Invoking the Solstice SyMON GUI

This section describes how to launch a Solstice SyMON console.

· To Invoke the Solstice SyMON GUI

1. Type the following as a regular UNIX user:

% /opt/SUNWsymon/bin/symon -t monitored_servername &

where:

monitored_servername is the name of the server you want to monitor.

After a few moments, the main window, the Launcher, is displayed (see Figure 3-1). The Launcher establishes communication between the GUI, the agents, and the Event Generator. It launches different consoles.

Figure 3-1

2. Click the icon to launch a console.

Launcher Window

Figure 3-1 shows that the software is installed and is running on the server being monitored (owey). Table 3-1 describes the meanings of the colors you might see for the System: box in the upper left-hand corner of the Launcher window.

Table 3-1

System box colors	Meaning
Blinking green	Target system is working; Solstice SyMON is operating normally
Red	Target system is not running

Below the System: box, the next line shows the status of the agents. The Launcher polls the agents and various log files and displays the information in the appropriate consoles.

The lower section of the Launcher shows consoles (icons) for viewing information collected by other agents. The Launcher provides six consoles that monitor server conditions:

• Event Viewer
• Log Viewer
• Physical View
• Logical View
• Kernel Data Catalog
• Process Viewer

The seventh console, On-line Diagnostics, connects you directly to the online SunVTS diagnostics. If the console is unavailable, a slashed circle is displayed (.).

Any console with an associated event is highlighted in color. The colors are programmable using event rules. Note that only red, yellow, and blue can be used. Table 3-2 lists the meanings of the colors.

Table 3-2

Color	Indications
Red	Serious condition detected by the Event Generator
Yellow	Warning condition
Blue	Long term capacity-related condition

Monitoring Hardware Status

The following consoles are described in this section and are used to monitor hardware status:

• Physical View, which displays detailed information about the server
• Logical View, which displays the components in a schematic hierarchy
• On-line Diagnostics, which provides a launcher to SunVTS

Using the Physical View Console

The Physical View is a graphic (pictorial) representation of the server. Use this console to monitor the configuration and status of your server. If the Event Generator detects problems with a system component, the affected component is highlighted in red, yellow, or blue (see Table 3-2).

If you are monitoring a multi-sided system such as the Ultra Enterprise 6000, when you launch the Physical View, a submenu with three viewing options is displayed:

• Front view
• Rear view
• Both views

The Physical View shows detailed information about the status of individual components in the server. With this option you know exactly what hardware is installed on the server and if there is problem with a component on the server (the component is highlighted). More information on the Physical View is available through the Show Information window (see "Using the Show Information Window" later in this chapter.)

You can switch to an alternate view from any view in the Physical View by using the File menu. For example, if the system you are viewing has Front, Rear, and Side views and you selected Front view, from the Front view you can select the other two views using the File menu.

The Physical View also provides a way to access components that don't have an image in the current view. For example, disk enclosures don't have an image in the I/O card. You can access these disk enclosures by clicking on a connector to these disk enclosures. This displays a menu which lists all possible viewpoints from all disk enclosures.

Displaying a Detailed View of a Component

When you view a system component, you can also view its internal components. For example, when you view a CPU/Memory board on the Ultra Enterprise 6000 system, you can also view a more detailed image that includes the memory and UltraSPARC modules on the board. When a more detailed sub-view is available, the Physical View cursor changes to a pointing hand. If you don't see the pointing hand, a more detailed view is not available.

· To Display a Detailed Picture of a Component

* Click on the component with the pointing hand cursor.

Another Physical View window is displayed with a detailed picture of the component. Figure 3-2 shows the detailed picture of the CPU/Memory board in the Ultra Enterprise 6000 system.

Figure 3-2

Limitations of the Physical View

The SPARCserver 1000 and SPARCcenter 2000 systems can contain a disk board. However, Solstice SyMON does not sense the disk board because the hardware does not provide a way to sense the disk board. The Physical View does not show the disk board but shows an empty slot. Also, the SPARCserver 1000 and SPARCcenter 2000 do not provide a way to sense fiber optic modules. Their existence is inferred if a SPARCstorage Array is connected to the server.

