1PMCHART(1) General Commands Manual PMCHART(1)
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6 pmchart - strip chart tool for Performance Co-Pilot
7
9 pmchart [-CLVWz?] [-a archive] [-A align] [-c configfile] [-f fontfam‐
10 ily] [-F fontsize] [-g geometry] [-h host] [-o outfile] [-O offset] [-p
11 port] [-s samples] [-S starttime] [-t interval] [-T endtime] [-v visi‐
12 ble] [-Z timezone] [-geometry geometry] [sources...]
13
15 pmchart is a graphical utility that plots performance metrics values
16 available through the facilities of the Performance Co-Pilot (PCP).
17 Multiple charts can be displayed simultaneously, either aligned on the
18 unified time axis (X-axis), and through the use of multiple interface
19 Tabs.
20 Metric values can be sourced from one or more live hosts (simultane‐
22 ously). Alternatively, one or more sets of PCP archives can be used as
23 a source of historical data. See PCPIntro(1) for an in-depth discus‐
24 sion of the capabilities of the PCP framework, many of which are used
25 by pmchart.
26 Many aspects of the behaviour of pmchart can be customised through the
28 interface. In particular, the use of "views" (refer to the section
29 describing VIEWS later in this document) allows predefined sets of met‐
30 rics and charting parameters like colors, scaling, titles, legends, and
31 so on to be stored for later use, or use with different hosts and sets
32 of archives. In addition, the Preferences dialog allows customisations
33 to the rest of the pmchart user interface to be saved and restored
34 between different invocations of the tool. This allows the default
35 background color, highlight color, contents and location of the tool‐
36 bar, and many other aspects to be configured.
37 pmchart makes extensive use of the pmtime(1) utility for time control,
39 refer to the pmtime manual page for further details of its operation.
40
42 Options which control the default source, timing and layout of the
43 pmchart window are as follows:
44 -a archive, --archive=archive
46 Performance metric values are retrieved from the set of Perfor‐
47 mance Co-Pilot (PCP) archive logs identified by this option, by
48 default. The argument is a comma-separated list of names, each of
49 which may be the base name of an archive or the name of a direc‐
50 tory containing one or more archives. The resulting set of ar‐
51 chives will be the source of the performance metrics. The initial
52 Tab created will be an archive mode Tab. Multiple -a options can
53 be presented, and the resulting list of sets of archives is used
54 for sourcing metric values. Any sources listed on the command
55 line are assumed to be sets of archives if this option is used.
56 -A align, --align=align
58 Force the initial sample to be aligned on the boundary of a natu‐
59 ral time unit align. Refer to PCPIntro(1) for a complete descrip‐
60 tion of the syntax for align.
61 -c configfile, --view=configfile
63 configfile specifies an initial view to load, using the default
64 source of metrics. Multiple -c views can be specified, and they
65 will all be opened in the default Tab with the default source of
66 metrics.
67 -c, --check
69 Used with -c, the view(s) are parsed, any errors are reported, and
70 the tool exits. This is primarily intended for testing purposes.
71 If a second -C option is presented, pmchart also connects to
72 pmcd(1) to check the semantics of metrics.
73 -f family, --font-family=family
75 Specify the default font family to be used in several chart compo‐
76 nents, such as the chart title, legend, and Y-axis label. The
77 default value is "Sans Serif". This setting does not affect the
78 rest of the user interface, where the value is inherited from the
79 environment in which pmchart operates, and differs according to
80 the look-and-feel of each platform.
81 -F point, --font-size=point
83 Specify the default font point size to be used in several chart
84 components, such as the chart title, legend, and Y-axis label.
85 The default is platform dependent, but is either 7, 8 or 9. This
86 setting does not affect the rest of the user interface.
87 -g geometry, --geometry=geometry
89 Generate image with the specified geometry (width and height).
90 This option is only useful when used in conjunction with the -o
91 option for generating an output image. The geometry argument
92 takes the form "WxH" (e.g. 240x120). When NOT using the -o flag,
93 to specify the display window geometry, use -geometry geometry
94 where geometry specifies the desired window width, height and
95 optional placement.
96 -h host, --host=host
98 Current performance metric values are retrieved from the nominated
99 host machine by default. Multiple -h options can be presented,
100 and the list of hosts is used for sourcing metric values. Any
101 sources listed on the command line are assumed to be hosts if this
102 option is used.
103 -H path, --hostsfile=path
105 Specify the path to a file containing a set of hostnames where
106 pmcd(1) is running , rather than using the default localhost.
107 -K spec, --spec-local=spec
109 When fetching metrics from a local context (see -L), the -K option
110 may be used to control the DSO PMDAs that should be made accessi‐
111 ble. The spec argument conforms to the syntax described in
112 pmSpecLocalPMDA(3). More than one -K option may be used.
