Parameter inspection and comparison

Background

The parameter inspection and comparison features support customizable rule templates. Based on these templates, you can periodically initiate parameter inspection and comparison tasks for your instances, either automatically or manually. The analysis generates reports that provide recommendations from parameter diagnostics and details about inconsistent parameter settings between instances.

Use cases

• Parameter inspection: Inspects the parameter settings of instances in batches based on custom or default recommended values.

  • Custom parameter values: Values that you specify based on your business requirements.

  • Default recommended values: Values recommended by DAS that are consistent with the recommendations provided by the parameter diagnostics feature. These values are derived from instance status information, parameter templates, baseline concepts for additional parameters, calculation formulas, and expert experience.

• Parameter comparison: Identifies differences in parameter settings between instances, or between an instance's parameter values and user-defined values.

Limitations

• The target database engine must be one of the following:

  • ApsaraDB RDS for MySQL (MySQL cluster series are not supported)

  • PolarDB for MySQL

• The target database instance must be connected to DAS and its status is Normal Access. For more information, see Connect a database instance to DAS.

• You can inspect and compare only the parameters that are modifiable in the console.

• You can create a maximum of 100 rules.

  • A rule is a basic definition for parameter inspection or comparison. It includes an alias, remarks, a supported engine, and an analysis type. You can also set the target parameter values for the inspection or comparison.

• You can create a maximum of 100 templates.

  • A template is a runnable configuration created from rules for parameter inspection and comparison. It includes an alias, remarks, an associated base rule, an automatic inspection cycle, and an enabled status. You can also select the instances to which the template applies.

• A parameter inspection template can be associated with a maximum of 100 instances.

• A parameter comparison template can be associated with a maximum of 10 instances.

• An instance can be associated with only one template of a given type (parameter inspection or parameter comparison) at a time. A new association overwrites the existing one.

• Only parameter inspection supports automatic task initiation. Therefore, only parameter inspection templates support cycle configuration.

Features

• Rule templates

  • Create and manage rules

    On the Rule Management page, you can search for rules by Rule Alias or Rule ID, filter them by Engine and Type, and perform batch deletions.

    • Create a rule: You can create custom rules for parameter inspection and comparison for ApsaraDB RDS for MySQL and PolarDB for MySQL, and set the corresponding parameter values for analysis.

      Analysis tasks perform parameter inspection and comparison based on the following priority: Specific parameter values (if set) > Instance parameter values (if selected) > Default recommended values (consistent with parameter diagnostics recommendations).

    • Manage rules: On the rule management page, you can view, modify, and delete rules.

  • Create and manage templates

    On the rule template management page, you can filter templates by template alias or ID, engine, type, and enabled status. You can also perform batch deletions, bulk enable, and bulk disable operations.

    • Create a template: You can create templates for parameter inspection and comparison based on rules. You can customize the automatic inspection cycle, set the template status, and select the instances to which the template applies.

      Important

      You cannot set a cycle for parameter comparison templates.

    • Manage templates: On the template management page, you can view, modify, and delete templates, and change the associations between instances and templates.

• Initiate tasks

  • Automatic inspection tasks: Based on the enabled inspection templates, parameter inspection tasks run automatically on the specified cycle.

  • Manual tasks: On the feature page, you can select a template to manually initiate a parameter inspection or comparison task. For parameter comparison, you can also directly select instances to perform an ad-hoc comparison of their parameter settings.

• View results

  • On the feature page, you can view an overview of historical tasks and detailed task reports.

    The Parameter Inspection and Comparison page has two tabs: MySQL and PolarDB for MySQL. You can click Initiate Task to create an inspection or comparison task, and filter tasks by criteria such as task type and initiation type. The task list includes columns for task type, start and completion times, initiation type (manual or automatic), configuration, and status. In the Actions column, click View Report to view the corresponding report.

    • Parameter inspection: View the report to see recommendations from parameter diagnostics.

    • Parameter comparison: View the report to see the comparison of parameter settings.

Procedure

1. Log on to the DAS console.

2. In the left-side navigation pane, choose Tools > Inspection and Scoring.

3. Then, click Parameter Inspection and Comparison.

4. Click Settings to open the rule template page.

   1. Configure rules

      1. Create a rule: In the upper-left corner, click Rule Management, and then click Create Rule in the drawer that appears.

      2. View rules: You can search for existing rules by rule ID or rule alias, or filter rules by engine and type.

      3. Manage rules: In the Actions column, click Details to view and modify a rule. You can delete rules individually or in batches.

      Parameter	Description
      Rule alias	A custom alias to quickly identify the rule.
      Rule remarks	Custom remarks that briefly describe the rule.
      Engine type	The engine type to which the rule applies. MySQL: The rule applies to the ApsaraDB RDS for MySQL engine. PolarDB for MySQL: The rule applies to the PolarDB for MySQL engine.
      Type	The type of the rule. Parameter Inspection Rule Parameter Comparison Rule
      Parameter values	The baseline parameter values for parameter inspection or parameter comparison. By default, the parameter values that are consistent with the parameter diagnostics recommendations are used. Select instance parameter values: A snapshot of the selected instance's current parameter values is used for analysis. Select specific parameter values: The analysis uses the specified parameter settings. Important Analysis tasks prioritize parameter value sources in the following order: Specific parameter values (if set) > Instance parameter values (if set) > Default recommended values. Make sure that you enter the parameter names and values in the correct format.

   2. Configure templates

      1. Create a template: In the upper-left corner, click Create Template and configure the settings in the dialog box that appears.

      2. View templates: You can search for existing templates by template ID or template alias, or filter templates by engine, type, and enabled status.

      3. Manage templates: In the Actions column, click Details to view and modify a template. You can delete templates or change their enabled status individually or in batches. In the Actions column, click Select Instance to adjust the associations between instances and the template.

         Parameter	Description
         Template alias	A custom alias to quickly identify the template.
         Template remarks	Custom remarks that briefly describe the template.
         Enabled status	The enabled status of the template. Note When you create an analysis task, you can select only enabled templates.
         Associated rule	Each template must be associated with a rule. Important After the initial association, the associated rule can only be changed to another rule of the same engine and type.
         Cycle	The execution cycle of the template. Important Only parameter inspection supports custom cycles. You cannot select a cycle when the associated rule type is parameter comparison.
         Select instances	Select the instances to which this template applies. Important A parameter inspection template can be associated with a maximum of 100 instances. A parameter comparison template can be associated with a maximum of 10 instances. An instance can be associated with only one template of a given type (parameter inspection or parameter comparison) at a time. A new association overwrites the existing one. The analysis process removes expired associated instances.

5. After the template is configured, parameter inspection tasks run automatically based on the template. Alternatively, on the Parameter Inspection and Comparison tab, click Initiate Task to manually create a parameter inspection or comparison task.

   Type	Manual initiation
   Parameter inspection	Select an enabled parameter inspection template to initiate a task.
   Parameter comparison	Select an enabled parameter comparison template to initiate a task. Select instances to initiate an ad-hoc parameter comparison task.

6. On the corresponding engine tab, view the detailed results of the parameter inspection and comparison.

   1. On this page, you can filter tasks by Task Type and Initiation Type.

   2. In the Actions column, click View Report to view the detailed results.

      Recommendation levels in diagnosis results:

      Level	Description
      Important	The parameter value is user-defined.
      Critical	Immediate modification is recommended.
      Warn	Modification is recommended as needed.
      Notice	The parameter value differs from the value in the default engine template.

Related documentation

Best practices for parameter inspection and comparison