Metric Definitions in VMware Aria
Operations for Networks
VMware Aria
Operations for Networks
To display different types of metrics on the user interface,
VMware Aria
Operations for Networks
collects data from multiple data
sources. Each piece of data collected is called a metric observation or a metric
value.VMware Aria
Operations for Networks
displays the following
metrics on the user interface:Metric Type | Description | Data Sources Supporting the Metric |
---|---|---|
Entity metrics | Entity metrics display
information such as resource utilization and performance of entities
in your network. They include metrics such as host metrics, VM
metrics, datastore metrics, and so on. To learn more, see Entity Metrics | All data sources added to VMware Aria
Operations for Networks except ServiceNow, Infoblox, and
VMware Aria
Operations for Logs
data sources. |
Flow metrics | Flow metrics display the
traffic flow data collected from flow-enabled data sources on your
network. The flow data from the
data sources is:
To learn more, see Flow Metrics. |
|
Health metrics | Health metrics represent the overall health of the VMware Aria
Operations for Networks instance.
These metrics are useful in diagnosing health problems related to
the VMware Aria
Operations for Networks instance.To learn more, see Health Metrics. | VMware Aria
Operations for Networks
Collector and Platform |
Latency metrics | Latency metrics display information about the latency of data packets
traveling between the following devices:
These metrics are useful in monitoring the latency of the
network to diagnose and troubleshoot performance
bottlenecks. To learn more, see Latency Metrics. |
|
VM network utilization metrics | The VM network utilization metrics display the performance of the VM
based on network utilization. These metrics are critical to track
network activity and throughput. In VMware Aria
Operations for Networks ,
these metrics are displayed at 20 second resolution to showcase the
peaks and troughs of network utilization. VM network utilization metrics are displayed at 20 seconds
granularity only if you are viewing the metric chart within the
last 48 hours. Beyond 48 hours, the metric resolution is displayed based on the
selected time range. See VM Network Utilization Metrics to learn more. | VMware
vCenter |
Comprehending Metric Data
You can view your metric data at
different levels of granularity, based on the time range. For example, you can
choose a one day view, which can be useful when troubleshooting. Or, choose a
broader time range (for example, 30 days) so that you can see trends over time.
When you view metric data for different
time ranges, you see different values indicated in the metric chart. This difference
is because
VMware Aria
Operations for Networks
displays different resolutions of data for different time ranges.The default time range of any metric in
VMware Aria
Operations for Networks
is 1 day and
the resolution is 5 minutes. As the metric resolution becomes coarser, the metric
data is down-sampled. That is, the resolution of the data is reduced. This is
performed to create better metric graph visualizations by retaining only the
important characteristics of the metric.Time range and metric resolution for
entity metrics:
Time Range | Metric Resolution |
---|---|
0 hours – 3.5 days | 5 minutes |
3.5 days – 15 days | 30 minutes |
15 days – 60 days | 2 hours |
Beyond 60 days | 8 hours |
Time range and metric resolution for flow
metrics:
Time Range | Metric Resolution |
---|---|
0 hours - 24 hours (within last 24 hours) | 5 minutes |
0 hours - 24 hours (beyond last 24 hours) | 30 minutes |
1 day – 15 days | 30 minutes |
15 days – 31 days | 2 hours |
Time range and metric resolution for
special VM network utilization metrics:
Time Range | Metric Resolution |
---|---|
0 hours – 6 hours (within last 48 hours) | 20 seconds |
0 hours – 6 hours (beyond last 48 hours) | 5 minutes |
6 hours – 3.5 days | 5 minutes |
3.5 days – 15 days | 30 minutes |
15 days – 60 days | 2 hours |
Beyond 60 days | 8 hours |
Viewing Metric Data
In
VMware Aria
Operations for Networks
, the metric data of an entity is displayed as line
graph on the metric chart. You can point anywhere on the line graph to get
informative tool tips. You can also co-relate multiple entities or two metrics
graphs at the same time.You can modify the time range of a metric by
either using the slider or entering in a custom date and time. You can also adjust
the time range for each entity within a metric.
You can select different metrics, entities,
and time from the drop-down menu that is available in every metric chart. You can
also adjust the view to a row view or a column view by using the view button in the
top-right corner of the metrics chart. You can also export individual metrics graph
in
CSV
format.Here is an example metrics chart that shows
the total flow of traffic in a VMware SD-WAN Edge device.

Setting the Retention
Interval
In
VMware Aria
Operations for Networks
, you can choose
how long the system retains metric data before automatically deleting it by setting
the retention interval for each metric. To set the retention interval of a metric, navigate to the Configure Data Retention Interval.
page. To learn more, see The minimum and maximum retention intervals defined by the system is as follows.
Based on your business requirement, you can choose an interval between these
values.
Metric Type | Resolution | Minimum Retention | Maximum Retention |
---|---|---|---|
Entity metrics | 5 minutes | 1 month | 13 months |
30 minutes | 1 month | 13 months | |
2 hours | 1 month | 13 months | |
8 hours | 1 month | 13 months | |
Flow metrics You cannot
edit the retention interval of flow metrics on the
VMware Aria
Operations for Networks UI. | 5 minute | 24 hours | 24 hours |
30 minutes | 1 month | 1 month | |
2 hours | 1 month | 1 month | |
Health metrics | 5 minutes | 1 month | 13 months |
30 minutes | 1 month | 13 months | |
2 hours | 1 month | 13 months | |
8 hours | 1 month | 13 months | |
VM network utilization metrics | 20 second You cannot
edit the retention interval of VM network utilization
metrics with 20 seconds resolution on the VMware Aria
Operations for Networks
UI. | 2 days | 2 days |
5 minutes | 1 month | 13 months | |
30 minutes | 1 month | 13 months | |
2 hours | 1 month | 13 months | |
8 hours | 1 month | 13 months |
The retention interval you choose has a direct impact on disk space.
Reducing the log retention period deletes all logs older than the new retention
period specified. For example, changing the retention period of the entity
metrics from 6 months to 1 month deletes all logs older than a month. Therefore,
consider backing up your log files before reducing the retention period.
Increasing the log retention period adds new logs to the collection. Therefore,
check the available disk space and consider upgrading your disk space when
increasing the log retention period.