Using the Show Information Window

The View menu on the Physical View and any sub-views of individual components include a Show Information window, which views more specific information about each system component. The information is continuously updated with information about the component the cursor is over as the cursor moves on the screen.

· To Display Component Specific Information in the Physical View

1. Select Show Information from the View menu.

   An Information window is created.

2. Move the pointer to a component displayed on the Physical View.

   Information about the component is displayed in the Information window (see Figure 3-3). For example, if you place the pointer over a CPU, critical information about the CPU is displayed, including: CPU type, status, cache-size, board number, port ID, processor ID, and model number.

Figure 3-3

Using the Copy Information Window

In addition to viewing the status of a component with the Show Information window, you may also need a static screen of this information. To do this, use the Copy Information window. It presents the same information as the Show Information window, except that the information in the Copy Information window relates only to the component you selected and is static.

· To Select the Copy Information Window

1. Move the mouse on a component in the Physical View or node in the Logical View.

2. Hold down the Menu button of the mouse, which is the mouse button furthest away from the keyboard.

   This is the right mouse button for a right-handed person and the left mouse button for a left-handed person.

3. Select the copy information dialog box.

   A Copy Information window is displayed showing information about the component or node.

Figure 3-4 peripheral_5v

Using the Close Options

This section describes how to close a Physical View.

· To Close a Physical View

* Select one of the following options from the File menu:

• Close Self, which only closes the window
• Close All Views of This Component and Descendants, which closes the window and more detailed views of the component
• Close All Physical View, which closes all Physical View windows

Locating Troublesome Components

If a component has problems or fails, it is highlighted in a color (see Table 3-2). If the component is not highlighted, the component is operating normally.

· To Quickly Locate Components that May Cause Problems

* Look at the Physical View and trace events that are highlighted from the top level of the hierarchy down to the component that generated the event.

Using the Logical View

The Logical View, a companion view of the Physical View, displays the components in a schematic hierarchy (see Figure 3-5) instead of showing pictures of the front or rear views. Like the Physical View, the Logical View shows detailed information about the status of many components in the server. If a component is responsible for generating an event, it and all higher level components are highlighted in a color (see Table 3-2), so you can quickly locate the component causing problems.

The bottom of the window contains instruments that may be opened. To display any instruments for a particular component, select (click the left mouse button) in the text of the component. In the Logical View, there are currently only board temperature instruments that are displayed by selecting the component of the SysMeter under the appropriate board.

· To Display a System Meter of an Instrument for a Specific Parameter

1. Expand the hierarchy by clicking the + sign.

2. Click the component label (such as disk) to display available instruments in the instrument panel.

3. Display the instrument using one of the following tasks:

• Click the instrument (parameter) you want displayed, for example ops (op/sec), at the right of the display.

  A System Meter window is created with a graph of the selected parameter (Figure 3-10).

• Drag the instrument and drop it in an existing System Meter. Use the middle or left mouse buttons as you move the mouse.

Figure 3-5

Expanding and Collapsing the Hierarchical Diagram

A button to the left of each component in the hierarchy is displayed (see Figure 3-5). The two states of the button are:

• Collapsed(+), which contracts the entire hierarchy below the point you are at. The rightmost column in Figure 3-4, noted by + signs, shows a collapsed display. The hierarchy below these hardware components is not displayed.
• Expanded (-), which displays the hierarchy below the point you are at one level at a time. The server owey in Figure 3-4, noted by a - sign, shows the expanded display to the right.

You cannot mix Logical View instruments with Kernel Data Catalog instruments in the same System Meter.

· To Expand the Hierarchy

* Click the (+) button one level.

The hierarchy below that point is expanded and is noted by a - sign. To view the entire hierarchy you may need to resize the window.

· To Hide the Contents of the Hierarchy

* Click the - button.

The button changes to a + sign and the contents of the lower level of the hierarchy are hidden.

Summary of Expanding and Collapsing the Hierarchical Diagram

If you double click the + button, the entire hierarchy is fully expanded. Clicking once returns you to the previous expansion. For information on how to set the double click, see the window manager documentation. See the CDE online help for instructions on how to set the double click time.

