---
title: "Investigate an Issue and Create a Problem"
slug: "investigate-a-sensor"
updated: 2026-07-08T14:23:37Z
published: 2026-07-08T14:23:37Z
canonical: "documentation.lakesidesoftware.com/investigate-a-sensor"
---

> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://documentation.lakesidesoftware.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Investigate an Issue and Create a Problem

After selecting a sensor in Reliability Engineering (see [Find Issues to Work On](/documentation/docs/find-issues-to-work-on)), your next step is to understand the issue in detail before taking any action. Use **Sensor Scope** to assess the impact of the issue, identify patterns in the affected systems, and decide how to proceed.

Watch a quick overview or read the detailed information below.

[SysTrack Reliability Engineering Problem Workflow](https://player.vimeo.com/video/1204166935?h=4f067b44c0&badge=0&autopause=0&player_id=0&app_id=58479)

## Understand the Scope of the Issue

The **Sensor Scope** view provides the data you need to determine:

- How widespread the issue is
- Where it occurs
- What might be causing it

Change the time range between last 24 hours, 7 days, and 30 days for the affected-systems data and distribution views to:

- Validate whether the issue is new
- Confirm whether it is growing

The **Sensor Details** section contains the full description of the selected sensor along with its trigger conditions and suggested solutions. At the bottom of the section, several action buttons support investigation and remediation.

![](https://cdn.document360.io/87d11426-6b1f-4b19-b593-b71e55a81af3/Images/Documentation/image-1783520600941.png)

> [!TIP]
> **TIP**: You need to create a problem before using **Notify Users** or **Take Action** so all activity is recorded. See [Work with Problems](/documentation/docs/create-and-manage-a-problem).

Start by reviewing how broadly the issue impacts your environment.

The **Affected Systems** data shows:

- How many systems are impacted
- Which systems are affected

![](https://cdn.document360.io/87d11426-6b1f-4b19-b593-b71e55a81af3/Images/Documentation/image(282).png)

Use this to determine:

- Whether the issue is widespread or isolated
- Whether you should prioritize investigation

You can open the systems list to:

- Filter systems by:
  - FQDN
  - Primary User
  - Online Status
  - Operating System
  - Platform
  - Group
- Access system details in [Resolve](/documentation/docs/resolve)**.**

## Analyze Trends Over Time

The **Sensor Activation Trend** chart shows how the issue evolves over the last 30 days.

- Compare current activity to past behavior
- Identify spikes or sustained increases
- Detect whether the issue is ongoing or intermittent

## Identify Where the Issue Occurs

Use the distribution widgets to locate patterns across your environment.

![](https://cdn.document360.io/87d11426-6b1f-4b19-b593-b71e55a81af3/Images/Documentation/image(391).png)

### Analyze Groups

The **Groups** view shows which system groups are most affected.

Look for:

- Concentration in specific regions or departments
- Disproportionate impact in certain groups

### Analyze Platform and Device Types

The **Platform Comparison** shows:

- Desktop vs laptop systems
- Virtual vs physical systems

Use this to identify:

- Whether the issue is tied to a specific platform type
- Whether virtualization or hardware plays a role

### Analyze Operating Systems

The **Operating Systems** view shows which OS versions are most affected.

Look for:

- Concentration in a specific OS
- Version-specific issues

You can expand this view to see all versions and refine your investigation.

### Analyze Geographic Distribution

The **Locations** map shows where affected systems are located.

Use this to identify:

- Regional issues
- Location-based patterns (for example, network-related issues in one region)

## Identify Patterns and Form a Hypothesis

At this stage, combine insights from all views to answer:

- Where is the issue most concentrated?
- What changed compared to normal behavior?
- Is there a common characteristic across affected systems?

For example:

- A spike limited to one region may indicate a network issue
- Concentration in one OS version may indicate an issue introduced by a recent update
- A sudden increase across all systems may indicate a widespread condition

## Check Related Work

After investigating a sensor, the next step is to create a problem, track your work, and begin remediation. In addition to creating new problems, you can continue working on problems that are already in progress.

Problems act as the central record for investigation activities and actions taken. They ensure that all work related to an issue is organized and traceable.

Use **Associated Problems** to view all problems created for the selected sensor. This helps you quickly determine whether another user has already started an investigation for this issue, or has worked on the issue before and resolved it. Select a problem to open it in the **Problem Scope** view, where you can review details and continue your work (see [Work with Problems](/documentation/docs/create-and-manage-a-problem)).

![](https://cdn.document360.io/87d11426-6b1f-4b19-b593-b71e55a81af3/Images/Documentation/image(296).png)

## Create a New Problem

Create a problem when:

- There are no related problems in progress.
- The issue requires investigation or remediation.
- You plan to take action or notify users.
- The issue has meaningful impact on your environment.

> [!TIP]
> **TIP**: Create a problem before using **Take Action** or **Notify Users** so that all activity is recorded.

From **Sensor Scope**, click **Add New Problem** and provide the following:

- **Name:** Describe the issue clearly. Include relevant context such as location, system type, or root cause if known. For example: `Low disk space – APAC region`.
- **Assignee:** Assign the problem to yourself or another user responsible for resolving the issue.

After you create the problem, the page opens **Problem Scope** (see [Work with Problems](/documentation/docs/create-and-manage-a-problem)).