Using filters

• If you include an asterisk (*) at the beginning of the string, everything that follows the * must match the transaction.
• If you include an asterisk (*) at the end of the string, everything that precedes the * must match the transaction.
• If you include an asterisk (*) at the beginning and end of the string, everything between the two * characters must match the transaction.
• If you include an asterisk (*) anywhere else, the string being matched must contain an * in that position for the match to succeed.

• Include means that data is collected for all transactions that match the pattern specified by Value.
• Exclude means that data is not collected for any transactions that match the pattern.

Matching multiple filters: If any one of the Exclude filters are matched, then the transaction definition does not apply to that transaction. The transaction must match all of the defined Include filters for the transaction definition to apply to the transaction, except when the same filter property is defined multiple times in the table. In this case, the transaction must match any one of the filters with the repeating property name.

In Boolean logic this is expressed as follows:

if ( (Include1 OR Include1 OR Include1) AND Include2 AND Include3 AND Include4)
 AND NOT (Exclude1 OR Exclude2 OR Exclude3 OR Exclude4) ) 

where: Include# is a unique property name, when # is repeated, the properties pattern value might be different.

For example, suppose you define the following filters for a transaction:

Include Properties:
ApplicationName=Websphere/Version=9
ApplicationName=Webpshere/Version=10
TransactionName=http://www.ibm.com/*

Exclude Properties:
TransactionName=http://www.ibm.com/hr/

Now suppose the following conditions apply:

Transaction 1 occurs with properties:
ApplicationName=Websphere/Version=10
TransactionName=http://www.ibm.com/sales/index.html

Transaction 2 occurs with properties:
ApplicationName=Websphere/Version=9
TransactionName=http://www.ibm.com/hr/index.html

Transaction 1 would match the transaction definition, because its properties match at least one of the values for the ApplicationName include filter, and matches the TransactionName include filter, and does not match the Exclude filter.

Transaction 2 would not match the transaction definition because while it passes the Include property tests, it matches one of the Exclude filters. In this case the transaction definition does not apply to this transaction.

Transaction Definition 1 occurs with these properties:
ServerName include *
ComponentName include *
Application include *
TransactionName include *
ServerName exclude python*

Transaction Definition 2 occurs with these properties:
ServerName include python1

The definitions for transactions are not combined, but rather sorted in priority order. The priority order is defined by the sum of the lengths of the include pattern values for the filters. For the examples above, Transaction Definition 1 has four include filters, each with a value of *, for a length of 1. So its priority is 4. Transaction Definition 2 has a single include pattern value, python1, which has a length of 7, so the priority for Transaction Definition 2 is 7. The transactions are sorted and when a match is attempted, the transaction definitions are tested in priority order, highest to lowest.

So transactions are tested against Transaction Definition 2 first, and if a match is found, the rules used for monitoring the transaction are governed by Transaction Definition 2. If no match is found, the transaction is tested against Transaction Definition 1. For the example above, no transactions with a ServerName that starts with python will be monitored, except for a transaction with the ServerName python1.

You can sort the list of filters by clicking on the Name, Value, or Type column headers in the title bar. You can select multiple filters by holding down the Ctrl key as you click a filter.