Data for metrics is gathered differently depending on the metric change type, time scope, and gathering time associated with the metric. For more information on how these apply to individual metrics, see System Metrics.
The value that is displayed for a metric depends on the change type, as shown in the following table.
| Change Type | Description |
| Counter | The value is a sum that increases with each change. For example, number of requests is a counter change type. |
| Gauge | The value may increase or decrease over time, depending on events. For example, the number of processes running at any time is a gauge change type. |
The interval over which a metric value is gathered differs by metric, as shown in the following table.
| Time Scope | Description |
| Point in time | The value is gathered at a specific point in time, such as when you reset a metric group or restart a service |
| Since reset | The value is gathered over the interval since the last reset of the metric |
The time at which a metric value is gathered differs by metric, as shown in the following table.
| Gathering Time | Description |
| On change | The value is collected when a change occurs, such as when the number of requests changes |
| On demand | The value is gathered when you select a new
item in the Scorecard pane  , or reset a metric group |
| Unknown | The gathering time is unknown |
