viewing have the same axis. An example of this might be if you have a
view set up that combines a cell history and cell statistics module.

However, you may not want all the data displayed using the same axis.

For example, values for one of two selected counters may be too small to display. In this case, you
can select one of the counters and change the axis. To do this:

1. In the series list pane, click the Graph Axis button next to the required counter.

The counters are displayed on the right axis.

2. To change the axis, click the Graph Axis button again and the counter will display on
the left axis.

Using the Series List Functions in Line Graphs

If the graph is a line graph, you can access extra functions such as low, high, trend, and average,
for the graph.

To use a function:

1. In the series list pane, select a node and right-click.

2. From the menu that appears, point to Series Properties and click All Series Options.

3. In the dialog box that appears, click the Functions column corresponding to the selected
node.

4. From the list of functions that appears, select the one you want to use:

368
 Using Graphs

This table describes the functions:

Function Description

Trend Constructs a line based on the trend of the series values; it draws the best
straight line trend through the data.
Low Shows the lowest point of all the series values.
High Shows the highest point of all the series values.
Average Gives you the average for a series across the whole chart.
Moving Average Performs a simple or weighted average of last period series values enabling
you to track the current average as your data charts.
Exponential Creates an exponential average based on the series values.
Average
Note: The exponential average is similar to a moving average. It has a
weight factor to add importance to more recent data.
Standard Deviation Shows the standard deviation from the mean of data from the input series.
Curve Fitting Performs a polynomical Gaussian calculation on the underlying series data
to draw a smooth curve over the original points.
Cumulative Constructs a line based on the cumulative values of the input. It sums the
series values starting from the first point.
Count Draws a horizontal line at Y position that is defined by the number of values
in underlying series.
RSI Calculates a percent value based on financial data.

369
 OPTIMA 8.0 User Reference Guide

370
 Using Work Areas

8 Using Work Areas

An OPTIMA work area can contain two types of page:

• Web browser pages, which enable you to display web pages
• Combination pages, which enable you to display module combinations

By using a work area, you can:

• Save all the items you regularly use then open this one work area rather than opening each
item every time you want to view it. All the settings for the work area are saved on a per
user basis to a local .INI file. You can save a work area as a favorite. This gives you quick,
easy access to that work area from the Favorites toolbar. For more information, see Using
Favorites on page 55.
• Set up refresh times so, after a specified interval, queries will be executed again.
• Set switching intervals so that you can automatically switch between combinations and web
browsers.

To open a Work Area tab:

On the Analysis tab, click the New Work Area button .

The Work Area tab opens:

371
 OPTIMA 8.0 User Reference Guide

Creating Work Areas

On the Work Area tab, if you have Write permissions for Work Areas, you can create work areas.

To do this:

1. Add the combinations that you want to include.

For more information, see Adding and Removing Module Combinations in Work Areas on
page 372.

2. Add the web pages that you want to include.

For more information, see Adding and Removing Web Pages in Work Areas on page 374.

3. Define the switching and refreshing data intervals.

For more information, see Refreshing Data and Switching Tabs on page 375.

4. On the Work Area toolbar, click the Save button .

5. In the dialog box that appears, type the name of the work area and then click OK.

Adding and Removing Module Combinations in Work Areas

On the Work Area tab, if you have Write permissions for Work Areas, you can add and remove
module combinations to work areas.

To add a combination to a work area:

1. Click the Add Combination button .

2. In the Module Combination dialog box, select the combination you want to add and click
OK.

3. You can now specify the switching interval and the refreshing interval for the page. For
more information see Refreshing Data and Switching Tabs on page 375.

4. Click the Save button to save your changes.

Tip: You can also drag and drop an open combination onto a work area.

372
 Using Work Areas

This example shows a work area containing three module combinations:

Example Work Area with Three Modules

To remove a combination from the work area:

1. Right-click the combination tab you want to remove and, from the menu that appears,
select Remove Combination.

- or -

Click on the combination tab you want to remove and click the Remove Combination

button .

2. In the Confirm dialog box, that appears, click Yes.

The combination is removed from the work area.

3. Click the Save button to save your changes.

373
 OPTIMA 8.0 User Reference Guide

Adding and Removing Web Pages in Work Areas

On the Work Area tab, if you have Write permissions for Work Areas, you can add web pages to
show, for example, intranet or internet views of queries that may be running.

To add a web page to a work area:

1. Click the Add Web Page button .

2. In the dialog box that appears, type the URL for the web page you want to display then click
OK.

Tip: To change the page you want to display, on the work area toolbar, click the Edit Web

Page button and type the new web page address.

A new page displaying the web page is added to your work area. This picture shows an
example:

You can navigate to other areas from the web page, although the Back web browser
button is not available when navigating from the web page.

3. You can now specify the switching interval and the refreshing interval for the page. For
more information, see Refreshing Data and Switching Tabs on page 375.

4. Click the Save button to save your changes.

374
 Using Work Areas

To remove a web page from the work area:

1. Click on the web page tab you want to remove and then click the Remove Web Page

button .

- or -

Right-click the web page tab you want to remove and, from the menu that appears, select
Remove Web Page.

2. In the Confirm dialog box, that appears, click Yes.

The web page is removed from the work area.

3. Click the Save button to save your changes.

Refreshing Data and Switching Tabs

On the Work Area tab, if you have Write permissions for Work Areas, you can set up refresh times
for the data on a particular page, so that after a specified interval the query will be executed again
and the data updated.

Refreshing data in a work area is particularly useful if you are analyzing Key Performance
Indicators (KPIs) which are updated within a specified interval (for example, every hour). The
refresh timing interval set for a work area will apply to all of the module combinations contained in
it.

You can also set a switching interval, which specifies how long a page is shown before OPTIMA
switches to the next page of data.

To specify the interval for data refresh or switching for a single page or all pages:

1. Select the web page tab for which you want to set the refresh and/or switching intervals.

2. Click the Refresh Intervals button .

The Refresh Intervals dialog box appears:

375
 OPTIMA 8.0 User Reference Guide

3. In the Refresh interval field, specify the interval time in seconds. This is the number of
seconds that should pass before the query runs to refresh the data.

Tip: If you want the interval to apply to all pages, select the Apply to All checkbox.

4. In the Switch interval field, type the interval time in seconds. This is the number of
seconds that should pass before the work area switches to the next page.

Tip: If you want the interval to apply to all pages, select the Apply to All checkbox.

5. Click OK.

6. If you have selected to apply the refresh and/or switching intervals to all pages, click Yes to
confirm.

For these settings to take effect, you must enable the intervals. For more information, see
Enabling Data Refreshing and Switching on page 376.

Enabling Data Refreshing and Switching

If you have specified refresh and switching intervals, on the Work Area toolbar, you must enable
them for them to have an effect.

To turn the Refreshing data option on or off, click the Refresh Enabled button .

To turn the Switching option on or off, click the Switching Enabled button .

Opening Work Areas

On the Work Area tab, if you have Read permissions for Work Areas, you can open a work area
for viewing and (if you have Write permissions as well) editing.

To do this:

1. Click the Open Work Area button .

2. In the Open Work Area dialog box, select the relevant work area file and click OK.

The work area is loaded, with any switching and refreshing intervals that have been
configured for it.

376
 Using Work Areas

Exporting and Importing Work Areas

On the Work Area tab, if you have Write permissions for Work Areas, you can transfer work areas
between projects by exporting them as *.ini files and then importing them into another project.

Note: If you only have Read permissions for Work Areas, you can only export work areas.

To export a work area:

1. Select the required work area, and then click the Export Work Area button .

2. In the dialog box that appears, browse to the location for the work area *.ini file.

3. Type a name for the work area *.ini file and then click Save.

The work area is exported.

To import a work area:

1. Click the Import Work Area button .

2. In the dialog box that appears, select the work area *.ini file that you want to import, and
then click Open.

The selected file is imported, and the work area opens.

Deleting Work Areas

On the Work Area tab, if you have Write permissions for Work Areas, you can delete work areas.

Warning: When you delete a work area, its *.ini file is deleted from your machine. Therefore, you
should only do this if you are certain that you no longer need this work area.

To do this:

1. Select the required work area, and then click the Delete button .

2. In the dialog box that appears, click Yes to confirm the deletion.

The work area is deleted.

377
 OPTIMA 8.0 User Reference Guide

378
 Generating and Scheduling Reports

9 Generating and Scheduling Reports

You can use OPTIMA to generate and schedule reports of performance data. You can create
reports, and then, at times you have defined, have OPTIMA automatically produce reports and
email them to you, print them to a printer or save them to a file. The reports can be printed or
exported in the following formats:

• RAF • XLS
• CSV • BMP
• PDF • JPEG
• XHTML • TIFF
• RTF • RTM
• HTML

You can save a report as a favorite and then have quick, easy access to that report from the
Favorites toolbar. For more information, see Using Favorites on page 55.

In OPTIMA, you can use two types of report:

Report Type Description

Standard report Standard reports are created using ReportBuilder, which is a third party report
application that is fully integrated with OPTIMA. For more information, see Creating
Reports Using ReportBuilder.
Note: Detailed information on ReportBuilder and how to use it can be found on the
Digital Metaphors website at www.digital-metaphors.com. Digital Metaphors supply a
document called Learning ReportBuilder, which is available for download from their
website.
These reports are usually just called 'reports' or sometimes ReportBuilder or RB
reports.
ReportBuilder is a registered trademark.
Important: The ReportBuilder option is only available for upgraded OPTIMA users with
a Reports license. If OPTIMA 8.0 is the first version that you are using, then you should
use the Microsoft Excel report option or Netrac PM Reporter to create reports.
Excel report Reports using Microsoft Excel, which are created using the Excel Report Editor.
For more information, see Creating Excel Reports on page 430.

Download Learning ReportBuilder

To access the Learning ReportBuilder document:

1. On the www.digital-metaphors.com Welcome page click the Documentation link.

2. From the list of options in the left hand pane, select Documentation - Learning
ReportBuilder.

You can now download the Learning ReportBuilder document, in PDF format.

379
 OPTIMA 8.0 User Reference Guide

Using the Reports Tab

On the Reports tab, if you have Administration or Write permissions for Reports, you can create,
edit and delete reports.

To open the Reports tab, on the Analysis tab, click the Reports button .

The Reports tab opens:

Example Reports tab

Creating Folders for Reports

On the Reports tab, if you have Administration or Write permissions for Reports, you can create
and delete folders.

To create a new folder:

1. Browse to where you want to create the new folder and right-click. From the menu that
appears, click New Folder.

- or -

Click the New Folder button .

2. Type a name for your new folder and press Enter.

Tip: If you have Administration permissions for Reports, you can restrict access to folders to
prevent other users from accessing them. For more information about this, see Restricting Access
to Report Folders on page 381.

380
 Generating and Scheduling Reports

Deleting Report Folders

On the Reports tab, if you have Administration or Write permissions for Reports, you can delete
folders.

Warning: If you delete a schedule folder, OPTIMA will also delete all of the schedules contained in
it.

To do this:

1. Select the folder that you want to delete, and then click the Delete button .

- or -

Right-click the required folder and from the menu that appears, click Delete.

2. In the dialog box that appears, click Yes to confirm.

Restricting Access to Report Folders

On the Reports tab, you can restrict access to report folders in the following ways:
• If you have Administration or Write permissions for Reports, you can select which user
groups can access the folder
• If you have Administration permissions for Reports, you can define a folder as an Admin
Folder, meaning that only users with Administration permissions can edit, move or delete
them

To restrict access to a folder:

1. Select the folder that you want to restrict.

2. Right-click and from the menu that appears, click Properties.

The Report Folder Properties dialog box appears.

381
 OPTIMA 8.0 User Reference Guide

3. Click the Security tab:

4. To set the folder as an Admin folder, select the Admin Folder checkbox:

- or -

To select which user groups can access the folder:

o Click the Add button
o Select the required group(s) from the Source list
o Click the right arrow button to move them to the Destination List
o Click OK

5. If you want to cascade these permissions to any sub-folders, select the appropriate option:

Select To Assign Access To

Do not cascade permissions The selected folder level and its objects only. Users of the group will
not be able to access any subfolders unless they are a member of a
group with access to those folders.
Cascade permission changes The selected folder and its subfolders. This option will not overwrite
to child folders any existing groups that have already been assigned to the folder or
subfolders.
Cascade all permission to The selected folder and its subfolders. This option overwrites existing
child folders groups that have already been assigned to the folder or subfolders.

6. Click OK.

382
 Generating and Scheduling Reports

Running Reports
On the Reports tab, if you have Read permissions for Reports, you can run reports and view the
data.

To run a report:

1. Select the report you want to view.

2. Click the Run button .

- or -

Double-click the report name.

3. If the report has any components that require resolution, for example ambiguous KPIs, the
Selection dialog box appears. For more information, see Selecting Filter Values and
Parameters on page 184.

Note: If the numbering format does not match your locale (for example, if the reports display
decimals in the UK format (for example, '12.3') rather than the required European format ('12,3')),
contact your administrator to change your regional settings, or see Defining the Regional Settings
on page 99.

To refresh the data shown in a report:

On the Report Explorer toolbar, click the Refresh button .

This is particularly useful if you are working in a multiple user environment, and want to see
the changes made by other users.

Warning: OPTIMA does not automatically refresh the data.

To close a report after it has loaded:

Click the Close button on the tab for that report.

To close a report while it is still retrieving information from the database:

On the Reports tab, right-click in the report window and from the menu that appears, click
Cancel Running Report.

Note: You cannot close a report once OPTIMA has started to update the Reports tab display with
the retrieved information.

If you are running multiple (ReportBuilder) reports, you can quickly move between them. To do this,
in the report window, right-click and from the menu that appears, click one of the following options:
• Switch to, if you want to re-focus on another running report, and leave the current one
running

- or -
• Switch and Close, if you want to re-focus on another running report, and close the current
report

383
 OPTIMA 8.0 User Reference Guide

When a particular session has been completed (that is, when the data has been loaded/refreshed,
or the report has finished running), the time taken to complete the task is displayed in the message
log:

Time taken to complete a session

Creating Reports Using ReportBuilder

On the Reports tab, if you have Administration or Write permissions for Reports, you can create
and edit reports with ReportBuilder.

Important: The ReportBuilder option is only available for upgraded OPTIMA users with a Reports
license. If OPTIMA 8.0 is the first version that you are using, then you should use the Microsoft
Excel report option or Netrac PM Reporter to create reports.

The ReportBuilder application is incorporated within the Report Designer window. You use the
Report Designer window to create and edit your reports. This picture shows an example of the
Report Designer window:

384
 Generating and Scheduling Reports

To create a new report:

1. Select the folder in which you want to create the new report.

2. Click the New button .

- or -

Right-click and, from the menu that appears, click New Report.

The Report Designer window appears. You can now choose the content of your report
and design its layout. For more information, see Defining Queries on page 385 and
Designing Reports on page 409.

The Report Designer window has a number of tabs, which are described in the following table:

Use This Tab: To:

Data Select and manipulate the data required for a report. For more information, see
Defining Queries on page 385 and Editing Queries on page 399.
Calc Perform calculations and dynamically control visual aspects of the report layout. For
more information, see Controlling Visual Aspects of the Report Layout on page 400.
Design Design the layout of a report. For more information, see Designing Reports on page
409.
Preview See how a report will look when it is printed.

Tip: ReportBuilder also contains a Report Wizard, which enables you to quickly create a new
report. For more information, see Creating a Report Using the Report Wizard on page 426.

Defining Queries
On the Data tab of the Report Designer window, you can define queries to retrieve information
from the database to use in your reports. When you build a query, you can choose to use the Data
Explorer, Query Designer or Query Wizard:

Options for building queries

385
 OPTIMA 8.0 User Reference Guide

The following table describes the options:

Option: Description:

Data Explorer An explorer that enables you to build a query using SQL or by dragging and dropping
tables to create the query if you are not familiar with SQL. For more information, see
Using the Data Explorer to Define a Query on page 386 and Editing Queries on page
399.
Note: If you create a report query with the Data Explorer, you cannot subsequently use
the Query Designer tabs to edit that query.
Query Designer A dialog box with a series of tabs that can be used to define and edit queries. The
Query Designer is more flexible than the Query Wizard and allows you to edit the SQL
manually. It can also be used for multi-vendor queries. For more information, see Using
the Query Designer to Define a Query on page 394 and Editing Queries on page 399.
Query Wizard A step-by-step wizard that guides you through the process of defining a query. You do
not need to be familiar with SQL to use the Query Wizard, but it does limit the possible
content of the query. For more information, see Using the Query Wizard to Define a
Query on page 387.

Using the Data Explorer to Define a Query

To define a query using the Data Explorer:

1. In the Report Designer window, on the Data tab, from the File menu, click New.

2. In the New Items dialog box that appears, select Data Explorer and then click OK.

The Data Explorer appears.

3. In the Data Explorer, define the SQL for the query. For detailed information about how to
do this, see Defining a Query on page 172.

4. When you have finished, click OK and then click Yes to save your SQL.

The query is added to the Report Designer window.

386
 Generating and Scheduling Reports

Using the Query Wizard to Define a Query

To define a query using the Query Wizard:

1. In the Report Designer window, on the Data tab, from the File menu, click New.

2. In the New Items dialog box that appears, select Query Wizard and then click OK.

3. On the first page of the Query Wizard, in the left-hand pane, select the table(s) that you
want to query and click the right arrow button :

387
 OPTIMA 8.0 User Reference Guide

Note: If you select more than one table, you can choose to create a join between them.

4. Click Next.

5. On the second page of the Query Wizard, select the fields that you want to query by
selecting one of the options described in the following table:

Select this If You Want To:

Option:

All Fields Select all of the fields in the table.

Choose Fields Select specific fields in the table.

To select a field, select it in the left-hand pane and click the right arrow
button.

This picture shows an example:

6. Click Next.

7. On the third page of the Query Wizard, you can add calculations to the fields selected in
Step 5.

To add a calculation to a field:

o Select the Add Calculations option.
o In the left-hand pane, select the field you want to add a calculation to and click the right
arrow button .
o In the dialog box that appears, select a function from the Function drop-down list and
a field from the Numeric Field drop-down list.
o Click OK. The calculation is added to the right-hand pane.

Note: You can add more than one calculation in this way.

388
 Generating and Scheduling Reports

If you do not want to add any calculations, select the No Calculations option.

This picture shows an example:

8. Click Next.

9. On the fourth page of the Query Wizard, you can group rows together based on common
field values. The following table describes the two grouping options:

Select This If You Want To:

Option:

No Grouping Have no grouping.

Select Group Fields Select the fields to group by.
To select a field, select it in the left-hand pane and click the right arrow button
.

389
 OPTIMA 8.0 User Reference Guide

This picture shows an example:

Note: If your query contains calculations, then it will automatically be grouped by all
selected fields.

10. Click Next.

11. On the fifth page of the Query Wizard, you can limit the rows returned by the query. You
might want to do this to restrict the amount of data returned during the design process. The
following table describes the two limiting options:

Select Option: If You Want To:

All Rows Have all rows returned by the query.

Define Search Criteria Define search criteria to limit the rows returned.
To define search criteria:
1. In the Criteria pane, right-click and, from the menu that appears, click
Insert Criteria.
2. In the Search Criteria dialog box, select a Field and an Operator from
the appropriate drop-down lists and type a value in the Value field.
3. Click OK. The search criterion is added to the Criteria pane.
4. To define more search criteria, repeat steps 1 to 3.

390
 Generating and Scheduling Reports

This picture shows an example:

12. Click Next.

13. On the sixth page of the Query Wizard, you can set the row order based on the field values.
The following table describes the two row order options:

Select This Option: If You Want To:

Natural Order Use the natural row order.

Set Order Set your own row order.
To set the row order:
1. In the left-hand pane, select the row that you want to be first in the order
and click the right arrow button .
2. In the left-hand pane, select the row that you want to be next in the order
and click the right arrow button .
3. Repeat step 2 until there are no more rows in the left-hand pane.

391
 OPTIMA 8.0 User Reference Guide

This picture shows an example:

14. Click Next.

15. On the final page of the Query Wizard, type a name for your query and select one of the
options described in the following table:

Select This Option: If You Want To:

Return to Data To be returned to the data workspace when you have finished.
Workspace
Preview this Query Preview the data returned by your query when you have finished.
Modify the Query's Modify your query using the Query Designer when you have finished.
Design

392
 Generating and Scheduling Reports

This picture shows an example:

16. Click Finish to save your query and close the Query Wizard.

This picture shows an example query which returns data from the ERICSSON2G_CELLCFG table:

393
 OPTIMA 8.0 User Reference Guide

Using the Query Designer to Define a Query

To define a query using the Query Designer:

1. In the Report Designer window, on the Data tab, from the File menu, click New.

2. In the New Items dialog box that appears, select Query Designer and then click OK. The
Query Designer window appears.

3. On the Tables tab, in the Available Tables list, double-click the table you want to query.
The table is added to the Selected Tables list. This picture shows an example:

394
 Generating and Scheduling Reports

Tip: To remove a table, double-click the table in the Selected Tables list.

4. On the Fields tab, in the Available Fields list, double-click the fields you want to query.
The fields are added to the Selected Fields list. This picture shows an example:

Tip: You can add all of the fields to the Selected Fields list by selecting the All Fields
checkbox.

5. On the Calcs tab, you can add calculations to the fields selected in Step 4.

To add a calculation to a field:

o In the Available Fields list, double-click the field you want to add a calculation to. The
field is added to the Calculations list.
o In the Calculations list, select the field.
o Select a function from the Function drop-down list. If you want to use a user-defined
expression, select Expression from the Function drop-down list and then type the
expression in the Expression field.

395
 OPTIMA 8.0 User Reference Guide

This picture shows an example of the Sum function:

6. On the Search tab, you can filter the data returned by your query. For detailed information
about how to do this, see Creating Filters for Reports on page 422.

7. On the Group tab, you can select fields to group the results of your query by. To select a
field to group by, double-click the field in the Available Fields list.

396
 Generating and Scheduling Reports

This picture shows an example:

8. On the Group Search tab, you can filter the data returned by your query based on the
grouped results.

9. On the Sort tab, you can select fields to order the rows returned by your query.

To select a field to order by:

o In the Available Fields list, double-click the field you want to order by.
o If you want the returned rows to be in descending order, select the field in the Sort
Fields list and then select the Desc (z>a) checkbox. This picture shows an example:

397
 OPTIMA 8.0 User Reference Guide

Tip: To use the order of the rows stored in the database, select the Natural Order
checkbox.

10. On the SQL tab, you can view and manually edit the SQL of your query.

Note: Once you have manually edited a query, you can no longer use the Query Designer
tabs to edit your query.

