Provided by: pcp_5.0.3-1_amd64 
NAME
pmval, pmevent - arbitrary performance metrics value dumper
SYNOPSIS
pmval [-dgLrvVz?] [-a archive] [-A align] [-f N] [-h host] [-i instances] [-K spec] [-n pmnsfile] [-O
offset] [-p port] [-s samples] [-S starttime] [-t interval] [-T endtime] [-U archive] [-w width] [-x
pattern] [-Z timezone] [--container=name] [--derived=file] 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 output from pmval is directed to standard output. 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.
OPTIONS
The available command line options are:
-a archive, --archive=archive
Performance metric values are retrieved from the set of Performance Co-Pilot (PCP) archive log files
identified by the archive argument, which 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.
-A align, --align=align
Force the initial sample to be aligned on the boundary of a natural time unit align. Refer to
PCPIntro(1) for a complete description of the syntax for align.
-d, --delay
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 precision, --precision=precision
Numbers are reported in ``fixed point'' notation, rather than the default scientific notation, using
precision digits for precision. Each number will be up to the column width determined by the
default heuristics, else the -w option if specified, and include precision 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
precision omits the decimal point and any fractional digits.
-g, --guimode
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 host, --host=host
Fetch performance metrics from pmcd(1) on host, rather than from the default localhost.
-i instances, --instances=instances
Specify a list of one or more names of instances 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 spec, --spec-local=spec
When fetching metrics from a local context (see -L), 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.
-L, --local-PMDA
Use a local context to collect metrics from DSO PMDAs on the local host without PMCD. See also -K.
-n pmnsfile, --namespace=pmnsfile
Load an alternative Performance Metrics Name Space (PMNS(5)) from the file pmnsfile.
-O origin, --origin=origin
When reporting archived metrics, start reporting at origin within the time window (see -S and -T).
Refer to PCPIntro(1) for a complete description of the syntax for origin.
-p port, --guiport=port
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, --raw
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 samples, --samples=samples
The samples argument 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).
-S starttime, --start=starttime
When reporting archived metrics, the report will be restricted to those records logged at or after
starttime. Refer to PCPIntro(1) for a complete description of the syntax for starttime.
-t interval, --interval=interval
Set the reporting interval 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).
-T endtime, --finish=endtime
When reporting archived metrics, the report will be restricted to those records logged before or at
endtime. Refer to PCPIntro(1) for a complete description of the syntax for endtime.
-U archive, --nointerp=archive
Performance metric values are retrieved from the Performance Co-Pilot (PCP) archive. 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.
-v, --verbose
Enable verbose mode.
-V, --version
Display version number and exit.
-w width, --width=width
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 pattern, --filter=pattern
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, --hostzone
Use the local timezone of the host that is the source of the performance metrics, as identified by
either the -h or the -a or the -U options. The default is to use the timezone of the local host.
-Z timezone, --timezone=timezone
Use timezone for the date and time. Timezone is in the format of the environment variable TZ as
described in environ(7).
-?, --help
Display usage message and exit.
--container=container
Specify an individual container to be queried.
--derived=file
Load derived metric definitions from file.
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 │
└──────────┴──────────────────────┘
DIAGNOSTICS
All are generated on standard error and are intended to be self-explanatory.
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).
For environment variables affecting PCP tools, see pmGetOptions(3).
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), pcp.env(5) and PMNS(5).