How to create or change event filter definitions

Event filters determine which of the events received by the TIAS server are eligible to become TIAS problems. Events that an event filter rejects are not examined by TIAS to see if they meet the definition of a problem.

Defining an event filter

From the Definitions pull-down menu, select Event Filters. The Event Filter Definitions dialog box shows a list of the currently defined event filters.

The Event Filter Definitions dialog box

How to define a new event filter

The Event Filter Editor dialog box looks different depending on the category of event you select initially. The first step to defining an event filter is to select the category and sub-category of event. Based on this selection, a set of fields appears. The fields are different for each category of event because the list of possible constraints for each category of event is different.

The Event Filter Editor window, shown below, is a sample of what you might see.

To define a new event filter, do the following:

  1. In the Event Filters Definitions dialog box, click on the New button. The Event Filter Editor dialog box appears.

    Event Filter Editor dialog box, with Call Detail selected

  2. In the Filter Name field at the top of the dialog box, enter a unique name for the new event filter.
  3. Below the Filter Name field are radio buttons, one for each possible category of event. Click on one of the buttons to select the category of event filter you want to create.
  4. Below the radio buttons is the event types option pop-up menu. This menu changes based on which category you select. Click on the menu and select a event type.

How to populate the fields in an Event Filter dialog box

There are two types of fields for entering information in the Event Filter dialog box. Each option in the dialog box corresponds to an attribute of an event message.

NOTE
You are not required to enter data for each option. When you do enter data for an option, that aspect of the filter is activated.

string fields

To enter data into a string field, click on the field and type in a string of characters. The filter you create checks the selected attribute of each incoming event message. It allows only events with the specified string to enter the TIAS server.
integer-range fields
When you enter data into a pair of integer range fields, you enter an upper and lower limit for a range of integers. Enter the lower limit in the left field and the upper limit in the right field. If both integers are the same for an attribute, the filter you create allows only events with that integer as the attribute.

When you populate an attribute, using these methods, you create a filter constraint. TIAS compares incoming event messages to event filters. When an event message's attributes match all the constraints specified in an event filter, TIAS permits the event message into the server. TIAS discards event messages that do not match any filter.

How to change an event filter

To redefine an existing event filter, do the following:
  1. Select Event Filter from the Definitions menu. The Event Filter Definitions dialog box appears.
  2. Select the event filter you want to redefine from the list of existing event filter definitions.
  3. Click on the Edit button. The Event Filter Definition Editor dialog box appears, populated with data for the event filter you selected.
  4. Change the entries in any of the fields.
  5. Click on the Apply button.

The event filter definition changes to reflect the new definition you gave it.

NOTE
If you give the event filter definition a new name, and then save it, you create a new problem definition.

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