Attributes can be configured for objects to define a distinct data set, based on a particular characteristic. For example, you might set up a “maintenance_contract” attribute that you can associate with the hosts for which you have service coverage. Then, you can generate a report to list all hosts with a maintenance contract by dragging the maintenance_contract attribute into the report scope.

Similarly, you might create an attribute to organize arrays by geographical location. In this case, for example, the report scope could include EMC Symmetrix and NetApp arrays and a Location attribute with a value set to London and another Location attribute with the value set to Edinburgh. In this example, four sets of data would be included in the report’s scope.

When you create an attribute, Hitachi Storage Viewer automatically makes that attribute available for all object types, simplifying administration.