Unsolved Data collector must stop if disk space low.

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Hello ITPro. Ran into a question today that I can't seem to find a clear answer to. Here it goes:

You have a server named Server1 that runs Windows Server 2016.

On Server1 you use the Basic template to create a new Data Collector Set named CollectorSet1.

You need to configure data collection for the performance counters.

The configuration must support the following requirements:

1. Data collection must run on a schedule.
2. Data collection must stop if there is less than 1 Gb of free disk space.

What should you modify to meet each requirement? To answer, drag the appropriate settings to the correct requirements. Each setting may be used once, more than once, or not at all.

Setting to modify:
The data manger settings of CollectorSet1
The properties of the performance counter data collector
The properties of CollectorSet1

So requirement 1 seems pretty easy.. In order to set a schedule you simply modify the "Properties of CollectorSet1", there is a schedule tab that you can use to create new schedules.

It's requirement 2 that has me confused. The only place I can find anywhere in the performance counter or CollectorSet that talks about low disk space is the "Data Manager". However, I can't seem to find any knob that would "stop" data collection based on free disk space. It looks like the data manger setting simply controls how logs are handled in a low disk scenario.

Adam,

I hope all is well. You are on the right track here, and in the right place, but there are two ways to go based on settings on the Data Manager tab, and both could provide an outcome here, depending on your choices:

To enforce the selected Data Manager options before the DCS starts, you need to select the "Apply Policy Before The Data Collector Set Starts" check box. When you select this option, previous data is deleted based on the configured Data Manager conditions before the DCS creates the next log file.

** By default the Data Manager does not act on the selected options until the DCS has completed.

The available Data Manager conditions are:

1. Minimum Free Disk The amount of disk space that must be available on the drive where log data is stored. If you select this condition, previous data is deleted according to the Resource Policy that you choose when the limit is reached.

2. Maximum Folders The number of subfolders that can be in the DCS data directory. If you select this condition, previous data is deleted according to the Resource Policy that you choose when the limit is reached.

3. Maximum Root Path Size The maximum size of the data directory for the DCS, including all subfolders. If you select this condition, this maximum path size overrides the Minimum Free Disk and Maximum Folders limits, and previous data will be deleted according to the Resource Policy that you choose when the limit is reached.

Based on items 1 & 3 described/defined above, you would have to be careful not to choose both 1 & 3, as 3 overrides the settings for 1.

The right way to go would be to set item #1, and deselect item #3.

In addition, you would have to understand the issue around the choice of the "Apply Policy Before The Data Collector Set Starts" setting, as that would be the only way to ensure that the previous data is cleared to make enough room based on your settings, and would allow the collector to run, WITHOUT violating the minimum space requirement, since the settings are applied prior to start of the collection, not after it finishes.

I f there was not enough free space available/made available by the deletion of the previous logs, the DCS would not initialize in the first place.

I do not like questions like this one, as they are not structured and worded to accurately ask about settings as they appear/are able to be implemented, but rather approximate the, and ask you to "estimate" or "extrapolate" meaning and intention as part of your answer, which is not a good way to test your abilities, but rather leads people to guess based on a process of elimination which may or may not be correct.

I hope that helps. Keep plugging away !!

Good Luck....

Cheers,

Adam

Thanks Adam, ya this one is super confusing. Based on your answer I am thinking the two correct answers would be:

1. Modify the properties of CollectorSet1 <--- for the schedule.
2. Modify the data manager settings of CollectorSet1 <--- to stop data collection (Rotate Logs) at a certain free disk threshold.

Regards,
Adam Tyler