This picture shows an example:

To manually edit a query:

o Right-click the SQL and, from the menu that appears, click Edit SQL.
o Click Yes to confirm. The SQL becomes editable.

- or -
o If you want to use the Data Explorer, right-click the SQL and, from the menu that
appears, click Data Explorer.
o Click Yes to confirm. The Data Explorer appears.
o In the Data Explorer, make the required changes to your query. For more information,
see Defining a Query on page 172.
o When you have finished, click OK and then click Yes to save your changes and return
to the Query Designer.

Important: Ensure that any comments in the SQL start with '/*' and end with '*/'. If you use
any other characters (for example '--'), then the SQL may fail to work in OPTIMA.

11. Click OK to save your query and close the Query Designer.

398
 Generating and Scheduling Reports

Editing Queries
You can edit report queries using either the Query Designer or the Data Explorer, depending upon
the following conditions:
• If you have created the report query with the Data Explorer, you can only edit it using the
Data Explorer
• If you have already edited the report query with the Data Explorer, then you can only edit it
using the Data Explorer
• If you have created the report query with the Query Designer, you can edit it using either
the Data Explorer or the Query Designer

To edit an existing query using the Data Explorer:

1. On the Reports tab, select the report containing the query you want to edit.

2. Click the Edit button .

- or -

Right-click and, from the menu that appears, click Edit.

The Report Designer window appears.

3. Click the Data tab.

4. In the dialog box containing the queries, click the Data Explorer button .

- or -

Right-click the query that you want to edit and, from the menu that appears, click Data
Explorer.

5. If the query was defined using either the Query Wizard or the Query Designer, a message
box appears asking you to confirm you want to manually edit the query. Click Yes to
confirm.

The Data Explorer appears.

6. In the Data Explorer, make the required changes to your query. For more information about
using the Data Explorer, see Using the Data Explorer on page 171.

7. When you have finished, click OK and then click Yes to save your changes.

To edit an existing query using the Query Designer:

1. On the Reports tab, select the report containing the query you want to edit.

2. Click the Edit button .

- or -

Right-click and, from the menu that appears, click Edit.

The Report Designer window appears.

3. Click the Data tab.

399
 OPTIMA 8.0 User Reference Guide

4. Right-click the query you want to edit and, from the menu that appears, select the required
option.

The Query Designer appears, with the corresponding tab selected.

5. Make the required changes to your query.

6. When you have finished, click OK to save your changes and close the Query Designer.

Controlling Visual Aspects of the Report Layout

On the Calc tab of the Report Designer window, you can use an event-based environment to
perform calculations and dynamically control visual aspects of the report layout while the report is
generating.

The Calc tab is divided into the following areas:

• Code Explorer:

400
 Generating and Scheduling Reports

• Code Toolbox:

• Code Editor:

• Message Window:

In the Message Window (in the lower left-hand corner), you can see the error messages
from the compiler when you compile the code in the Code Editor.

About the Code Explorer

The upper area of the Calc tab is called the Code Explorer. The Code Explorer area contains a
tree view to enable you to navigate your report's code.

In the Code Explorer, you can manage the report code using different views:

View Description

Variables Displays the variables within a report. Variables are used to perform calculations.
Events Displays all components contained within a report, and any events associated with the
currently selected component.
Module Displays a global view of the declarations, events, programs, and event handlers. This
view is useful when you want to examine all of the report’s code.

401
 OPTIMA 8.0 User Reference Guide

Viewing the Report Variables

In the Variables view, you can display the variables within a report. Variables enable you perform
calculations.

This picture shows an example of the Variables view:

Variables View

To view the variables in a report:

Right-click in the Code Explorer area and from the menu that appears, click Variables.

Viewing the Report Events

In the Events view, you can view all components contained within a report. You can also view any
events associated with the currently selected component.

This picture shows an example of the Events view:

Events View

To view the events contained within a report:

Right-click in the Code Explorer area and from the menu that appears, click Events.

402
 Generating and Scheduling Reports

Example of Using the Calc Tab - Highlighting Values in Reports

This example explains how to use the Calc tab to control the visual aspects of the report layout,
and configure a threshold to appear in different colors depending on the value.

Take a sample report: Top 20 - Cell Handover Stats.

If you want to ensure that the handover success rate is maintained at a threshold of 98%, you may
find it useful to highlight any measurements less than 98% in a warning color (for example red), and
highlight any values above the threshold in a different color (for example, blue).

This picture shows an example:

Example report with color-coded threshold values

To define this on the Calc tab, we first need to know the associated field on the report layout, and
the database field that this relates to.

This information can be seen on the Design tab; the % Handover Success is associated with the
DBText3 on the report layout, and this relates to the HOSSR database field:

Checking the details on the Design tab

403
 OPTIMA 8.0 User Reference Guide

Now if we go back to the Calc tab, we can start to define our SQL procedure:

1. On the Calc tab, in the Report Objects pane, select DBText3.

2. In the Events for DBText3 pane, select the 'ONPrint' event.

Tip: To view the events, right-click in the Report Objects pane, and from the menu that
appears, click Events.

3. Right-click, and from the menu that appears, click New:

4. In the Code Editor pane at the bottom of the screen, write the procedure in SQL.

For this example it will be:

procedure DBText3OnPrint;

begin

if HOSR['HOSSR'] <98 then

DBText3.Font.color:=clred

else

DBText3.Font.color:=clblue;

end;

5. Right-click the 'ONPrint' event, and from the menu that appears, click Compile:

6. From the File menu, click Save.

404
 Generating and Scheduling Reports

Viewing the Report Modules

In the Module view, you can view a global view of the declarations, events, programs, and event
handlers. This view is useful when you want to examine all of the report’s code.

It displays the following:

Module Description

Declarations Variables and constants that are globally visible throughout the report
Events Report events
Programs Procedures and functions that are globally visible throughout the report and can
therefore be called from any event handler
Event Handlers Event handlers that have been implemented in the report

This picture shows an example of the Module view:

Module View

To view the report modules:

Right-click in the Code Explorer area and from the menu that appears, click Module.

About the Code Toolbox

The lower right-hand side area of the Calc tab is called the Code Toolbox. It is a visual code
repository that contains identifiers and code elements.

It consists of the following three tabs:

Tab Description

Data View data pipelines and fields and drag and drop field references into the Code
Editor.
Objects View report objects and their properties, and drag and drop properties into the Code
Editor.
Language View the RAP language elements and drag and drop elements into the Code Editor.

405
 OPTIMA 8.0 User Reference Guide

Viewing Data Fields

In the Data tab of the Code Toolbox, you can view data pipelines and fields and drag and drop
field references into the Code Editor.

To use the data fields in the code:

1. In the Code Explorer, ensure that you are displaying the Events view and select the Data
tab.

2. Select a field and drag it in the Code Editor. The code necessary to retrieve the field value
is generated.

For example, if you drag the City field from the Code Toolbox, you get the following code in the
Code Editor:

Value := Clients[’City’]

This picture shows an example of the Data tab of the Code Toolbox:

Data Tab of the Code Toolbox

Viewing the Report Objects

In the Objects tab of the Code Toolbox, you can view report objects and their properties, and drag
and drop properties into the Code Editor.

To use the report objects in the code:

1. In the Code Explorer, ensure that you are displaying the Events view and select the
Objects tab.

2. In the Code Toolbox: Report Objects pane, select an object in the tree. The properties of
the object are displayed in the Properties for Detail pane.

3. In the Properties for Detail pane, select and drag a property to the Code Editor. The code
necessary to retrieve the value of the property or call the method is generated.

For example, if you drag the AutoSize property from the Code Toolbox, the following code
generates in the Code Editor:

Label1.AutoSize

406
 Generating and Scheduling Reports

This picture shows an example of the Objects tab of the Code Toolbox:

Objects Tab of the Code Toolbox

Viewing the Report Application Pascal (RAP) Language Elements

In the Language tab of the Code Toolbox, you can view the RAP language elements and drag
and drop elements into the Code Editor.

To use the RAP language elements in the code:

1. In the Code Explorer, ensure that you are displaying the Events view and select the
Language tab.

2. In the Code Toolbox: Language pane, select a category in the tree to view elements for
that category.

3. In the Code Toolbox: Language pane, select and drag an element to the Code Editor.
The code necessary to reference or use the element is generated.

For example, if you drag Copy to the Code Editor, the following code is generated:

Copy(S, Index, Count);

Note: When you drop an item such as a function call, the function's parameter list is provided.

407
 OPTIMA 8.0 User Reference Guide

This picture shows an example of the Language tab of the Code Toolbox:

Language Tab of the Code Toolbox

About the Code Editor

The lower left-hand side area of the Calc tab is called the Code Editor and it contains the code.

This picture shows an example of the Code Editor:

Code Editor

To create the code in the Code Editor:

Right-click an event in the Code Explorer and from the menu that appears, click New. An
outline of the code for the selected element is displayed in the Code Editor. You can then
edit the code.

-or-

Select an element in the Code Toolbox and drag it to the Code Editor. The code for the
selected element is displayed in the Code Editor. You can then edit the code.

-or-

Right-click in the Code Editor and select New. The outline of the code is displayed in the
Code Editor. You can then edit the code.

408
 Generating and Scheduling Reports

Note: The New option is only enabled if there is no existing code for the item currently selected in
the Code Explorer.

Tip: To compile, save, delete, or revert the code, right-click and from the menu that appears, click
the appropriate option.

Following is an example of code:

procedure DBText3OnPrint;

begin

if ERICSSON2G_CELLSTATS['MHT'] > 20 then

label7.Font.color:= 13382297

else

DBText3.Font.color:=clblack;

end;

For more information on RAP, you can visit http://www.digital-metaphors.com.

Designing Reports
After you have selected the content of your report, you can design its layout. You design reports
using the toolbars available on the Design tab in the Report Designer window.

The design workspace consists of two areas:

Item Description

Workbench Contains the toolbars, component palettes, rules and other tools used to manipulate
the canvas.
Canvas Contains the report layout.

The Standard Component toolbar contains 'static' components which you use to enhance the
appearance of your report, for example, to add labels or images. This picture shows an example of
the Standard Component toolbar:

Standard Component toolbar

The Data Component toolbar contains 'data aware' components. You use these components to
display actual data from the database. This picture shows an example of the Data toolbar:

Data Component toolbar

409
 OPTIMA 8.0 User Reference Guide

This picture shows an example report design. In the example, static components have been used in
the Header band of the design area to create the visual appearance of the report and data aware
components have been used in the Detail and Footer bands to display data from the database.

Example Report Design

The rest of this section guides you through designing a basic report, but for more information about
using ReportBuilder, see the Digital Metaphors website at www.digital-metaphors.com.

The recommended workflow for designing a report is as follows:

1. Add the title and/or logo.

2. Add the report details (in other words, the data from the query that you want to display).

3. Add headers and footers.

4. Align all of the components correctly.

About the Report Designer Canvas

The Report Designer canvas contains the report layout, and consists of three panes:

Pane Description

Header This pane appears at the top of every page of the report. It is suitable for column headers.
Detail This pane is used to place the data retrieved from the database. You can place 'DB text'
boxes in here, which are essentially pointers into records on your Database query.
Footer This pane appears at the bottom of every page of the report. It is suitable for footers such
as date, file name, page count and so on.

410
 Generating and Scheduling Reports

This picture shows an example:

You can also add a 'Title' and 'Summary' pane using the Report menu:

Pane Description

Title This pane appears at the top of the first page of the report. It is suitable for a Title and/or a
Logo.
Summary This pane appears at the bottom of the last page of the report. It is suitable for graphs and
other 'one-off' summary items

Adding a Title and Logo to a Report

To add a title to a report:

1. Ensure that you are displaying the Title pane.

If you are not, from the Report menu, click Title.

2. Click the Label button .

3. Click in the Title pane.

A 'Label' box appears:

Tip: At this point, it does not have to be in the correct alignment, because you can adjust
this later using the alignment toolbar.

411
 OPTIMA 8.0 User Reference Guide

4. Click in the Label pane, and type the required title for the report:

Tip: To edit the title appearance, use the formatting options to the right of the Label pane.

To add a logo to a report:

1. Ensure that you are displaying the Title pane.

If you are not, from the Report menu, click Title.

2. Click the Image button .

3. In the Title pane, click in the area where you want to the logo to appear.

An empty box appears:

4. Right-click in the empty box, and from the menu that appears, click Picture.

5. In the dialog box that appears, locate the required logo and then click Open.

412
 Generating and Scheduling Reports

Your logo appears in the selected location:

Tip: If your logo does not display at the correct size, right-click it and from the menu that
appears, click Stretch. You can then resize the logo as required.

Adding Details to a Report (Date from the Query)

Tip: Although the Header pane comes before the Detail pane, it is recommended that you add the
details first, so that you will have a better idea of which headers are needed for those details.

To add details to your report:

1. Click the DB Text button .

2. Click in the Details pane.

A 'DB Text' box appears:

Tip: At this point, it does not have to be in the correct alignment, because you can adjust
this later using the alignment toolbar.

3. To define what is displayed in the box:

o From the first drop-down list, select the required query:

o From the second drop-down list, select the required field from that query:

413
 OPTIMA 8.0 User Reference Guide

The field appears in the DB Text box:

4. Repeat steps 1-3 to add all of the details that you require.

Tip: Rather than adding all of the details at once, you can add one field, then add its
header, then go back and add another field, then add its header and so on.

Adding Headers to a Report

To add a header to a report:

1. Click the Label button .

2. Click in the Header pane, so that the header will be above the corresponding data field ('DB
Text' box).

A 'Label' box appears:

414
 Generating and Scheduling Reports

3. Click in the Label pane, and type the required header name:

Tip: To edit the title appearance, use the formatting options to the right of the Label pane.

Adding Footers to a Report

To add a footer to a report:

1. Click the System Variable button .

2. Click in the Footer pane.

A 'System Variable' box appears, which by default shows the date:

415
 OPTIMA 8.0 User Reference Guide

3. If you want to display a different variable type in the footer, select it from the System
Variable drop-down list:

Aligning Items in Reports

To correctly align all of the different boxes in your report layout, you can use the Align or Space
Toolbar.

Warning: It is strongly recommended that you save a version of your report before using the Align
or Space options.

To display this toolbar, from the View menu, point to Toolbars and then click Align or Space. This
picture shows the toolbar:

Align or Space toolbar

416
 Generating and Scheduling Reports

To align one or more boxes:

1. Using the mouse pointer, draw a box around all of the boxes that you want to align.

This automatically selects all of the boxes.

2. Click the appropriate button on the Align or Space Toolbar. This table describes the
options:

Item Description

Align left.

Align middle (vertically).

Align right.

Align top.

Align centre (horizontally).

Align bottom.

Space horizontally.

417
 OPTIMA 8.0 User Reference Guide

Item Description

Space vertically.

Centre horizontally in band.

Centre vertically in band.

Adding Graphs to a Report

With ReportBuilder, you can add graphs to your reports to display the data from queries. You
create graphs using TeeChart Pro. TeeChart Pro is a third party charting application. For more
information about TeeChart Pro, see the Steema Software website at http://www.steema.com.

Note: You must have a query defined before creating a graph. For information about defining
queries, see Defining Queries on page 385.

To display query data in a graph:

1. On the Reports tab, select the report containing the query you want to edit.

2. Click the Edit button .

- or -

Right-click and, from the menu that appears, click Edit.

The Report Designer window appears.

3. In the Report Designer window, click the DB Chart button .

4. In the Summary pane, click where you want the graph to be located.

418
 Generating and Scheduling Reports

5. Right-click the graph, and from the menu that appears, click Edit Chart. The Editing dialog
box appears. This picture shows an example:

6. In the Editing dialog box, click Add. The TeeChart Gallery dialog box appears. This
picture shows an example:

7. In the TeeChart Gallery dialog box, click the type of graph that you want to add. If you want
your graph to be a 2D graph, clear the 3D checkbox.

419
 OPTIMA 8.0 User Reference Guide

8. Click OK. A new series is added to the Editing dialog box. This picture shows an example
of a series for a bar graph:

Tip: To rename the series, click Title and, in the dialog box that appears, type a new name
and then click OK.

9. Click the Series tab and then click the Data Source sub-tab.

10. On the Data Source sub-tab, select Data Pipeline from the drop-down list. This will enable
you to link a query to the series.

11. From the Data Pipeline drop-down list, select the query that you want to link to the series.

12. On the Data Source sub-tab, complete the following information:

In This Do This:
Field:

Labels Select a label from the drop-down list, if you want a label to be displayed on the x
axis for each series point.
X Select a field from the drop-down list to display on the x axis of the graph.
Bar Select a field from the drop-down list to display on the y axis of the graph.
DateTime Select this checkbox if you want to display the date and time on the x axis.
DateTime Select this checkbox if you want to display the date and time on the y axis.

420
 Generating and Scheduling Reports

Tip: If you try to display both a label and the date/time on the x axis, they will overlap. In
this case, it is recommended to leave the label blank, because the required information can
be displayed by other means, for example by using a legend.

This picture shows an example of a bar series which is linked to the

Ericsson2G_CELLSTATS query:

13. Click Apply.

14. If you want to add another series to your graph, repeat steps 5 to 12.

15. Click the Chart tab and then click the Titles sub-tab.

16. In the Text pane, type a title for your graph.

17. Click Close to save your graph and exit TeeChart Pro.

Tip: To preview your graph, in the Report Designer window, click the Preview tab.

421
 OPTIMA 8.0 User Reference Guide

Saving Reports
To save a report to the database:

1. In the Report Designer window, on the Design tab, from the File menu, click Save As.

2. In the Save New Report As dialog box, browse to the report folder where you want to save
your report, type a name and click Save.

Tip: If the required folder does not exist, click the Create New Folder button .

The report is saved to the database.

To save a report to file:

1. In the Report Designer window, on the Design tab, from the File menu, click Save to File.

2. In the Save As dialog box, browse to the folder where you want to save your report, type a
name and click Save.

Tip: If the required folder does not exist, click the Create New Folder button .

Reports are saved in RTM format. This means that you can send reports, by email for
example, and load them into other databases by using the Load from File option.

Filtering the Data Displayed in Reports

In OPTIMA, you can use filters and parameters to limit the data returned when reports are run.
When you run a report with a filter or a parameter, the Selection dialog box is displayed. In the
Selection dialog box, you select the values for the filters and parameters.

Creating Filters for Reports

In ReportBuilder, you can use filters to limit the data returned when reports are run. When you run
a report with a filter, you are asked to specify the criteria that you want OPTIMA to report on.

To create a filter for a report:

1. On the Reports tab, select the report containing the query you want to edit.

2. Click the Edit button .

- or -

Right-click and, from the menu that appears, click Edit.

The Report Designer window appears.

3. In the Report Designer window, click the Data tab.

4. Select the query that you want to filter and either:

o Click the Search button .

- or -
o Right-click the query and, from the menu that appears, click Search.

422
 Generating and Scheduling Reports

The Query Designer appears, with the Search tab selected. This picture shows an
example:

5. In the Available Fields pane, either:

Double-click the field that you want to be a filter.

- or -

Right-click the field that you want to be a filter and, from the menu that appears, click Insert
Criteria.

The selected field appears in the Criteria pane.

6. In the Criteria pane, complete the following information:

In This Field: Do This:

Operator Select an operator from the drop-down list. For example, if you want to create a
filter that only returns data for an exact value, then select the = operator.
Note: You must select In List if you want to use filters when the report is run.
Value Either leave this field blank or add default values. If you add default values, they
will be pre-selected in the filter when you run the report. For more information
about filter values, see Adding Filter Values for Reports on page 424.
AutoSearch Select this checkbox if you want to display the Search dialog box when the report
is run. For more information, see Adding Filter Values for Reports on page 424.
Note: Do not select the AutoSearch checkbox if the report is to be scheduled.
Mandatory Select this checkbox if you want to ensure that a filter value is entered when the
report is run.
Show All Select this checkbox if you want the filter to display all of the values of the field.
Note: This option overrides all other filter options.

423
 OPTIMA 8.0 User Reference Guide

This picture shows a filter for the XXTRAFFMEASBH24_ERI.UTRANCELL field which

when run will display the Search dialog box and allow filters to be used:

7. Click OK.

8. Close the Report Designer and click Yes to save your changes.

Now when you run the report, you will be asked to specify filter value(s) based on the
criteria you have set. For more information about filter values, see Adding Filter Values for
Reports on page 424.

Adding Filter Values for Reports

When you run a report with a filter, the Selection dialog box is displayed. In the Selection dialog
box, you can choose to add a filter value and/or a filter. The report will display only the information
that relates to the filter value(s) you have added.

To add a filter value:

1. On the Reports tab, select the report that you want to filter.

2. Click the Run button .

- or -

Right-click and, from the menu that appears, click Preview Report.

3. In the Selection dialog box that appears, select the filter values that you want to add. For
more information, see Selecting Filter Values and Parameters on page 184.

4. Click OK to close the Selection dialog box and run the report with the specified filter value.

424
 Generating and Scheduling Reports

Creating Parameters for Reports

With OPTIMA reports, you can use parameters to limit the data returned when reports are run.
When you run a report with a parameter, you are asked to specify the criteria that you want
OPTIMA to report on.

Note: Creating a parameter for a report requires you to manually edit the report query. Once you
have manually edited a query, you can no longer use the Query Designer tabs to edit that query.

To create a parameter for a report:

1. On the Reports tab, select the report containing the query you want to edit.

2. Click the Edit button .

- or -

Right-click and, from the menu that appears, click Edit.

The Report Designer window appears.

3. Click the Data tab.

4. In the dialog box containing the queries, click the Data Explorer button .

- or -

Right-click the query that you want to edit and, from the menu that appears, click Data
Explorer.

5. If the query was defined using either the Query Wizard or the Query Designer, a message
box appears asking you to confirm you want to manually edit the query. Click Yes to
confirm.

The Data Explorer appears.

6. In the Data Explorer, create the parameter. For detailed information about how to do this,
see Defining Parameters for a Query on page 179.

7. When you have finished, click OK and then click Yes to save your changes.

8. Close the Report Designer and click Yes to save your changes.

Now when you run the report, you will be asked to specify parameter values based on the
criteria you have set. For more information about parameter values, see Setting Parameter
Values for Reports on page 426.

425
 OPTIMA 8.0 User Reference Guide

Setting Parameter Values for Reports

When you run a report with a parameter, you set the parameter value(s) you want to use.

Tip: If you do not want to specify parameter values each time you run a report, you can set default
parameter values. For detailed information about how to do this, see Specifying Default Parameter
Values on page 181.

To set a parameter value:

1. On the Reports tab, select the report that you want to filter.

2. Click the Run button .

- or -

Right-click and, from the menu that appears, click Preview Report.

3. In the Selection dialog box that appears, on the Parameters tab, set the parameter values
for the reports. For more information, see Selecting Filter Values and Parameters on page
184.

