VMware Aria Operations includes functions and operators that you can use in super metric formulas. The functions are either looping functions or single functions.

Looping Functions

Looping functions work on more than one value.
Table 1. Looping Functions
Function Description
avg Average of the collected values.
combine Combines all the values of the metrics of the included objects in a single metric timeline.
count Number of values collected.
max Maximum value of the collected values.
min Minimum value of the collected values.
sum Total of the collected values.

Looping Function Arguments

The looping function returns an attribute or metric value for an object or object type. An attribute is metadata that describes the metric for the adapter to collect from the object. A metric is an instance of an attribute. The argument syntax defines the desired result.

For example, CPU usage is an attribute of a virtual machine object. If a virtual machine has multiple CPUs, the CPU usage for each CPU is a metric instance. If a virtual machine has one CPU, then the function for the attribute or the metric return the same result.

Table 2. Looping Function Formats
Argument syntax example Description
funct(${this, metric =a|b:optional_instance|c}) Returns a single data point of a particular metric for the object to which the super metric is assigned. This super metric does not take values from the children or parents of the object.
funct(${this, attribute=a|b:optional_instance|c}) Returns a set of data points for attributes of the object to which the super metric is assigned. This super metric does not take values from the child or parent of the object.
funct(${adaptertype=adaptkind, objecttype=reskind, resourcename=resname, identifiers={id1=val1id2=val2,…}, metric=a|b:instance|c}) Returns a single data point of a particular metric for the resname specified in the argument. This super metric does not take values from the children or parents of the object.
funct(${adaptertype=adaptkind, objecttype=reskind, resourcename=resname, identifiers={id1=val1, id2=val2,…}, attribute=a|b:optional_instance|c}) Returns a set of data points. This function iterates attributes of the resname specified in the argument. This super metric does not take values from the child or parent of the object.
funct(${adaptertype=adaptkind, objecttype=reskind, depth=dep}, metric=a|b:optional_instance|c}) Returns a set of data points. This function iterates metrics of the reskind specified in the argument. This super metric takes values from the child (depth > 0) or parent (depth < 0) objects, where depth describes the object location in the relationship chain.

For example, a typical relationship chain includes a data center, cluster, host, and virtual machines. The data center is at the top and the virtual machines at the bottom. If the super metric is assigned to the cluster and the function definition includes depth = 2, the super metric takes values from the virtual machines. If the function definition includes depth = -1, the super metric takes values from the data center.

funct(${adaptertype=adaptkind, objecttype=reskind, depth=dep}, attribute=a|b:optional_instance|c}) Returns a set of data points. This function iterates attributes of the reskind specified in the argument. This super metric takes values from the child (depth > 0) or parent (depth < 0) objects.

For example, avg(${adaptertype=VMWARE, objecttype=VirtualMachine, attribute=cpu|usage_average, depth=1}) averages the value of all metric instances with the cpu|usage_average attribute for all objects of type VirtualMachine that the vCenter adapter finds. VMware Aria Operations searches for objects one level below the object type where you assign the super metric.

Single Functions

Single functions work on only a single value or a single pair of values.

Table 3. Single Functions
Function Format Description
abs abs(x) Absolute value of x. x can be any floating point number.
acos acos(x) Arccosine of x.
asin asin(x) Arcsine of x.
atan atan(x) Arctangent of x.
ceil ceil(x) The smallest integer that is greater than or equal to x.
cos cos(x) Cosine of x.
cosh cosh(x) Hyperbolic cosine of x.
exp exp(x) e raised to the power of x.
floor floor(x) The largest integer that is less than or equal to x.
log log(x) Natural logarithm (base x) of x.
log10 log10(x) Common logarithm (base 10) of x.
pow pow(x,y) Raises x to the y power.
rand rand() Generates a pseudo random floating number greater than or equal to 0.0 and less than 1.0.
sin sin(x) Sine of x.
sinh sinh(x) Hyperbolic sine of x.
sqrt sqrt(x) Square root of x.
tan tan(x) Tangent of x.
tanh tanh(x) Hyperbolic tangent of x.

Operators

Operators are mathematical symbols and text to enclose or insert between functions.

Table 4. Numeric Operators
Operators Description
+ Plus
- Subtract
* Multiply
/ Divide
% Modulo
== Equal
!= Not equal
< Less than
<= Less than, or equal
> Greater than
>= Greater than, or equal
|| Or
&& And
! Not
? : Ternary operator. If/then/else

For example: conditional_expression ? expression_if_condition_is_true : expression_if_condition_is_false

For more information about ternary operators, see Enhancing Your Super Metrics.

( ) Parentheses
[ ] Use in an array of expressions
[x, y, z] An array containing x, y, z. For example, min([x, y, z])
Table 5. String Operators
String Operators Description
equals Returns true if metric/property string value is equal to specified string.
contains Returns true if metric/property string value contains specified string.
startsWith Returns true if metric/property string value starts with the specified prefix.
endsWith Returns true if metric/property string value ends with the specified suffix.
!equals Returns true if metric/property string value is not equal to specified string.
!contains Returns true if metric/property string value does not contain specified string.
!startsWith Returns true if metric/property string value does not start with the specified prefix.
!endsWith Returns true if metric/property string value does not end with the specified suffix.
Note: String operators are valid in 'where' condition only. For example: ${this, metric=summary|runtime|isIdle, where = "System Properties|resource_kind_type !contains GENERAL"}