Limitations of the Logical View

The SPARCserver 1000 and SPARCcenter 2000 systems can contain a disk board. However, Solstice SyMON does not sense the disk board because the hardware does not provide a way to sense the disk board. The Logical View shows the disks that are located in the disk board. However, it does not show

them as children of the disk board. Instead, it shows them as children nodes of an SBus card, which is a child node of one of the system boards. Also, the SPARCserver 1000 and SPARCcenter 2000 do not provide a way to sense fiber optic modules. Their existence is inferred if a SPARCstorage Array is connected to the server.

Using the Show Information Window

The View menu on the Logical View includes a Show Information window that is identical to the Physical View.

---

Note - The Show Information window is shared between the Physical View and the Logical View. If you launched the Show Information Window from the Physical View, you do not need to re-launch it from the Logical View (or vice-versa).

---

· To Display Component-Specific Information in the Logical View

1. Select Show Information from the View menu.

2. Move the pointer to a component displayed on the Logical View or Process Viewer.

   Information about the component is displayed in the Show Information window.

Using the Copy Information Window

You can use the Copy Information window to obtain a static screen of the same information presented in the Show Information window. The information in the Copy Information window relates only to the selected component.

For a step-by-step procedure on how to use the Copy Information window, see "To Select the Copy Information Window" earlier in this chapter. Using the Copy Information window works the same way for the Physical and Logical Views.

Using the Online Diagnostics Console

The On-line Diagnostics icon launches the SunVTS Online GUI. This GUI is used to perform online diagnostics and troubleshoot components (see Figure 3-6).

SunVTS is a suite of diagnostics that test and validate the configuration and functionality of most hardware devices of a server. It is a diagnostic tool that handles sequential testing of system resources and internal and external peripheral equipment.

When you click the On-line Diagnostics console, the following screen is displayed (see Figure 3-6).

Figure 3-6

Table 3-3 describes the features shown in Figure 3-6:

Table 3-3

Function	Description
Menu Bar	Includes these menus at the top of the GUI: -Commands -View -Help
Tool Bar	Provides a shortcut for executing commands in the Commands menu
System Map	Creates a hierarchy of devices that you can select for testing. During testing, the System Map provides testing status for each device by changing the color of the device name. Green = pass and red = failure.
Select Devices options	Contains buttons from which you can select or deselect a group of devices from the System Map on which to run tests.
Select Mode	Contains two options from which you can select the mode to run a test: -Connection Test mode--Quick check that each device is connected properly and ready to use -Functional Test mode--A more thorough functional check of the device in a non-destructive operation
Test Message Console	Displays error and informational messages

Commands Menu

The Commands menu (see Figure 3-7) contains several commands that you can use to control the testing of the target server system.

Figure 3-7

The following selections are available from the Commands menu (see Table 3-4):

Table 3-4

Command	Description
Start Testing	Begins executing tests on each device (after all the devices are selected and the testing mode is set.) Test execution proceeds sequentially.
Stop Testing	Stops all device testing and returns SunVTS to an idle state.
Reset	Resets all device name colors in the System Map to black.
Offline Testing	Terminates the SunVTS Online GUI and starts up the Offline GUI. Offline testing includes testing that may be destructive to the media (for example disk writes).

· To Run a SunVTS Test

1. Select the devices you want tested:

• If you want to run a predefined set of tests, select Default.
• If you want to run tests on all of the devices, select All.
• If you want to run a test on one device or just a few devices, select None.

  a. Select the device(s) you want tested by clicking the device name or check box (see Figure 3-6).

2. Select the testing mode.

• Connection Test--A quick check that each device is connected properly and ready to use
• Functional Test--A more thorough functional check of the device in a non-destructive operation

3. Start the test by clicking the Start button or select Start Testing from the Commands menu.

   As the tests are run on each device, an asterisk (*) appears next to the device in the System Map. The device name turns green if the tests pass; or red if the tests fail.

4. If you want to stop all testing and return SunVTS to an idle state, stop the test by clicking the Stop button or select Stop Testing from the Commands menu.

View Menu

Use the View menu (see Figure 3-8) to expand or contract the system hierarchy (also known as the System Map), which has two options:

• Open System Map
• Close System Map

Figure 3-8

· To Expand the System Map

* Select Open System Map from the View menu.

