Chapter 2 Getting Started

This chapter tells how to start and exit Performance Manager, and explains the GUI's main window.

Starting Performance Manager

Log in to a node where Performance Manager has been installed. If the rehash command has not been issued since Performance Manager was installed, type this command to recreate the internal command tables used by the shell:

#  rehash

Before starting Performance Manager, be sure the DISPLAY environment variable on the starting system is set for the display you wish to use.

There are additional considerations if you wish to display Performance Manager on a PC. To start Performance Manager, issue the /usr/bin/x11/pmgr command at a root prompt (see the pmgr(8) reference page for details):

#  /usr/bin/x11/pmgr

Performance Manager can be started from a non-root account, but the log file ( /var/opt/pm/l/pmgr_gui.log ) must first have its permissions changed to allow non-root users to write to it; for example, issue the following command as root to make the log file writable by everyone:

#  chmod 666 /var/opt/pm/l/pmgr_gui.log

When Performance Manager starts, it opens its main window on the workstation defined by the DISPLAY environment variable.

Exiting Performance Manager

To exit Performance Manager, from the File menu, choose Exit. Your current session will not be saved when exiting. To save a session, choose Save Session or Save Session As from the main window's File menu. Save Session As opens a file selection dialog box.

Displaying the Performance Manager GUI

These topics explain how to display the Performance Manager GUI.

Setting the DISPLAY Environment Variable

To set the DISPLAY environment variable in a C shell ( csh ), issue the following command, where workstation is the node name of your workstation:

#  setenv DISPLAY workstation:0.0

To set the DISPLAY environment variable in a Bourne shell (sh), issue the following commands, where workstation is the node name of your workstation:

#  DISPLAY= workstation:0.0

The system output will be as follows:

#  export DISPLAY

Your workstation should be a Tru64 UNIX node running the Common Desktop Environment (CDE). Nodes running other operating systems and other window managers might work, but only Tru64 UNIX and CDE have had full quality assurance testing for Performance Manager.

If you are running Performance Manager remotely, be sure your workstation supports the GUI display.

Displaying Performance Manager on a PC

Performance Manager can be displayed on most PCs. Either start Performance Manager through a PC X server program (such as DIGITAL eXcursion`), or start Performance Manager on a server node whose DISPLAY environment variable (in either the C shell or Bourne shell) is set to the PC. Either TCP/IP or DECnet` will work, but consider the following when displaying Performance Manager on a PC:

  1. The PC and the Tru64 UNIX server node must know about each other. The PC's network name and address must be in the server node's /etc/hosts or DUS database file (TCP/IP), or NCP/NCL database (DECnet). The server node's network name must be in the PC's TCP/IP file or NCP/NCL database (DECnet).
  2. When starting Performance Manager on a PC using an X server program (such as DIGITAL eXcursion), there can be error messages that the X server program cannot report, such as your user name not being authorized to run Performance Manager, LMF license check failure, and so forth. To check for such errors, start Performance Manager on the server node after setting DISPLAY to the PC.
  3. Depending on how your PC's resources are configured, it is possible to overload eXcursion by displaying too many applications, especially large ones such as Performance Manager (as compared to small ones such as dxclock, dxterm, and dxcalendar). Overloading an X server program can cause odd, nonintuitive errors. If you see such errors, try closing a few applications and restarting Performance Manager.

Main Window Overview

The main window is the first window you see when starting Performance Manager. This window consists of the menu bar, toolbar, nodes area, work area, message area, and Start Session and Stop Session buttons.

The nodes area, on the left side of the main window, displays icons for the nodes you can monitor. By default, the local node is displayed and belongs to the group World.

Clicking on a node, cluster, or group in Performance Manager's initial main window causes the work area to appear. The work area contains selection buttons for tasks and categories, and a scroll window for metric selection.

The message area displays status, warning, and error messages.

The Performance Manager Main Window

This is the opening window, and is the starting place for all your tasks.
Main Window
Work Area

Use the work area, on the right side of the main window, to configure displays and thresholds for nodes or clusters you have selected in the nodes area. Your view of the work area depends on whether you have selected the Display or Threshold buttons; each has a specific work area, showing related categories, metrics, and options.
Display Work Area

Threshold WorkAarea
Icons

The icons are sensitive. Click them to perform the operations in this section.