This picture shows an example:

Creating a Report Using the Report Wizard

When generating a new report, you can use the Report Wizard to create a new report.

Warning: The wizard will overwrite any existing design for a report, so it is recommended that you
only use it for new reports.

To use the Report Wizard:

1. From the File menu, click New.

2. In the dialog box that appears, select Report Wizard, and then click OK.

426
 Generating and Scheduling Reports

3. On the first page of the wizard, choose the required fields for the report, by selecting them
from the Available Fields list and clicking the right arrow button:

Tip: To select all of the available report fields, click the double right arrow button.

4. Put the fields in the required order, using the up and down arrow buttons.

5. Click Next.

427
 OPTIMA 8.0 User Reference Guide

6. On the next page of the wizard, choose which fields you want to show in separate panes,
by selecting them from the Available Fields list and clicking the down arrow button:

Each selected field will appear in its own pane, whereas the unselected fields will be
displayed together in a single group.

Note: This grouping is also used in queries. For more information, see Defining Queries on
page 385.

Tip: Use the Priority up and down arrow buttons to change the order of the fields as they
appear on the report.

7. Click Next.

8. Select the required orientation for your report:

o The report layout - for example, stepped or block (tabular)
o The page orientation - either portrait (vertical) or landscape (horizontal)

428
 Generating and Scheduling Reports

Tip: If you want all of the fields to fit on a page, select the 'Adjust field widths so all
fields fit on page' option:

9. Click Next.

10. Select a report style from the pre-defined list:

11. Click Next.

The basic report design is now completed.

429
 OPTIMA 8.0 User Reference Guide

12. Choose to either:

o Preview the report based on the design you have created

- or -
o Modify the report layout

Click Finish.

13. If you chose the preview option, the wizard closes and you can preview the report on the
Preview tab.

- or -

If you chose the modify option, the wizard closes and you can edit the report design on the
Report tab in the normal way. For more information, see Designing Reports on page 409.

Creating Excel Reports

On the Reports tab, if you have Administration or Write permissions for Reports, you can create
and edit Microsoft® Excel® reports in OPTIMA.

Important: For more information on which versions of OPTIMA are supported, please see the
OPTIMA Release Notes, available from aircomassist.com.

To create an Excel report:

1. Select the folder in which you want to create the new report.

2. Click the New Excel Report button .

- or -

Right-click and, from the menu that appears, click New Excel Report.

430
 Generating and Scheduling Reports

The Excel Report Editor window appears. This picture shows an example:

3. On the Report Information tab, type a name and description and select the Enabled
checkbox.

Important: Ensure the Enabled checkbox is selected otherwise the report will not run. You
can enable this later, if required.

4. On the Report Definition tab, you define the contents of your report by writing one or more
data queries. Data queries determine what data will be displayed in your report.

This table describes the Report Definition buttons:

Click: To:

Add Create and add a new data query to a report. To do this:

1. Click Add. The Data Explorer appears.
2. In the Data Explorer, define your data query. For more information, see Defining a
Query on page 172.
3. Click OK, and then click Yes to save your data query to the Excel Report.
4. Close the Data Explorer.
5. In the dialog box that appears, type a name and description for your data query and
click OK. The new data query is added to your report and appears in the Report Data
Queries List.
Note: The data query name cannot contain any spaces.
431
 OPTIMA 8.0 User Reference Guide

Click: To:

Remove Remove a data query from a report. To do this:

1. Select the data query you want to remove in the Report Data Queries List.
2. Click Remove.
3. Click OK to remove the data query.
Edit Edit a pre-defined data query. To do this:
1. Select the data query you want to edit in the Report Data Queries List.
2. Click Edit. The Data Explorer appears.
3. In the Data Explorer, edit your data query. For more information, see Defining a Query
on page 172.
4. Click OK, and then click Yes to save your data query to the Excel Report.
5. Close the Data Explorer.
6. In the dialog box that appears, click OK. The edited data query is added to your
report.
Preview Preview the data returned from a data query. To do this:
Data
1. Select the data queries you want to preview in the Report Data Queries List.
Tip: Use the Shift and Ctrl keys to highlight more than one data query at a time.
2. Click Preview Data. An Excel workbook appears, containing a separate worksheet for
each selected data query.
3. Close Excel to return to the Excel Report Editor window.

432
 Generating and Scheduling Reports

This picture shows an example of the Report Definition tab:

5. If you want to assign a pre-existing Excel template to this report:

o Click Assign Template.
o In the dialog box that appears, locate the required template.
o Click Open.

The template is loaded, and the name appears in the Template file name box.

Tip: To view the contents of the Excel template that you have assigned, click the Open
Template button .

- or -

If you want to create a new Excel template to use with this report (and future reports):
o Click Create Blank Template.
o For detailed information on what to do next, see Creating an Excel Template on page
434.

6. Click the Preview Report button. The data is exported to Excel and displayed in the named
ranges defined in the Excel template.

433
 OPTIMA 8.0 User Reference Guide

7. In Excel, add any further formatting you require to your report, for example, headings or
graphs.

Tip: You can also include Microsoft Excel macros in your report templates, which will be
run automatically when you open the report. For more information, see the Microsoft Excel
Help.

8. When you have finished, remove the data and re-save the workbook as an Excel template
file (for example, *xltx).

9. Close Excel to return to the Excel Report Editor window.

10. Click OK to save your report to the database and close the Excel Report Editor window.

This picture shows an example of an Excel report:

Example Excel Report

Creating an Excel Template

When you create an Excel report in OPTIMA, you also need an Excel template so you can add
formatting to your report. For more information about Excel reports, see Creating Excel Reports on
page 430.

Tip: You can also include Microsoft Excel macros in your report templates, which will be run
automatically when you open the report. For more information, see the Microsoft Excel Help.

To create an Excel template:

1. In the Excel Report Editor window, on the Report Definition tab, select the data queries
in the Report Data Queries List that you want to use in the template.

Tip: Use the Shift and Ctrl keys to highlight more than one data query at a time.

2. Click Preview Data. An Excel workbook appears, containing a separate worksheet for each
selected data query.

434
 Generating and Scheduling Reports

3. In Excel, create a cell range for each data query that you want to be displayed. You can
define the cell ranges in the same worksheet or in separate worksheets.

To create a cell range:

o Select the range of cells that you want to use.

Note: When selecting a range, you can simply select the top left cell rather than the full
range. If you select a range which is smaller than the data size, only the data that fits
the range will be displayed.
o Select the Name Box at the left-hand end of the formula bar.

o Type a name for the cell range.

Note: The name of each cell range must match the corresponding data query name,
otherwise the data will not be displayed in the range when it is exported to Excel. Data
query names are case sensitive.
o Press Enter.

For more information about cell ranges, see the Microsoft Excel Help.

4. Delete the data from the Excel worksheet(s).

5. Save the workbook as an Excel template file (using the *.xltx format).

6. Close Excel to return to the Excel Report Editor window.

The new template appears in the Template File Name box.

Tip: To view the contents of the Excel template that you have created, click the Open
Template button .

Viewing Excel Reports

On the Reports tab, if you have Read permissions for Reports, you can view the data for Excel
reports. To do this:

1. Select the Excel report that you want to view.

2. Click the Run button .

- or -

Double-click the report name.

435
 OPTIMA 8.0 User Reference Guide

Restricting Access to Reports

On the Reports tab, if you have Administration permissions for Reports, you can restrict access to
reports by:
• Defining a report as an Admin Report, meaning that only users with Administration
permissions can edit, move or delete them
• Selecting which user group can access the report

To restrict access to a report:

1. Select the report that you want to restrict.

2. Right-click and from the menu that appears, click Properties.

The Report Properties dialog box appears:

3. To set the report as an Admin Report, select the Admin Report checkbox:

- or -

To select which group can access the report, choose the required group from the drop-
down list.

4. Click OK.

436
 Generating and Scheduling Reports

Editing and Deleting Reports

On the Reports tab, if you have Administration or Write permissions for Reports, and you are a
member of the group that owns the report, you can edit, rename and delete a report.

To edit a report:

1. Select the report that you want to edit, and then click the Edit button .

- or -

Right-click the required report, and from the menu that appears, click Edit.

If you are editing a standard (RB) report, the Report Designer window appears.

- or -

If you are editing an Excel report, the Excel Report Editor appears.

2. Make the required changes to the report, and then save the report as required (for standard
reports) or click OK (for Excel reports).

To rename a report:

1. Select the report that you want to rename, and then click the Rename button .

- or -

Right-click the required report, and from the menu that appears, click Rename.

2. Type in the new name for the report and press Enter.

To delete a report:

1. Select the report that you want to delete, and then click the Delete button .

- or -

Right-click the required report, and from the menu that appears, click Delete.

2. In the dialog box that appears, click Yes to confirm.

The report is deleted from the list and moved to the Recycle Bin.

437
 OPTIMA 8.0 User Reference Guide

Copying Reports
On the Reports tab, if you have Administration or Write permissions for Reports, you can copy
existing reports and then modify them.

To do this:

1. Select the report(s) that you want to copy.

Tip: Use the Shift and Ctrl keys to select more than one report at a time.

2. Click the Copy button .

- or -

Right-click and, from the menu that appears, click Copy.

3. Select the folder into which you want to copy the report(s).

4. Click the Paste button .

- or -

Right-click and from the menu that appears, click Paste.

The reports are copied to the selected folder.

Printing Reports
On the Reports tab, if you have Read permissions for Reports, you can print reports.

To print a standard (RB) report:

1. Select the report that you want to print.

2. Right-click and from the menu that appears, click Print.

- or –

Click the Print button .

3. In the Print dialog box, select the printer and the print properties.

4. Click OK.

Important: The ReportBuilder option is only available for upgraded OPTIMA users with a Reports
license. If OPTIMA 8.0 is the first version that you are using, then you should use the Microsoft
Excel report option or Netrac PM Reporter to create reports.

438
 Generating and Scheduling Reports

To print an Excel report:

1. Run the report, by:

o Right-clicking it and, from the menu that appears, selecting Run Report

- or -

o Selecting it, and clicking the Run button

2. In Microsoft Excel, use the print options to print the report. For more information, see the
Microsoft Excel Help.

Exporting and Importing Report Definitions

On the Reports tab, if you have Read permissions for Reports, you can export reports (including
Admin reports) as definition files and then import and use them in another OPTIMA installation.

Note: Standard (RB) reports are imported and exported as *.trm files and Microsoft Excel reports
are exported as *.oer files.

Important: The ReportBuilder option is only available for upgraded OPTIMA users with a Reports
license. If OPTIMA 8.0 is the first version that you are using, then you should use the Microsoft
Excel report option or Netrac PM Reporter to create reports.

To export a report definition:

1. On the Reports tab, select the report(s) or folder of reports that you want to export.

Tip: Use the Shift and Ctrl keys to select more than one report at a time.

2. Click the Export button and, from the menu that appears, click Export Reports or
Export Folder as appropriate.

- or -

Right-click, and from the menu that appears, click Export Report Definition.

3. If you are exporting a folder of reports in the Export Reports dialog box, set the following
options by selecting or clearing the appropriate checkboxes:
o Export reports from sub-folders
o Create folders in destination directory

4. Click OK.

5. In the Browse for Folder dialog box, select the folder into which you want to export the
report(s) and click OK.

6. In the message box that appears, click OK to export the report(s). The reports are exported
to the specified folder.

439
 OPTIMA 8.0 User Reference Guide

To import a report definition:

1. On the Reports tab, select the folder into which you want to import the report(s).

2. Click the Import button .

- or -

Right-click, and from the menu that appears, click Import Report Definition.

3. Click OK to confirm.

4. In the Import Reports dialog box, click the Browse button.

5. In the Browse for Folder dialog box, select the folder which contains the report(s) you
want to import and click OK.

6. In the File Name list, select the file(s) and/or folder(s) you want to import and click OK.

Tip: Use the Shift and Ctrl keys to select more than one file and/or folder at a time.

7. If your selection includes reports in sub-folders, you will be asked if you want to recreate
the directory structure on the Reports tab. Click Yes to recreate the directory structure,
otherwise click No.

8. In the message box that appears, click OK to import the report(s). The reports are imported
to the specified folder.

Exporting Reports
On the Reports tab, if you have Read permissions for Reports, you can export reports (including
Admin reports) to a variety of other formats for use outside OPTIMA.

Important: The ReportBuilder option is only available for upgraded OPTIMA users with a Reports
license. If OPTIMA 8.0 is the first version that you are using, then you should use the Microsoft
Excel report option or Netrac PM Reporter to create reports.

To do this:

1. Select the report you want to export.

2. Right-click, and from the menu that appears, click Export Reports.

440
 Generating and Scheduling Reports

3. In the Export dialog box that appears, select the required export format by clicking the
appropriate radio button. This picture shows an example:

Note: If you are exporting an Excel report, the Excel File option is pre-selected for you.

4. If you want to zip the report, select the 'Zip file before exporting' checkbox.

5. If you want to export the report to a file, click File and in the Save As dialog box that
appears, browse to the appropriate folder, type a name, and click Save.

Tip: If the required folder does not exist, click the Create New Folder button .

6. If you want to export the report via email:

o Click Email
o In the blank email that appears, type the email address(es) and appropriate subject title
o Click Send

Note: If the Email Client Settings have been enabled in the User Preferences, then the
OPTIMA client will appear and you can use the email address book to select the
appropriate email addresses. For more information, see Setting Email Client Options on
page 74.

7. When you have finished, click Close to return to the Report Explorer.

441
 OPTIMA 8.0 User Reference Guide

Using the Fast CSV (*.CSV) Option

To save time, you also have the option of exporting the file more quickly using the Fast CSV
(*.CSV) option. When you use this option, the details on the Design tab are ignored and only the
columns in the Select statement of the SQL query are exported to the CSV file.

Note: The Fast CSV option is available only to ReportBuilder reports. It is not available for Excel
reports.

To use the Fast CSV option:

1. On the Reports tab, select the report you want to export.

2. Right-click, and from the menu that appears, click Export.

3. In the Export dialog box that appears, select the Fast CSV (*.CSV) option.

4. If you want to export the report to a file, click File.

In the dialog box that appears, click Yes to confirm. The dialog box informs that the report
layout will be ignored and the report will be exported without the details on the Design tab.

Browse to the appropriate folder, and click OK. The report is exported.

-or-

If you want to export the report via email:

o Click Email.
o In the dialog box that appears, click Yes to confirm. The dialog box informs that the
report layout will be ignored and the report will be exported without the details of the
Design tab.
o In the blank email that appears, type the email address(es) and appropriate subject
title.
o Click Send.

5. When you have finished, click Close to return to the Report Explorer.

Note: When you use the Fast CSV (*.CSV) option, the number of reports exported is
equivalent to the number of SQL queries in the Data tab of the Report Designer. The
filename of the report that is saved is a combination of the report name and a unique
number.

For example, if you export a report called Test with three SQL queries, then the filenames
of the reports will be:
o Test.csv
o Test_1.csv
o Test_2.csv

442
 Generating and Scheduling Reports

Scheduling Reports
On the Schedules tab, if you have Write permissions for Schedules, you can create and manage
report schedules that specify when reports will run.

Note: If you only have Read permissions, you can only view the report schedules that other users
have created.

Creating Folders for Schedules

On the Schedules tab, if you have Write permissions for Schedules, you can create and delete
folders.

Schedule folders can aid the efficiency of the scheduling process and could, for example:
• Match the file structure on the Reports tab
• Be organised by department or by frequency (for example, weekly reports, monthly and so
on)

To create a new folder:

1. Browse to where you want to create the new folder and right-click. From the menu that
appears, click New Folder.

- or -

Click the New Folder button .

2. Type a name for your new folder and then press Enter.

Tip: If you have Administration permissions for Schedules, you can restrict access to folders to
prevent other users from accessing them. For more information about this, see Restricting Access
to Schedule Folders on page 444.

Deleting Schedule Folders

On the Schedules tab, if you have Write permissions for Schedules, you can delete folders.

Warning: If you delete a schedule folder, OPTIMA will also delete all of the schedules contained in
it.

To do this:

1. Select the folder that you want to delete, and then click the Delete button .

- or -

Right-click and, from the menu that appears, click Delete.

2. In the Confirm dialog box, click Yes to confirm.

443
 OPTIMA 8.0 User Reference Guide

Restricting Access to Schedule Folders

On the Schedules tab, if you have Administration permissions for Schedules, you can restrict
access to schedule folders by:
• Defining a folder as an Admin Folder, meaning that only users with Administration
permissions can edit, move or delete them
• Selecting which user groups can access the folder

To restrict access to a folder:

1. Select the folder you want to restrict.

2. Right-click and from the menu that appears, click Properties.

The Schedule Folder Properties dialog box appears.

3. Click the Security tab:

4. To set the folder as an Admin folder, select the Admin Folder checkbox.

- or -

To select which user groups can access the folder:

o Click the Add button
o Select the required group(s) from the Source list
o Click the right arrow button to move them to the Destination List
o Click OK

444
 Generating and Scheduling Reports

5. If you want to cascade these permissions to any sub-folders, select the appropriate option:

Select To Assign Access To

Do not cascade permissions The selected folder level and its objects only. Users of the group will
not be able to access any subfolders unless they are a member of a
group with access to those folders.
Cascade permission changes The selected folder and its subfolders. This option will not overwrite
to child folders any existing groups that have already been assigned to the folder or
subfolders.
Cascade all permission to The selected folder and its subfolders. This option overwrites existing
child folders groups that have already been assigned to the folder or subfolders.

6. Click OK.

Creating a Schedule for a Report

On the Schedules tab or the Reports tab, if you have Write permissions for Schedules, you can
create a schedule for a report.

To do this:

1. On the Reports tab, right-click the report that you want to schedule and, from the menu
that appears, click Schedule.

– or –

On the Schedules tab, right-click the report you want to schedule and, from the menu that
appears, click New Schedule.

– or –

On the Schedules tab, click the New button .

2. In the Select Report dialog box, select the report for which you want to create a schedule,
and click Open.

3. In the Schedule Editor dialog box, set the following options:

On this tab/sub-tab Do this

General Type a name for the schedule, and a description if required.

Warning: Ensure that the Enable Schedule checkbox is selected
otherwise the report will not run.

445
 OPTIMA 8.0 User Reference Guide

On this tab/sub-tab Do this

Recurrence In the Pattern pane, select how often you want the report to run. Using
the options that appear, select when you want the report to run.
In the Range pane, select the start and end date and time. You can
also select whether you want the schedule for running the report to:
• End on a particular date
• End after the report has run a specific number of times
• Have no end date
If your network spans multiple time zones, select the Use Time Zone
option, and from the drop-down list, ensure that you select the time
zone against which the schedule will be run. If you do not select this
option, the schedule will run according to the database's local time.
For more information on time zones in OPTIMA, see Using OPTIMA
Across Different Time Zones on page 152.
For more information on scheduling reports using time zones, see the
OPTIMA Operations and Maintenance Guide.
Export to: Choose where you want the report to be exported by selecting the
appropriate Export To checkbox(es).
- Printer Select the Windows default or a specified printer for the report.
You can choose a format for the report from the Export Format drop-
down list. The default format is PDF.
- File Click the Browse button and, in the dialog box that appears, find the
client server shared folder, type a name and click Save. Click Add to
add the file to the File Names list. You can add as many files as you
want.
Important: It is important to specify a network path.
If you have specified the name of the file as .csv, the Fast CSV
checkbox is enabled. You can use this option to export the file more
quickly. When you use this option, the details on the Design tab are
ignored and only the columns in the Select statement of the SQL query
are exported to the CSV file. When you use the Fast CSV (*.CSV)
option, the number of reports exported is equivalent to the number of
SQL queries on the Data tab of the Report Designer. The filename of
the report that is saved is a combination of the report name and a
unique number.
Note: The Fast CSV option is available only to ReportBuilder reports. It
is not available for Excel reports.
If you want to overwrite the same report each time you run the
schedule, select the <filename without date stamp> radio button.
If you do not want to overwrite the report, select the <filename with date
stamp> radio button. Select a date format from the drop-down list and,
if you want to specify a date offset, select the Apply Date Offset
checkbox and change the offset as required.
Note: You can zip the file by selecting the Zip File Before Exporting
checkbox.

446
 Generating and Scheduling Reports

On this tab/sub-tab Do this

- Email Click the Select Contacts button, and in the Address Book that appears,
select the user(s) and/or group(s) you require and click OK. If you
select a group, you are asked to confirm whether you want to export to
the individual users in the group or to the group email address.
Important: The list of email addresses is limited to a total of 4000
characters, including the separating commas.
Type a subject line for the email.
You can choose a format for the email from the Format drop-down list.
If you select the *.CSV option, then the Fast CSV checkbox is enabled.
When you use this option, the details of the Design tab are ignored and
only the columns in the Select statement of the SQL query are exported
to the CSV file.
If you select the *.HTML option, you can choose to have the report
embedded in the body of the email rather than adding it as an
attachment. To do this, select the 'Embed HTML within email body'
checkbox.
Notes:
• The Fast CSV option is available only to ReportBuilder
reports. It is not available for Excel reports.
• If you choose embedded HTML, then no charts, graphs or
images are included, and you should keep the file size to a
minimum to avoid rejection by mail servers. File size can be
reduced by summarizing the report.
• You can zip the file by selecting the 'Zip file before exporting'
checkbox.
Conditions Set any further conditions for the report schedule. Use SQL, which may
contain multiple conditions ('where' clauses). If the SQL returns any
results, the schedule is processed. If no results are returned, the
schedule is ignored.
For example, to schedule a report only if the percentage drop rate for
any cell goes above 2%, you would need to add the following code:
SELECT COUNT(*)
FROM LASTREADING
WHERE PDROP > 2
To test the SQL, click Test SQL.
Note: Ensure that you select the Enable condition on this report if you
want the condition to be active.
Parameters Set any parameter values for the report schedule. To do this either:
Select an operator from the drop-down list and type the required values
in the Value field.
- or -
If you want to display all of the values, select the Select All checkbox.
For more information, see Setting Parameter Values for Reports on
page 426.

4. Click OK to schedule the report.

Notes:
o If you created the new schedule from the Reports tab then you will be prompted to
save the schedule to a folder. To do this, select the appropriate folder and click OK.
o If you have selected the Fast CSV option, click Yes in the confirmation message that
appears to save the schedule.

447
 OPTIMA 8.0 User Reference Guide

Editing and Deleting Schedules

On the Schedules tab, if you have Write permissions for Schedules, you can edit, rename and
delete schedules.

To edit a report schedule:

1. Select the required schedule, and then click the Edit button .

- or -

Double-click the schedule that you want to edit.

