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Table Of Contents
Set the Data Type for an Attribute
By default, vCenter Operations Manager recognizes the type of data that it receives for each attribute. You can
override this behavior by explicitly setting the data type for an attribute in an attribute package.
IMPORTANT If you do not set the correct the data type, vCenter Operations Manager does not use the proper
analytic algorithms when it evaluates the metric.
Prerequisites
Become familiar with the metric data types. See “Metric Data Types,” on page 42.
Procedure
1 Select Environment > Configuration > Attribute Packages.
2 Select the adapter kind of the attribute package from the Adapter kind drop-down menu.
3 Select the resource kind of the attribute package from the Resource kind drop-down menu.
The Manage Attribute Packages window lists the attribute packages for the resource kind that you
selected.
4 Select the attribute package and click the Edit Selected Attribute Package icon.
The Manage Attribute Packages window displays the attribute details for the package.
5 In the directory tree in the left pane, select the attribute.
Information about the attribute appears in the right pane.
6 Click the arrow on the right side of the Advanced Configuration bar to show additional configuration
options.
7 Select the data type for the attribute from the DT Type drop-down menu.
If you do not make a selection, vCenter Operations Manager detects the metric type. If the metric type is
sparse, you must set it. vCenter Operations Manager cannot detect a sparse data metric.
8 Click OK to save your settings.
9 Click OK to return to the Manage Attribute Packages window.
Metric Data Types
Most of the data that vCenter Operations Manager stores and analyzes is numeric, but it can also track other
types of data and alert you if the values are unexpected.
For example, if a resource sends the string Good when operation is normal and Bad when a problem occurs,
vCenter Operations Manager analytics can learn this information and generate an anomaly when it receives
Bad.
VMware vCenter Operations Manager Enterprise Administration Guide
42 VMware, Inc.