CHAPTER 3

Using the Solstice SyMON Consoles

---

This chapter de. scribes how to invoke and use the Solstice SyMON GUI and provides information on the menus and associated subwindows.

---

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 and launches different consoles.

FIGURE 3-1

2. Launch a console by clicking the icon.

---

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, Online 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 (only red, yellow, and blue) are programmable using event rules. 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

You use the following consoles, described in this section, to monitor hardware status:

• Physical View, which displays detailed information about the server
• Logical View, which displays the components in a schematic hierarchy
• Online 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 Sun 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 Sun 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 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 Sun Enterprise 6000 system.

FIGURE 3-2

Limitations of the Physical View

The SPARCserver 1000 and SPARCcenter 2000 system 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; it 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 subviews 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

Node in the Logical View

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 Failed 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 the front or rear view. 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 that 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 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) that 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 3-20).
• 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. The AC_PS component in FIGURE 3-5, noted by a + sign, shows a collapsed display. The hierarchy below the AC_PS component is not displayed.
• Expanded (-), which displays the hierarchy one level at a time. The server owey in FIGURE 3-5, 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.

The hierarchy below that point is expanded and is noted by a - sign. To view the entire hierarchy use the scroll bars.

· 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.

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.

For storage devices, such as the Sun StorEdge A5000 subsystem, you will see at least two sena (Sun StorEdge A5000 subsystem -- formerly Sun Enterprise Network Array) nodes per enclosure.

• The first sena node is directly under the system node. This node shows all the disks that are attached to the enclosure and their status information.
• The other sena nodes are a "link nodes, " which are pointers to the first node.

Depending on whether your enclosure is multipathed (connected to the server via more than one link), you will see one or more of these nodes. A link node does not contain any information. If you point to this node, the status line in the Logical View displays the string "Link to ..."

For example, if you have one Sun StorEdge A5000 subsystem attached to system.board(2).sbus(2) and system.board(3).sbus(3), the Logical View shows two links nodes: system.board(2).sbus(2).sena(0) and system.board(3).sbus(3).sena(0). If you move the pointer to these nodes, you see the following at the bottom of the screen: "Link to system.sena(0)."

· To Obtain Information on the Sun StorEdge A5000 Enclosure

· Click system.sena(0) to expand it.

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 relaunch 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 Show 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 Online Diagnostics icon (see FIGURE 3-1) 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.

The SunVTS diagnostics have the following features:

• Online diagnostics tests are run one at a time
• Tests are safe to run in an online environment
• Information of how the test is progressing appears in the test message console as the tests execute

To schedule future testing, either periodically or for one time, use the Periodic Testing feature under the Commands menu. When you click the Online 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

Screen Element	Description
Menu bar	Includes these menus at the top of the GUI: · Commands · View · Reports · 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, red = failure

TABLE 3-3 (Continued)

Screen Element	Description
Select Devices radio buttons	Contains buttons from which you can select or deselect a group of devices from the System Map on which to run tests
Select Mode radio buttons	Contains two options from which you can select the mode to run a test: · Connection Teste--Quick check that each device is connected properly and ready to use · Functional Tes--A more thorough functional check of the device in a non-destructive operation
Test Message console	Displays test error 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:

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.

TABLE 3-4 (Continued)

Command	Description
Periodic Testing	Schedules testing at a future time, either periodically or for one time (see "To Schedule Future Tests on Devices") later in this chapter.
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).
Quit SunVTS	Terminates the SunVTS Online GUI.

· To Run a SunVTS Test

1. Select the devices you want tested:

• To run a predefined set of tests, select Default.
• To run tests on all of the devices, select All.
• To run a test on one device or just a few devices, select None. Select the device or devices you want to test by clicking the device name or checkbox (see FIGURE 3-6).

2. Select the testing mode:

• Connection Test is a quick check that each device is connected properly and ready to use
• Functional Test is a more thorough functional check of the device in an undestructive 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; it turns red if the tests fail.

