Provided by: pcp_4.0.1-1_amd64 bug

NAME

       pmval, pmevent - arbitrary performance metrics value dumper

SYNOPSIS

       pmval  [-dgLrvz]  [-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]  [-x
       pattern] [-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 a set of archives 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  a  set  of  archives,  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 set of  Performance  Co-Pilot  (PCP)  archive  logs
            identified.  The  argument is a comma-separated list of names, each of which may be the base name of
            an archive or the name of a directory containing one or more archives. See also -U.

       -d   When replaying from a set of archives, 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 set of PCP archives (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 set of Performance Co-Pilot (PCP) archive logs
            identified. The argument is a comma-separated list of names, each of which may be the base  name  of
            an  archive  or  the  name of a directory containing one or more archives.  However, 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. See also -a.

            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.

       -x   The given pattern is sent to the performance metric domain agent for the requested metricname before
            any  values  are requested.  This serves two purposes.  Firstly, it provides a mechanism for server-
            side event filtering  that  is  customisable  for  individual  event  streams.   In  addition,  some
            performance  metrics  domain  agents  also  use the PMCD store mechanism to provide a basic security
            model (e.g. for sensitive log files, only a client host with pmStore(3)  access  would  be  able  to
            access the event stream).

            As pattern may be processed by regcomp(3) it should be a non-empty string.  Use . (dot) for a “match
            all” pattern.

       -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),  pmdumptext(1),  pminfo(1),  pmlogger(1),  pmrep(1),
       pmtime(1), PMAPI(3), pmStore(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               │
                                          └──────────┴──────────────────────┘