Main Window Icons

The nodes area, on the left side of the main window, displays icons for nodes you can monitor. By default, the local node is displayed and belongs to the group World.

To manage the nodes, clusters, and groups appearing in the nodes area, use the toolbar or go to the main window's Tasks menu and choose Node Management.

Nodes

A node is a computer system that is uniquely addressable on a network. A node can have more than one CPU. Single globes represent individual nodes in various states. Note that a node icon may take a few moments to reflect the state of the node after the node is newly added or comes up. A node icon changes to reflect one of the following three node states:

Hand is holding world down: Node is down or invalid.

Hand is holding world up: Node is up.

Hand is holding world up, with check mark: Node is up, metrics have been selected for monitoring.

A check mark indicates that metrics have been selected for monitoring. In addition, when a node is selected, the background color of the node icon will change.
Clusters

A cluster is a collection of nodes that appear as a single-server system. Clusters offer application availability and scalability greater than is possible with a single system.

A check mark indicates that metrics have been selected for have been selected for monitoring. When a cluster is selected the background color of the cluster icon changes.
Groups

A group is a collection of nodes and/or clusters that are frequently managed together. Globes in a container represent these collections.

If the group icon shows a check mark, metrics have been selected for monitoring for every cluster and node in the group. When a group is selected the background color of the group icon changes.

Globes

A globe appears next to each container (group) and set of three globes (cluster). A globe displaying the continent side shows that all nodes in the group or cluster are exposed. A globe showing the darker, latitude and longitude grid side shows that all nodes are hidden. Clicking on this icon exposes or hides all the nodes and clusters inside.

Nodes Display
Main Window Buttons

Buttons are sensitive. Click them to perform the operations in this section.

Each category of metrics has its own button. This is the button for the CPU metric category. Click on it to display the CPU metrics available for threshold monitoring. Each metric category presents its choices in a similar manner.

A metric category button looks like this when it is selected. The LED on the button shows bright green.

A metric category button looks like this when it is no longer selected, but metrics within that category are selected.

A metric category button looks like this when both the category and the metrics within that category are selected.

Metrics Selection

When this button is on, the display work area is shown. The display view of the work area provides controls for selecting metric categories, individual metrics, display types, and sampling intervals. The type of display used depends on the display type chosen from the option menu to the right of each metric.
 

When this button is on, the threshold work area is shown. The threshold view of the work area provides controls for selecting threshold categories, setting individual thresholds, and choosing notification methods.
 

This button (more...Advanced) is active only when the threshold work area is shown.

Click on this button to start the session currently specified. The displays and thresholds you have selected become active as soon as you click on this button. This button is active only when no session is running.

Click on this button to stop the current session. All metric displays close. This button is active only when a session is running.
Main Window Toolbar and Menu Bar

The toolbar and menu bar provide quick access to functions.

The main window has both a menu bar and a toolbar. Together they provide quick access to the functions of Performance Manager. The menu bar contains the following items, which are tear-off menus. If you click the underscored letter in each item, that menu will "tear off" and display separately.

Menus and Menu Commands
  • File

    • Use the commands on the file menu to start a new session, open a previously saved session, save as another name, or exit Performance Manager.
    • New Session

      Clicking this link starts a new session.

    • Open Session

      • Clicking this link opens the Open Session Dialog Box, providing a choice of existing session files.

    • Save Session

      • Clicking this link saves an open session.

    • Save Session As

      • Clicking this link opens the Save Session As Dialog Box, providing a means to preserve the existing session file and begin a new session file with the same characteristics.

    • Exit

      • Clicking Exit quits the session.
  • View

    • Use the commands on the view menu to choose the area of the main window displayed.

    • Toolbar

      • Selects the toolbar for display.

    • Nodes

      • Selects the node area for display.

    • Work Area

      • Selects the work area for display.

    • Messages

      • Selects the message area for display.

  • Options

    • Use the commands on the options menu when you want to customize the interface.

    • Enable Tool Bar Label

      • Turning this option on displays a label as the cursor passes over each toolbar icon.

    • Show Domain Names in Nodes Area

      • Turning this option on displays the fully-qualified domain names for each node, instead of the simple name. This is an example:

      simple: starfish

      fully qualified: starfish.bottom.PugetSound.com

  • Tasks

    • Use the commands on the tasks menu when you want to manage nodes, metric categories, or thresholds.

