Configuring Status Filter Rules

You configure status filter rules on a per-site basis. To tune status message processing optimally for your site hierarchy, you might specify different filter rules for different sites. The Status Manager is the server component that processes each status message, one at a time, using the status filter rules. Each of these rules contains a list of criteria and a list of actions. When a status message matches the list of criteria, the Status Manager performs the actions specified by that rule. Status messages are processed against each rule, one rule at a time, in the order that the rules are displayed in the Status Filter Rules details pane in the SMS Administrator console.

The order of the status filter rules displayed in the SMS Administrator console is significant because the first rule always runs first. Then, the Status Manager proceeds down the list and processes each rule in the order it is displayed. If a status message matches a higher-priority rule, the Status Manager performs the actions specified, even if a lower-priority rule does not specify those actions. For example, if a matching higher-priority rule specifies that the status message should be written to the SMS site database, the Status Manager writes the message to the site database, regardless of what the lower-priority rules specify. If a matching lower-priority rule specifies an action that is not specified by a matching higher-priority rule, the Status Manager performs that action. In this way, higher-priority rules override lower-priority rules.

A possible status filter rule action is "Do not process lower-priority rules." If a status message matches a rule specifying that action, the lower priority rules are not processed for that status message. If a status message matches two rules that both specify an action, that action is only run once. For example, if Rule A and Rule B both specify the "Replicate to parent site" action, only one copy of status messages matching those rules is replicated.

You can change the priority of a rule by right-clicking the rule, pointing to All Tasks and then clicking Increment Priority or Decrement Priority. In addition to setting a priority, you can also enable or disable status filter rules by right-clicking the rule, pointing to All Tasks and then clicking Enable or Disable. To create and modify status filter rules, navigate to Status Filter Rules in the SMS Administrator console.

Where?

Systems Management Server > Site Database (site code - site name) >Site Hierarchy> site code - site name >Site Settings>Status Filter Rules

Then, right-click Status Filter Rules, point to New, and click Status Filter Rule.

Some choices on the Status Filter Rule Properties dialog box have drop-down boxes. When you click the drop-down box arrow, SMS queries the site database to determine the possible values. If you know exactly which value you want, you can type it into the box without clicking the arrow. For example, if you know that you want the rule to match status messages from the SMS Executive component, type SMS_EXECUTIVE into the Component box. Ensure that you type in the correct value. If you misspell a component name or other value, you are not prompted to correct it. Table 14.12 explains the various items that you can enter on the General tab to filter status messages.

Table 14.12 Status Filter Rules General Tab

Item	Explanation
Name	The name you assign the status filter rule. This name appears in the results pane. The name must be unique; two rules cannot have the same name.
Source	The source that reports the status message. For example, SMS Server (server components), SMS Client (client components), or SMS Provider (SMS Administrator console and any other tools that exercise WBEM to change the SMS configuration).
Site Code	The site code of the site that reports the status messages.
System	The name of the computer that reports the status message. The system could be a site system or an SMS client computer.
Component	The name of the component that reports the status message. The component could be an SMS server component (service or thread), SMS client component, or a client of the SMS Provider such as the SMS Administrator console.
Message Type	The type of message (Milestone, Detail, or Audit).
Severity	The severity of the message (Informational, Warning, or Error).
Message ID	The numeric ID of the status message. You find the numeric ID of specific status messages through the Status Message Viewer or the Event column of the Windows Event Viewer.
Property Name	The optional property present in some status messages but not in others. For example, most status messages from the Distribution Manager component have a Package ID that identifies the package the message applies to. Alternatively, all Audit status messages have a User Name property that identifies the user who performed the action specified in the messages. To specify a property name, you must first specify a source.
Property Value	The value of the optional property specified by Property Name. For example, if you enter Package ID for Property Name, the Property Value might be NYC00001. If you select the box for Property Name but do not select the box for Property Value, then the rule matches all status messages that have the optional property associated with them, regardless of the value.

To complete a new status filter rule, you must set items on the Actions tab.

Table 14.13 Status Filter Rules Actions Tab

Item	Explanation
Write to the SMS site database	Specifies that status messages matching this rule should be written to the SMS site database. You must also specify how long the message should be kept in the database by adjusting the Keep message for X days value. The Delete Status Messages task under Database Maintenance in the SMS Administrator console uses the number of days listed in the status filter rules to determine which messages to delete and when.
Report to the Windows Event Log	Specifies that the status messages matching this rule should be written to the Windows Event Log on the site server. See the "Using the SMS Status System with the Windows Event Log" section later in this chapter. When you select this option, SMS writes Milestone, Detail, and Audit messages to the Application Event Log.
Replicate to the parent site	Specifies that the status messages matching this rule should be replicated to the parent site, if there is a parent site. You should also specify the priority at which messages should be replicated with the Replication priority value.
Run a program	Specifies that each time a status message matches this rule, the Status Manager should run the program and command-line arguments specified in the Program edit box.
Do not forward to status summarizers.	Specifies that each time a status message matches this rule, the Status Manager should not forward a copy of this status message to any status summarizer components. You use this option to throw away messages that are flooding the system. For example, if a server component reports a particular Error status message every 10 seconds that is not relevant for your site, that error is not tallied by the Component Status Summarizer. A long series of these errors in a short time causes the Critical Threshold to be exceeded, and the component is flagged as Critical in the Component Status summary display. You can set up a filter rule to prevent a particular Error status message from being forwarded to the Component Status Summarizer, which prevents the threshold from being exceeded and the component being marked as Critical.
Do not process lower-priority status filter rules	Specifies that each time a status message matches this rule, the Status Manager should not process any lower-priority rules for that status message. This is a useful way to create rules to delete particular kinds of status messages. For example, if you are not interested in status messages from SMS_ INBOX_MANAGER, you could create a rule that matches all status messages from SMS_INBOX_ MANAGER that has no actions checked except Do not forward to status summarizers and Do not process lower-priority status filter rules. Place this rule at the top of the list. The Do not process lower-priority status filter rules action prevents the lower-priority rules from being processed.

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