Ubuntu Manpage: pmfind_check - administration of Performance Co-Pilot discovery

NAME

       pmfind_check - administration of Performance Co-Pilot discovery

SYNOPSIS

       $PCP_BINADM_DIR/pmfind_check [-CNV?]  [-l logfile]

DESCRIPTION

This shell script is used to integrate the Performance Co-Pilot (see PCPIntro(1))
collector service discovery mechanisms with pmie(1) and pmlogger(1) service
administration, such that multiple collector hosts can be monitored from a single
centralized host. It is important to note that the pmfind service is tightly integrated
with the pmie and pmlogger services, and these must also be enabled if the services are to
be started for each collector system that pmfind discovers.

pmfind_check is designed to be enabled via a service management daemon such as systemd(1)
on Linux. It is run from a system timer (either by systemd or by cron on other systems).
Once per timer interval pmfind attempts discovery of PCP collector systems. For each
unique system found pmfind_check creates pmie_check and pmlogger_check control file
entries, such that these latter process can manage one pmie and pmlogger service for each
discovered collector system.

When run through systemd these processes will be launched immediately because systemd
monitors the service control files for changes. With systemd one may also initiate an
immediate service discovery with pmfind and pmfind_check by modifying the
$PCP_SYSCONF_DIR/pmfind directory in any way.

When run from cron the next (also timer-based) invocation of pmie_check or pmlogger_check
will start and manage the associated pmie and pmlogger processes.

The control file entries created by pmfind_check follow the convention of individual files
for each collector host. The files are named using the (unique) source identifier that
pmfind calculates. This identifier is a hash calculated based on (non-optional) context
labels available from every collector host, and is the same source identifier reported and
used by pminfo(1) and pmseries(1).

OPTIONS

The available command line options are:

-C, --containers
This option causes pmfind_check to query each discovered collector system for running
containers as well, which will then be individually monitored.

-l file, --logfile=file
In order to ensure that mail is not unintentionally sent when these scripts are run
from cron(8) diagnostics are always sent to log files. By default, this file is
$PCP_LOG_DIR/pmfind/pmfind_check.log but this can be changed using the -l option. If
this log file already exists when the script starts, it will be renamed with a .prev
suffix (overwriting any log file saved earlier) before diagnostics are generated to
the new log file.

-N, --showme
This option enables a ``show me'' mode, where the programs actions are echoed, but
not executed, in the style of ``make -n''. Using -N in conjunction with -V maximizes
the diagnostic capabilities for debugging.

-V, --verbose
The output from the cron execution of the scripts may be extended using the -V option
to the scripts which will enable verbose tracing of their activity. By default the
scripts generate no output unless some error or warning condition is encountered.
Using -N in conjunction with -V maximizes the diagnostic capabilities for debugging.

-?, --help
Display usage message and exit.

CONFIGURATION

       The command  line  options  passed  to  pmie  and  pmlogger  can  be  customized  via  the
       $PCP_SYSCONFIG_DIR/pmfind configuration file.

       Refer  to  the  pmie_check and pmlogger_check manual pages for details of the control file
       format generated by pmfind_check.

       By default, each collector system pmie logfile will be created in $PCP_LOG_DIR/pmie/source
       and  pmlogger  archives will be created below $PCP_ARCHIVE_DIR/source.  This is consistent
       with the way pmie(1) and pmlogger(1) maintain their activity logs and archive files.

       Typical  crontab(5)  entries  for  periodic  execution  of  pmfind_check  are   given   in
       $PCP_SYSCONF_DIR/pmfind/crontab  (unless  installed by default in /etc/cron.d already) and
       shown below.

       # every minute, discover remote PCP services
       *       *       *       *       *       $PCP_BINADM_DIR/pmfind_check
       When using systemd(1) on Linux, no crontab entries  are  needed  as  the  timer  and  path
       mechanisms provided by systemd are used instead.

FILES

       $PCP_PMIECONTROL_PATH.d
            PCP  inference  engine control files for each discovered metric source, typically one
            per host or container.
            Warning: this files herein must not be writable by any user other than root.

       $PCP_PMLOGGERCONTROL_PATH.d
            PCP logger control files for each discovered metric source, typically one per host or
            container.
            Warning: this files herein must not be writable by any user other than root.

       $PCP_SYSCONFIG_DIR/pmfind
            default  pmie  and  pmlogger  command  line arguments, and other parameters passed to
            pmfind.

       $PCP_SYSCONF_DIR/pmfind/crontab
            sample crontab for automated script execution by root - exists only if  the  platform
            does not support the /etc/cron.d mechanism.

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).