The hierarchy of devices in the System Map is expanded to show all devices in the System Map.

· To Contract the System Map

* Select Close System Map from the View menu.

The hierarchy of devices in the System Map is contracted. Only major devices are displayed.

Additional Information on SunVTS

For more information about SunVTS, refer to the SunVTS 2.0 User's Guide, the SunVTS 2.0 Test Reference Manual, and the SunVTS 2.0.1 Test Supplement in the Solaris 2.5.1 Hardware: 4/97 Solaris on Sun Hardware AnswerBook on the Updates for Solaris Operating Environment 2.5.1 Hardware: 4/97 for Sun Microsystems Computer Company CD.

Monitoring System Performance

Solstice SyMON also monitors system performance and identifies potential bottlenecks. Solstice SyMON uses the Log Viewer and the Process Viewer consoles to monitor system performance. Solstice SyMON also uses System Meters to monitor performance. How to use the System Meter and Kernel Data Catalog consoles is explained in the sections that follow.

Using the Kernel Data Catalog

System Meters are graphical displays of system performance. You build System Meter displays using the Kernel Data Catalog.

· To Evaluate the Extended Performance of the Server

* Create one or more System Meters using the Kernel Data Catalog.

System Meters can help to identify bottlenecks and anticipate potential capacity and hardware problems. To build System Meters, see "Building System Meter Windows" later in this chapter.

Kernel Data Catalog Instruments

The Kernel Data Catalog console displays the system performance parameters (see Figure 3-9). These parameters are displayed as instruments within the instrument panel of the Kernel Data Catalog (see Figure 3-9). When you select (click on) a particular text of a component, a menu of available parameters (instruments) for that component is displayed in the instrument panel.

Like the Logical View, you can choose whether the instruments associated with each hierarchy are displayed (-) or hidden (+). Instruments can be used in System Meters and the Kernel Data Catalog. However, you cannot mix Kernel Data Catalog instruments with Logical View instruments in the same System Meter.

For a complete listing of the Kernel Reader data hierarchy, see Appendix A, "Kernel Reader."

Figure 3-9

When the status of a parameter results in an event, the Event Manager highlights the parameter and its ancestors on the Kernel Data Catalog.

Building System Meter Windows

The System Meter windows provide a graphical display of system performance parameters. Use the instruments displayed in the Kernel Data Catalog to:

• Create a graph for one parameter in a System Meter
• Combine multiple parameters on the same graph in a System Meter
• Combine multiple graphs in the same System Meter
• Locate multiple System Meters

For information on locating troublesome components, see "To Quickly Locate Components that May Cause Problems" earlier in this chapter. To expand or collapse the hierarchical diagram, see "Expanding and Collapsing the Hierarchical Diagram" earlier in this chapter.

· To Display a System Meter of An Instrument for a Specific Parameter

1. Expand the hierarchy by clicking the + sign.

2. Click the component label (such as disk) to display available instruments in the instrument panel.

3. Display the instrument using one of the following tasks:

• Click the instrument (parameter) you want displayed, for example ops (op/sec), at the right of the display.

  A System Meter window is created with a graph of the selected parameter (Figure 3-10).

• Drag the instrument and drop it in an existing System Meter. Use the middle or left mouse buttons as you move the mouse.

· To Display Multiple System Meters in the Same Window

1. Click the System Meter window you want to activate.

2. Select the legend for the desired parameter (for example writes (ops/sec)) and drag it to the footer of the second System Meter window (see Figure 3-10).

   A second pane is added to the System Meter window and the graph for the new parameter is displayed in the new pane.

· To Select One Graph at a Time per System Meter

* Click the selected graph within the System Meter window.

The graph with a darker background is selected.

Figure 3-10

· To Display Multiple Parameters on the Same Graph

* Drag an instrument and drop it in the graph to which you want added.

