User`s guide

Cabletron SPECTRUM Appendix 3: SPECTRUM Specific Tips for Reporting

Using One or More Formula Variables

Formula variables are variables whose values are calculated (from the values of other variables) when you access the data. The

values of the formula variables do not occupy disk space in the PDB.

You can add formula variables to PDB tables by using the IT Service Vision server’s interactive interface or by using the IT

Service Vision %CPDDUTL macro. It is generally preferable to use the %CPDDUTL macro for your production PDB because

the macro documents what you did exactly and enables you to add the variables to many tables easily and accurately.

For information on adding a formula variable using %CPDDUTL, see the Macro Reference documentation for IT Service

Vision.

Note: The appropriate table to add the formula variable to is the table that contains the variables on which the formula variable

is based. In addition to making the Kept status of the formula variable Yes, remember to check that the variables on which the

formula variable is based also have Kept status set to Yes.

Adding a Formula Variable By Using the Interactive Interface

The formula variables UDAY and UWEEK can be useful when reporting on data in your PDB. To create them if they do not

already exist:

Follow this path from the main menu:

Administration -> Manage Tables ->select the table -> click right mouse button -> Properties ->

General -> Variables

2. For one formula variable, for instance UWEEK, select Tools and Create Formula. IT Service Vision displays the

Create New Formula window. Type in the variable name UWEEK and select OK. IT Service Vision displays the

Make/Edit Formula window. Select General.

3. Select the levels at which you want the formula calculated. In this case, select Detail, Day, Week, Month, and Year

in the Apply to level field.

Note: If you choose to define a formula variable for multiple levels, you must be sure that any variables on which it is

based have a Kept status of

Yes

and any statistics on which it is based are selected at those levels and their base

variables have a Kept status of Yes.

4. Specify the length. In this case, type over the 8 with a 6 in the Length field.

5. Select the data type. In this case, select Numeric in the Type field.

6. Select the Kept status. In this case, select Yes in the Kept in PDB field.

7. Specify the label. In this case, type Week in the Label field.

8. Specify the description. In this case, in the Description field type The Sunday immediately

previous to the date in DATETIME.

9. Select Formula Source. If you have questions about what constitutes a valid formula, select Help. You are presented

with a largely blank window with numbers on the left side. Type in the formula to calculate values for the formula

variable; in this case define UWEEK as follows:

UWEEK = datepart(datetime) - weekday(datepart(datetime)) + 1;

and then select Check Code. The results of the check display in the message area at the bottom of the SAS window.