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).