2. In the Schedule Editor, edit the details as required.

3. Click OK.

To rename a schedule:

1. Select the required schedule, and then click the Rename button .

- or -

Double-click the schedule that you want to rename.

2. In the Schedule Editor, click the General tab and change the schedule name.

3. Click OK.

To delete a schedule:

1. Select the required schedule, and then click the Delete button .

- or -

Right-click, and from the menu that appears, click Delete.

2. In the dialog box that appears, click Yes to confirm.

448
 Generating and Scheduling Reports

Copying Schedules
On the Schedules tab, if you have Write permissions for Schedules, you can copy existing report
schedules and then modify them.

To do this:

1. Select the required schedule, and then click the Copy button .

Tip: You can use the Shift and Ctrl keys to select more than one report.

- or -

Right-click, and from the menu that appears, click Copy.

2. Select the folder into which you want to copy the schedule(s), and then click the Paste

button .

- or -

Right-click, and from the menu that appears, click Paste.

The schedules are copied into the specified folder.

Viewing and Deleting the History of a Schedule

On the Schedules tab, if you have Read permissions for Schedules, you can view the history of a
schedule. Also, if you have Administration or Write permissions for Schedules, you can delete the
history.

To do this:

1. Select the schedule for which you want to view the history. The history appears in the
Schedule History pane of the Schedules tab. This picture shows an example:

Tip: To check the current run status of a report, press F5. If the report is currently running,
this will be indicated in the Last Run Status.

2. If you want to delete the history of this schedule, right-click and, from the menu that
appears, click Clear History.

3. In the Confirm dialog box, click Yes to delete the history.

449
 OPTIMA 8.0 User Reference Guide

450
 Using Alarms

10 Using Alarms

In OPTIMA, there are a number of types of alarm:

Alarm Type Description

Performance Performance alarms enable you to set network counter thresholds or key
performance indicators (KPIs) and then receive alerts whenever network
conditions are not met. Network data is processed, at user defined intervals, by
OPTIMA. This data is stored in database tables in the form of counters. Ripple
counts are used to define the threshold conditions for setting or clearing alarms.
The information from these alarms can be:
• Queries in modules and reports
• Viewed on the Alarms tab
• Passed on to a fault management system
System System alarms are alarms raised on OPTIMA events, not performance data
events.
For an example of a system alarm, see An Example of Creating a System
Alarm on page 472.
Threshold Crossing Alert TCAs are loader-specific alarms, which are raised as data is loaded into the
(TCA) OPTIMA database using the Loader. They indicate a discrepancy between the
expected values according to the defined thresholds and the data loaded into
the database after any modification during the loading process.

Depending on your permissions, you can create, edit and delete alarms on the Alarms tab:
• Users with Admin permissions on Alarms can create, edit and delete performance alarms
and system alarms
• Users with Write permissions on Alarms can only create, edit and delete performance
alarms
• Users with Read permissions on Alarms can only view performance alarms

Important: The Alarms and Alarm Handlers options are only available for upgraded OPTIMA users
with an Alarms license. If OPTIMA 8.0 is the first version that you are using, then you should use
TrafficGuard to create alarms. For more information, see the TrafficGuard Table-Based User Guide
or the TrafficGuard PM-Based User Guide.

451
 OPTIMA 8.0 User Reference Guide

To open the Alarms tab:

On the Analysis tab, click the Alarms button .

On the Alarms tab, the two types of front end alarm - Performance and System - are shown
on separate tabs:

Note: This chapter will describe the configuration of performance and system alarms; for more
information about configuring TCAs, see the OPTIMA Operations and Maintenance Guide.

As well as alarms, OPTIMA also enables you to create alarm handlers, which define how an alarm
is 'handled'. Alarm handlers specify:
• Which contacts are notified when an alarm is raised
• How the alarm is sent, either by email, SMS (text message) or both

Depending on your permissions, you can create, edit and delete alarm handlers on the Alarm
Handlers tab:
• Users with Admin permissions on Alarms can create, edit and delete handlers for
performance alarms, system alarms and TCAs
• Users with Write permissions on Alarms can only create, edit and delete handlers for
performance alarms, and view handlers for TCAs
• Users with Read permissions on Alarms can only view handlers for performance alarms
and TCAs

To open the Alarm Handlers tab:

On the Analysis tab, click the Alarm Handlers button .

On the Alarm Handlers tab, the three types of alarm handler - Performance, TCA and
System - are shown on separate tabs:

452
 Using Alarms

About Alarm Settings

Before you can define and use an alarm, you must configure a number of components that will
make up the alarm definition:
• Vendors
• Technologies
• Element types (performance alarms only)
• Problem text (not mandatory - you can define your own problem text when defining the
alarm, but configuring it here beforehand can save time)
• Maintenance parameters

If you have Administration or Write permissions for Alarms, you can configure these components on
the Alarms tab. After you have done this, you can use them to configure an alarm that you have
defined.

Configuring Vendors
In the Vendor Settings dialog box you can create a list of vendors that you can then choose from
when you are creating an alarm.

To add a vendor:

1. On the Alarms tab, from the Settings pane, click the Vendor button .

The Vendor Settings dialog box appears:

2. From the Alarm Type drop-down list, select the alarm type for which you want to define
vendors.

453
 OPTIMA 8.0 User Reference Guide

3. Click Add.

4. In the Add Vendor dialog box, type the name of the vendor and click OK.

To edit a vendor name in the Vendor Settings dialog box:

1. Select the vendor that you want to edit and click Rename.

- or -

Double-click the vendor name.

2. Type the new name for the vendor, and then press Enter.

To delete a vendor in the Vendor Settings dialog box:

1. Select the required vendor and click Delete.

2. Click Yes to confirm.

The selected vendor is deleted.

Configuring Technologies
In the Technology Settings dialog box you can create a list of technologies that you can then
choose from when you are creating an alarm.

To add a technology:

1. On the Alarms tab, from the Settings pane, click the Technology button .

The Technology Settings dialog box appears:

454
 Using Alarms

2. From the Alarm Type drop-down list, select the alarm type for which you want to define the
technology.

3. Click Add.

4. In the Add Technology dialog box, type the name of the technology and click OK.

To edit a technology name in the Technology Settings dialog box:

1. Select the technology that you want to edit and click Rename

- or –

Double-click the technology name.

2. Type the new name for the technology and then press Enter.

To delete a technology in the Technology Settings dialog box:

1. Select the required technology and click Delete.

2. Click Yes to confirm.

The selected technology is deleted.

Configuring Element Types

In the Element Type Settings dialog box you can create a list of element types that you can then
choose from when you are creating an alarm.

Note: Because system alarms are raised on OPTIMA events, rather than performance events, you
do not need to define element types for them.

To add an element type:

1. On the Alarms tab, from the Settings pane, click the Element Type button .

455
 OPTIMA 8.0 User Reference Guide

The Element Type Settings dialog box appears:

2. Click Add.

3. In the Add Element Type dialog box, type the name of the element type and click OK.

To edit an element type name in the Element Type Settings dialog box:

1. Select the element type that you want to edit and click Rename.

- or -

Double-click the element type name.

2. Type the new name for the element type, and then press Enter.

To delete an element type in the Element Type Settings dialog box:

1. Select the required element type and click Delete.

2. Click Yes to confirm.

The selected element type is deleted.

456
 Using Alarms

Configuring Problem Texts

In the Problem Text dialog box, you can create a list of problem text definitions that you can then
choose from when you are creating an alarm.

Note: You can also choose to create the problem text when defining the rest of the alarm, rather
than choosing a pre-defined option.

To add a problem text definition:

1. On the Alarms tab, from the Settings pane, click the Problem Text button .

2. In the Problem Text dialog box, click Add.

3. In the dialog box that appears, type a name for problem text:

4. Click Edit, and in the dialog box that appears, type in your definition, either as an SQL
query or simple text:

If you are using SQL query, check the Override SQL checkbox so that the system knows
that the written text is SQL.

Tip: You can double-click any of the items in the list of tables and columns, Oracle
keywords and functions in the Database pane on the right-hand side to help you write the
problem text.

457
 OPTIMA 8.0 User Reference Guide

5. To test that the code works correctly, click Test SQL. If your code is correct, results appear
in the bottom pane of the dialog box:

6. Click Save.

Here is a problem text example for Route congestion alarm:

Set Problem Text:

FDN:%ELEMENTID
DATETIME:%DATE
CONGESTION:%LAST(%CONGESTION)
OG CALLS:%LAST(%NCALLSO)
OG TRAF:%LAST(%OG_TRAF)
RIPPLE:%COUNT(%CONGESTION)

Result of Set Problem Text:

FDN:MSC:MRG05;ROUTE:BRSI-BRSO
DATETIME:26-03-2007 12:00:00
CONGESTION:1,09
OG CALLS:2475
OG TRAF:74
RIPPLE:1

Clear Problem Text:

%ELEMENTID CLEARED

To delete a problem text:

1. In the Problem Text dialog box, select the problem text that you want to delete.

2. Click Delete, and then click Yes to confirm.

The selected problem text is removed.

458
 Using Alarms

Configuring Alarm Maintenance Parameters

In the Alarm Maintenance dialog box, you can configure the parameters that will make up the alarm
maintenance routine. This routine can then be scheduled to run periodically.

To configure the alarm maintenance parameters:

1. On the Alarms tab, from the Settings pane, click the Alarm Maintenance button .

The Alarm maintenance dialog box appears:

2. Select the number of days that you want to keep the alarms in the database. The default is
30 days.

3. Click OK.

Creating Folders for Alarms and Alarm Handlers

On the Alarms tab or Alarm Handlers tab, if you have Administration or Write permissions for
Alarms or Alarm Handlers, you can create and delete folders for them.

To create a new folder:

1. Select the tab on which you want to create the folder:

o Performance or System for alarms
o Performance, TCA, or System for alarm handlers

2. Right-click anywhere on the tab, and from the menu that appears, click New Folder.

- or -

Click the New Folder button .

3. Type a name for your new folder and press Enter.

459
 OPTIMA 8.0 User Reference Guide

Renaming Folders for Alarms and Alarm Handlers

On the Alarms tab or Alarm Handlers tab, if you have Administration or Write permissions for
Alarms or Alarm Handlers, you can rename folders.

To do this:

1. Select the folder that you want to rename, and then click the Rename button .

- or -

Right-click the required folder and from the menu that appears, click Rename Folder.

2. Type the new name and then press Enter.

Deleting Alarm and Alarm Handler Folders

On the Alarms tab or Alarm Handlers tab, if you have Administration or Write permissions for
Alarms or Alarm Handlers, you can delete folders.

To do this:

3. Select the folder that you want to delete, and then click the Delete button .

- or -

Right-click the required folder and from the menu that appears, click Delete.

4. In the dialog box that appears, click Yes to delete the folder.

Defining an Alarm
Before defining an alarm, ensure that you have configured the alarm settings. For more information,
see About Alarm Settings on page 453.

If you have Administration or Write permissions for Alarms, you can define an alarm in one of the
following two ways:
• Define an alarm using a wizard (performance alarms only)
• Define an alarm using an editor

Important: The Alarms and Alarm Handlers options are only available for upgraded OPTIMA users
with an Alarms license. If OPTIMA 8.0 is the first version that you are using, then you should use
TrafficGuard to create alarms. For more information, see the TrafficGuard Table-Based User Guide
or the TrafficGuard PM-Based User Guide.

460
 Using Alarms

Defining Performance Alarms Using the Alarms Wizard

On the Alarms tab, if you have Administration or Write permissions for Alarms, you can define a
performance alarm using the Alarms Wizard. To do this:

1. Click the Performance tab.

2. Select the folder in which you want to create the performance alarm, and then click the

New Alarm Definition button .

- or -

Right-click the required folder and from the menu that appears, click New Alarm
Definition.

3. In the dialog box that appears, select the Create Performance Alarm with Wizard option,
and then click OK.

4. In the dialog box that appears, type the name and description of the alarm.

5. Click Next.

6. In the dialog box that appears:

Item Description

Schema, Table, Select the schema, table, element column, and date column that the alarm will
Element Column, monitor.
Date Column
Date Period to be This determines how far back the data is monitored and is required if any of the
scanned back following conditions arise:
• There has been a delay in loading the data into the database
• The alarm service has not been running.
Element By default, the alarm will monitor all the network elements of the type selected
Selection in the element column. However, you can change the selection to apply the
alarm only to a subset of elements.
To do so:
1. Select the Filter Elements checkbox.
2. Click Select. The Selection dialog box appears.
3. You can select the elements monitored by the alarm in any one of the
following three ways:
• Element Hierarchy: You can select elements from only one element
hierarchy level. Click the Select Hierarchy button to select the
element hierarchy. For more information on element hierarchy, see
Using Element Hierarchies on page 230.
• Filters: You can apply filters on element hierarchy and select the
elements. Click the 'Use filter on element hierarchy' button to
select the elements using the filters. For more information on filters,
see Applying Filters on page 316.
• Manual Input: You can manually type element values. Click the Add
to Manual Input button to specify the elements manually.
Important: You should only configure an alarm to return one instance of each
network element for the last time period loaded.

7. Click Next.

461
 OPTIMA 8.0 User Reference Guide

8. On the next page of the wizard, define the threshold that the alarm will use:

Option Description

Severity This defines the severity of a raised alarm.

Click <Select> to get the Severity drop-down list.
You have the following options:
• Admin_Clear
• Clear
• Information Only
• Warning
• Minor
• Intermediate
• Major
• Critical
Parameter Name To add the parameters and expression:
and Expression
Click the AddParameter button to add the parameters and expression for the
alarm threshold. The Parameter Editor dialog box opens.
Note: You can also click in the Parameter Name column to add a parameter.
In the Parameter Editor dialog box:
1. In the Name text box, type the name of the parameter.
2. From the Data Type drop-down list, select the data type of the parameter.
3. From the Functions pane, select the number, string, date, and custom values
for the parameter.
4. From the Operators pane, select the operator.
5. Click OK.
Note: You can also right-click in the Threshold dialog box to add or delete a
parameter.
Operator and Set the operator and value for this threshold:
Value
1. Click the Set value button to set the operator and value for the parameters.
The Selection dialog box appears.
Note: You can also click in the Operator and Value columns to set operator
values.
2. From the Operator drop-down list, select the operator for each parameter.
3. In the Values column, type the value for the parameter.
4. Select the Apply to all queries checkbox to apply all the parameters to the
queries in the Queries pane on the left-hand side.
5. Click OK.
Note: You can also right-click in the Threshold dialog box to set the value.
Override the If this option is not checked, the system automatically adds an identical clear
parameters for parameter for every set parameter that you create.
Clear
Select this checkbox if you want to create a separate clear parameter for the
set parameters that you create.
If this option is selected, then you have the option to click to edit the operator
value for the clear parameter. After setting a different value for the clear
parameter, if you uncheck this option, a warning message is displayed that the
clear parameter will be synchronized with the set parameter. Click Yes to
continue.
Note: It is mandatory to have at least one set and clear parameter.

462
 Using Alarms

9. Click Next.

10. In the dialog box that appears:

In This Pane Do This

Alarm Process Select the alarm process mode from any one of the following options:
Mode
• Normal: If you select this option, the system raises an alarm for the
first time when the SET condition is met. Then it checks for the
CLEAR condition. If the CLEAR condition is not met, it keeps
checking for the CLEAR condition until it is met. After the CLEAR
condition is met, it again checks the SET condition. That means that
there is always a pattern – SET-CLEAR, SET-CLEAR.
• Monitor active alarms: If you select this option, the system raises an
alarm when the SET condition is met and then checks for the
CLEAR condition. If the CLEAR condition is not met, it checks for
the SET condition again. If the SET condition is met, it raises a SET
alarm. This means that the pattern need not be SET-CLEAR,SET-
CLEAR as in the normal mode and several SET alarms can be
raised before a CLEAR alarm is raised.
Note: The option Monitor set on granularity is selected automatically when you
select the Monitor active alarms process mode.
Select Problem You can select an existing problem text from the drop-down list or you can add
Text a new problem text.
To add a new problem text:
1. Click Add. The Problem Text dialog box appears.
2. Click Add.
3. In the Name column, type the name of the problem text.
4. In the Definition column, click the empty row.
5. In the text box that appears, click Edit.
6. In the dialog box that appears, type in the SQL code or simple text.
Tip: If you type simple text, double-click any of the items in the list of tables and
columns, Oracle keywords and functions in the Database pane on the right-
hand side. If you type the actual code, check the Override SQL checkbox so
that the system knows that the written text is SQL.
7. To test that the code works correctly, click Test SQL. If your code is correct,
results appear in the bottom pane of the dialog box.
8. Click Save.
Vendor, Select a vendor, technology, and element type.
Technology,
Element Type To add a new vendor, technology, and element type, click the Add button
corresponding to the correct row. For more information, see About Alarm
Settings on page 453.

11. Click Next.

463
 OPTIMA 8.0 User Reference Guide

12. In the dialog box that appears:

In This Pane Do This

Alarm Polling Set the rate at which information from the network is tested against the alarm
thresholds. To do this:
1. From the Next Polling Date Time menus, select a date and a time from which
to run the alarm.
2. From the Alarm Polling Interval menu, select the polling interval frequency and
time duration.

Important: The alarm polling frequency must be compatible with the SET and CLEAR
query duration. For example, you cannot schedule a query that takes 15 minutes to SET
and CLEAR to poll every 5 minutes.

13. Click Next.

14. In the dialog box that appears:

In This Pane Do This

Handler Type Select the method via which you want to send the alarm notifications. It can be
any of the following methods:
• Email: Alarm notification is sent by email.
• SMS: Alarm notification is sent by sms.
• SNMP: Alarm notification is sent by SNMP.
Handler Location Click the Select button to specify a location to save the alarm handler.
Select Contacts To select contacts:
1. Click the Add button to select a contact from the address book. You can
search users, groups, and contacts to select your contact.
2. Click OK.
3. Select the Send multiple notifications per email and/or SMS checkbox if you
want to send multiple alarm notifications.
4. Select the Apply handler on 'Clear' alarms checkbox if you want to send the
notifications for cleared alarms also.
SNMP This pane is active only if you have select SNMP as your handler type.
Select the type of event and probable cause for your alarm from the available
lists.

15. Click Next.

The Alarm Wizard - Summary dialog box lists all the details of the alarm.

Note: You can click any right-hand side menu items to edit your alarm information. As a
minimum, you have to specify the Information, Data and Threshold details.

464
 Using Alarms

This picture shows an example of the Alarm Wizard - Summary dialog box:

16. Click Finish. A new alarm definition is created.

17. When you have defined an alarm, you can activate it. For more information, see Activating
an Alarm on page 471.

Note: You can only define performance alarms using the Alarms Wizard. If you want to define a
system alarm, you must use the Alarms Editor. For more information, see Defining Performance
Alarms Using the Alarms Editor on page 465.

Defining Performance Alarms Using the Alarms Editor

On the Alarms tab, if you have Administration or Write permissions for Alarms, you can use the
Alarms Editor to define two types of alarm - performance and system.

To define either of these:

1. Click the Performance or System tab as required.

2. Select the folder in which you want to create the alarm, and then click the New Alarm

Definition button .

- or -

Right-click the required folder and from the menu that appears, click New Alarm
Definition.

465
 OPTIMA 8.0 User Reference Guide

3. In the dialog box that appears, select the required option, depending on the type of alarm
you are creating:
o Create Performance Alarm with Editor
o Create System Alarm with Editor

To view an example system alarm, see An Example of Creating a System Alarm on

page 472.

4. Click OK.

The Alarm Definition dialog box appears:

5. On the Information tab, type the alarm name and add a description.

466
 Using Alarms

6. On the Settings tab:

In This Pane Do This

Alarm Process Select the alarm process mode:

Mode
• Normal: If you select the Process Mode for the defined Alarm as
Normal, the system raises an alarm when the SET condition is met
for the first time. Then it checks for the CLEAR condition. If the
CLEAR condition is not met, it keeps checking for the CLEAR
condition until it is met. After the CLEAR condition is met, it again
checks the SET condition. That means that there is always a
pattern – SET-CLEAR, SET-CLEAR.
• Monitor active alarms: If you select the Process Mode for the
defined Alarm as Monitor active alarms, the system raises an alarm
when the SET condition is met and then checks for the CLEAR
condition. If the CLEAR condition is not met, it checks for the SET
condition again. If the SET condition is met, it raises a SET alarm.
This means that the pattern need not be SET-CLEAR,SET-CLEAR
as in the normal mode and several SET alarms can be raised
before a CLEAR alarm is raised.
Note: The Monitor set on granularity option is selected automatically when you
select the Monitor active alarms process mode, as it is part of this option.
Ripple Counts Select the ripple counts that will define the thresholds. For more information,
see About Ripple Counts on page 473.
Important: Ripple counts will only work with data in a complete sequence. If
there are any gaps in the data, ripple counts will not work.
Alarm Severity Select the severity level for your alarm from the list available. If the alarm is
triggered, then this is the severity level value that will be stored in the database
for the event.
Vendor, Select a vendor, technology and element type.
Technology,
Element type The available options are based on the items defined in the Alarms Settings
dialog boxes, and may be different depending on the type of alarm you are
defining. For more information, see About Alarm Settings on page 453.
For system alarms, you can also select the required OPTIMA module, for
example, the ETL Loader.
Note: You cannot define an Element type for a system alarm, as this option is
not applicable for OPTIMA events.
SNMP Select the Forward SNMP traps option to send alarm notifications by SNMP to a
third-party fault management system.
Select the event type and probable cause that will describe the alarm when it is
triggered.

467
 OPTIMA 8.0 User Reference Guide

7. On the SQL tab:

In This Pane Do This

SQL

SET Alarm SQL/ To define the Set Alarm SQL:

CLEAR Alarm
SQL 1. In the Set Alarm pane, click Set SQL. The Data Explorer launches.
2. Define the SQL query to set an alarm. For more information, see Using the
Data Explorer on page 171.
Based on the SQL query, the Element ID and Date Time drop-down lists are
populated with values.
3. From the Element ID drop-down list, select a value.
4. From the Date Time drop-down list, select a value.
5. Select the counters that you want to include in the problem text.
6. If you are defining a system alarm, select the Process ID that will be used in
the SQL query to define the PRID. If you have defined the technology as Oracle
or RAC, for example, which have no Process ID, select the Use Technology as
Process ID option.
To define the Clear Alarm SQL:
1. In the Clear Alarm pane, click Clear SQL. The Data Explorer launches.
2. Define the SQL query to clear an alarm. For more information, see Using the
Data Explorer on page 171.
Based on the SQL query, the Element ID and Date Time drop-down lists are
populated with values.
3. From the Element ID drop-down list, select a value.
4. From the Date Time drop-down list, select a value.
Element Selection The alarm monitors these elements. By default, this selection includes all the
network elements of the type selected in the element column.
You can change the selection to apply the alarm only to a subset of elements.
To do so:
1. Select the Filter elements checkbox.
2. Click Select. The Selection dialog box appears.
3. You can select the elements monitored by the alarm in any one of the
following three ways:
• Element Hierarchy: You can select elements from only one element
hierarchy level. Click the Select Hierarchy button to select the
element hierarchy. For more information on element hierarchy, see
Using Element Hierarchies on page 230.
• Filters: You can apply filters on element hierarchy and select the
elements. Click the 'Use filter on element hierarchy' button to
select the elements using the filters. For more information on filters,
seeApplying Filters on page 316.
• Manual Selection: You can manually enter element values. Click the
Add to Manual Input button to specify the elements manually.
Important: You should only configure an alarm to return one instance of each
network element for the last time period loaded.

