NAME
pmval - performance metrics value dumper
SYNOPSIS
pmval [-dgrz] [-A align] [-a archive] [-h host] [-i
instances] [-n pmnsfile] [-O offset] [-p port] [-S start
time] [-s samples] [-T endtime] [-t interval] [-w width]
[-Z timezone] metricname
DESCRIPTION
pmval prints current or archived values for the nominated
performance metric. The metric of interest is named in
the metricname argument, subject to instance qualification
with the -i flag as described below.
Unless directed to another host by the -h option, or to an
archive by the -a option, pmval will contact the Perfor
mance Metrics Collector Daemon (PMCD) on the local host to
obtain the required information.
When processing an archive, pmval may relinquish its own
timing control, and operate as a ``slave'' of a pmtime(1)
process that uses a GUI dialog to provide timing control.
In this case, either the -g option should be used to start
pmval as the sole slave of a new pmtime(1) instances, or
-p should be used to attach pmval to an existing pmtime(1)
instance via the IPC channel identified by the port argu
ment.
The -S, -T, -O and -A options may be used to define a time
window to restrict the samples retrieved, set an initial
origin within the time window, or specify a ``natural''
alignment of the sample times; refer to PCPIntro(1) for a
complete description of these options.
Options which control the source, timing and layout of the
information reported by pmval are as follows:
-a Performance metric values are retrieved from the Per
formance Co-Pilot (PCP) archive log file identified
by the base name archive.
-d When replaying from an archive, this option requests
that the prevailing real-time delay be applied
between samples (see -t) to effect a pause, rather
than the default behaviour of replaying at full
speed.
-g Start pmval as the slave of a new pmtime(1) process
for replay of archived performance data using the
pmtime(1) graphical user interface. Note: This
option is supported on Irix only.
the nominated host machine.
-i instances is a list of one or more instance names for
the nominated performance metric - just these
instances will be retrieved and reported (the default
is to report all instances). The list must be a sin
gle argument, with elements of the list separated by
commas and/or white space.
-n Normally pmval operates on the default Performance
Metrics Name Space (PMNS), however if the -n option
is specified an alternative namespace is loaded from
the file pmnsfile.
-p Attach pmval to an existing pmtime(1) time control
process instance via the IPC channel identified by
the port argument. This option is normally only used
by other tools, e.g. pmview(1), when they launch
pmval with synchronized time control. Note: This
option is suppored on Irix only.
-r Print raw values for cumulative counter metrics.
Normally cumulative counter metrics are converted to
rates. For example, disk transfers are reported as
number of disk transfers per second during the pre
ceding sample interval, rather than the raw value of
number of disk transfers since the machine was
booted. If you specify this option, the raw metric
values are printed.
-s The argument samples defines the number of samples to
be retrieved and reported. If samples is 0 or -s is
not specified, pmval will sample and report continu
ously (in real time mode) or until the end of the PCP
archive (in archive mode).
-t The default update interval may be set to something
other than the default 1 second. The interval argu
ment follows the syntax described in PCPIntro(1), and
in the simplest form may be an unsigned integer (the
implied units in this case are seconds).
-w Set the width of each column of output to be width
columns. If not specified columns are wide enough to
accommodate the largest value of the type being
printed.
-Z By default, pmval reports the time of day according
to the local timezone on the system where pmval is
run. The -Z option changes the timezone to timezone
in the format of the environment variable TZ as
described in environ(5).
at the host that is the source of the performance
metrics, as identified via either the -h or -a
options.
The following symbols may occasionally appear, in place of
a metric value, in pmval output: A question mark symbol
(?) indicates that a value is no longer available for that
metric instance. An exclamation mark (!) indicates that
a 64-bit counter wrapped during the sample.
The output from pmval is directed to standard output.
FILES
$PCP_VAR_DIR/pmns/*
default PMNS specification files
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).
SEE ALSO
PCPIntro(1), pmcd(1), pmchart(1), pmdumplog(1), pminfo(1),
pmlogger(1), pmtime(1), pcp.conf(4) and pcp.env(4).
DIAGNOSTICS
All are generated on standard error and are intended to be
self-explanatory.
CAVEATS
pmval attempts to display non-integer numeric values in a
way that does not distort the inherent precision (rarely
more than 4 significant digits), and tries to maintain a
tabular format in the output. These goals are sometimes
in conflict.
The following table describes the formats used for differ
ent ranges of numeric values for any metric that is of
type PM_TYPE_FLOAT or PM_TYPE_DOUBLE, or any metric that
has the semantics of a counter (for which pmval reports
the rate converted value):
| Format | Value Range |
+----------+----------------------+
| ! | No values available |
|9.999E-99 | < 0.1 |
| 0.0 | 0 |
| 9.9999 | > 0 and <= 0.9999 |
| 9.999 | > 0.9999 and < 9.999 |
| 99.99 | > 9.999 and < 99.99 |
| 999.9 | > 99.99 and < 999.9 |
|9999. | > 999.9 and < 9999 |
|9.999E+99 | > 9999 |
+----------+----------------------+
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