113 -L, --local-PMDA
115 Use a local context to collect metrics from DSO PMDAs on the local
116 host without PMCD. See also -K.
117 -o outfile, --output=outfile
119 Generate an image file named outfile, and then exit. This is most
120 useful when run with a set of archives and one or more views. The
121 generated image will be in the format specified as the file exten‐
122 sion (automatically determined from outfile). If no extension can
123 be determined, then the GIF format is used and the generated file
124 is named with this extension. The supported image file formats
125 include: bmp, jpeg, jpg, png, ppm, tif, tiff, xbm, and xpm.
126 -O origin, --origin=origin
128 When reporting archived metrics, start reporting at origin within
129 the time window (see -S and -T). Refer to PCPIntro(1) for a com‐
130 plete description of the syntax for origin.
131 -p port, --port=port
133 port number for connection to an existing pmtime time control
134 process.
135 -s samples, --samples=samples
137 Specifies the number of samples that will be retained before dis‐
138 carding old data (replaced by new values at the current time posi‐
139 tion). This value can subsequently be modified through the Edit
140 Tab dialog.
141 -S starttime, --start=starttime
143 When reporting archived metrics, the report will be restricted to
144 those records logged at or after starttime. Refer to PCPIntro(1)
145 for a complete description of the syntax for starttime.
146 -t interval, --interval=interval
148 Sets the inital update interval to something other than the
149 default 1 second. The interval argument follows the syntax
150 described in PCPIntro(1), and in the simplest form may be an
151 unsigned integer (the implied units in this case are seconds).
152 -T endtime, --finish=endtime
154 When reporting archived metrics, the report will be restricted to
155 those records logged before or at endtime. Refer to PCPIntro(1)
156 for a complete description of the syntax for endtime.
157 -v samples, --visible=samples
159 Sets the initial visible samples that will be displayed in all
160 charts in the default Tab. This value must be less than or equal
161 to the total number of samples retained (the -s value).
162 -V, --version
164 Display pmchart version number and exit
165 -W, fB--white
167 Export images using an opaque(white) background
168 -z, --hostzone
170 Change the reporting timezone to the local timezone at the host
171 that is the source of the performance metrics, as identified via
172 either the -h or -a options.
173 The -S, -T, -O and -A options may be used to define a time window to
175 restrict the samples retrieved, set an initial origin within the time
176 window, or specify a "natural" alignment of the sample times; refer
177 to PCPIntro(1) for a complete description of these options.
178 -Z timezone, --timezone=timezone
180 By default, pmtime reports the time of day according to the
181 local timezone on the system where pmchart is run. The -Z
182 option changes the timezone to timezone in the format of the
183 environment variable TZ as described in environ(7).
184
186 The primary pmchart configuration file is the "view", which allows the
187 metadata associated with one or more charts to be saved in the filesys‐
188 tem. This metadata describes all aspects of the charts, including
189 which PCP metrics and instances are to be used, which hosts, which col‐
190 ors, the chart titles, use of chart legends, and much more.
191 From a conceptual point of view, there are two classes of view. These
193 views share the same configuration file format - refer to a later sec‐
194 tion for a complete description of this format. The differences lie in
195 where they are installed and how they are manipulated.
196 The first class, the "system" view, is simply any view that is
198 installed as part of the pmchart package. These are stored in
199 $PCP_VAR_DIR/config/pmchart. When the File→Open View dialog is dis‐
200 played, it is these views that are initially listed. The system views
201 cannot be modified by a normal user, and should not be modified even by
202 a user with suitable privileges, as they will be overwritten during an
203 upgrade.
204 The second class of view is the "user" view. These views are created
206 on-the-fly using the File→Save View dialog. This is a mechanism for
207 individual users to save their commonly used views. Access to these
208 views is achieved through the File→Open View dialog, as with the system
209 views. Once the dialog is opened, the list of views can be toggled
210 between user and system views by clicking on the two toggle buttons in
211 the top right corner. User views are stored in $HOME/.pcp/pmchart.
212
214 pmchart provides the common user interface concept of the Tab, which is
215 most prevalent in modern web browsers. Tabs allow pmchart to update
216 many more charts than the available screen real estate allows, by pro‐
217 viding a user interface mechanism to stack (and switch between) differ‐
218 ent vertical sets of charts. Switching between Tabs is achieved by
219 clicking on the Tab labels, which are located along the top of the dis‐
220 play beneath the Menu and Tool bars).
221 Each Tab has a mode of operation (either live or archive - pmchart can
223 support both modes simultaneously), the total number of samples and
224 currently visible points, and a label describing the Tab which is dis‐
225 played at the top of the pmchart window. New Tabs can be created using
226 the File→Add Tab dialog.