468
 Using Alarms

In This Pane Do This

Threshold

Severity This defines the severity of the alarm threshold.

From the Severity drop-down list, select a severity for the threshold.
Tip: You can click <Select> to get the Severity drop-down list.
Operator and To set the operator and value:
Value
1. Click the Set value button to set the operator and value for the parameters.
The Selection dialog box appears.
2. From the Operator drop-down list, select the operator for each parameter.
3. In the Values column, type the value for the parameter.
4. Select the Apply to all queries checkbox to apply all the parameters to the
queries in the Queries pane on the left-hand side.
5. Click OK.
Note: You can also right-click in the Threshold dialog box to add or delete a
parameter.

469
 OPTIMA 8.0 User Reference Guide

8. On the Problem Text tab:

In This Pane Do This

Problem Text for Define the problem text that will be received when an alarm is raised.
SET/CLEARED
Alarm You can define the problem text from a predefined list or by creating
your own.
To define own problem text:
1. Select the Define own problem text checkbox.
2. Click Define. The Problem Text dialog box appears.
3. Type in the text that you want to be sent when an alarm is raised.
-or-
Select the Override SQL checkbox if you want to include an SQL
statement and in the SQL pane, type the code for the problem text.
Tip: If you type SQL code, double-click any of the items in the list of
tables and columns, Oracle keywords and functions in the Database
pane on the right-hand side. If you type the actual code, check the
Override SQL checkbox so that the system knows that the written text
is SQL.
4. To test the code works correctly, click Test SQL. If your code is
correct, results appear in the bottom pane of the dialog box.
5. When you have defined the problem text, click Save and then click
Yes to confirm.
To select problem text from a predefined list:
From the drop-down list, select a predefined problem text.
-or-
To add a new problem text:
1. Click Add. The Problem Text dialog box appears.
2. Click Add.
3. In the new row, type the name of the problem text.
4. In the Definition column, click the empty row.
5. In the text box that appears, click Edit.
6. In the dialog box that appears, type in the SQL code or simple text.
7. Close the window to exit.

9. On the Schedule tab:

In This Pane Do This

Alarm Polling Set the rate at which information from the network is tested against the
alarm thresholds. To do this:
1. From the Next Polling Date Time menus, select a date and a time
from which to run the alarm.
2. From the Alarm Polling Interval menu, select the polling interval
frequency and time duration.

Important: The alarm polling frequency must be compatible with the SET and CLEAR
query duration. For example, you cannot schedule a query that takes 15 minutes to SET
and CLEAR to poll every 5 minutes.

10. When you have finished defining your alarm, click Apply. A new alarm definition is created
in the system.

Note: As a minimum, you must specify the Information, Data and Threshold details.

470
 Using Alarms

11. When you have defined both SET and CLEARED alarms, you can activate the alarm. For
more information, see Activating an Alarm on page 471.

Activating an Alarm
After you have defined an alarm on the Alarms tab, you must activate it to start monitoring the
network. You can have as many active alarms as needed at any one time.

To activate an alarm, you must have Administration or Write permissions for Alarms.

To do this:

In the Alarm Definition pane, select the Active checkbox for each alarm you wish to
activate.

Note: You cannot activate alarms that have incomplete definitions. These are colored
grey.

Editing and Deleting an Alarm

On the Alarms tab, if you have Administration or Write permissions for Alarms, you can edit and
delete alarms.

To edit an alarm:

1. Select the alarm that you want to edit.

2. Double-click the alarm.

- or -

Click the Edit Alarm Definition button .

- or -

Right-click the alarm definition and from the menu that appears, click Edit Alarm
Definition.

3. Edit the alarm as required and then click OK to save the changes.

To delete an alarm:

1. Select the alarm you want to delete.

2. If the alarm is active, clear the Active checkbox.

3. Click the Delete Alarm Definition button .

- or -

Right-click the alarm definition and from the menu that appears, click Delete.

4. In the Confirm dialog box, click Yes.

The alarm is deleted.

471
 OPTIMA 8.0 User Reference Guide

An Example of Creating a System Alarm

This topic describes a system alarm definition, which is based on the COMMON LOGS table found
in the LOGS schema. The logs from all of the mediation devices are loaded into the COMMON
LOGS table.

The alarm is raised using the following SQL query:

SELECT A.PRID, HOST, MAX(A.DATETIME) DATETIME, MAX(SEVERITY) as

SEVERITY, COUNT(A.PRID) as TOTAL

FROM LOGS.COMMON_LOGS A,

(SELECT PRID, MAX(DATETIME) LASTDATE

FROM LOGS.COMMON_LOGS

WHERE DATETIME BETWEEN SYSDATE-7 AND SYSDATE

GROUP BY PRID) B

WHERE A.PRID=B.PRID

AND A.DATETIME BETWEEN B.LASTDATE-1/24 AND B.LASTDATE

AND %PARAM_SEVERITY

GROUP BY A.PRID

This will query the data in the COMMON LOGS table from the last seven days and return data for
each PRID for the hour leading up to the last entry made by that PRID.

The outer query will group all the records to the PRID, providing the maximum severity and the
number raised. The parameter enables you to select the severity level that you are interested in,
filtering out log entries that do not meet the criteria.

You could schedule this alarm hourly to return errors for each hour, or set it to a different
granularity.

Alternatively, you could use a sliding window to only raise an alarm if a new entry meeting the
criteria has been entered since the alarm was last processed, this will then return a summary for
the last hour, including entries that have previously raised alarms. No new alarm would be raised if
no new entry has appeared.

The alarm may be configured with 'clear' SQL, which should provide the conditions that would clear
any alarms raised by the above 'set' SQL. You can also set the alarm as 'monitor active alarms',
which will allow an alarm to be raised each time the 'set' SQL is met, without the need for a 'clear'.

The final part of the configuration is the problem text. This can contain the element, date and any
counters returned by the SQL query. It can also be based on the output of a separate SQL
statement, possibly drilling down into the cause of the alarm. The following is a simple example of
a text based entry:

%TOTAL(%TOTAL) ERROR(S) FOR PRID:%ELEMENTID AT %DATE. MAXIMUM

SEVERITY: %MAXIMUM(%SEVERITY)

This would output the following:

3 ERROR(S) FOR PRID:003817001 AT 17-09-2009 22:30:02. Maximum Severity: 6

472
 Using Alarms

About Ripple Counts

Ripple counts are used to define the threshold conditions for setting or clearing alarms. These
conditions need to be met continually until the threshold is reached and an alarm is raised. If at any
point the condition is not met, the ripple count is reset and the conditions will have to be met again
to raise an alarm.

Important: Ripple counts will only work with data in a complete sequence. If there are any gaps in
the data, ripple counts will not work.

On the Settings tab in the Alarm Definition dialog box, you can define the ripple counts using the
up and down arrows. This picture shows an example.

Ripple Count pane

The following is an example of using ripple counts:

For a SET alarm query returning 5 or greater Erlangs and a CLEARED alarm query returning 4 or
less Erlangs, you specify a SET ripple count of 3 and a CLEARED ripple count of 4. This means
that:
• For a SET alarm to be raised for a particular element in a filter, the element should have an
Erlang factor of 5 or more for the next three polling intervals
• For a CLEARED alarm to be raised for a particular element in a filter, the element should
have an Erlang factor of 4 or less for the next four subsequent data granularity periods

For information about granularity periods, see Setting the Granularity Period for a Single
Table on page 126.

This applies to all cells in the filter and with any order of values. So:
• If the three values 6, 9 and 8 are received, then the SET alarm will be activated on
receiving the third value (8). The ripple process will now wait for a CLEARED alarm.
• If the four values 2, 4, 1 and 3 are received, then the CLEARED alarm will be activated on
receiving the fourth value (3). The ripple process will now wait for a SET alarm.

Assigning Alarms to Contacts

After you have defined an alarm on the Alarms tab, you should create an alarm handler for it on the
Alarm Handlers tab, which specifies:
• Which contacts are notified when an alarm is raised
• How the alarm is sent, either by email, SMS (text message) or both

You can assign multiple alarms to a contact or a group of contacts, and you can also use the same
alarm in multiple alarm handlers

473
 OPTIMA 8.0 User Reference Guide

You must have Administration or Write permissions for Alarm Handlers to create alarm handlers.

Important: The Alarms and Alarm Handlers options are only available for upgraded OPTIMA users
with an Alarms license. If OPTIMA 8.0 is the first version that you are using, then you should use
TrafficGuard to create alarms. For more information, see the TrafficGuard Table-Based User Guide
or the TrafficGuard PM-Based User Guide.

Creating an Alarm Handler

On the Alarm Handlers tab, if you have Administration or Write permissions on Alarm Handlers,
you can create an alarm handler. To do this:

1. Ensure that at least one contact has been defined. For more information, see Using
Contacts on page 120.

2. Select the tab that corresponds to the alarm type for which you want to create the handler.

3. Select the folder in which you want to create the alarm handler, and then click the New

Alarm Handler button .

- or -

Right-click the folder in which you want to create the alarm handler and from the menu that
appears, click New Alarm Handler.

4. In the dialog box that appears, select the alarm handler type that you want to create, and
then click OK:

The Alarms Handler dialog box appears.

5. On the Information tab, type the handler name and add a description.

474
 Using Alarms

6. On the Settings tab:

In This Pane Do This

Alarms Handler Choose which alarm(s) you want a contact to be notified about.
Selection
For more information on how to do this, see Selecting the Alarms for an
Alarm Handler on page 475.
Notification Type Select how you want the contact to be notified when the alarm is raised.
If you want the contact to receive an individual alert for each element within
the alarm, select the Send Multiple Notifications Per Email and/or SMS
checkbox. Otherwise, all of the alerts for a particular alarm will be contained
in a single email/SMS.
Note: You should only use this option if the alarm is monitoring a small
number of elements.
Amend Alarm Select the Apply Handler on CLEAR Alarms checkbox if you want the
Type contact to be notified when an alarm is cleared. The contact will also be
notified if the alarm is cleared.

7. On the Contacts tab, click Assign.

8. In the dialog box that appears, select a contact and click Add.

The contacts who will receive notification when this alarm is raised are shown in the right-
hand pane of this dialog box.

Important: Contacts must be enabled to receive alarm notifications. To check this, select
the contact in the Assign Users dialog box and then click Properties.

9. You can now activate the alarm handler so the contact receives the notifications.

Selecting the Alarms for an Alarm Handler

When you are creating an alarm handler, you must select which alarm(s) will use it. The method for
this can differ slightly, depending on the type of alarm handler that you are creating.

To select the alarms for the handler:

1. In the Alarm Handler pane, click the Select button.

2. If you are creating a performance or system alarm handler, the Alarm Definition Selection
dialog box appears:

This shows a list of all of the alarms that have been defined on the appropriate tab, either
Performance or System.

475
 OPTIMA 8.0 User Reference Guide

If you are creating a TCA handler, the TCA Definition Selection dialog box appears:

This shows a list of all of the TCAs defined in the backend Loader GUI.

3. For all three alarm types, you can select the specific alarms that you want to include in the
handler. To do this, in the top pane, select the alarms that you want to add to this handler
and then either click the Add button or drag and drop them into the lower pane.

Tip: You can browse the folder structure on the left-hand side to find the required alarm.

- or -

For TCAs, you can define a mask, and any TCAs that match that mask (for example, all of
the TCAs for a particular interface) will be assigned to this handler. This is particularly
useful when you know that new TCAs will be added in the future, as any new ones that
match the mask will be included automatically without modifying the handler definition.

To define a mask:
o Select the 'Use mask' option
o Type the required mask based on the PRIDs (in the alarm definition) that you want to
include

Note: The only regular expressions that you can use are * or %. Any other character
will be treated as part of the PRID and therefore be invalid.
o Click Display. A list of alarms that currently match the mask and will be included in the
handler are shown in the lower pane.

4. Click OK.

The chosen alarms are listed in the Alarm Handler pane:

476
 Using Alarms

Activating an Alarm Handler

After you have created an alarm handler on the Alarm Handlers tab, you must activate it so that
the chosen contact(s) can receive alarm notifications.

You must have Administration or Write permissions for Alarm Handlers to do this.

To do this:

1. On the Alarms tab, ensure the alarm in each alarm handler is active. For information about
activating alarms, see Activating an Alarm on page 471.

2. On the Alarm Handlers tab, in the Alarm Handler pane, select the Active checkbox for
each alarm handler you wish to activate.

Important: For a contact to receive alarm notifications, the contact must also be active. For more
information, see Enabling Contacts to Receive Alerts on page 477.

Enabling Contacts to Receive Alerts

Contacts must be active in order to receive alerts from alarm handlers:
• If you have Administration permissions for Contacts, you can activate contacts using the
Contacts dialog box on the User Management tab. For more information, see Using
Contacts on page 120.

- or -
• If you have Write permissions for Contacts, you can activate a contact on the Alarm
Handlers tab.

To do this:

1. In the Explorer pane, click the Contacts button .

2. In the Contacts dialog box, select the contact that you want to activate and click the Edit
button .

3. In the Properties dialog box that appears, select the Enabled checkbox:

4. Click OK and then click Yes to confirm.

Tip: To activate or deactivate all contacts, right-click in the Contacts dialog box and from
the menu that appears select Activate All Users or Deactivate All Users as required.

477
 OPTIMA 8.0 User Reference Guide

Viewing, Clearing and Resetting Alarms

On the Alarms subtab of the Alarms tab, if you have Read permissions for Alarms, you can view
the alarms which are acknowledged by a third party Fault Management System (FMS). This picture
shows an example of the Alarms tab:

Alarms Tab

Note: The DEFINITION_ID, ELEMENT_ID and SQL_DATETIME are used to ensure that multiple
reports from the same network element do not give rise to duplications in the Alarms subtab listing.

Viewing Alarms

The following information is shown on this tab:

• Description of the alarm.
• Element ID.
• Element type, for example Cell.
• Alarm Date Time, this is when the data was queried by the alarms program.
• SQL Date Time, this is the date and time of the data that generated the alarm.
• Vendor, Technology and Severity as selected when the alarm was defined.
• Problem Text.
• Forwarded value. The following table describes the two possible Forwarded values:

Forwarded Value: Description:

0 Alarm has not been forwarded to the FMS by the SNMP program.
1 Alarm has been forwarded to the FMS by the SNMP program.

By default, just one day's data is shown, but more data can be shown by selecting the required time
period from the 'View data for' drop-down list:

Selecting the data to display

478
 Using Alarms

Tip: You can customize the way alarm information is displayed by using the tools menu. For more
information, see Customizing Alarm Information on page 484.

If you have Administration or Write permissions for Alarms, you can clear and reset alarms.

Clearing SNMP Forwarded Alarms

If an alarm has been raised and it has been forwarded to the FMS, you can choose to clear that
alarm. You can only clear the alarms whose Forwarded value has been set to 1.

To do this:

1. On the Alarms tab, select the alarm(s) you want to clear.

Tip: Use the Shift and Ctrl keys to highlight more than one alarm at a time.

2. Right-click and then, from the menu that appears, point to Delete Forwarded Alarms and
then click the appropriate option:
o Delete all forwarded alarms
o Delete forwarded alarms with the selected alarm ID
o Delete forwarded alarms with the selected alarm definition ID

Cleared alarms can be viewed in the Alarms Historical Log tab.

Resetting SNMP Forwarded Alarms

If an alarm has been raised and it has been forwarded to the FMS, you can choose to reset that
alarm. Resetting an alarm sets its Forwarded value back to 0. You might want to do this if there
was a problem sending SNMP notifications, for example, during SNMP synchronization. To do this:

1. On the Alarms tab, select the alarm(s) you want to reset.

Tip: Use the Shift and Ctrl keys to highlight more than one alarm at a time.

2. Right-click and then, from the menu that appears, point to Reset Forwarded Alarms and
then click the appropriate option:
o Reset all forwarded alarms
o Reset forwarded alarms with the selected alarm ID
o Reset forwarded alarms with the selected alarm definition ID

479
 OPTIMA 8.0 User Reference Guide

Viewing and Clearing Alarm Definitions

On the Definition Log subtab of the Alarms tab, if you have Read permissions for Alarms, you can
view information about the changes made to alarm definitions.

This picture shows an example of the Definition Log tab:

Definition log tab

Viewing Alarm Definitions

The following information is shown on this tab:

• A description of the definition
• The user who made the change to the definition
• The date and time when the change was made to the definition
• The action that was performed on the definition

By default, just one day's data is shown, but more data can be shown by selecting the required time
period from the 'View data for' drop-down list:

Selecting the data to display

Tip: You can customize the way alarm definition information is displayed by using the tools menu.
For more information, see Customizing Alarm Information on page 484.

If you have Administration or Write permissions for Alarms, you can clear alarm definitions.

480
 Using Alarms

Clearing Alarm Definitions

To clear alarm definitions on the Definition log tab:

1. Select the alarm definition(s) you want to clear.

Tip: Use the Shift and Ctrl keys to highlight more than one alarm at a time.

2. Right-click and, from the menu that appears, click Clear Items. You can choose to clear
one item or all of the items.

Viewing and Clearing Alarms History

On the Alarms Historical Log subtab of the Alarms tab, if you have Read permissions for Alarms,
you can view the historical log for all generated alarms.

This picture shows an example of the Alarms Historical Log tab:

Alarms historical log tab

Viewing Alarms History

The following information is shown on this tab:

• Description of the alarm
• Element ID
• Element type, for example Cell
• Alarm Date Time, this is when the data was queried by the alarms program
• SQL Date Time, this is the date and time of the data that generated the alarm
• Vendor, Technology and Severity as selected when the alarm was defined
• Problem Text

481
 OPTIMA 8.0 User Reference Guide

By default, just one day's data is shown, but more data can be shown by selecting the required time
period from the 'View data for' drop-down list:

Selecting the data to display

Tip: You can customize the way alarm history information is displayed by using the tools menu. For
more information, see Customizing Alarm Information on page 484.

If you have Administration or Write permissions for Alarms, you can clear alarms history.

Clearing Alarms History

To clear alarms history on the Alarms Historical Log tab:

1. Select the alarm(s) you want to clear.

Tip: Use the Shift and Ctrl keys to highlight more than one alarm at a time.

2. Right-click and then, from the menu that appears, point to one of the options described in
the following table:

Point to: To:

Clear Items Clear one or all items.

Send Manually clear alarms which have been raised and not cleared, for example, if
ADMIN_CLEAR an alarm is in a setting state and its clear conditions have not been met after a
long period of time, and the user has acknowledged this and is prepared to
close the alarm.

482
 Using Alarms

Viewing Alarms Run History

On the Run History subtab of the Alarms tab, if you have Read permissions for Alarms, you can
view alarm processing messages for the alarms that you have selected in the Alarm Definitions
pane.

This picture shows an example of the Run History tab for the alarms:

Run history tab

The following table shows the various parameters and their description:

Parameter Description

Message Message for the alarm

Date and Time Date and Time at which the alarm was created
Definition ID Definition ID of the alarm
Element Element for which the alarm is raised
Ripple Status Number Indicates whether the alarm is set or clear: 0 = clear, 1 = set
Ripple Count Number Indicates the ripple counts for the alarm
Data Modified Date Date at which the alarm was created
Last Date Last date when the input table was updated in the database
Message Severity Indicates the level of severity of the message. The available options are:
Number
1 - Debug
2 - Information
3 - Warning
4 - Minor
5 - Major
6 - Critical

By default, just one day's data is shown, but more data can be shown by selecting the required time
period from the 'View data for' drop-down list:

Selecting the data to display

483
 OPTIMA 8.0 User Reference Guide

Customizing Alarm Information

On the Alarms tab, information is displayed in grid format.

You can customize the way this information is displayed by using the tools menu. For more
information, see About the Tools for Customizing a Grid on page 321.

Sorting Alarm Information by Column

On the Alarms tab, to sort alarm information using the column headings:

Click the heading for the column by which you wish to sort the data.

Tip: If you want to sort by more than one column, hold down the Shift key and click the
heading for each column by which you want to sort the data.

To see by which column data in the grid is sorted, look for the arrow in the column heading. An up
arrow indicates data is in ascending order and a down arrow indicates data is in descending order.

To change the position of a column:

Select the column and drag it to the desired location.

About the Alarms Backend Applications

The alarms you define in OPTIMA are processed by two backend applications:
• The Alarms Service checks the next schedule date of each alarm and then processes and
updates any alarm whose schedule date is due
• The Alarm Notifier polls the database for recently raised alarms and sends alarm
notifications via email or SMS

You can find detailed information about installing and configuring the alarms backend applications
in the OPTIMA Operations and Maintenance (O&M) Guide. Please contact AIRCOM International
Support to obtain the latest version of the O&M Guide. For contact details, see Obtaining Support.

