Provided by: pcp_3.10.8build1_amd64 bug

NAME

       pmval - performance metrics value dumper

SYNOPSIS

       pmval  [-dgrz]  [-A  align]  [-a  archive]  [-f  N] [-h host] [-i instances] [-K spec] [-n
       pmnsfile] [-O offset] [-p port] [-S starttime] [-s samples] [-T endtime] [-t interval] [-U
       archive] [-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 or -U
       options, pmval will contact the Performance Metrics Collector Daemon (PMCD) on  the  local
       host to obtain the required information.

       The metricname argument may also be given in the metric specification syntax, as described
       in PCPIntro(1), where the  source,  metric  and  instance  may  all  be  included  in  the
       metricname,  e.g. thathost:kernel.all.load["1 minute"].  When this format is used, none of
       the -h or -a or -U options may be specified.

       When using the metric specification syntax, the ``hostname'' @ is  treated  specially  and
       causes  pmval  to  use  a  local  context  to collect metrics from PMDAs on the local host
       without PMCD.  Only some metrics are available in this mode.

       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) instance, or -p should be used to attach pmval to an existing pmtime(1) instance
       via the IPC channel identified by the port argument.

       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.

       The  other 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 Performance 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.

       -f   Numbers  are reported in ``fixed point'' notation, rather than the default scientific
            notation.  Each number will be up to the  column  width  determined  by  the  default
            heuristics,  else  the -w option if specified, and include N digits after the decimal
            point.  So, the options -f 3 -w 8 would produce numbers  of  the  form  9999.999.   A
            value of zero for N omits the decimal point and any fractional digits.

       -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.

       -h   Current performance metric values are retrieved from 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 single argument, with elements of the list
            separated by commas and/or white space.

            The  instance name may be quoted with single (') or double (") quotes for those cases
            where the instance name contains white space or commas.

            Multiple -i options are allowed as an alternative way of  specifying  more  than  one
            instance of interest.

            As an example, the following are all equivalent:

                 $ pmval -i "'1 minute','5 minute'" kernel.all.load
                 $ pmval -i '"1 minute","5 minute"' kernel.all.load
                 $ pmval -i "'1 minute' '5 minute'" kernel.all.load
                 $ pmval -i "'1 minute'" -i "'5 minute'" kernel.all.load
                 $ pmval 'localhost:kernel.all.load["1 minute","5 minute"]'

       -K   When  fetching metrics from a local context, the -K option may be used to control the
            DSO PMDAs that should be made accessible.  The spec argument conforms to  the  syntax
            described in __pmSpecLocalPMDA(3).  More than one -K option may be used.

       -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.  pmchart(1), when they launch pmval with synchronized time control.

       -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 preceding 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  continuously  (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 argument 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).

       -U   Performance metric values are retrieved from the Performance Co-Pilot  (PCP)  archive
            log file identified by the base name archive, although unlike -a every recorded value
            in the archive for the selected metric and instances is reported (so no interpolation
            mode, and the sample interval (-t option) is ignored.

            At most one of the options -a and -U may be specified.

       -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(7).

       -z   Change the reporting timezone to the local timezone at the host that is the source of
            the  performance  metrics, as identified via either the metricname or the -h or -a or
            -U 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(5).

SEE ALSO

       PCPIntro(1),  pmcd(1),  pmchart(1),  pmdumplog(1),  pminfo(1),   pmlogger(1),   pmtime(1),
       PMAPI(3), __pmSpecLocalPMDA(3), pcp.conf(5) and pcp.env(5).

DIAGNOSTICS

       All are generated on standard error and are intended to be self-explanatory.

CAVEATS

       By  default,  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.

       In  the  absence  of  the  -f  option (described above), the following table describes the
       formats used for different 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               │
                                   └──────────┴──────────────────────┘