    • Node Management

      • Provides access to the controls for adding, deleting, and moving nodes and clusters.

    • Category Management

      • Metric categories can be made visible or hidden. Visible categories are selectable for viewing.

    • Threshold Notifications

      • Presents a list of activity with a reporting window.
  • Commands

    • Use the commands on the command menu when you want to configure commands, move commands, or manage command categories.

    • Configure

      • The Configure dialog box integrates your commands with Performance Manager.

    • Move

      • This dialog enables you to regroup commands in different categories.

    • Command Category Mgmt

      • This dialog enables you to add or delete command categories.
  • Execute

    • The execute menu lists categories of commands, with related submenus, showing commands that can be run on selected nodes. When you choose a command from a submenu, the Execute dialog box opens. You can also change the categories listed, move commands between categories, modify the commands, add new commands, and delete commands. The following categories are listed by default:
    • Performance Analysis

      • These commands detect performance problems and offer corrective advice in four areas: CPU, memory, network, and disk I/O.

    • System Management

      • These commands perform tasks on the node they are executing on.

    • AdvFS Performance Analysis

      • These commands analyze file system performance.

    • Cluster Performance Analysis

      • These commands analyze cluster performance.
  • Help

    • Use the commands on the help menu to view online help about Performance Manager, start Netscape Navigator, and see topics about how to use CDE Help.

    • Overview

      • Overview opens the first window of the help volume. From this scroll box you can navigate to any topic.

    • Tasks

      • Tasks opens the Using Performance Manager section of the help volume. From this scroll box you can navigate to any topic.

    • Reference

      • Reference opens a section of the help volume with more information about the functions of Performance Manager than is available from On Item.

    • On Item

      • On Item changes the cursor to a question mark. Placing the question mark on an area of the GUI and clicking opens a help window with specific information. This is a quick way to read the description of a metric listed in the work area.

    • Using Help

      • Using Help opens the CDE help volume, which explains how the help system works.

    • Release Notes

      • Release Notes opens the Performance Manager Release Notes in Netscape, the browser that ships with Tru64 UNIX

    • About Performance Manager

      • About Performance Manager opens the help window containing information about this software version, copyrights, and trademarks.
Toolbar Icons

Use the icons on the toolbar for quick access to the functions of Performance Manager. The toolbar icons are arranged by groups and represent these actions:
  • File Group

    • Use these icons to create a new session, open a saved session, or save a session.
New Session Open Session Save Session As
  • Task Group
Node Management Category Management Threshold Notification
Node management provides access to the controls for adding, deleting, and moving nodes and clusters. Use category management to make metric categories visible or hidden. Visible categories are selectable for monitoring. Threshold notification presents a list of activity with a reporting window.
  • Command Group
Configure Command Move Command Command Category Management
The Configure dialog box integrates your commands with Performance Manager. The Move command enables you to regroup commands in different categories. Command Category Management enables you to add or delete command categories.
  • Help
On-Item Help Overview Help
Clicking On Item changes the cursor to a question mark. Placing the question mark on an area of the GUI and clicking opens a help window with specific information. Clicking Overview opens the first window of the help volume. From this scroll box you can navigate to any topic.
Modifying the Main Window

You can change the appearance of the main window. The background color can be changed by starting Performance Manager with a different background color; for example:

# pmgr -fg black -bg salmon

You might want to do this to provide greater viewing contrast, but be careful not to choose a color that will obscure text, such as a black foreground that hides black text.

You can also modify the font and the foreground and background colors used in the interface by editing the X resource file /usr/lib/X11/app-defaults/PM .

Performance Manager Menu

Click the third (right) mouse button anywhere in the GUI to open this menu. It provides quick access to tasks for those who are familiar with Performance Manager. The popup menu mirrors the tasks in the toolbar, grouping them in the following sequence:

  • Sessions
    • New Session
    • Open Session
    • Save Session As
  • Tasks
    • Node Management
    • Category Management
    • Threshold Notifications
  • Commands
    • Configure Commands
    • Move Commands
    • Command Category Management
  • Options
    • Enable Tool Bar Label
    • Show Domain Names in Node Area
  • GUI Session Controls
    • Start Session
    • Stop Session
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