This application generates VMS System Performance Information HTML documents. Coupled with 'HyperSpi$agent.c', the data-collection application, it can profile, complete with graphics, fundamental system performance indicators as CPU usage, memory usage, IO values. It works extremely well. This is an example of the output and some information on its capabilities.

2011 Note:  HyperSPI has received scant attention in the last decade. This note brings it up to building in more modern Alpha and in particular Itanium environments, and adds network interface data. It has not been extensively tested in any; YMMV.

HyperSPI comprises two distinct applications.

1. Data Collection Agent -  HYPERSPI$AGENT.C  This is the System Performance Information collection agent for the Hypertext SPI facility. It executes on selected nodes, writing selected system performance information into a data file, once every minute. Data collection has negligable impact on system performance. The data contains per-minute average and total values (depending on the datum), and peak values based on the granularity of whatever is the collection period (currently 2 seconds). These data files are kept on a per-day basis. This data may then be processed and displayed by the Hypertext SPI facility. It utilizes the undocumented EXE$GETSPI interface. Interface details plagiarized (and extensively reworked) from a VMS X Window System utility named SPI.

2. Data Presentation Application -  HYPERSPI.C  This application is executed as a CGI script. It operates in two distinct modes, text and graphic. In text mode it returns an HTML stream to the browser comprising a hypertext page, with selection menu, node performance presentation page, data listing or dump page. In graphic mode it returns a GIF image to the browser, first processing the specified data into an in-memory bitmap graph, then sending this image to the client via an internal GIF processor.

   A mapping rule should be included in the HTTPD$MAP configuration file:

     script /hyperspi* /cgi-bin/hyperspi*
   

   Quick links to selected reports can be useful:

     Graphical
     <A HREF="/HyperSpi">performance information</A>
     for selected VMS compute servers.
     <BR>Since 7am today:
     <A HREF="/HyperSpi?list_node=SYSTEM&period=until_now&cpu=yes&memory=yes&hard_faults=yes&do=page">SYSTEM</A>
     <BR>Since yesterday:
     <A HREF="/HyperSpi?list_node=SYSTEM&period=since_yesterday&cpu=yes&memory=yes&hard_faults=yes&do=page">SYSTEM</A>
     <BR>The last week:
     <A HREF="/HyperSpi?list_node=SYSTEM&period=7&cpu=yes&memory=yes&hard_faults=yes&do=page">SYSTEM</A>
   

The collection agent be must started up on all nodes for which information is required. The logical name HYPERSPI$DATA locates where the data is recorded and read from. It is important this data is cleaned-up occasionally. It uses approximately 140 blocks (70Kbytes) per day per system. There is an example startup for the data collection agent. To start the data collection agent up during system startup add

  $ DEFINE /NOLOG /SYSTEM /EXEC HYPERSPI$DATA device:[directory]
  $ @WASD_ROOT:[SRC.HYPERSPI]HYPERSPI$AGENT STARTUP

HyperSPI seems to be fairly sensitive to the EXE$GETSPI() system call (probably not unreasonably) and may need at-the-least relinking depending on the exact VMS version. It was developed and tested on 6.n systems, and works with 7.1  After operating system upgrades the HYPERSPI$AGENT may required a relink (@BUILD_HYPERSPI$AGENT LINK).