4. 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.

Scheduling Tests

The Periodic Testing option (see FIGURE 3-7) schedules testing at a future time, either periodically or for one time. When creating a schedule, you can select tests and test options in the test selector window as described in the previous section "To Run a SunVTS Test." Alternatively, you can select a prepackaged test configuration, which includes such useful tests as a complete system connection check and a complete functional check of all devices.

You can schedule tests to run in the following ways:

• At a certain time on a range of days, such as Monday through Sunday (periodic)
• At a certain time on a specific date (one time)

You can also create schedules to run after hours when the system use is low in order to validate that the components of the server are operating properly or are connected.

Schedule Menu

Options available under the Schedule menu are listed in TABLE 3-5.

TABLE 3-5

Command	Description
Create	Selecting Create lets you schedule a test. See the following procedure "To Schedule Future Tests on Devices."
Open	Highlighting on the schedule you want to select with the left mouse button and selecting Open from the menu opens the filled in schedule window (see FIGURE 3-8). You can also double-click on the schedule to open the window.
Delete	Highlighting the schedule you want to delete with the left mouse button and selecting Delete from the menu deletes the schedule (see FIGURE 3-8).
Delete All	Selecting Delete All deletes all schedules.

· To Schedule Future Tests on Devices

1. Select Periodic Testing under the Commands menu using the left mouse button or click the Periodic icon in the tool bar.

   The following screen (see FIGURE 3-8) is displayed. If you have not set up schedules, a blank Schedule List window is displayed.

FIGURE 3-8

2. Select the Create option under the Schedule menu using the left mouse button.

   The following screen is displayed (see FIGURE 3-9).

FIGURE 3-9

3. Select the schedule type (Periodic or One Time) on the bottom of the dialogn box shown in FIGURE 3-9.

4. Select the testing configuration at the top of the dialog box.

• If you select "Use current configuration," you will next see the screen for either testing type: Periodic (see FIGURE 3-11) or One Time (see FIGURE 3-12).
• If you select "Change current configuration" a pop-up window is displayed prompting you to change the testing configuration in the main window. Click the OK button when you are done.
• If you checked "Use prepackaged configuration," a screen is displayed noting the types of checks that you can run (see FIGURE 3-10).

  a. Select one type of check.

  b. Click "More Information" to obtain more information on each type of check.

  c. Click Apply to make the selection.

FIGURE 3-10

The schedule form appears:

• FIGURE 3-11 if you checked Periodic in FIGURE 3-9
• FIGURE 3-12 if you checked One Time in FIGURE 3-9

FIGURE 3-11

FIGURE 3-12

5. Fill out the schedule then click Save or Save As with the left mouse button (see

   FIGURE 3-11 or FIGURE 3-12).

   The Save As screen appears (see FIGURE 3-13).

FIGURE 3-13

6. Type the schedule name (any name you choose without spaces) in the form and click Save with the left mouse button.

   The schedule name is displayed in the Schedule List (see FIGURE 3-8). If you clicked on Save in Step 4, a unique schedule name is automatically generated. To check the results of a scheduled test, examine the information log.

   When a schedule is invoked, SunVTS loads the stored test configuration and begins testing.

   You view the results of the scheduled testing in the information log file by selecting Log files from the Reports menu (see also "Reports Menu" later in this chapter).

   If a test is scheduled to run periodically, the phrase Periodic testing starting appears along with the schedule name in the log file when the schedule is invoked.

   An example of running the schedule midnight.processor.test follows:

SUNWvts.ptexec.2000 05/29/97 00:00:00 ptexec midnight.processor.test INFO: Periodic testing starting

View Menu

The View menu on the main SunVTS Online Diagnostics screen (see FIGURE 3-14) lets you expand or contract the System Map (see FIGURE 3-6) and has two options:

• Open System Map
• Close System Map

FIGURE 3-14

· 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.

