Using the Advanced Search

You use the advanced search from the All Jobs list to filter the list based on job properties. Whereas the standard filters that you find on most pages in AAI allow you to filter the list or table on the page based values for only select attributes, the advanced search allows you to filter on complex combinations of attributes and criteria. In the case of jobs, the advanced search allows you to build simple and complex filters based on any job properties that are in the AAI database. These include both common AAI or scheduler-specific job properties, as well as job run statistics.

The advanced search allows for the most complex search and filtering of the three search or filter options in AAI. The others are the global job search and the standard filter feature. Each is useful for different kinds of inquiries. For information, see Searching for Jobs (Web Interface) and Using Filters (Web Interface). This topic explains how to use the advanced search.

There are two ways to define advanced search:

• By building the filter criteria with the help of a "filter builder" approach

• By writing a query to select the matching jobs

Whichever method you use, you are aided with prompts that guide you to creating valid statements. When writing queries, you can get the additional support by calling up a help page with query examples, a complete list of job- and execution-related properties for all schedulers that AAI supports, and explanations of the entry formats for different data types.

The advanced search offers you a "filter builder" approach to defining to defining complex search criteria. You are prompted with valid values for attributes (properties) and appropriate operators for the data type of each attribute. The structure of even complex combinations of filter criteria is visually represented as you define connect filter criteria. The visual structure makes it easy to understand even complex search filter criteria and it makes it easy to edit and modify them.

To define an advanced search with the filter builder

1. Open the advanced search tool from one of the following places:

   • From the Global Job Search field in the blue header bar on any page in AAI, click the advanced search icon in the far right of the field. The Advanced Search dialog opens on the Filters tab.

   • From the All Jobs list page, on the toolbar, click the advanced search button next to the standard filter button. The standard filter button is deactivated, and the Advanced Search dialog opens on the Filters tab.

2. Add a search criterion .

3. Select an Attribute and a Criteria value and then enter the Value to describe a selection rule for your filter.

   For example, to include all jobs of the "command" type, your filter would be as follows:

   • Attribute: Job Type

   • Criteria: Matches

   • Value: command

   The search is not case sensitive, so it does not matter whether you enter upper- or lower-case or a combination. AAI will ignore the cases when filtering.

4. Optionally, add other values for the same attribute.

   1. Click the plus (+) at the far right of the current line.

   2. Select a Criteria value and then enter a new Value.

   3. Continue to add more values in the same way.

   All the values for an attribute have an OR relationship. Any of them can be true for the job to be included. For example, you might continue the previous example to say that you want to include any job of the "command" or of the "CMD" type, knowing that your different schedulers use different names for jobs that have the same function, your second value would be as follow:

   • OR

   • Criteria: Contains

   • Value: CMD

5. Optionally, add values for another attribute that you want to be considered in the filter.

   1. Click + Add Criteria

   2. Select another Attribute and a Criteria value and then enter the Value to describe the next selection rule.

   3. Again, if you want to another value for the attribute, click the plus (+) at the far right of the line, and define the additional value to be included.

6. Determine the relation between the various attribute criteria. By default they have an AND relationship, meaning that all the attribute specifications must be true for the job to be included in the filter results.

   If they should be in an OR relationship, meaning that any of the attribute specifications can be true for the job to be included in the filter results, click the OR button at the top of the tab page. In this case, all the attributes that you have selected and specified are evaluated as an OR relationship.

   You cannot mix AND and OR relationships in one filter on this tab page. For that, you have to use the Query to define your search criteria. For information, see Defining an Advanced Search Query .

7. When you are finished building your filter criteria for the advanced search, click Apply.

   The Advanced Search dialog closes, and, next to the filter icon, you see a filter field that contains the textual description of the filter criteria. The list on the page is filtered according to that criteria. Depending on the search criteria and the size of your AAI database, it might take a moment or two until the search results appear on the page.