227 In order to save on vertical screen real estate, note that the user
229 interface element for changing between different Tabs (and its label)
230 are only displayed when more than one Tab exists. A Tab can be dis‐
231 missed using the File→Close Tab menu, which removes the current Tab and
232 any charts it contained.
233
235 A static copy of the currently displayed vertical series of charts can
236 be captured in two ways.
237 When the intended display device is the screen, the File→Export menu
239 option should be used. This allows exporting the charts in a variety
240 of image formats, including PNG, JPEG, GIF, and BMP. The image size
241 can be scaled up or down in any dimension.
242 Alternatively, when the intended display device is paper, the
244 File→Print menu option can be used. This supports the usual set of
245 printing options (choice of printer, grayscale/color, landscape/por‐
246 trait, scaling to different paper sizes, etc), and in addition allows
247 printing to the intermediate printer formats of PostScript and Portable
248 Document Format (PDF).
249
251 It is possible to make a recording of a set of displayed charts, for
252 later playback through pmchart or any of the other Performance Co-Pilot
253 tools. The Record→Start functionality is simple to configure through
254 the user interface, and allows fine-tuning of the recording process
255 (including record frequencies that differ to the pmchart update inter‐
256 val, alternate file locations, etc).
257 pmchart produces recordings that are compatible with the PCP pmafm(1)
259 replay mechanism, for later playback via a new instance of pmchart. In
260 addition, when recording through pmchart one can also replay the
261 recording immediately, as on termination of the recording (through the
262 Record→Stop menu item), an archive mode Tab will be created with the
263 captured view.
264 Once recording is active in a Live Tab, the Time Control status button
266 in the bottom left corner of the pmchart window is displayed with a
267 distinctive red dot. At any time during a pmchart recording session,
268 the amount of space used in the filesystem by that recording can be
269 displayed using the Record→Query menu item.
270 Finally, the Record→Detach menu option provides a mechanism whereby the
272 recording process can be completely divorced from the running pmchart
273 process, and allowed to continue on when pmchart exits. A dialog dis‐
274 playing the current size and estimated rate of growth for the recording
275 is presented. On the other hand, if pmchart is terminated while
276 recording is in process, then the recording process will prompt the
277 user to choose immediate cessation of recording or for it to continue
278 on independently.
279 All of the record mode services available from pmchart are implemented
281 with the assistance of the base Performance Co-Pilot logging services -
282 refer to pmlogger(1) and pmafm(1) for an extensive description of the
283 capabilities of these tools.
284
286 pmchart loads predefined chart configurations (or "views") from exter‐
287 nal files that conform to the following rules. In the descriptions
288 below keywords (shown in bold) may appear in upper, lower or mixed
289 case, elements shown in [stuff] are optional, and user-supplied ele‐
290 ments are shown as <other stuff>. A vertical bar (|) is used where
291 syntactic elements are alternatives. Quotes (") may be used to enclose
292 lexical elements that may contain white space, such as titles, labels
293 and instance names.
294 1. The first line defines the configuration file type and should be
296 #kmchart
297 although pmchart provides backwards compatibility for the older
298 pmchart view formats with an initial line of
299 #pmchart
300 2. After the first line, lines beginning with "#" as the first non-
302 white space character are treated as comments and skipped. Simi‐
303 larly blank lines are skipped.
304 3. The next line should be
306 version <n> <host-clause>
307 where <n> depends on the configuration file type, and is 1 for
308 pmchart else 1.1, 1.2 or 2.0 for pmchart.
309 The <host-clause> part is optional (and ignored) for pmchart config‐
310 uration files, but required for the pmchart configuration files, and
311 is of the form
312 host literal
313 or
314 host dynamic
315 4. A configuration contains one or more charts defined as follows:
317 chart [title <title>] style <style> <options>
318 If specified, the title will appear centred and above the graph area
319 of the chart. The <title> is usually enclosed in quotes (") and if
320 it contains the sequence "%h" this will be replaced by the short
321 form of the hostname for the default source of metrics at the time
322 this chart was loaded. Alternatively, "%H" can be used to insert
323 the full host name. If the hostname appears to be an inet or IPv6
324 address, no shortening will be attempted; it will be used as-is in
325 both replacement cases. After the view is loaded, the title visi‐
326 bility and setting can be manipulated using the Chart Title text box
327 in the Edit→Chart dialog.
328 The <style> controls the initial plotting style of the chart, and
330 should be one of the keywords plot (line graph), bar, stacking
331 (stacked bar), area or utilization. After the view is loaded, the
332 plotting style can be changed using the Edit→Chart Style dropdown
333 list.
334 The <options> are zero or more of the optional elements:
336 [scale [from] <ymin> [to] <ymax>] [legend <onoff>]
337 If scale is specified, the vertical scaling is set for all plots in
338 the chart to a y-range defined by <ymin> and <ymax>. Otherwise the
339 vertical axis will be autoscaled based on the values currently being
340 plotted.
