CHAPTER 2 Getting started

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.

More introductory information

These topics will help introduce you to Performance Manager's operations.

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
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:

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).
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.
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

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 Performance Manager main window

This is the opening window, and is the starting place for all your tasks.

Entry window

Work area

The Display and Threshold buttons each have a specific work area, showing related categories, metrics, and options.

Display work area

Threshold work area

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 horses 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:

No knight: Node is down or invalid.

Knight standing: Node is up.

Knight on horse, 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 cluster icon changes to reflect one of the following three states:

No knights: All nodes in the cluster are down or invalid.
Knights standing: At least one node in the cluster is up.
Knights on horses: Nodes are up.

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. Castles 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.

Shields

A shield appears next to each castle (group)and set of three horses (cluster). A shield displaying a minus sign (-) shows that all nodes in the group or cluster are exposed. A shield showing the plus sign (+) shows that all nodes are hidden. Clicking on that shield exposes 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.

When this button is on, the threshold work area is shown.

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 New Session Clicking this link displays information on sessions. Open Session Clicking this link displays information on sessions. Save Session Clicking this link displays information on sessions. Save Session As Clicking this link displays information on sessions. Exit Clicking Exit quits the session.
View 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 Enable Tool Bar Label Displays a label as the cursor passes over each toolbar icon.
Tasks 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 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 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. Cluster Performance Analysis These commands analysis cluster performance.
Help Overview Clicking Overview opens the first window of the help volume. From this scroll box you can navigate to any topic. Tasks Clicking Tasks opens the Using Performance Manager section of the help volume. From this scroll box you can navigate to any topic. Reference Clicking 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 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. Using Help Clicking Using Help opens the CDE help volume, which explains how the help system works. About Performance Manager Clicking About Performance Manager opens the help window containing information about this software version, copyrights, and trademarks.

Toolbar icons

The toolbar icons are arranged by groups and represent these actions:

File Group Clicking these links displays information on sessions.

New Session	Open Session	Save Session As
Task Group 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.

Node Management	Category Management	Threshold Notification
Command Group The Configure dialog box integrates your commands with Performance Manager. The Move command enables you to regroup commands in different categories. C ommand Category Management enables you to add or delete command categories.

Configure Command	Move Command	Command Category Management
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.

On-Item Help	Overview Help

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 .