Reports Menu

The Reports menu on the main SunVTS Online Diagnostics screen (see FIGURE 3-6 and FIGURE 3-15) enables you to view the system configuration or various log files.

FIGURE 3-15

· To display a listing of the hardware on the test system and corresponding hardware tests (see FIGURE 3-16) select System configuration.

FIGURE 3-16

· To view the SunVTS Error and Information log files as well as the

/var/adm/messages file, which is the Solaris system message log, select Log files (see FIGURE 3-17).

FIGURE 3-17

Additional Information on SunVTS

For more information about SunVTS, refer to the SunVTS 2.1 User's Guide and the SunVTS 2.1 Test Reference Manual. These books are available in the Solaris 2.6 on Sun Hardware AnswerBook on the Solaris 2.6 Supplement 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 on the main Launcher window (see FIGURE 3-1) to monitor system performance. Solstice SyMON also uses System Meters to monitor performance. Using the Log Viewer, Process Viewer, System Meters, and the Kernel Data Catalog 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 3-18). These parameters are displayed as instruments within the instrument panel of the Kernel Data Catalog. When you click the 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 (+). You can use instruments in the 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 3-18

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

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 by clicking the instrument (parameter) you want displayed. For example, ops (op/sec), at the right of the display (see FIGURE 3-18).

   A System Meter window is created with a graph of the selected instrument (FIGURE 3-19).

FIGURE 3-19

· 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 instrument (for example, writes (ops/sec)) and drag it to the footer of the second System Meter window (see FIGURE 3-20).

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

FIGURE 3-20

· 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.

· To print a System Meter, select Print from the File menu.

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 use the Layout option to control the appearance of a System Meter, use these options:

• 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 3-21).

FIGURE 3-21

2. Select one of the radio buttons under Scope of Changes.

• 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 3-6.

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

· Use the Title option under the View menu.

· To Modify the Selected System Meter

1. Select the System Meter using the "System Meter Selection" field (FIGURE 3-21).

2. Modify graph attributes of the SysMeter using the bottom half of the window (TABLE 3-6).

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

TABLE 3-6 shows the graph attributes that you can modify.

TABLE 3-6

Screen Element	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 (%)
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	Displays the legend at the top Displays the legend at the top right Displays the legend at the right Displays the legend at the bottom right Displays the legend at the bottom (default) Displays the legend at the bottom left Displays the legend at the left Displays the legend at the top left
Legend Orientation	Vertical	Displays the legend in a vertical format
	Horizontal	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 (see FIGURE 3-21).

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 (see FIGURE 3-20)

· To undo a change in a graph, select Undo from the SysMeter Edit menu (see

FIGURE 3-20).

· 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 (see FIGURE 3-20) 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 YES.

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,

1. Position the cursor within the graph and press r.

Saving and Redisplaying System Meter Configurations

You can save and recall the System Meter and 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 are written to the existing file. The name of the saved file is displayed in the footer of the System Meter window.

· To Recall a Saved System Meter

You can save or restore sets of System Meters by using the File menu in the Kernel Data Catalog.

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 this version of Solstice SyMON 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.

· To Display the Log Viewer Console

· Open the Log Viewer console as shown in FIGURE 3-22.

FIGURE 3-22

Log Viewer and Log Scanner

Until the Log Scanner is completely initialized, the Log Viewer console remains inoperable or inactive and a slashed circle is displayed (.). After Log Scanner initialization, the Log Viewer console is available. Because your log files may be large, it may take a while for the Log Scanner to initialize and for the Log Viewer to be available.

Note that if the Log Scanner quits operation, the console for the Log Viewer becomes inactive. After the agents are restarted and the Log Scanner is completely initialized, the message "Log Scanner is back" is displayed.

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 the Search Criteria Summary pane of the window
• Don't Show Search Criteria Summary--Hides the Search Criteria Summary pane of the window
• Display Oldest Messages First--Defines how results are displayed in the Search Result window; displays the oldest message first
• Display Newest Messages First--Defines how results are displayed in the Search Result window; displays the newest message first

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 3-22) 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 3-7.