Customizing a System Meter

To customize a System Meter window, use the following options under the View menu. The View menu options are:

• Layout
• Graph Style
• Title

· To Control the Appearance of a System Meter

* Use the Layout option to control the appearance of a System Meter window that contains multiple graphs:

• Horizontal displays graphs horizontally, from left to right
• Vertical displays multiple graphs vertically, from top to bottom
• Matrix displays multiple graphs in a grid format

· To Use the Graph Style Option

1. Select Graph Style from the View menu.

   The Graph Style window is displayed (see Figure 3-11).

Figure 3-11

2. Select one of three options under the submenu "Scope of Changes:" in the top portion of the Graph Style window.

• All Graphs
• All Graphs in Selected System Meter
• Currently Selected Graph in Selected System Meter

For an explanation of the bottom half of the window, see Table 3-5.

· To Change the Title of the SysMeter

* Use the title option to change the title of the SysMeter or the title of the currently selected graph.

· To Modify the Selected SysMeter

1. Select the SysMeter using the "System Meter Selection" field (Figure 3-11).

2. Modify graph attributes of the SysMeter using the bottom half of the window (Table 3-5).

   For example, you can change graph scaling, Y axis minimum and maximum, legend gravity, and legend orientation.

   Table 3-5 shows the graph attributes that you can modify.

Table 3-5

Field	Option	Description
Use Defaults	Active/Inactive	Selects default settings for all fields at the bottom of the form
Y-Axis Scaling	Automatic	Makes Y-axis scaling changes to reflect
	Fixed	changing values (default) Makes Y-axis scaling constant, regardless of changes in values
Y-Axis Scaling	Linear	Makes Y-axis scaling linear (default)
	Log	Makes Y-axis scaling logarithmic; useful when a graph includes two parameters with vastly different values
Legend	Normal	Shows the legend name for each variable
	None	(default) Omits the legend
	Long	Extended label for each variable; for example, cpu.cpu0.busy (%).

Table 3-5 (Continued)

Field	Option	Description
Graph Type	Area	Draws an area graph
	Line	Draws a line graph (default)
Y-Axis Minimum		Sets the minimum value for the Y-axis; used only if Y-Axis is "Fixed"
Y-Axis Maximum		Sets the maximum value for the Y-axis; used only if the Y-Axis if "Fixed"
Legend Gravity	Top Top-right Right Bottom-Right Bottom Bottom-Left Left Top-Left	Default setting
Legend Orientation	Vertical Horizontal	Displays the legend in a vertical format Displays the legend in a horizontal format (default)

· To Change the Title of the System Meter or the Currently Selected Graph

1. Select Title from the View menu with the left mouse button.

   A window is displayed.

2. Type the new title in the text field and click Apply.

   The title of the System Meter or graph is changed.

· To Change a Graph Within a System Meter

1. Choose the Graph Styles option from the View menu of any System Meter.

2. Select the graphs that you want to change, using the top section of the window.

3. Make the desired changes to the controls on the bottom half of the window.

4. Click Apply.

· To Delete a Graph Within a System Meter Window

1. Select a graph

2. Select Delete from the SysMeter Edit menu.

· To Undo a Change in a Graph

* Select Undo from the SysMeter Edit menu.

· To Delete a Variable from a Graph

---

Note - If you have more than one legend in a graph, you can delete one of the legends. See the following procedure for details.

---

1. Place the pointer over the legend for the variable and click the left mouse button.

   A dialog box asks, "Do you want to delete the following data set?" with the following information in the dialog box:

• System Meter: Variable name
• Graph: Defines parameters being displayed
• Data Set: Lists the operation being monitored

2. Delete the variable by clicking the YES button.

Displaying the System Meter Graphs

You can move, rotate, scale, or zoom the contents of your graph to better display the information with the following procedures:

· To Shift the Graph Within its Framer

1. Position the pointer within the System Meter.

2. Press and hold the Shift key and the middle mouse button.

3. Move the graph using the mouse.

· To Scale a Graph

1. Position the pointer within the selected graph.

2. Press and hold both the Control key and the middle mouse button.

3. Move the mouse to scale the graph.

   Releasing the mouse button stops graph movement within the graph.

· To Zoom a Graph

1. Press and hold down the Control and Shift keys and the left mouse button at one corner of the graph.

2. Drag the mouse to form a rectangle around the area you want to magnify while holding down the left mouse button.

3. Release the mouse button to define the rectangle and to complete the zoom.

4. Release the Control and Shift keys.

---

Note - If you release the Control or Shift keys too early, you start to drag-and-drop instead of zoom.