Troubleshooting
The following table shows troubleshooting tips for OPTIMA alarms:

Symptom Possible Causes Solution

When trying to edit an alarm Synonym, Grant missing for the Make sure that these tables have
definition, the severity, vendor and tables : 'ALARM_VENDORS', proper synonyms, grants and
technology combo boxes are 'ALARM_TECHNOLOGY', also they have all the rows from
empty. 'ALARM_ELEMENT_TYPE', the original installation.
'PROBABLE_CAUSE'
Rows deleted from these tables.
Does not receive Alarms SMS but Wrong option selected in Alarm Make sure that the right option is
receive Alarms email Handler GUI selected in Alarm Handler
definition

484
 Using Alarms

Symptom Possible Causes Solution

‘Insufficient privileges’ error Insufficient privileges/ Not Check the table access
message in the log when opening enough access rights on the privileges. Run the necessary
Alarm Handler Explorer tables scripts. If the database is installed
from a production template this
should not happen.
Check the file and see which
query has failed. This might give
a clue as to which table has the
grants missing
The ALARM definition is shown as Expected behavior. Expected behavior. A definition is
“active” but in the Alarm definition made inactive when it is opened
window, the Alarm status is for editing and cannot be edited
“inactive” when the alarm is being
processed.
The ALARM definition. is shown as This can be a problem with the Remove the double quoted alias
“active” but no alarm is triggered SET SQL query. The SQL with from the ‘SET’ SQL.
and the “Next Schedule Date” is double quoted ALIAS works fine
not updated through the TEST SQL button Will be providing a better solution
but gives Oracle error ‘Missing soon.
Expression’ in the trace file.
Right-click Alarm Explorer window Synonym missing for SNMP CREATE PUBLIC SYNONYM
and select either delete or reset package SNMP_PKG FOR
forwarded alarms. It generates the AIRCOM.SNMP_PKG;
following error message: PLS-
00201: identifier
'SNMP_PKG.DEL_FWD_ALARMS_A
LL' must be declared.
Keeps on repeating same alarm The wrong option for Process Select the ‘Normal mode’ if that
and inbox is filled with same SMS Mode might be selected. If the serves the purpose. If the
alarm issue Process Mode for the defined Process Mode for the defined
Alarm is set to be ‘Continuous’ Alarm is set to be ‘Normal’, the
the alarm will be raised program raises an alarm (once)
whenever the SET condition is when the ‘Set’ condition is met
met , even if the clear condition and the alarm will not be raised
is not met after a set. again until the Clear condition is
met for that alarm. Check if the
Process Mode is set to ‘Normal’.
This is in the Alarm definition –
Settings tab

Alarms not being generated and The problem was not using the Install the latest version of
receiving Oracle error- 911 in the ‘%’ in double quoted alias in the OPTIMA Alarms package
alarmservice trace file when using SET SQL. After defining the SET
‘%’ sign in the alias in Set SQL SQL, when you map the
definition. counters bought back by the
SQL, if the values list contains
the alias with %, this was not
handled properly by the Alarms
package.
Problem text not working when User was using the %Date
using the Override SQL option. placeholder in the where clause
Blank results in the problem text of the SQL statement. Need to
column. have a to_date conversion in
front of it as the user was
comparing it with a date column.

485
 OPTIMA 8.0 User Reference Guide

Symptom Possible Causes Solution

Alarm tool doesn't work properly The OPTIMA alarms engine Ensure that there are no gaps in
when there are gaps in data expects data to be loaded in the data that you load.
population, data are missed or date sequence.
inserted with latency.

486
 Data Forecasting

11 Data Forecasting

You can use Data Forecasting in conjunction with AIRCOM OPTIMA. To do this you must have
selected the option to install I-VIEW Data Forecasting (IVDF) application which was presented to
you as part of the installation process for AIRCOM OPTIMA.

Introduction
The I-VIEW Data Forecasting application enables you to:
• Detect trends in network data
• Forecast network metrics

This is useful for:

• Operations Management
o When planning capacity you can forecast when elements need to be expanded or re-
homed, and when traffic needs to be re-routed.
o When planning for performance you can forecast when a counter or a Key
Performance Indicator (KPI) will exceed a threshold.
• Managed Services
o When managing Service Level Agreements you can forecast when an SLA is likely to
be violated.

The I-VIEW Data Forecasting application is a standalone product which can be installed in a
Microsoft Windows environment independently of other AIRCOM software products. The
forecasting method is based on a selected algorithm.

The only prerequisites to its operation are:

• The presence of .NET Framework 4.0 on the machine on which the I-VIEW Data
Forecasting application is installed.
• If input and output to an Oracle database is required, an Oracle client.

The application is started from a command line executable and can be configured with an INI file or
with command line parameters.

There is a separate INI file containing configurable parameters for the algorithm.

All parameters, whether provided through the command line or loaded from an INI file are parsed
by the I-VIEW Data Forecasting application. If the values are not correct, for example if a non-
existent path is specified, the I-VIEW Data Forecasting application stops and an error message is
displayed.

Important:
• All paths defined in INI files should exist, for example:
[GENERAL].LogDir
[GENERAL].PRIDFilePath
[FileInput].Dir
[FileOutput].Dir
• All available application parameters should have meaningful values, even if they are not
used by the I-VIEW Data Forecasting application.

487
 OPTIMA 8.0 User Reference Guide

The full list of files supplied with the I-VIEW Data Forecasting application is as follows:

Forecaster.exe
ArimaForecast.dll
algorithm.ini (default algorithm ini file)
forecaster.ini (default forecasting application ini file)
Naglibrary64.dll (supports 64 bit version)
Naglibrary32.dll (supports 32 bit version)
Oracle.DataAccess.dll

This diagram illustrates how the I-VIEW Data Forecasting application interacts with its inputs and
outputs:

Configuring from the Command Line

This table shows the parameters that you can add to the command line executable to configure the
I-VIEW Data Forecasting application and algorithm:

This parameter Defines

-ini “ini_filename” The file name with the full path of the forecasting application INI file.
-algo The file name with full path of the algorithm INI file.
“algo_filename”
-i “db inputDBinfo” The database service name (inputDBinfo) from which initial time series (historical
values) are obtained.
Other DB connection parameters (such as username/password, input schema.table)
are taken from ini_filename ([DBInput] section) unless the ini_filename is not provided
as a command line switch in which case these parameters are taken from the default
application INI file: forecaster.ini.
This parameter overwrites the parameter of [DBInput]. DB loaded from the application
INI file.

488
 Data Forecasting

This parameter Defines

-o “db inputDBinfo” The database service name (outputDBinfo) used to store forecasting results
(forecasted values with or without standard error).
Other DB connection parameters (such as username/password, input schema.table)
are taken from ini_filename ([DBOutput] section) unless the ini_filename is not
provided as a command line switch in which case these parameters are taken from the
default application INI file: forecaster.ini.
This parameter overwrites the parameter of [DBOutput]. DB loaded from the
application INI file.
-i “file The file name (inputFilename) from which initial time series (historical values) are
inputFilename” obtained.
Other file parameters (such as a delimiter, column names) are taken from ini_filename
([FileInput] section) unless the ini_filename is not provided as a command line switch
in which case these parameters are taken from the default application INI file:
forecaster.ini.
This parameter overwrites the two parameters of [FileInput].Dir and
[FileInput].FileName loaded from the application INI file.
-o “file The file name (outputFilename) used to store forecasting results (forecasted values
outputFilename” with or without standard error.
Other file parameters (such as delimiter, column names) are taken from ini_filename
([FileOutput] section) unless the ini_filename is not provided as a command line switch
in which case these parameters are taken from the default application INI file:
forecaster.ini.
This parameter overwrites the two parameters of [FileOutput].Dir and
[FileOutput].FileName loaded from the application INI file.
-c cellname Either a single element (cell) name or a list of element (cell) names separated by a
comma. Only the listed elements (cells) will be taken to forecasting.
This parameter overwrites the parameter of [FileInput].ElementList loaded from
application INI file.
-k kpiname Either a file header (when file(s) is defined as an input) or a table column name (when
DB is defined as an input) of the counter/KPI columns storing the historic time series
values to be forecast.
This parameter overwrites the parameter of either [DBInput].CounterColumnName or
[FileInput].CounterColumnName which are loaded from the application INI file.
-rd historicalpoints A number of historic elements in an initial series to be taken for forecasting .
This parameter overwrites the parameter of [Forecast].History loaded from the
application INI file.
-fd futurepoints A number of forecasts to be produced.
This parameter overwrites the parameter of [Forecast]. Forecasts loaded from the
application INI file.

All command line parameters are optional. If you do not use any, the application reads all
necessary parameters from the forecaster.ini and algorithm.ini files.

This is an example of the application execution command without command line parameters:

D:\tmp\Forecasting>forecaster.exe

This is an example of the application execution command with command line parameters:

D:\tmp\Forecasting>forecaster.exe –ini “d:\forecast2.ini” –algo

“d:\algo1.ini” –i “db PROD” –o “file res.txt” –c “CELL1” –k “KPI1” – rd
90 – fd 10

489
 OPTIMA 8.0 User Reference Guide

Configuring the Application INI File

The application parameters are loaded from the application INI file. If you do not specify an INI file
location from the command line, the default application INI file is used (forecaster.ini). If no INI file is
available then forecaster stops and displays an error message.

The forecasting parameters are grouped into these eight sections within the INI file:
• [GENERAL]
• [Forecast]
• [DBInput]
• [DBOutput]
• [FileInput]
• [FileOutput]
• [Testing]
• [IVDNative]

This is an example of a forecaster.ini file:

[GENERAL]
PRID=
LogDir=
PRIDFilePath=
InputSource=0
OutputSource=0
Validation=0
Threshold=0
LogForecast=1
LogModel=2
ExportOriginalData=0
ExportOriginalName=_ORIGINAL

[Forecast]
Granularity=1
History=90
HistoricalDataModelling=0
Forecasts=30
Precision=1
StdError=0
StdErrorName=STDERR_

[DBInput]
DB=
Username=
Password=
Table=
TimeStampColumnName=
ElementColumnName=
CounterColumnName=
ElementList=

[DBOutput]
DB=
Username=
Password=
Table=
TimeStampColumnName=
ElementColumnName=
CounterColumnName=

490
 Data Forecasting

[FileInput]
Dir=
Delimiter=
FileName=
TimeStampColumnName=
ElementColumnName=
CounterColumnName=
ElementList=
InputTimestampFormat=

[FileOutput]
Dir=
Delimiter=
FileName=
TimeStampColumnName=
ElementColumnName=
CounterColumnName=
OutputTimstampFormat=

[Testing]
VerboseForecast=0
VerboseModel=0

[IVDNative]
ExportDimensionFormat=0
DimensionParameters=
DimensionFolder=
Delimiter=
DimensionColumnName=ID,MS Config,Subs,BHCA,Volume,Target Cell
ID,Parent_BS
OutputTimstampFormat=
FirstLine=//Radio_Traffic_Input

Configuring the [GENERAL] Section

This table describes the configurable parameters:

Parameter Type Description

LogDir String Location where the forecasting log is to be stored. This directory must
exist and be accessible by the forecaster. If this directory does not exist,
the forecaster does not start and an error message is displayed.
Example value:

LogDir=d:\tmp\forecasting\log
InputSource Integer Available values: 0 or 1.
If InputSource = 0 then input source parameters are taken from the
[FileInput] section (file(s) as input source).
If InputSource = 1 then input source parameters are taken from the
[DBInput] section (DB as input source).
Example value:
InputSource=1
OutputSource Integer Available values: 0 or 1.
If OutputSource = 0 then output source parameters are taken from in the
[FileOutput] section (file(s) as output).
If OutputSource = 1 then output source parameters are taken from the
[DBOutput] section (DB as output),
Example value:
OutputSource=0

491
 OPTIMA 8.0 User Reference Guide

Parameter Type Description

Validation Integer Available values: 0 or 1.

If Validation = 0 then no input series validation is performed.
If Validation = 1 then the input series is checked against any gaps
(missing points) within the series. The application approximates and
inserts values for missing points into the series. Values of the two
neighbouring points are taken for approximation (the average value of the
two nearest neighbours is calculated and inserted between them).
Example value:
Validation=1
Threshold Integer Available values: from 0 to 100.
The percentage of time points in an initial time series required to start the
forecasting process:
(number of time points available in the series) /
(total number of time points available in the series).
Example value:
Threshold=95
LogForecast Integer Available values: 0 or 1.
If LogForecast = 0 then do not report forecasting process.
If LogForecast = 1 then report forecasting process.
Example value:
LogForecast=0
LogModel Integer Available values: 0, 1 or 2.
Used only with ARIMA forecasting.
If LogModel = 0 then do not report model selection process.
If LogModel = 1 then report model selection process with details (all the
possible models are reported).
if LogModel = 2 then report model selection process with details (only
correct models are reported).
Example value:
LogModel=0
ExportOriginalData Available values: 0 or 1.
If ExportOriginalData = 0 then original data will not be exported.
If ExportOriginalData =1 then original data will also be exported for each
cell and parameter, with '_ORIGINAL'.
Example value:
ExportOriginalData=0
ExportOriginalName The suffix of the Counter/KPI column having original values (column
name/header name would be [Db/FileOutput].CounterColumnName +
ExportOriginalName)
Example value:
ExportOriginalName=_ORIGINAL

492
 Data Forecasting

Configuring the [Forecast] Section

This table describes the configurable parameters:

Parameter Type Description

Granularity Integer Available values: 15, 60,1,7, or 30.

The granularity of the input data file (if 15 then 15 minutes, if 60 then 1
hour, if 1 then DY, if 7 then WK, if 30 then MO).
Used for series validation (if enabled) and to produce the future
timestamps.
Example value:
Granularity=1.
History Integer Available values: > 3.
The number of points (historical points) from the initial time series used
for forecasting.
Example value:
History=90.
Forecasts Integer Available values: > 0.
The number of forecasts to be produced.
Example value:
Forecasts=10.
Precision Integer Available values: >= 0.
The precision of the forecasts produced (number of digits after
comma).
Example value:
Precision=1.
StdError Integer Available values: 0 or 1.
If StdError = 0 then the forecaster does not produce standard error
values.
If StdError = 1 then the forecaster produces standard error values.
Example value:
StdError=0.
StdErrorName String The prefix of the standard error column name/header.
The full standard error column name (when output is DB) or standard
error header is constructed as:
StdErrorName+ [DBInput]. CounterColumnName – when DB is an
input, or
StdErrorName+ [FileInput]. CounterColumnName – when file is as
input,
StdErrorName parameter is only processed when
[Forecast].StdError=1,
Example value:
StdErrorName=STDERR_.

493
 OPTIMA 8.0 User Reference Guide

Configuring the [DBinput] Section

This table describes the configurable parameters:

Parameter Type Description

DB String The database input name (must be in line with service name
from tnsnames.ora).
Example value:
DB=DBASE15A.
Username String The database input username.
Example value:
Username=WATSON_GERAN.
Password String The database input password.
Example value:
Password=administrator.
Table String The database input table name.
Example value:
Table=WATSON_GERAN.TRAFFIC_STATS_DY.
TimeStampColumnName String The database input timestamp column name.
Example value:
TimeStampColumnName=DATETIME.
ElementColumnName String The database input element (cell) column name.
Example value:
ElementColumnName=CELL.
CounterColumnName String The database input counter/KPI column name.
Example value:
CounterColumnName=VALUE1,VALUE2.
ElementList String A comma separated list of elements (cells) to be forecasted,
when ElementList=* then all elements (cells) are forecasted.
Examples of possible values:
ElementList=CELL1
or
ElementList=CELL1,CELL2
or
ElementList=*.

494
 Data Forecasting

Configuring the [DBOutput] Section

This table describes the configurable parameters:

Parameter Type Description

DB String The database output name (must be in line with service name
from tnsnames.ora).
Example value:
DB=DBASE15A.
Username String The database output username.
Example value:
Username=WATSON_GERAN.
Password String The database output password.
Example value:
Password=administrator.
Table String The database output table name.
Example value:
Table=WATSON_GERAN.TRAFFIC_STATS_OUT.
TimeStampColumnName String The database output timestamp column name.
Example value:
TimeStampColumnName=TIMESTAMP.
ElementColumnName String The database output element (cell) column name.
Example value:
ElementColumnName=CELL1,CELL2.
CounterColumnName String The database output counter/KPI column name.
Example value:
CounterColumnName=VALUE1,VALUE2.

Configuring the [FileInput] Section

This table describes the configurable parameters:

Parameter Type Description

Dir String The location of your input file(s).

This directory must exist and be accessible by the forecaster
otherwise the application will not start.
Example value:
Dir=d:\tmp\forecasting\input\.
Delimiter Char The character to be used as the delimiter of records of input
file(s).
Example value:
Delimiter=,
FileName String The input file name for a single file input
or
The file extension for multiple files input.
Examples of values:
FileName=input.csv
or

495
 OPTIMA 8.0 User Reference Guide

Parameter Type Description

FileName=*.csv.
TimeStampColumnName String The timestamp header name (column name).
Example value:
TimeStampColumnName=DATETIME.
ElementColumnName String The element (cell) header name (column name).
Example value:
ElementColumnName=CELL.
CounterColumnName String The counter/KPI header name (column name).
Example value:
CounterColumnName=KPI_VALUE,KPI_VALUE2.
ElementList String A comma separated list of elements (cells) to be forecasted,
when ElementList=* then all elements (cells) are forecasted.
Examples of values:
ElementList=CELL1
or
ElementList=CELL1,CELL2
or
ElementList=*.
InputTimestampFormat String The time stamp format to be used in the input file name. For
more information, see Configuring Timestamp Formats on
page 498.

Configuring the [FileOutput] Section

This table describes the configurable parameters:

Parameter Type Description

Dir String The location of your output file(s).

This directory must exist and be accessible by the forecaster
otherwise the application will not start.
Example value:
Dir=d:\tmp\forecasting\output\.
Delimiter Char The character to be used as a delimiter of records of output
file(s).
Example value:
Delimiter=|.
FileName String The output file name for a single file output
or
The file extension for multiple files output (the extension is
added to every input file name that has been forecasted).
Examples of values:
FileName=output.csv
or
FileName=*.csv
TimeStampColumnName String The timestamp header name (column name).
Example value:
TimeStampColumnName=DATE.
ElementColumnName String The element (cell) header name (column name).

496
 Data Forecasting

Parameter Type Description

Example value:
ElementColumnName=ELEMENT.
CounterColumnName String The counter/KPI header name (column name).
Example value:
CounterColumnName=FORECAST1,FORECAST2.
OutputTimestampFormat String The time stamp format to be used in the output file name. For
more information, see Configuring Timestamp Formats on
page 498.

Configuring the [Testing] Section

This table describes the configurable parameters:

Parameter Type Description

VerboseForecast Integer Available values: 0 or 1.

Available only for seasonal ARIMA forecasting.
If VerboseForecast = 0 then no forecasting details are printed
on console.
If VerboseForecast = 1 then forecasting details are printed on
console.
Example value:
VerboseForecast=0.
VerboseModel Integer Available values: 0, 1 or 2
Available only for seasonal ARIMA forecasting.
If VerboseModel = 0 then no model selection details are printed
on console.
If VerboseModel = 1 then model selection details are printed on
console (for all models).
If VerboseModel = 2 then model selection details are printed on
console (for correct models, that is, those that are taken into
account for the model selection process).
Example value:
VerboseModel=0.

Configuring the [IVDNative] Section

This table describes the configurable parameters:

Parameter Type Description

ExportDimensionFormat Integer Available values: 0 or 1.

If ExportDimensionFormat = 0 then do not export an I-VIEW
Dimension format csv file.
If ExportDimensionFormat = 1 then export an I-VIEW Dimension
format csv file.
Example value:
ExportDimensionFormat=0
DimensionParameters String A comma separated list of valid I-VIEW Dimension counter/KPIs.

497
 OPTIMA 8.0 User Reference Guide

Parameter Type Description

Example value:
DimensionParameters=VALUE1,VALUE2
DimensionFolder String The path to the I-VIEW Dimension folder where I-View
Dimension csv files will be created.
Example value:
DimensionFolder=C:\Program Files\AIRCOM
International\I-VIEW Dimension\Reporting
Delimiter Char The character to be used as the delimiter of records of I-VIEW
Dimension format file(s).
Example value:
Delimiter=,
DimensionColumnName String The output file header column names.
Example value:
DimensionColumnName=ID,MS Config,Subs,BHCA,
Volume,Target Cell ID,Parent_BS

OutputTimestampFormat String The time stamp format to be used in the output file name. For
more information, see Configuring Timestamp Formats on page
498.
FirstLine String The initial line of the exported I-VIEW Dimension format file,
provided so that I-VIEW Dimension can recognise the file.
Example value:
FirstLine=//Radio_Traffic_Input

Configuring Timestamp Formats

This table shows the timestamp formats that are valid for use with the InputTimestampFormat
parameter of the FileInput section of the Forecaster.ini file, and the OutputTimestampFormat
parameters of the FileOutput and IVDNative sections.

This Represents
Format

d Numeric day of the month without a leading zero.

dd Numeric day of the month with a leading zero.
ddd Abbreviated name of the day of the week.

dddd Full name of the day of the week.

f,ff,fff,ffff,fffff,ffff Fraction of a second. The more fs the higher the precision.
ff,fffffff
h 12 Hour clock, no leading zero.
hh 12 Hour clock with leading zero.
H 24 Hour clock, no leading zero.
HH 24 Hour clock with leading zero.
m Minutes with no leading zero.
mm Minutes with leading zero.
M Numeric month with no leading zero.
M Numeric month with a leading zero.

498
 Data Forecasting

This Represents
Format

MMM Abbreviated name of month.

MMMM Full month name.
s Seconds with no leading zero.
ss Seconds with leading zero.
t AM/PM but only the first letter.
tt AM/PM ( a.m. / p.m.
y Year with out century and leading zero.
yy Year with out century, with leading zero.
yyyy Year with century.
zz Time zone off set with +/-.

Configuring the Algorithm INI File

The algorithm parameters are loaded from the algorithm INI file. If you do not specify an INI file
location from the command line, the default application INI file is used (algorithm.ini). If no INI file is
available then forecaster stops and displays an error message.

The algorithm parameters are grouped into these seven sections within the INI file:
• [General]
• [NAGArima]
• [Naive]
• [SimpleMovingAverage]
• [WeightedMovingAverage]
• [ExponentialSmoothing]
• [LinearRegression]

This is an example of an algorithm.ini file:

499
 OPTIMA 8.0 User Reference Guide

Configuring the [General] Section

This table describes the configurable parameter:

Parameter Type Description

Algo String Defines which available algorithm is to be used for forecasting.

Example value:
Algo=LinearRegression.

Configuring the [NAGArima] Section

This table describes the configurable parameters:

Parameter Type Description

AlgoType Integer Available values: 0 or 1.

If AlgoType=0 then NAG ARIMA = g13af/g13aj.
If AlgoType=1 then NAG ARIMA = g13be/g13bj.
Example value:
AlgoType=0.
minMR Integer[7] The seasonal ARIMA model initial parameters: (p,d,q)(P,D,Q)s.
Example value:
minMR=0,0,0,0,0,0,0.
maxMR Integer[7] The seasonal ARIMA model max parameters: (p,d,q)(P,D,Q)s.
Example value:
minMR= 5,1,5,1,1,0,7.
objFunction Integer Available values: 1, 2 or 3.
If objFunction=1 than AIC is used for model selection criterion.
If objFunction=2 than BIC is used for model selection criterion.
If objFunction=3 than RSS is used for model selection criterion.
Example value:
objFunction=1.
minSARIMA Integer Available value > 2.
The minimum number of points in an initial series to run seasonal
ARIMA, if less than minSARIMA then run ARIMA.
Example value:
minSARIMA=30.
nit Integer Available value > 100.
The maximum number of iterations to get convergence.
Example value:
nit=1000.
fit Integer Available values: 1 or 2 or 3.
Used only if AlgoType=1.
Likelihood option, the way the model is fitted:
If fit=1 then least-squares.
If fit=2 then exact likelihood.
If fit=3 then marginal likelihood.
Example value:

500
 Data Forecasting

Parameter Type Description

fit=1.
zsp Double[4] Used only if AlgoType=1.
(a,b,d,y), a constraint on the magnitude of the search procedure
steps, b multiplies the value of a, d stationarity and invertibility test
tolerance factor, y value of the convergence criterion.
Example value:
zsp=0.01,10,1000,0.0000001.

