Chapter 8 Monitoring Data Properties
The Sun Management Center product enables you to monitor specific data properties for
your managed objects. You can view these properties in tabular format or in graphical
format. This chapter describes how to use tables to monitor data properties. The chapter
includes the following information:
For information about how use graphs to view data properties, see Chapter 9, Viewing Data Properties in a Graph.
Data Property Concepts
Use the Details window to view the current values for specific data properties,
such as the amount of memory being used on a host. You navigate through the hierarchy
(tree) view to find the appropriate data property. The lowest-level object in the
host hierarchy is the monitored property. By default, information about a monitored
data property is displayed in table form. For information about viewing that information
in a graph, see Chapter 9, Viewing Data Properties in a Graph.
Once the data has been displayed, you can refresh the view. In addition, you
can simultaneously graph up to five data properties. These actions are described in
the following sections.
Standard Table Features
Sun Management Center property tables use a standard format to display information.
The format includes the following elements:
Editable and Noneditable Cells
Sun Management Center tables contain two types of cells: editable and noneditable.
-
Information in an editable cell can be changed. This
type of cell has a white background with black text.
If you edit information
in the cell and you provide an invalid value, an error window appears. Click OK to
close the error window. Then, re-enter an appropriate value in the table cell.
-
Information in a noneditable cell is display-only.
This type of cell has a colored background with black text. The default background
color for noneditable cells is light gray.
Cell Editors
Editable cells have one of the following types of cell editors:
-
Text Cell Editor
The text cell editor is invoked if the cell
is a string type. Once the cell is selected, the text cursor is activated at the end
of the text string. If there is no text, the cursor is aligned left in the cell. To
save the information in the cell, press Return.
-
Check Box Cell Editor
A check box is a component with only
two choices:
-
Combo Box Cell Editor
The combo box cell editor has a drop-down
menu that displays an associated list of options. The current choice appears in the
combo box. As you move the cursor over the list, each option is highlighted. The option
that you choose from the list replaces the current selection.
Modules That Enable You to Manipulate Rows
For selected modules, the software enables you to add, delete, enable,
or disable rows for the data property tables. When these modules are initially loaded,
the data property tables are empty, except the Directory Size Monitoring and Print
Spooler modules. For the File Monitoring, File Scanning, and Directory Size Monitoring
modules, you must add a row to monitor the data property. The following table lists
the modules that allow you to add rows.
Table 8–1 Sun Management Center Modules
to Which You Can Add Rows
|
Module Name
|
Description
|
|
Directory Size Monitoring
|
Enables you to define another directory for monitoring
|
|
File Monitoring
|
Defines the file to be monitored
|
|
File Scanning
|
Defines the pattern that must be matched within the monitored file
|
|
Print Spooler
|
Enables you to define another printer for spooler monitoring
|
|
Process Monitoring
|
Defines the pattern that must be matched from all the processes that are
running on the agent object
|
For more information about the directory size monitoring, file monitoring, file
scanning, print spooler, and process monitoring modules, see Appendix C, Sun Management Center Software Modules.
Row Context Menu
The row context menu provides access to various row-related functions,
such as enabling you to add rows to a table that allows this behavior. To activate
a row context menu, press mouse button 3 in the appropriate row.
Table Sorting
Information in tables can be sorted by column. If a column header has
a triangle that points up or down, you can change the order of the table display based
on that column. Depending on the data in the column, the sort uses one of the following
keys:
-
Alphabetical string
-
Numeric
-
Date
To change between an ascending and descending sort, double-click the header
of the sorted column.
Working With Large Data Property Tables
In large data property tables, you can see only one page of rows at a
time. To navigate through additional pages of the table, use the icons that are displayed
above the table.
The icons enable you to navigate as follows:
In addition, a pull-down menu to the right of these icons enables you to go
to a specific page.
Probing Properties
On selected module properties, the software enables you to use predetermined
UNIX commands including list files, the vmstat command, and so
on. The Probe button is available only for selected properties. Otherwise, the button
is unavailable and is dimmed.
Note –
The available Probe commands can sometimes be difficult to distinguish.
As an example, consider the Filesystem Usage properties in the Kernel Reader module.
The Find All Recent Files probe commands find only files that
were created or modified less than 24 hours ago. The Find All Files probe commands
find all files regardless of the date and time that the files were created or modified.
For more information about the Filesystem Usage properties, see File System Usage Table.
Working With Data Property Tables
This section describes how to display and manipulate data property tables.
To Display a Data Property
Note –
The following example uses the Kernel Reader module.
-
In the Browser Details window, double-click
the Operating System icon in the hierarchy (tree) view.
The operating
system modules are displayed in both the hierarchy and topology views.
-
Double-click the Kernel Reader icon in the topology
view, or click the expansion icon next to the Kernel Reader icon in the hierarchy
view.
The Kernel Reader statistics are displayed.
-
Double-click the System Load Statistics icon
in either the hierarchy or the topology view.
The monitored properties
are displayed in a property table.
To Refresh Displayed Data
To refresh displayed data, use either of the
following methods:
The current table is updated with the latest information.
Note –
You can also set up a refresh interval that tells the Sun Management Center software
to update your monitored data at your designated time interval. For information about
accomplishing this task, see To Set a Refresh Interval.
To Select a Row
Press mouse button 1 in the first cell of the
row that you want to select.
When you select a row, the anchor cell has
the focus.
The color of the cells in a row is determined by whether the
cell is editable or noneditable. The maximum number of rows that can appear on one
page in a table is 20.