---

· To Restore a Graph to the Default Setting

* Position the cursor within the desired graph and type r.

Saving and Redisplaying System Meter Configurations

You can save and recall the System Meter your defined layouts and configurations. For example, you may have a specific set of CPU monitoring graphs that you would like to view every time you run the software.

· To Save the System Meter Configuration into a New File

1. Choose the Save As option from the File menu.

   The File Selection Dialog box is displayed.

2. Select the directory and file name from the Directories and Files submenu or enter a new file name in the Selection submenu.

· To Save an Altered System Meter Configuration

* Choose the Save option from the File menu.

The SysMeter contents is written to the existing file and displays the name of the saved file in the footer of the System Meter window.

· To Recall a Saved System Meter

1. Choose the Open option from the File menu.

   The File Selection Dialog box is displayed.

2. Select the file name from the Directories and Files submenu or enter the file name in the Selection panel.

· To Save or Restore Sets of System Meters

* Use the File menu in the Kernel Data Catalog.

Using the Log Viewer

Use the Log Viewer to search /var/adm/messages as defined in /etc/opt/SUNWsymon/log_scan.tcl, for entries that occur at a specific time or for entries that contain a specific keyword or word pattern. With Solstice SyMON 1.3 you can also search /var/opt/SUNWvts/logs/sunvts.err. You can use keywords or expressions to search for particular types of items in /var/adm/messages without using UNIX commands. Open the Log Viewer console to display the Log File Viewer window as shown in Figure 3-12.

A new Log File Viewer window is opened each time you select the Log Viewer console. This enables you to monitor different criteria at the same time.

Figure 3-12

View Menu in the Log File Viewer Window

The View menu of the Log File Viewer controls the appearance of the window and provides status information. The options are:

• Log File Status: Describes the Log Scanner status
• Show Search Criteria Summary: Displays or hides the Search Criteria Summary pane of the window (toggle button)
• Display Oldest/Newest Messages First (toggle button): Defines how results are displayed in the Search Result window; displays either the oldest message first or the newest message first.

  * To make the Oldest Message First active, select Display Oldest Messages First item in the View menu.

  The small square indicates that the menu selection is active.

Searching for Log File Entries

The Search Results window is empty until you specify the search criteria in the Search for Expression entry (see Figure 3-12) and initiate the search. You can specify your own Search Criteria, retrieve and use a stored Search Criteria, or retrieve and modify a stored Search Criteria. Log entries retrieved by a search include the items listed in Table 3-6.

Table 3-6

Searches for	Description
Log File	Name of the log file viewed
Search for Expression	User-defined keyword, string, or regular expression
Messages From	Start date and start time of search
Messages To	End date and end time of search
Periodic Query	Interval (in minutes) between repeated searches
Maximum Number of Matches	Only this number of messages specified is reported
Search Order	Oldest ( or newest) message searched first

If Solstice SyMON locates entries in the selected log file that meet the search criteria, they are displayed in the Search Results display.

· To Initiate a Search

* Select the Start Search button from the Log File Viewer window (Figure 3-12).

· To Stop a Search

* Select the Stop Search button from the Log File Viewer window.

---

Note - Due to the client-server structure of Solstice SyMON, results may not appear for several seconds after submitting the search. This condition is more evident when the server is fully loaded.

---

· To Sort the Results of the Search

* Select either the Display Oldest Message First or the Newest Message First from the View menu.

· To Define Your Search Criteria for Specific Log File Entries

* Select the Change Search Criteria button in the Log File Viewer window (Figure 3-12).

· To Specify the Start Date, Start Time, End Date, and End Time

1. Move the pointer to the "From" field text field.

   Enter the time in 24-hour format (see Figure 3-13). The "From" time defaults to the time that the log was created.

2. Move the pointer to the "To" text field.

   Enter the time and date field. The "To" time defaults to the current time. See Figure 3-13.

Figure 3-13

· To Search for Log File Entries that Contain a Specific Expression or Keyword

* Move to the Search for Expression field and enter the expression or keyword.