Forecasting Methods
Simple forecasting methods have been incorporated into the forecasting application.

The available forecasting functions are:

• Naive Forecast y^(t) = y(t-1)

• Simple Moving Average y^(t) = 1/n * [y(t-1) + y(t-2) + ... + y(t-n)]

• Weighted Moving y^(t) = w(1)*y(t-1) + w(1)*y(t-2) + ... +

Average w(n)*y(t-n)

• Simple Exponential y^(t) = Alpha * y(t-1) + (1 - Alpha) * y^(t-1)

Smoothing
• Simple Linear y^(t) = a * x(t) + b;
Regression

The functions produce the forecasts but no standard errors are calculated.

Configuring the [Naive] Section

For the Naive Forecast, no parameters are required.

Configuring the [SimpleMovingAverage] Section

This table describes the configurable parameter:

Parameter Type Description

window Integer Available values > 1.

The length of the sliding window of input parameters.
Example value:
window=3.

Configuring the [WeightedMovingAverage] Section

This table describes the configurable parameter:

Parameter Type Description

weight double[n] Summary of weights must be equal to 1.

n elements of weights.
Example value:
weight=0.5,0.25,0.25.

501
 OPTIMA 8.0 User Reference Guide

Configuring the [ExponentialSmoothing] Section

This table describes the configurable parameter:

Parameter Type Description

Alpha double Available values (0…1).

Example value:
Alpha=0.8.

Configuring the [LinearRegression] Section

For Simple Linear Regression, no parameters are required.

502
 Procuring Licenses

Procuring Licenses

The procurement of licenses will normally be carried out by you, the administrator, on behalf of
numerous users with a software-based system called SafeNet Sentinel. Your order for OPTIMA will
entitle you to a number of licenses which you can procure using the License Fulfilment Wizard
provided.

About License Procurement

Before you can use the License Fulfilment Wizard, lock codes must be created. For more
information see Generating Lock Codes on page 504.

If you intend to use network licenses you must create a software license server. You can do this
before installing OPTIMA if you wish. For more information see Installing a Software License Server
on page 505.

You can then use the License Fulfilment Wizard to generate, migrate or renew your licenses either
online or manually. This table shows which section to read under what circumstances:

See If

Generating New Licenses Online on You have installed OPTIMA for the first time and/or you do not
page 506 have a currently licensed installation
You want to carry out the process online
Renewing Licenses Online on page 508 You wish to extend the validity of your software based licences
You want to carry out the process online
Generating New Licenses Manually on You have installed OPTIMA for the first time and/or you do not
page 511 have a currently licensed installation
You do not want to carry out the process online
Migrating Existing Licenses Manually on You have a version of OPTIMA which is currently licensed with
page 509 a hardware dongle or via node locking
You do not want to carry out the process online
Renewing Licenses Manually on page You wish to extend the validity of your software based licences
512
You do not want to carry out the process online

503
 OPTIMA 8.0 User Reference Guide

Generating Lock Codes

When you use the License Fulfilment Wizard you will need to type a lock code for each machine on
which there is a stand-alone installation of OPTIMA and for each machine that is to be used as a
network server. The lock code must be created by running the Lock Code Generator on each user
machine and/or each network server.

To do this:

1. Double click on the LockCodeGenerator executable normally located in

C:\Netrac\NetracLauncher\netrac-app1\OptimaClient\Licensing Utilities. The Lock Code
Generator dialog box appears and a lock code is generated automatically.

2. Make a note of the code displayed in the Lock Code field:

3. Click Close.

Note: You can get your users to run the Lock Code Generator on their machines and tell
you the resultant codes. You will also need to know the hostname of each machine. These
names and codes can be entered into the License Fulfilment Wizard either individually or,
if you create one from them, as a .csv file.

Important: The lock code produced by the Lock Code Generator uses your Hard Disk
Identity by default as one of its lock criteria. If for any reason different criteria are required,
Product Support will inform you of this by email after you have run the License Fulfilment
Wizard.

If different criteria are required, you will need to:

a. Re-open the Lock Code Generator.
b. Select the Override checkbox.
c. Type the code supplied by Product Support into the Lock Criteria field.

Note: If Product Support have provided you with a USB key but have not already
generated a lock code for you, insert the USB key and type 128 in the Lock Criteria
field.
d. Click Update. A new code will appear in the Lock Code field.
e. Either re-run the License Fulfilment Wizard and on the Locking Codes page, use the
new lock code or codes, select the overridden locking criteria option and type the Lock
Criteria code supplied by Product Support into the adjacent field.
- or -
Email a file of comma-separated values with details of your server names and
corresponding revised lock codes to Product Support.

504
 Procuring Licenses

Installing a Software License Server

If your users are going to be licensed with Network licenses rather than standalone client-based
licenses, you must set up a software license server.

The licensing software is available from the AIRCOM Assist website at:
https://www.aircomassist.com, by clicking the ‘ENTERPRISE Suite Downloads’ link to access the
‘Product Downloads’ page.

To configure this:

1. Install the license server software, available as described above.

2. Run the setup executable (LicenceServerSetup.exe) and complete the installation wizard.

3. Click Start/Control Panel.

4. Double-click Administrative Tools.

5. Double-click Services.

6. Ensure that there is a service named 'Aircom Software Licensing Server' listed, and that it
has a Status of Started and a Startup Type of Automatic.

Warning: The service will not run successfully if you attempt to run it on a Virtual Machine
System.

Using the License Reader

If you have a version of OPTIMA which is currently licensed with a hardware dongle or using node
locking and you wish to migrate your licences to the software-based licensing system, you can use
of the Licence Reader application. The purpose of the Licence Reader is to transfer details of
existing licences to the Licence Fulfilment Wizard.

As an administrator you will normally use the Licence Reader while using the Licence Fulfilment
Wizard. In this case licence details are transferred directly to the Wizard page. However you may
also need to get users who have OPTIMA installed on stand-alone machines to use the Licence
Reader as a separate application. These users can then send you the report files produced so that
you can load them into the Licence Fulfilment Wizard.

To use the Licence Reader while using the Licence Fulfilment Wizard:

1. On the "Migration from previous licence system" page, click Launch Reader.

2. In the Licence Type pane of the Licence Migration Version 1.0.0 dialog box:

If you wish to transfer details of licences based on a local dongle, click Local.

- or -

If you wish to transfer details of licences based on a network dongle, click Network.

- or -

If you wish to transfer details of licences based on your node locking setup, click Node
Lock.

Whichever button you click, the associated details appear in the dialog box.

3. Click Report. The licence details are transferred to the "Migration from previous licence
system" page and the Licence Reader is closed.

505
 OPTIMA 8.0 User Reference Guide

To use the Licence Reader as a separate application:

1. Double-click HASPMigration.exe in the Netrac\NetracLauncher\netrac-

app1\OptimaClient\Licensing Utilities folder on your local drive.

2. In the Licence Type pane of the Licence Migration Version 1.0.0 dialog box:

If you wish to transfer details of licences based on a local dongle, click Local.

- or -

If you wish to transfer details of licences based on a network dongle, click Network.

- or -

If you wish to transfer details of licences based on your node locking setup, click Node
Lock.

Whichever button you click, the associated details appear in the dialog box.

3. Click Report. You are prompted to save the returned details to a report file (.lmr) by the
appearance of a Save As dialog box.

4. Save the file:

• Select the folder where the file is to be saved
• Type a name for the file in the File name field
• Click Save

5. Close the Licence Migration Version 1.0.0 dialog box.

6. Send the report file to the system administrator who can use the Load Report File button
on the "Migration from previous licence system" page to transfer the details of your
licence into the Licence Fulfilment Wizard.

Generating New Licenses Online

If you have installed OPTIMA for the first time and/or you do not have a currently licensed
installation, you will need to license your software.

To generate new licenses online:

1. Double click on the Licensefulfilment.exe file normally located in

C:\Netrac\NetracLauncher\netrac-app1\OptimaClient\Licensing Utilities. The License
Fulfilment Wizard begins.

2. Select Yes to indicate that you wish to generate your licenses online.

3. Click Next.

4. On the License Request Type page, select New.

5. Click Next.

6. On the Order Information page, type your Customer ID and Order ID. These are provided
by Product Support.

7. Select the type of license required. This can be network server based or a stand-alone
client based as befits your order.

8. On the Order Information page, click Next.

9. If you opted to generate a stand-alone client-based license on the Order Information

page, you can skip this step.
506
 Procuring Licenses

If you opted to generate a Network license on the Order Information page, the "Server
based license options" page appears. This table explains the options available:

Select This Checkbox So That

Enable Commuter Licensing A user can check out a license from the network server for a number
of days from 1 to 45, 60, 75 or 90, or with no limit. This token is then
reserved and transferred to the local machine, it remains out of use
on the network server until either the license is checked back in or
the commuter license reaches the expiry date. If the commuter
license reaches its expiry date it will not work on the machine it was
transferred to and is automatically released back into the network
server's available token list.
Enable Hold Licensing The license server does not automatically relinquish a held token
back into the available pool when the application exits. It will stay
allocated for a configurable period of time until the time runs out or
the application reconnects. If the application reconnects from the
same user and machine they will get that token back even if no
licenses are shown as free. If the application does not reconnect
before the end of the held period then the user must request a new
token. If all available licenses have since been used up, a new token
will not be available.
Enable Redundant Server The created license can be locked against multiple servers which
Usage when properly configured will form a server pool. The server pool will
service license token distribution and provide redundancy should one
or more of the servers go down. When this is enabled you will need
lock codes for all of the server machines to be used and the
configuration must be done on the servers themselves.

Select the options you require and click Next.

10. On the Locking Codes page, click Add.

11. In the Add Machine Details dialog box, type the name of a stand-alone client or server and
the lock code that you created for it as described under Generating Lock Codes on page
504, then click Add.

Note: If you are generating licenses for a number of clients or servers on which the Lock
Code Generator has been run, you can:
o Repeat the previous step and this one for each server.

- or -
o Use the Load button to import a file of comma separated values with details of the
server names and corresponding lock codes. You will need to have created such a file
from the results of running the Lock Code Generator.

12. On the Locking Codes page, click Next.

13. The Web Licensing Fulfilment page appears.

If a cross appears by any of the status lines and error message appears in the Result field,
the Back button is enabled so that you can make changes to your previous Wizard entries
and then try for licence fulfilment again.

If all the status lines are ticked and Successful appears in the Result field, click Next.

14. On the Completing the License Fulfilment Wizard page, click Save Licenses. If you
have chosen a network license, select a backup location.

507
 OPTIMA 8.0 User Reference Guide

15. If you have chosen a stand-alone license you are required to save a file called lservrc at
this point. Save this file in the folder where your licence.ini file is located (normally
C:\Netrac\NetracLauncher\netrac-app1\OptimaClient\Common).

16. Click Finish.

Renewing Licenses Online

You can extend the validity of your software based licenses.

To renew your existing licences online:

1. Double click on the Licensefulfilment.exe file normally located in

C:\Netrac\NetracLauncher\netrac-app1\OptimaClient\Licensing Utilities. The License
Fulfilment Wizard begins.

2. Select Yes to indicate that you wish to renew your license online.

3. Click Next.

4. On the License Request Type page, select Renewal.

5. Click Next.

6. On the Order Information page, type your Customer ID and Order ID. These are provided
by Product Support.

7. Click Next.

8. The Web Licensing Fulfilment page appears.

If a cross appears by any of the status lines and error message appears in the Result field,
the Back button is enabled so that you can make changes to your previous Wizard entries
and then try for license fulfilment again.

If all the status lines are ticked and Successful appears in the Result field, click Next.

9. On the Completing the License Fulfilment Wizard page, click Save Licenses. If you have
chosen a network license, select a backup location. If you have chosen a stand-alone
license you are required to save a file called lservrc at this point. Save this file in the folder
where your licence.ini file is located (normally C:\Netrac\NetracLauncher\netrac-
app1\OptimaClient\Common).

10. Click Finish.

508
 Procuring Licenses

Migrating Existing Licenses Manually

If you have a version of OPTIMA that is currently licensed with a hardware dongle or using node
locking you will need to migrate the existing licenses to the new software licensing system.

To migrate existing licenses manually:

1. Double click on the Licensefulfilment.exe file normally located in

C:\Netrac\NetracLauncher\netrac-app1\OptimaClient\Licensing Utilities. The License
Fulfilment Wizard begins.

2. Select No to indicate that you wish to migrate your licenses manually.

3. Click Next.

4. On the License Request Type page, select Migration (from Dongle or Node Lock).

5. Click Next.

6. On the "Migration from previous license system" page, type your Customer ID. This is
provided by Product Support.

7. You must now transfer the details of your existing licenses to the "Migration from
previous licence system" page as described under Using the License Reader on page
505.

Note: You can use the Launch Reader and Load Report File buttons to transfer details
of multiple licenses, but you cannot include details of more than one license type, for
example network and local, in a single run of the License Fulfilment Wizard.

8. On the "Migration from previous license system" page, click Next.

9. If you opted to transfer details of a Local or Node Lock license with the Licence Reader,
you can skip this step.

If you opted to transfer details of a Network license with the License Reader, the "Server
based license options" page appears. This table explains the options available:

Select This Checkbox So That

Enable Commuter A user can check out a license from the network server for a number of
Licensing days from 1 to 45, 60, 75 or 90, or with no limit. This token is then
reserved and transferred to the local machine, it remains out of use on
the network server until either the license is checked back in or the
commuter license reaches the expiry date. If the commuter license
reaches its expiry date it will not work on the machine it was transferred
to and is automatically released back into the network server's available
token list.
Enable Hold Licensing The license server does not automatically relinquish a held token back
into the available pool when the application exits. It will stay allocated for
a configurable period of time until the time runs out or the application
reconnects. If the application reconnects from the same user and
machine they will get that token back even if no licenses are shown as
free. If the application does not reconnect before the end of the held
period then the user must request a new token. If all available licenses
have since been used up, a new token will not be available.
Enable Redundant Server The created license can be locked against multiple servers which when
Usage properly configured will form a server pool. The server pool will service
license token distribution and provide redundancy should one or more of
the servers go down. When this is enabled you will to need lock codes
for all of the server machines to be used and the configuration must be
done on the servers themselves.

509
 OPTIMA 8.0 User Reference Guide

Select the options you require and click Next.

10. In the Add Machine Details dialog box, type the name of a stand-alone client or server and
the lock code that you created for it as described under Generating Lock Codes on page
504, then click Add.

Note: If you are generating licenses for a number of clients or servers on which the Lock
Code Generator has been run, you can:

• Repeat the previous step and this one for each server.

- or -
• Use the Load button to import a file of comma separated values with details of the
server names and corresponding lock codes. You will need to have created such a file
from the results of running the Lock Code Generator.

11. On the Locking Codes page, click Next.

12. The "Completing the License Fulfilment Wizard" page appears. Click Generate
Request File.

13. Save the request file (.lrq) and email it to Product Support.

14. Click Finish.

15. You will receive a license response (.lrp) file from Product Support containing your license.
Save this file to a folder.

16. To install the license, re-start the License Fulfilment Wizard and on the Welcome page,
select Install from file.

17. Click Browse and select the license response file from the folder where you saved it.

18. Click Next. The "Completing the Licence Fulfilment Wizard" page appears. If any error
messages are shown on this page, inform Product Support. For contact details, see
Obtaining Support.

19. Click Save Licenses. If you have chosen a network license, select a backup location. If you
have chosen a Local or Node Lock license you are required to save a file called lservrc at
this point. Save this file in the folder where your licence.ini file is located (normally
C:\Netrac\NetracLauncher\netrac-app1\OptimaClient\Common).

20. Click Finish.

510
 Procuring Licenses

Generating New Licenses Manually

If you have installed OPTIMA for the first time and/or you do not have a currently licensed
installation, you will need to license your software.

To generate new licenses manually:

1. Double click on the Licensefulfilment.exe file normally located in

C:\Netrac\NetracLauncher\netrac-app1\OptimaClient\Licensing Utilities. The License
Fulfilment Wizard begins.

2. Select No to indicate that you wish to generate your licenses manually.

3. Click Next.

4. On the License Request Type page, select New.

5. Click Next.

6. On the Order Information page, type your Customer ID and Order ID. These are provided
by Product Support.

7. Select the type of license required. This can be network server based or a stand-alone
client based as befits your order.

8. On the Order Information page, click Next.

9. If you opted to generate a stand-alone client-based license on the Order Information

page, you can skip this step.

If you opted to generate a Network license on the Order Information page, the "Server
based license options" page appears. This table explains the options available:

Select This Checkbox So That

Enable Commuter A user can check out a license from the network server for a number of
Licensing days from 1 to 45, 60, 75 or 90, or with no limit. This token is then
reserved and transferred to the local machine, it remains out of use on
the network server until either the license is checked back in or the
commuter license reaches the expiry date. If the commuter license
reaches its expiry date it will not work on the machine it was transferred
to and is automatically released back into the network server's available
token list.
Enable Hold Licensing The license server does not automatically relinquish a held token back
into the available pool when the application exits. It will stay allocated for
a configurable period of time until the time runs out or the application
reconnects. If the application reconnects from the same user and
machine they will get that token back even if no licenses are shown as
free. If the application does not reconnect before the end of the held
period then the user must request a new token. If all available licenses
have since been used up, a new token will not be available.
Enable Redundant Server The created license can be locked against multiple servers which when
Usage properly configured will form a server pool. The server pool will service
license token distribution and provide redundancy should one or more of
the servers go down. When this is enabled you will need lock codes for
all of the server machines to be used and the configuration must be done
on the servers themselves.

Select the options you require and click Next.

10. On the Locking Codes page, click Add.

511
 OPTIMA 8.0 User Reference Guide

11. In the Add Machine Details dialog box, type the name of a stand-alone client or server and
the lock code that you created for it as described under Generating Lock Codes on page
504, then click Add. If you are using a USB key, ensure that it is inserted.

Note: If you are generating licenses for a number of clients or servers on which the Lock
Code Generator has been run, you can:
o Repeat the previous step and this one for each server.

- or -
o Use the Load button to import a file of comma separated values with details of the
server names and corresponding lock codes. You will need to have created such a file
from the results of running the Lock Code Generator.

12. On the Locking Codes page, click Next.

13. The "Completing the Licence Fulfilment Wizard" page appears. Click Generate Request
File.

14. Save the request file (.lrq) and email it to Product Support.

15. Click Finish.

16. You will receive a license response (.lrp) file from Product Support containing your license.
Save this file to a folder.

17. To install the license, re-start the License Fulfilment Wizard and on the Welcome page,
select Install from file.

18. Click Browse and select the license response file from the folder where you saved it.

19. Click Next.

20. The "Completing the License Fulfilment Wizard" page appears. If any error messages
are shown on this page, inform Product Support.

Click Save Licenses. If you have chosen a network license, select a backup location. If
you have chosen a stand-alone license you are required to save a file called lservrc at this
point. Save this file in the folder where your licence.ini file is located (normally
C:\Netrac\NetracLauncher\netrac-app1\OptimaClient\Common).

21. Click Finish.

Renewing Licenses Manually

You can extend the validity of your software based licenses.

To renew your existing licenses manually:

1. Double click on the Licensefulfilment.exe file normally located in

C:\Netrac\NetracLauncher\netrac-app1\OptimaClient\Licensing Utilities. The License
Fulfilment Wizard begins.

2. Select No to indicate that you wish to renew your licenses manually.

3. Click Next.

4. On the License Request Type page, select Renewal.

5. Click Next.

512
 Procuring Licenses

6. On the Order Information page, type your Customer ID and Order ID. These are provided
by Product Support.

7. Click Next.

8. The "Completing the Licence Fulfilment Wizard" page appears. Click Generate
Request File.

9. Save the request file (.lrq) and email it to Product Support.

10. Click Finish.

11. You will receive a license response (.lrp) file from Product Support containing your licence.
Save this file to a folder.

12. To install the license, re-start the License Fulfilment Wizard and on the Welcome page,
select Install from file.

13. Click Browse and select the license response file from the folder where you saved it.

14. Click Next.

15. The "Completing the Licence Fulfilment Wizard" page appears. If any error messages
are shown on this page, inform Product Support.

Click Save Licenses. If you have chosen a network license, select a backup location. If
you have chosen a stand-alone license you are required to save a file called lservrc at this
point. Save this file in the folder where your licence.ini file is located (normally
C:\Netrac\NetracLauncher\netrac-app1\OptimaClient\Common).

16. Click Finish.

Monitoring Your Software Licence Server

If you are using network licenses and you have installed your license server and generated your
licenses, you can view and edit your license server details.

To monitor your software license server:

1. Double click on the Software Licensing Administrator executable file normally located in
C:\Netrac\NetracLauncher\netrac-app1\OptimaClient\Licensing Utilities.

2. In the WlmAdmin window that appears, on the Edit menu, click Defined Server List.

3. In the Server field of the Defined Server List dialog box that appears, type the name of
your license server.

4. Click Add.

5. Click OK.

6. In the left hand pane of the WlmAdmin window, click the plus sign adjacent to Defined
Servers.

7. Click your license server in the left pane and the details associated with it appear in the
right pane.

Tip: To store your server name so that it is visible in the WlmAdmin window in future:
• In the WlmAdmin window, on the Edit menu, click Preferences.
• Select the "Discover defined servers on startup" option.
• Click OK.

513
 OPTIMA 8.0 User Reference Guide

Blocking Users from License Access

If you are using network licenses you may wish to prevent specified users from accessing particular
licenses. You can do this by adding a user to a reservation file which is held on the server and
which controls group access to licenses. By adding a user to an excluded group, you can prevent
access to a specified licence. To generate the required reservation file you can use a utility called
Wlsgrmgr.

To prevent a user from using a particular license:

1. In Windows Explorer, open your Licence Server folder. This is normally located under
Program Files and AIRCOM International.

2. Double-click WlsGrmgr.exe to open the utility.

3. In the Wlsgrmgr window, from the File menu, click New. This begins the creation of a
reservation file.

4. From the Feature menu, click Add. The Add Licence Reservation Wizard appears.

5. Click Next.

6. On the Feature Version Capacity page, in the Feature Name field, type the name of the
feature that you do not want a particular user to be able to access a licence for. Then in the
Feature Version field, type the version number if there is one (otherwise leave this field
blank):

Tip: Feature names and versions are visible in the WlmAdmin utility:

For more information on using WlmAdmin, see Monitoring Your Software Licence Server
on page 513.