TABLE 3-7

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

TABLE 3-7

Searches for	Description
Maximum Lines to Search	The number of lines (a positive integer) to perform the search on
Search Timeout	Time elapsed when the search is ended; the default is 20 seconds
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 3-22).

· 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 Messages First or the Newest Messages First from the View menu.

· To Define Your Search Criteria for Specific Log File Entries

1. Select the Change Search Criteria button in the Log File Viewer window (FIGURE 3-22).

2. Specify the Start Date, Start Time, End Date, and End Time.

   a. Move the pointer to the From field text field.

   Enter the time in 24-hour format (FIGURE 3-23). The "From" time defaults to the time that the log was created.

   b. Move the pointer to the To text field.

   Enter the time and date. The To time defaults to the current time. See FIGURE 3-23.

FIGURE 3-23

· 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

From the File menu of the Log File Viewer window you can:

• Load search criteria
• Save search criteria
• Save search result
• Close

---

Using the Process Viewer

To monitor the most demanding processes, for example CPU usage, and determine if you need to reallocate resources, use the Process Viewer. The most demanding processes are measured in terms of system resources.

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 (FIGURE 3-24) 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 3-24

TABLE 3-8 describes the information displayed in each Process Viewer entry.

TABLE 3-8

Column	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
% 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 process
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

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 Customize the Process Viewer

• If you are responsible for customizing 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 your 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 the following Tcl variable, symon_process_columns_2, which controls the appearance of the Process Viewer.

Within this variable 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 above line.

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.

· 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 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 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. If the column is too narrow, a small black triangle in the column is displayed. To view all of the information in the column, 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 conditions, and their corresponding alarms, are described by a set of event rules. Chapter 4, "Understanding and Writing Event Rules," 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 displays 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 3-25).

FIGURE 3-25

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 3-10. In the Message brief column, a lengthy message is abbreviated with ellipses (. . .).

TABLE 3-10

Column	Description
Event	Sequential number assigned to the event
Rule	Number of the rule that caused the event
Level	Level of events: yellow (caution), red (danger), blue (capacity warning)
State	Value can be Open, Closed, or Fixed; also notes the time the event was open, closed, or fixed
Duration	Length of the event in days, hours, minutes, and seconds
Message brief	A shortened message of the entire event; you can see the entire message in the Message text area below the table when you double-click the row with the message
Acknowledged	User ID of person acknowledging the event and time the user acknowledged the event

Event Viewer Menus

The Event Viewer (see FIGURE 3-25) has three menus:

• File
• Edit
• View

The menu choices available from the File menu are:

• Save as--Presents a dialog window from which you can save the table data to a file
• Print--Presents a dialog window from which you can print the table data
• Close--Iconizes the Event Viewer

The menu choices available from the Edit menu are:

• Select all
• Acknowledge
• Fix
• Delete
• Delete all

Most of these menu items are self explanatory. To mark an event as fixed, you use the Fix menu item. See "To Mark an Event As Fixed" later in this chapter. To acknowledge an event, see "To Acknowledge an Event" later in this chapter.

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--Brings up a dialog window that allows you to select the item to sort on such as Event, Rule, Duration, and the Ascending or Descending sort order (see FIGURE 3-26).

FIGURE 3-26

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 are also removed. 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, date, and User ID in the Acknowledge column.

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

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

· To Mark an Event As Fixed

1. Select the event you want marked as fixed by clicking any column in the row with the left mouse button.

2. Select Fix from the Edit menu.

   If the event is allowed to be marked as fixed, the Event Manager marks the event as fixed and enters the time, date, and the user ID in the state column. The state of the event changes from Open to Fixed by username.

· To Delete a Closed Event

1. Select All Events from the View menu.

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

---

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

---

---

Troubleshooting

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