· To Perform More Complex Searches

* Specify a grep-like regular expression instead of a keyword. For regular expression syntax, refer to the grep man page.

Search Criteria and Results

Figure 3-14

From the File menu of the Log File Viewer window (see Figure 3-14), you can:

• Load search criteria
• Save search criteria
• Save search results
• Close

Using the Process Viewer

To monitor the most demanding processes and determine if you need to reallocate resources, use the Process Viewer.

By viewing what particular processes are running on the CPU, you can determine if a particular server is busy due to a temporary overload or because of a progressive increase in system usage. Processes that are inactive or consume little CPU time are not reported in the Process Viewer.

Each entry displayed on the Process Viewer console represents a process with the following data:

• When the process was started
• Who started the process
• How much CPU time the process used
• Current process status

Figure 3-15

Table 3-7 describes the information displayed in each Process Viewer entry:

Table 3-7

Field	Description
PID	Process ID
command	Name of program
UNAME	User name
UID	User ID
nice	Determines when the process can voluntarily lower its priority. As the nice value increases, the process is more willing to give up CPU scheduling priority (value defaults to 20). For more information, see the nice man page.
status	Lists the current status of the process: - Sleeping: No activity generated - Running: Generating activity - Runable: Waiting for I/O - Trace: Running a debugger

Table 3-7 (Continued)

Field	Description
% CPU	Percentage of CPU time used over the life of the process
Total CPU	The CPU time used by the system, user, and short-lived processes
Start	Time the process started; if the process has been running for more than 24 hours, it displays the date the process started

Customizing the Process Viewer Display

· To Customize the Process Viewer Display

* See "Customizing the Event Viewer and Process Viewer" later in this chapter.

You can customize the Process Viewer window to display specific information. You can set the order in which columns are displayed, their default width, and the default sort column through the common.tcl file, which is read when Solstice SyMON is first started.

· To Control the Sorting of Entries in the Process Viewer Display

* Use the options under the View menu.

• Sort: The menu displays a list of the fields (columns) for each process view. You can choose one of these fields as the basis for sorting the process views. You can also click the column's header to change the sort order.
• Ascending Sort Order: Presents the display in ascending sort order for the selected column.
• Descending Sort Order: Presents the display in descending sort order for the selected column.

Resizing Columns

You may need to resize the columns to read the displayed information. You'll know if the column is too narrow because a small black triangle in the column will be displayed. To view all of the information in the column, you'll need to resize the column.

· To Resize a Column

1. Place the pointer in the column that you want to resize.

2. Move the pointer to the left or right margin of the column.

   The pointer changes from a cross hair to an arrow ( ).

3. Press and hold the left mouse button.

4. Drag the margin to the desired spot and release the mouse button.

Monitoring Alarms and Events

The Event Manager monitors data from the server and generates events when abnormal conditions occur on your server. The condition, and their corresponding alarms, are described by a set of event rules. Chapter 4, "Understanding and Writing Event Rules," which describes the syntax of the Tcl commands used to write event rules and provides examples of event rules.

Using the Event Viewer

The Event Viewer gives users a tabular listing of potential problems or failures. Use this information to react proactively to prevent problems or to quickly identify and repair failures. When you launch the Event Viewer, the information in the Event Log file is displayed (see Figure 3-16).

Figure 3-16

When the Event Viewer is notified of an event, it adds a description of the event to its display, which includes the information listed in Table 3-8. You can alter the order and column width. To learn how to customize the Event Viewer display, see "Customizing the Event Viewer and Process Viewer" later in this chapter.

Table 3-8

Field	Description
ID	Sequential number assigned to the event
Lvl	Level of events: yellow (caution), red (danger), blue (capacity warning)
Opened	Time (and date, if over 24 hours) the event was opened
Message	Event message (failure detected, for example)
Node	Where the error was encountered
Pri	Priority of the event rule, which is an arbitrary integer; in the default rules, 1 = highest priority; 4 = lowest priority
Sev	Severity level of the event, which is an arbitrary integer; in the default rules, 1 = most severe; 4 = least severe

Table 3-8 (Continued)

Field	Description
Acked	Time the user acknowledged the event
Ack By	User ID of person acknowledging the event
Rule	Number of the rule that caused the event

You can add or change Acked, Ack By, or Rule (see Table 3-8) by specifying them in common.tcl.