7. Click Next.
514
 Procuring Licenses

8. On the Group page, in the Group Name field, type a name for the group whose members
are to be denied access to the selected feature.

9. In the Tokens field, set the number to 0.

10. Click Next.

11. On the Members page, click Add.

12. In the Member dialog box, type the name (recognised by the network) of the user to be
added to the excluded group.

13. Click OK.

14. On the Members page, click Finish. In the Wlsgrmgr window, the feature is shown in the
upper panel and the group name in the lower panel.

15. From the File menu, click Save As.

16. In the Save As dialog box, from the drop-down list for the Save in field, select your License
Server folder.

Warning: Do not change the default name of the reservation file from lsreserv. If you
do, the file will not be effective.

17. Click Save.

18. When you next restart your licence server, the exclusion that you have specified in the
reservation file will take effect.

Notes:
• You can edit your reservation file with the Wlsgrmgr utility by clicking Open on the File
menu and selecting the file from the License Server folder. Right-click on a Feature or
Group and click Properties to access the associated details.
• You must define a group for each feature that you wish to protect, and add the user or
users to be blocked from specific features to the corresponding groups.

Tip: The Wlsgrmgr utility can also be used to specify particular groups for inclusion rather than
exclusion. You can use it for group token allocation if required, and to ensure that the server
reserves a specified number of tokens for a particular group.

Setting Up Redundant Servers

If your users are provided with network licenses you may wish to set up backup servers to supply
licenses in the event that your normal license server fails.

To do this:

1. Install the license server software on each backup server. For more information on how to
do this, see Installing a Software License Server on page 505.

2. On your normal license server, click Start/All Programs/AIRCOM International/Licence

Server/Redundant Server setup Tool.

3. In the WrlfTool window that appears, from the File menu, select New.

4. Click Add Server.

515
 OPTIMA 8.0 User Reference Guide

5. In the Add Server to Pool dialog box type the name and IP address of an alternative
server.

6. Click OK. Your server is listed in the WrlfTool window.

7. Repeat steps 3 to 5 until you have a minimum of 3 servers listed. The maximum number
you can add is 11.

Note: The order in which the servers appear on the list is the order in which they will be
called upon if the normal license server fails. You can change this order using the Move
Up and Move Down buttons. If more than half the listed servers go down, the license
server software stops working.

8. In the WrlfTool window, from the File menu, select Save As.

9. In the Save As dialog box that appears, from the "Save in" drop down field, select the
folder where your normal license server is installed. By default this is C:/Program
Files/AIRCOM International/License Server.

10. Click Save. The lservrlf license file is stored in the specified location.

11. Copy the lservrlf license file to the same location on each of your listed backup servers.

12. Restart the Software Licensing Server service on all licence server machines. For more
information on accessing services, see Installing a Software License Server on page 505.

Administrating License Use

Having procured your OPTIMA licenses using the License Fulfilment Wizard, they are configured
centrally on the OPTIMA database and you can control their distribution to users via the License
Administration tabs in the Group Properties and User Properties dialog boxes. For more information
see Adding a Group and Adding a User Without OS Authentication. Users themselves can control
their license use with the License Administrator in OPTIMA.

516
 Procuring Licenses

Using License Administrator

The Licence Administrator is normally available in: C:\Netrac\NetracLauncher\netrac-
app1\OptimaClient\Licensing Utilities. This picture shows an example of the Licence Administrator:

Licence Administrator

Once you have used the Licence Fulfilment Wizard to procure licences for your OPTIMA software
after installation, OPTIMA users can use the Licence Administrator to:
• View the licence details currently associated with a particular product
• Get licences for individual products
• Drop licences for individual products
• Check out commuter licences for individual products
• Check in commuter licences for individual products

517
 OPTIMA 8.0 User Reference Guide

Viewing License Details for Individual Products

To access the details of your licence:

Double-click the product name. The License Details dialog box appears:

License Details dialog box

This table provides further information on the license details:

This Field Indicates

Issuing Server The IP address or hostname of the server that issued the license
token (appears only for a network license).
License Type The type of license. This can be:
‘Normal’ – a standard license
‘Perpetual’ – a never expiring stand-alone license
‘Grace’ – a grace license which will expire once the ‘Grace Period
Elapsed Time Usage’ has been used up
‘Trial’ – a trial license which expires once the ‘Trial Days Count’ has
been used up
License Valid From Date The beginning of the validity period of this license.
License Expiration Date The end of the validity period of this license.
License obtained at The time and date when the license request was granted.
License will release at The time and date when the serving system will release the licence
back into the system unless a renewal takes place.

518
 Procuring Licenses

This Field Indicates

Node Locking Type The type of node lock the license is using. This can be:
‘Unlocked’ – can be installed on an appropriate serving system and
used by any clients with access to that serving system
‘Client’ – can be installed on an appropriate serving system but can
only be used by a client which matches the client lock code given
the specific client lock criteria
‘Server’ – can only be installed on a serving system which matches the
server lock code given the specific server lock criteria but can be
used by any client with access to the serving system
‘Client and Server’ – can only be installed on a serving system which
matches the server lock code given the specific server lock criteria
and also can only be used by a client which matches the client
lock code given the specific client lock criteria
Locking Criteria The lock criteria code. The default is 260 but an alternative can be
supplied by Product Support. For more information see Generating
Lock Codes on page 504.
Key Lifetime In seconds and minutes, the time for which an issued key is valid
before a renewal must be completed to prevent the token from being
released.
Total number of licenses The number of licenses purchased for this feature, NOT how many are
still available or in use.
Is Exclusive Whether the license is exclusive or additive.
True = Exclusive
False = Additive
Trial Days Count How many days usage is available on your trial license. This appears
only if the ‘License Type’ is set to ‘Trial’.
Supports Grace Period Whether the license allows grace period functionality.
True = Yes
False = No
Note: It does not indicate that the license is actually running in grace
mode (see License Type above).
Grace Period Calendar Days The number of days that the customer is allowed during which to use
Usage the number of hours defined in the Grace Period Elapsed Time
Usage field.
Grace Period Elapsed Time The maximum number of hours that the customer is allowed to use the
Usage software.
Supports Commuter Licensing Whether or not the license supports checking-out for remote usage
from the network server.
True = Yes
False = No
Commuter Maximum Days The maximum number of days the checked-out license is valid for
Checkout from the time of the initial check-out. This will only appear if ‘Supports
Commuter Licensing’ is set to ‘True’. After the period expires the client
will no longer be able to use the license and it should be checked back
in to the server.
Commuter Keys Left The number of licenses remaining on the server that are available for
commuter licensing. This will only appear if ‘Supports Commuter
Licensing’ is set to ‘True’.

519
 OPTIMA 8.0 User Reference Guide

This Field Indicates

Supports Hold Licensing That you can specify a period for which a surrendered license will still
be available exclusively to you.
For example, if you create a license with a 5 minute hold time, the
server, when you indicate that you've finished with the license, will
leave it allocated to you for 5 minutes instead of placing it back in the
pool. After 5 minutes the license is placed back in the pool as normal.
If you restart an application within the 5 minute hold period you are
guaranteed to get that license back even if there are no spare licenses
remaining on the server.
This will only appear if 'Supports Commuter Licensing' is set to 'True'.
Is Redundant License If the license is held on a server within a redundant pool, indicates
whether or not it is a redundant license.
True = Yes
False = No
Expires Soon The license is due to expire within 2 weeks.
Note: This item will only appear within the 2 weeks expiry period and
is not displayed at all for commuter licenses as they have a limited
fixed period of validity.

Getting Licenses for Individual Products

To use License Administrator to get a license for a particular product or products:

1. Select the product or products you require licenses for (you can hold the Ctrl key down to
multi-select).

2. Click the Get button.

- or -

Right-click and, from the menu that appears, click Get.

3. Click Close.

Dropping Licences for Individual Products

To use License Administrator to drop a license for a particular product or products:

1. Select the product or products you wish to drop licenses for (you can hold the Ctrl key
down to multi-select).

2. Click the Drop button.

- or -

Right-click and, from the menu that appears, click Drop.

3. Click Close.

520
 Procuring Licenses

Checking Out Commuter Licenses

A commuter license is one which can be checked out for remote usage from the network server.

Important: You cannot use commuter licenses on a virtual machine.

To use License Administrator to check out a commuter license for a particular product or
products:

1. Select the product or products that you want to check out commuter licenses for (you can
hold the Ctrl key down to multi-select).

2. Click the Check Out button.

- or -
Right-click and, from the menu that appears, click Check Out.

3. Click Close.

Checking In Commuter Licenses

To use License Administrator to check in a commuter license for a particular product or products:

1. Select the product or products that you want to check in commuter licenses for (you can
hold the Ctrl key down to multi-select).

2. Click the Check In button.

- or -

Right-click, and from the menu that appears, click Check In.

3. Click Close.

521
 OPTIMA 8.0 User Reference Guide

522
 Glossary of Terms

Glossary of Terms

B
BTS

Base Transceiver Station.

C
CSV

Comma-Separated Values. A type of data format in which each piece of data is separated by a
comma.

F
FTP

File Transfer Protocol. The standard protocol for exchanging files across the Internet.

I
INI

Initialization file. INI files are used to initialize, or set parameters for, the operating system and
certain programs.

IP

Internet Protocol. This defines the format for all data travelling through a TCP/IP network, performs
the routing functions and provides a mechanism for processing unreliable data.

K
KPI

Key Performance Indicator. A quantifiable measurement, agreed beforehand, representing a critical

success factor of an organization.

M
MIB

Management Information Base. A type of database used to manage the devices in a network. MIBs
are especially used with SNMP.

MSC

Mobile Switching Centre. In a cellular network, this is a switch or exchange that interworks with
location databases.

523
 OPTIMA 8.0 User Reference Guide

P
PDU

Protocol Data Unit. The PDU format is used to send and receive SMS messages.

S
SMPP

Short Message Peer-to-peer Protocol. The protocol used for exchanging SMS messages between
SMS peer entities such as SMSCs.

SMS

Short Message Service. The text messaging system, enabling messages to be sent to/from GSM
phones and to external systems (for example, email or voicemail). Messages that cannot be
delivered straight away (due to the receiver's mobile being switched off or out of range) are stored,
and delivered as soon as possible.

SMSC

Short Message Service Center. A network element in the mobile telephone network which delivers
SMS messages.

SMTP

Simple Mail Transfer Protocol. A protocol used to send and receive email messages.

SNMP

Simple Network Management Protocol. SNMP is the protocol used for network management and
the monitoring of network devices and their functions.

SQL

Structured Query Language. SQL is an ANSI and ISO standard computer language for getting
information from and updating a database.

T
TCP

Transmission Control Protocol. The protocol used (along with the IP) to ensure reliable and in-order
delivery of data across the Internet.

524
 Index

alarms • 478
alarms history • 481
Index Clock
offsetting • 154
setting global date • 153
Concurrent database sessions
setting the maximum • 76
A Contact groups
adding • 122
Adding deleting • 123
alarm handlers • 474 editing • 123
alarms • 460, 474 Contacts
combination windows to a work area • 372 adding • 121
contact groups • 122 deleting • 121
contacts • 121 editing • 121
modules to a combination window • 270 Converting, filters • 308
web pages to a work area • 374 Copying
Administrator Options combination windows • 279
Email Client • 74 filters • 312
Partition Maintenance • 96 modules • 228
Sandbox • 77 reports • 438
Aggregation schedules • 449
time • 286 Counters
Alarm definitions finding • 170
clearing • 480 viewing • 54
viewing • 480 Creating
Alarm handlers alarms • 460
creating • 474 combination windows • 270
Alarm Handlers tab custom filters • 315
about • 43 element hierarchies • 232
toolbar • 44 entities • 143
using • 473 Excel report templates • 434
Alarms filters • 301, 305
about • 40, 451 folders • 216, 267, 380, 443
about the Explorer • 40 KPIs • 197
about the Handler Explorer • 43 links between modules • 272
activating • 471, 477 new work area • 372
assigning to contacts • 473 queries • 172
clearing • 478 report schedules • 445
creating handlers • 474 table periods • 142
defining • 460 Custom Filters • 315
defining using the Editor • 465
defining using the Wizard • 461
deleting • 471 D
editing • 471
Data
resetting • 478
displaying forecasts • 290, 293
viewing • 478
displaying trends • 290
Alarms history
gathering • 145
clearing • 481
grids • 321
viewing • 481
importing • 255
Alarms tab
monitoring with alarms • 451
about • 40
setting-up • 145
toolbar • 41
sorting • 323
using • 451
summarising • 332
Algorithms
viewing • 263, 265
forecast data • 295
viewing on the Data Explorer tab • 187
trend data • 292
Data Explorer
Associations
about • 48
defining for a table • 127, 130, 131
adding filters • 179
Automarks, viewing • 341
defining queries • 172, 173, 176
deleting sandbox objects • 194
C duplicating user objects • 194
editing user views • 192
Categories searching • 170
about • 139 toolbar • 49
creating • 140 using • 171
creating for maintenance windows • 164 viewing sandbox objects • 257
editing • 140 Database links, creating in the sandbox • 248
Clearing Database sessions
alarm definitions • 480 managing • 66

525
 OPTIMA 8.0 User Reference Guide

maximum concurrent • 76 grids • 336

Datasets KPIs • 203
viewing large • 67 modules • 229
Date Range • 282
Defaults
parameter values • 181 F
Defining Favorites
associations for a table • 127, 130, 131 adding and editing • 55
parameters • 179 managing • 58, 59
Deleted objects, viewing, dropping and restoring • 259 menu commands • 65
Deleting Filtering
alarms • 471 data in combination windows • 281
combination window templates • 298 elements • 315
contact groups • 123 network elements • 282
contacts • 121 report data • 422, 424, 425, 426
element hierarchies • 234 using date ranges • 282
filters • 312 Filters
groups • 101 about • 299
KPIs • 202 converting • 308
parameters • 182 copying • 313
report schedules • 448 deleting • 312
reports • 437 editing • 311
table periods • 142 finding • 312
Drill down links quick selection • 318
about • 272 renaming • 311
editing and removing • 276 Filters tab
about • 49
E toolbar • 50
using • 299
Editing Finding
alarms • 471 counters • 170
combination window templates • 298 element hierarchies • 235
contact groups • 123 elements in the modules pane • 298
contacts • 121 filters • 312
element hierarchies • 233 items on tabs • 70
filters • 311 Folders
groups • 101 creating • 216, 267, 380, 443
KPIs • 200 locking • 216, 268, 381, 444
parameters • 182 restricting access • 216, 268, 381, 444
queries • 399 Forecasts
report schedules • 448 about the algorithms used • 295
reports • 437 displaying for modules • 290, 293
table periods • 142 methods • 501
users • 115
Element hierarchies
creating • 232 G
deleting • 234 Global
editing • 233 date and time • 153
finding • 235 favorites • 55, 58
previewing • 236 Global KPI tab
renaming • 233 about • 37
setting security • 234 toolbar • 38
Element Hierarchies tab using • 210
about • 52 Global KPI Views
toolbar • 52 creating • 211
using • 230 deleting • 213
Email client, settings • 74 editing • 213
Enabling, time aggregation • 186 Granularity period
Entities repopulating tables • 130
creating and editing • 143 setting • 126
Excel reports Graphs
creating • 430 advanced options • 349
templates • 434 automarks • 341
viewing • 435 changing appearance • 352
Expired objects, viewing and dropping in the sandbox • changing x-axis field • 360
260 chart themes • 350
Explain Plan, about • 182 colours • 341
Exporting exporting • 364
combination windows • 280 grid lines • 343
graphs • 364 legend • 341
526
 Index

linking • 319 converting to views • 250

printing • 363 defining indexes for • 191
properties • 341 saving queries as • 188
viewing network events • 355 Memory thresholds, defining • 76
Grids Messages
exporting • 336 Log window • 68
toolbar • 321 Module combination templates
using • 321 deleting • 298
using thresholds • 327 editing • 298
Groups loading • 297
creating • 101 saving • 296
deleting • 101 Module combinations
editing • 101 adding modules to • 270
adding to work area • 372
copying • 279
H creating • 270
Holidays data grids • 321
defining • 156 deleting • 277
viewing on graphs • 358 exporting • 280
filtering data • 281
filtering elements in • 315
I folders • 267
importing • 280
Importing
new • 270
combination windows • 280
removing modules • 271
KPIs • 203
restricting editing • 278
KPIs in bulk • 204
Module Combinations tab
modules • 229
about • 26
work areas • 377
toolbar • 27
Indexes, defining for sandbox views • 191
using • 263
Installing
Modules
OPTIMA • 14
about • 213
adding to a module combination • 270
K copying • 228
creating • 218
KPI Manager tab deleting • 227
about • 37 displaying forecasts • 290, 293
toolbar • 38 displaying trends • 290
using • 196 drilling down • 287, 289
KPIs editing • 227
about • 196 exporting • 229
creating • 197 filtering in the combination window • 282
deleting • 202 finding • 298
drilling down into modules • 289 folders • 216
editing • 200 importing • 229
exporting • 203 linking • 272
importing • 203 refreshing in the combination window • 272
importing in bulk • 203 removing from the combination window • 271
viewing use • 206 restricting editing • 227
running linked • 276
L setting up • 145
Modules tab
Large datasets, viewing • 67 about • 24
Linking toolbar • 25
graphs • 319 using • 213
modules • 272 Multithreading
Loading defining • 76
combination window templates • 297
Locking, folders • 216, 268, 381, 444
Login to AIRCOM OPTIMA • 14
N
Network elements
selecting • 282
M
Network events
Maintenance windows defining • 154
adding categories • 164 searching for • 169
defining • 157 viewing • 167, 355, 358
deleting • 165
editing • 165
viewing on graphs • 355
O
Materialized views Opening
527
 OPTIMA 8.0 User Reference Guide

Data Explorer • 48 Reports

OPTIMA • 14 about • 379, 409
OPTIMA as a standalone product • 14 copying • 438
queries • 188 creating • 430
work areas • 376 creating Excel templates • 434
OPTIMA user interface deleting • 437
Analysis tab • 19 editing • 437
Home tab • 18 filtering • 422, 424, 425, 426
main toolbar • 18 folders • 380
managing tabs • 60 parameters • 425
menu commands • 24 restricting access • 436
quickly accessing favorite commands • 65 running • 383
setting the display on Task tabs • 61 saving • 422
switching between tabs and windows • 63 scheduling • 443
User Management tab • 22 viewing • 383, 435
Utilities tab • 23 Reserved memory, defining • 76
Resetting, alarms • 478
Restricting access
P folders • 216, 268, 381, 444
Parameters reports • 436
creating • 425 Role Based Access Control (RBAC)
defining • 179 about • 103
deleting • 182 profiles • 111
editing • 182 roles • 104
reports • 425 Roles, OPTIMA
specifying default values • 181 creating • 104
Partition maintenance deleting • 108
configuring • 96 editing • 108
Performance alarms
about • 40 S
defining • 461, 465
editing and deleting • 471 Sandbox
Personal favorites administering • 77
adding • 55 creating database links • 248
managing • 58 creating empty tables • 239
Previewing, element hierarchies • 236 creating promotion requests • 92
Printing creating synonyms • 249
graphs • 363 creating tables with data • 244
grids • 336 defining indexes for views • 191
Profiles deleting objects • 194, 252
about the default • 114 duplicating objects • 194, 253
creating • 111 editing objects • 250
deleting • 114 importing data into tables • 254
editing • 114 management settings • 258
Promotion requests managing promotion requests • 94
creating • 92 saving queries in • 188
managing • 94 setting allocation options • 84
setting expiry options • 85
toolbars • 46
Q using • 237
Queries viewing and dropping expired objects • 260
defining • 172 viewing objects on the Data Explorer tab • 257
editing • 399 Sandbox Allocation tab
opening • 188 using • 84
saving • 188 Sandbox Expiry tab
saving as a custom view in the sandbox • 188 using • 85
Sandbox Objects tab
about • 45
R toolbar • 46
Sandbox Promotion tab
Recreating, views • 207
using • 91
Report Builder, using • 379
Saving
Report schedules
combination window templates • 296
copying • 449
queries • 188
creating • 445
reports • 422
deleting • 448
Schedules tab
editing • 448
about • 35
folders • 443
toolbar • 35
renaming • 448
using • 443
viewing history • 449
Scheduling

528
 Index

reports • 443 about the algorithms used • 292

viewing history • 449 displaying for modules • 290
Searching
explorers • 70
Selecting U
network elements • 282 User objects, saving queries as • 188
Setting Users
time aggregation • 286 editing • 115
trace file options • 150 finding • 119
Settings permissions • 114
sandbox management • 258 Using
Wizard • 125 custom filters • 315
Sorting Data Explorer • 171
data • 323 grids • 321
Starting OPTIMA • 14
OPTIMA • 14 quick selection filters • 318
OPTIMA as a standalone product • 14 windows in the work area • 371
Synonyms, creating in the sandbox • 249
System alarms
about • 40 V
defining • 465
Viewing
editing and deleting • 471
alarm definitions • 480
alarms • 478
T alarms history • 481
automarks • 341
Table and Field Information counters • 54
about • 123 data • 263
adding comments to columns • 130 data in the Data Explorer • 187
adding comments to tables • 128 KPI use • 206
defining associations for a table • 127 report schedules • 449
setting granularity period • 126 reports • 383, 435
setting table security • 126 thresholds • 327
using the Settings Wizard • 125 web pages • 371, 374
Table associations, defining • 127, 130, 131 Views
Table Editor converting from materialized views • 250
about • 132 recreating • 207
Table periods saving queries as • 188
about • 141
creating • 142
deleting • 142 W
editing • 142
Web pages
Table Security, setting • 126
adding to a work area • 374
Tables
viewing in a work area • 371, 374
creating in the sandbox • 239, 244
Weekends
importing data into sandbox • 254
defining • 358
Tabs
viewing on graphs • 358
main OPTIMA toolbar • 18
Windows
managing • 60
switching between • 63
setting what is displayed on Task • 61
Work Area tab
switching between • 63
about • 31
TCAs
toolbar • 32
about • 40
using • 371
Templates
Work areas
Excel reports • 434
adding combination windows to • 372
Thresholds
adding web pages to • 374
memory • 76
creating • 372
setting • 327
importing • 377
Time aggregation
opening • 376
drilling down into modules based on • 287
enabling • 186
setting • 286
Time zones
setting • 151
using in report schedules • 445
using OPTIMA across different • 152
Toolbar
grids • 321
Trace file options, setting • 150
Tree links, using • 272
Trends

529
 OPTIMA 8.0 User Reference Guide

530