NAME
pmclient - a simple performance metrics client
SYNOPSIS
pmclient [-a archive] [-h host] [-n pmnsfile] [-p] [-S
numsec] [-s samples] [-t interval] [-Z timezone] [-z]
DESCRIPTION
pmclient is a simple client that uses the Performance Met
rics Application Programming Interface (PMAPI) to report
some high-level system performance metrics.
The real value of pmclient is as a sample client using the
PMAPI, and to this end the source code is shipped on both
Irix, where it is included in the pcp.sw.demo images of
the Performance Co-Pilot (PCP) product (see PCPIntro(1)),
and on Linux, where it is included into the PCP Source
RPM.
Normally pmclient operates on the distributed Performance
Metrics Name Space (PMNS), however if the -n option is
specified an alternative local PMNS is loaded from the
file pmnsfile.
Unless directed to another host by the -h option, or to an
archive by the -a option, pmclient will contact the Per
formance Metrics Collector Daemon (PMCD) on the local host
to obtain the required information. The -a and -h options
are mutually exclusive.
By default, pmclient reports the time of day according to
the local timezone on the system where pmclient is run.
The -Z option changes the timezone to timezone in the for
mat of the environment variable TZ as described in envi
ron(5). The -z option changes the timezone to the local
timezone at the host that is the source of the performance
metrics, as identified via either the -h or -a options.
Other options control the specific information to be
reported.
-p The default behavior for replaying an archive, is
to replay at full speed. The -p option may be used
in conjunction with an archive, to request that the
prevailing real-time delay be applied between sam
ples (see -t) to effect a pause.
-S numsec
The -S option may be used in conjunction with an
archive to request that display start at the time
numsec seconds from the start of the archive.
The argument samples defines the number of samples
to be retrieved and reported. If samples is 0 or
-s is not specified, pmclient will sample and
report continuously (in real time mode) or until
the end of the PCP archive (in archive mode).
-t interval
The default update interval may be set to something
other than the default 5 seconds. The interval
argument follows the syntax described in PCPIn
tro(1), and in the simplest form may be an unsigned
integer (the implied units in this case are sec
onds).
The output from pmclient is directed to standard output,
and lists
+ Aggregate CPU utilization, in the range 0 to 1.
+ If the system has more than 1 CPU, the ordinal number
of the busiest CPU, in the range 0 to ...
+ If the system has more than 1 CPU, the CPU utilization
for the busiest CPU.
+ Real free memory in Mbytes.
+ Aggregate physical disk I/O operations per second
(IOPS).
+ Load average over the last 1 minute and over the last
15 minutes.
FILES
$PCP_VAR_DIR/pmns/*
default PMNS specification files
$PCP_DEMOS_DIR/pmclient
source code and Makefiles when pcp.sw.demo is
installed
$PCP_VAR_DIR/config/pmlogger/config.pmclient
pmlogger(1) configuration for creating an
archive suitable for replay with pmclient
PCP ENVIRONMENT
Environment variables with the prefix PCP_ are used to
parameterize the file and directory names used by PCP. On
each installation, the file /etc/pcp.conf contains the
local values for these variables. The $PCP_CONF variable
may be used to specify an alternative configuration file,
as described in pcp.conf(4).
PCPIntro(1), pmcd(1), pmchart(1), pmgenmap(1), pmkstat(1),
PMAPI(3), pcp.conf(4) and pcp.env(4).
DIAGNOSTICS
All are generated on standard error, and are intended to
be self-explanatory.
CAVEAT
On Irix the pmclient source is part of the pcp.sw.demo
subsystem and is not installed by default, it must be
explicitly installed using inst(1) or swmgr(1).
Since pmclient is shipped as source, the installation
requires the binary to be created, which means the C com
piler and development environment must also be installed.
Man(1) output converted with
man2html