Event Viewer Menus

The menu choices available from the View menu of the Event Viewer are:

• All Events: Displays all events (even if closed), until they are deleted.
• Open Events: Displays only currently open events. This view is displayed when you select the Event Viewer icon.
• Sort: The menu displays a list of the fields (columns) for each Event View. You can choose one of these fields as the basis for sorting the Event Views. You can also click the column title bar to change the sort order (see Table 3-8.
• Ascending Sort Order: Presents the display in ascending sort order.
• Descending Sort Order: Presents the display in descending sort order.

When an event is open, the Event Manager highlights the event in the Logical View and Physical View or the Kernel Data Catalog until the cause of the event is corrected or the event is closed.

When the condition that caused an event ends, the description of the event is removed from the Open Event view and any associated highlighted consoles. The Event Manager notes the closing of the event in the event log.

Acknowledging and Deleting Events

When you acknowledge an event, it has no effect on the event condition or alarms. However, it informs all users that the event has been observed.

· To Acknowledge an Event

1. Select the event to be acknowledged by clicking any column in the row with the left mouse button.

   The entire row is highlighted.

2. Select Acknowledge from the Edit menu.

   The Event Manager enters the time and date in the Acked column and your User ID in the Ack By column.

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Note - If you acknowledge or delete an event, the change appears in all GUIs.

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After the event is closed, it remains in the All Events view until you delete it.

· To Delete a Closed Event

1. Select All Events from the View menu.

2. Select the event to be deleted by clicking the event (which highlights it) and select Delete from the Edit menu.

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Note - You cannot delete an Open event from the event list.

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Customizing the Event Viewer and Process Viewer

You can customize the Event Viewer and Process Viewer windows to suit your particular display requirements.

· To Customize the Event Viewer and Process Viewer

• If you are responsible for customizing Event Viewer and Process Viewer for all Solstice SyMON users, you must edit the /opt/SUNWsymon/lib/tcl/C/common.tcl file.
• If you are a Solstice SyMON user, copy the /opt/SUNWsymon/lib/tcl/C/common.tcl file to $HOME/.symon/lib/tcl/C/common.tcl. Replace any symbolic links for common.tcl in that directory. Edit the personal copy.

The common.tcl file is read and interpreted when you start the GUI. This file controls the appearance of these consoles.

You can set the following attributes:

• Order in which columns are displayed
• Default column width
• Default sort column
• Justification for column titles

The common.tcl file sets three major Tcl variables:

• symon_process_columns_2--Controls the appearance of the Process Viewer
• event_display_open_columns_2--Controls the appearance of the Open Events display
• event_display_all_columns_2--Controls the appearance of the All Events display

Within each of these variables is a line for each data item. The order in which these data item lines appear in the Tcl variable is the order in which their respective columns appear in the displays.

A typical line looks like this:

{"tpcnt" " Total (%) " "+"}

Table 3-9 describes the meaning of the strings in the line listed above.

Table 3-9

String	Meaning
"tpcnt"	Internal name for the data item.
" Total (%) "	Title for the column in which it is displayed. The total length of this string (including spaces) controls the default width of the column.
"+"	Controls the default sort order of the column (+ for ascending, - for descending). This string can be only - or +.

Some lines may have a fourth string with a format specifier such as %s or %d; these are not used and may be omitted.

You can also customize the icon that is displayed in the lvl (level) column of the Event Viewer. These Tcl variable are:

• event_display_red_pixmap_path
• event_display_yellow_pixmap_path
• event_display_blue_pixmap_path

You must specify the absolute path of the icon file.

Associated with each of the appearance-controlling Tcl variables are two other variables. In the All Events display they are

• event_display_all_columns_alternate_2--Holds control lines for data items that do not appear in the display
• event_display_all_columns_sort_node--Takes a single argument: the name of the data item used to sort the display when it initially appears

There are similar variables for the Open Events and Process displays.

Troubleshooting

To troubleshoot problems with the GUI, see Chapter 6, "Troubleshooting."