Now, you can sort the filtered list and reorganize the columns as you want to help you identify patterns and exceptions that can help your inquiries. For information, see Working with Tables (Web Interface).

To modify an advanced search

As you work with a list that you have filtered with an advanced search, you might want to modify the filter criteria to examine a different perspective on your objects and executions. Use the following steps to change the current advanced filter:

In the far right of the advance search filters field in the toolbar, click the pencil icon. The Advance Search dialog opens on the Filters tab page, and you see the current filter settings defined.

1. In the far right of the advance search filters field in the toolbar, click the pencil icon. The Advance Search dialog opens on the Filters tab page, and you see the current filter settings defined.

2. Modify the filter as you want:

   1. Change Values.

   2. Add new Values to selected Attributes, or add new criteria for new Attributes.

   3. Remove Values or entire Attribute criteria by clicking the trash can icon in the respective row.

   4. When you are finished, click Apply to close the dialog and return to list to see the filter results and work with them.

3. To remove the advanced search filters altogether, click the Clear button next to the field on the toolbar.

   The advanced search field disappears and the standard filter buttons are reactivated and blue. If any standard filters were applied before the advanced search was defined, they are still there and the list is filtered accordingly.

Alternative to defining your advanced search by building filter criteria based on attributes and values that you pick from lists of valid values, you can define your search in a query on the Query tab of the Advanced Search dialog. Using a query to define your advanced search filters has the following advantages:

• If you are adept in query languages, you might find it faster and easier to write a query.

• The query option allows you to build even more complex advanced search criteria than using the filter builder on the Filter tab. You can include properties for more aspects of the workloads from the various schedulers that AAI supports.

To define an advanced search with a query

1. Open the advanced search tool from one of the following places:

   • From the Global Job Search field in the blue header bar on any page in AAI, click the advanced search icon in the far right of the field. The Advanced Search dialog opens on the Filters tab.

   • From the All Jobs list page, on the toolbar, click the advanced search button next to the standard filter button. The standard filter button is deactivated, and the Advanced Search dialog opens on the Filters tab.

2. Click the Query tab and then click Enable Edit to open the query entry field.

3. Enter your query statements.

   • Start typing the name of a property, a selection pop-up appears and the query auto-suggest presents the properties that match your text, as you continue typing it continues to narrows the suggested list. When you see the property you want, click it to add it to your query.

   • Type an operator followed by a space.

   • Type a value, using single quotation marks for literals, followed by a space.

   • Continue to add query statements, connecting them with and or or until you have the full query.

   As you build your query statements, the building blocks are color coded for ease of recognition.

   See the tips for success that follow these steps.

4. Click Apply.

   The Advanced Search dialog closes, and, next to the filter icon, you see a filter field that contains your query statements. The list on the page is filtered according to the query. Depending on the search criteria and the size of your AAI database, it might take a moment or two until the search results appear on the page.

Now, you can sort the filtered list and reorganize the columns as you want to help you identify patterns and exceptions that can help your inquiries. For information, see Working with Tables (Web Interface).

Tips for Success with Advanced Search Queries

There are several features to help you write complex queries that are valid and return the results that you intend to filter for. Take advantage of them. They are the following:

• Auto-suggest for property names that appears as you type.

• By clicking the Query Help button, you open a web page that provides extensive help for building exactly the complex queries you want. This includes

  • All the properties in the AAI database for jobs, job runs, schedulers, machines, and events. These include scheduler-specific job properties.

  • The values for job states and job types, per scheduler type.

  • Some basic guidance for entering operators

  • Guidelines for and examples of correct query statements.

• When you click Apply, before the dialog closes, your query statements are validated to catch common errors of query syntax

The following are additional tips for successful queries:

• Property names that have a space in them must be entered within single quotation marks. Although this can appear odd, because some schedulers allow spaces in their property names, it is the only way to ensure that the property name is interpreted correctly.

• Although not required, use parentheses to group your or conditions. This is a good practice that can help you cleanly write complex queries and ensures that your statements are correctly interpreted.