Chapter 8. Profiles

A profile is a two-state control entity - it is either Active or Inactive ("On" or "Off", like a switch). Once a profile is defined, it can be referenced in various configuration objects where the profile state will control the behaviour of that object.

A profile's state is determined by one or more defined tests, which are performed periodically. If multiple tests are specified, then the overall test result will be pass only if all the individual test results are pass. Assuming the profile's state is Active, then when the overall test result has been 'fail' for a specified duration, the profile transitions to Inactive. Similary, once the overall test result has been 'pass' for a specified duration, the profile transitions to Active. These two durations are controlled by attributes and provide a means to 'filter' out short duration 'blips' that are of little interest.

An example of a test that can be performed is a Ping test - ICMP echo request packets are sent, and replies are expected. If replies are not being received, the test fails.

Profiles can be logically combined using familiar boolean terminology i.e. AND, OR and NOT, allowing for some complex profile logic to be defined that determines a final profile state from several conditions. When considering the state of another profile, it is the previous second's state that is considered - i.e. profile states are all updated in one go after considering all profiles.

By combining profiles with the FB9000's event logging facilities, they can also be used for automated monitoring and reporting purposes, where profile state changes can be e-mailed direct from the FB9000. For example, a profile using a Ping test can be used to alert you via e-mail when a destination is unreachable. The profile logic tests are also done based on the defined interval.

The current state of all the profiles configured on your FB9000 can be seen by choosing the "Profiles" item in the "Status" menu.