341 <onoff> is one of the keywords on or off and the legend clause con‐
343 trols the presence or absence of the plot legend below the graph
344 area. The default is for the legend to be shown. After the view is
345 loaded, the legend visibility can be toggled using the Show Legend
346 button in the Edit→Chart dialog.
347 5. pmchart supports a global clause to specify the dimensions of the
349 top-level window (using the width and height keywords), the number
350 of visible points (points keyword) and the starting X and Y axis
351 positions on the screen (xpos and ypos keywords). Each of these
352 global attributes takes an integer value as the sole qualifier.
353 6. Each chart has one or more plots associated with it, as defined by
355 one of the following specifications:
356 plot
357 [legend <title>] [color <colorspec>] [host <hostspec>]
358 metric <metricname>
359 [ instance <inst> | matching <pat> | not-matching <pat> ]
360 The keyword plot may be replaced with the keyword optional-plot, in
362 which case if the source of performance data does not include the
363 specified performance metric and/or instance, then this plot is
364 silently dropped from the chart.
365 If specified, the title will appear in the chart legend. The
367 <title> is usually enclosed in quotes (") and it may contain one or
368 more wildcard characters which will be expanded using metric name,
369 instance name, and host name for the plot. The wildcards are "%i"
370 (short unique instance name, up to the first whitespace), "%I" (full
371 instance name), "%h" (short host name, up to the first dot), %H
372 (full host name), "%m" (metric name shortened to the final two PMNS
373 components), and "%M" (full metric name).
374 For older pmchart configuration files, the keyword title must be
376 used instead of legend. Nowadays pmchart supports either keyword.
377 The color clause is optional for newer pmchart configuration files,
379 but it was mandatory in the original pmchart configuration file for‐
380 mat. <colorspec> may be one of the following:
381 #-cycle
382 rgbi:rr:gg:bb
383 #rgb
384 #rrggbb
385 #rrrgggbbb
386 #rrrrggggbbbb
387 <Xcolor>
388 where each of r, g and b are hexadecimal digits (0-9 and A-F) repre‐
389 senting respectively the red, green and blue color components.
390 <Xcolor> is one of the color names from the X color database, e.g.
391 red or steelblue, see also the output from showrgb(1).
392 The "color" #-cycle specifies that pmchart should use the next in a
394 pallet of colors that it uses cyclically for each chart. This is
395 the default if the color clause is omitted.
396 The <hostspec> in the host clause may be a hostname, an IP address
398 or an asterisk (*); the latter is used to mean the default source of
399 performance metrics. For older pmchart configuration files, the
400 host clause must be present, for new pmchart configuration files it
401 is optional, and if missing the default source of performance met‐
402 rics will be used.
403 The optional instance specification,
405 (a)
407 is omitted in which case one plot will be created for every
408 instance of the <metricname> metric
409 (b)
411 starts with instance, in which case only the instance named
412 <inst> will be plotted
413 (c)
415 starts with matching, in which case all instances whose names
416 match the pattern <pat> will be plotted; the pattern uses
417 extended regular expression notation in the style of egrep(1)
418 (refer to the PMCD view for an example)
419 (d)
421 starts with not-matching, in which case all instances whose names
422 do not match the pattern <pat> will be plotted; the pattern
423 uses extended regular expression notation in the style of
424 egrep(1) (refer to the Netbytes view for an example)
425 pmchart uses a bizarre syntactic notation where <inst> and <pat>
427 extend from the first non-white space character to the end of the
428 input line. For pmchart configuration files these elements are
429 either delimited by white space, or enclosed in quotes (").
430 7. The optional tab directive can be used to create views with multiple
432 charts which span multiple Tabs. The syntax is as follows:
433 tab <label> [host <host>] [points <points> [samples <samples>]]
434 All chart specifications following this keyword will be created
436 on the new Tab, until the end of the configuration file or until
437 another tab keyword is encountered.
438
440 Environment variables with the prefix PCP_ are used to parameterize the
441 file and directory names used by PCP. On each installation, the file
442 /etc/pcp.conf contains the local values for these variables. The
443 $PCP_CONF variable may be used to specify an alternative configuration
444 file, as described in pcp.conf(5).
445 Of particular note, the $PCP_XCONFIRM_PROG setting is explicitly and
447 unconditionally overridden by pmchart. This is set to the pmcon‐
448 firm(1), utility, in order that some popup dialogs (particularly in the
449 area of Recording) maintain a consistent look-and-feel with the rest of
450 the pmchart application.
451
453 pmtime(1), pmconfirm(1), pmdumptext(1), PCPIntro(1), pmafm(1),
454 pmrep(1), pmval(1), pmcd(1), pminfo(1), pcp.conf(5), pcp.env(5) and
455 PMNS(5).
456Performance Co-Pilot PMCHART(1)