To Select Multiple Contiguous Rows
-
Click in the first target row to highlight
the entire row.
-
Select additional rows in one of the following
ways:
-
Drag to the last row that you want to select and release the mouse
button.
-
Move your cursor to the last row that you want to select, press the
Shift key and click again.
All rows between the last and first anchor points are selected.
To Select Multiple Row Ranges
-
Select the first range of a single or contiguous
group of rows by completing the procedure To Select Multiple Contiguous Rows.
-
Place the cursor in a row and press the Control
key.
This step adds a new row to the selection.
-
To extend the range of selected rows, press
the Shift key.
This step extends the range from the row that you selected
with the Control key in the previous step.
Example Procedures
The following procedures provide examples of typical data property tasks.
To Monitor Directory Size
The following example procedure uses the Directory Size Monitoring module. This
module enables you to monitor the size and size change rate of a directory and its
subdirectories. If this module is not loaded, see To Load a Module.
-
In the Browser Details window, double-click
the Operating System icon in the hierarchy (tree) view.
The operating
system modules are displayed in both the hierarchy and topology views.
-
Double-click the Directory Size Monitoring
icon in the topology view, or click the expansion icon next to the Directory Size
Monitoring icon in the hierarchy view.
The Directory Size Monitoring Status
folder is displayed.
-
Double-click the Directory Size Monitoring
Status folder in either the hierarchy or the topology view.
The Directory
Monitoring property table is displayed.
-
Add a row to the table in one of the following
ways:
-
Press mouse button 1 in a table row or column header, and choose New
Row from the pop-up menu.
-
Select the table. Then choose New Row from the Options icon menu.
The Row Adder window is displayed.
-
Type the appropriate information in the text
fields.
-
In the Instance field, type a name that uniquely identifies this instance
of the Directory Size Monitoring module.
-
In the Directory field, type the complete
path to the directory that you want to monitor.
-
To add the row to the table and close the Row
Adder window, click the OK button.
The added row is displayed in the topology
view.
To Add a Row to a Data Property Table
Note –
You can use the steps in this procedure to add a row to the Directory
Size Monitoring, File Monitoring, File Scanning, and Process Monitoring modules.
The following example procedure uses the File Monitoring module which enables
you to monitor a file's size, modification date, and rate of growth. If this module
is not loaded, see To Load a Module.
-
In the Browser Details window, double-click
the Operating System icon in the hierarchy (tree) view.
The operating
system modules are displayed in both the hierarchy and topology views.
-
Double-click the File Monitoring icon in the
topology view, or click the expansion icon next to the File Monitoring icon in the
hierarchy view.
The File Monitoring Status folder is displayed.
-
Double-click the File Monitoring Status folder
in either the hierarchy or the topology view.
An empty property table
is displayed.
-
Add a row to the table in either of the following
ways:
-
Press mouse button 3 in a table row or column header, and choose New
Row from the pop-up menu.
-
Select the table. Then choose New Row from the Options icon menu.
The Row Adder window is displayed.
-
Type the appropriate information in the text
fields.
Note –
This example shows the fields for the File Monitoring module. Fields differ
depending on the module that you are modifying.
-
Name is a unique name for this instance of the File Monitoring module.
The name should be a single word that might contain alphanumeric characters
and an underscore (_).
-
Description is a text description for this particular instance.
-
Filename is the complete path to the file that you want to monitor.
-
To add the table row and close the Row Adder
window, click the OK button.
The added row is displayed in the topology
view.
To Add a Printer to Be Monitored
The Print Spooler module enables you to monitor the status of the printer daemon,
print queues, and other printer devices on your network. The following example procedure
uses the Print Spooler module. If this module is not loaded, see To Load a Module.
-
In the Details window with the Module Browser
tab selected, double-click the Local Applications icon in the hierarchy (tree) view.
The local applications modules are displayed in both the hierarchy and
topology views.
-
Double-click the Print Spooler icon in either
the hierarchy or the topology view.
Three property tables are displayed:
Lpsched Status, Printer Devices Table, and Printer Queues Table.
Figure 8–1 Print Spooler Property Tables
-
Add a printer device row to the table in either
of the following ways:
-
Press mouse button 3 in the Printer Devices table row, and choose
the New Row command from the pop-up menu.
-
Click the Printer Devices table, and choose New Row from the Options
pop-up menu at the top left of the Details window.
The Add Row window is displayed.
-
Type the name of the printer and a description
for the printer in the appropriate fields.
-
To add the printer to the table and close the
Add Row window, click the OK button.
The added row is displayed in the
topology view.
To Probe a Property
This example procedure explains how to probe a property in the Directory Size
Monitoring module. If you have not done so already, load this module by following
the procedure To Load a Module.
-
In the Browser Details window, double-click
the Operating System icon in the hierarchy (tree) view.
The operating
system modules are displayed in both the hierarchy and topology views.
-
Double-click the Directory Size Monitoring
icon in the topology view, or click the expansion icon next to the Directory Size
Monitoring icon in the hierarchy view.
The Directory Monitoring Status
folder is displayed.
-
Double-click the Directory Monitoring Status
folder icon in either the hierarchy or the topology view.
The monitored
data properties are displayed in a property table.
-
List or recursively list files in either one
of the following ways:
-
Press mouse button 3 in the Directory Monitoring table row and choose
the List Files or Recursively List Files command from the pop-up menu.
-
Click the Probe icon, select the appropriate command in the Probe
Select dialog box, and click the OK button.
A window appears that displays the files.
Download this book in PDF (2192 KB)