Ubuntu Manpage: pmdalogger - log file performance metrics domain agent (PMDA)

NAME

       pmdalogger - log file performance metrics domain agent (PMDA)

SYNOPSIS

       $PCP_PMDAS_DIR/logger/pmdalogger  [-d  domain]  [-l logfile] [-m memory] [-s interval] [-U
       username] [configfile]

DESCRIPTION

pmdalogger is a configurable log file monitoring Performance Metrics Domain Agent (PMDA).
It can be seen as analagous to the -f option to tail(1) and converts each new log line
into a performance event. It was the first PMDA to make extensive use of event metrics,
which can be consumed by client tools like pmevent(1).

The logger PMDA exports both event-style metrics reflecting timestamped event records for
text logged to a file (or set of files or output from a process), as well as the more
orthodox sample-style metrics such as event counts and throughput size values.

The PMDA is configured via a configfile which contains one line for each source of events
(file or process). This file is setup by the Install script described in the later
section on ``INSTALLATION'' of the PMDA.

A brief description of the pmdalogger command line options follows:

-d It is absolutely crucial that the performance metrics domain number specified here is
unique and consistent. That is, domain should be different for every PMDA on the one
host, and the same domain number should be used for the same PMDA on all hosts.

-l Location of the log file. By default, a log file named logger.log is written in the
current directory of pmcd(1) when pmdalogger is started, i.e. $PCP_LOG_DIR/pmcd. If
the log file cannot be created or is not writable, output is written to the standard
error instead.

-m Limit the physical memory used by the PMDA to buffer event records to maxsize bytes.
As log events arrive at the PMDA, they must be buffered until individual client tools
request the next batch since their previous batch of events. The default maximum is
2 megabytes.

-s Sets the polling interval for detecting newly arrived log lines. Mirrors the same
option from the tail(1) command.

-U User account under which to run the agent. The default is the unprivileged "pcp"
account in current versions of PCP, but in older versions the superuser account
("root") was used by default.

INSTALLATION

       If you want access to the names, help text and values for the logger performance  metrics,
       do the following as root:

            # cd $PCP_PMDAS_DIR/logger
            # ./Install

       This  is  an  interactive  installation process which prompts for each log file path to be
       monitored (or command to be run), a metric instance  name  to  identify  it,  and  whether
       access should be restricted (refer to the -x option to pmevent(1) for further details).

       If you want to undo the installation, do the following as root:

            # cd $PCP_PMDAS_DIR/logger
            # ./Remove

       pmdalogger  is launched by pmcd(1) and should never be executed directly.  The Install and
       Remove scripts notify pmcd(1) when the agent is installed or removed.

FILES

       $PCP_PMCDCONF_PATH
                 command line options used to launch pmdalogger
       $PCP_PMDAS_DIR/logger/logger.conf
                 default configuration file for the logger metrics
       $PCP_PMDAS_DIR/logger/help
                 default help text file for the logger metrics
       $PCP_PMDAS_DIR/logger/Install
                 installation script for the pmdalogger agent
       $PCP_PMDAS_DIR/logger/Remove
                 undo installation script for the pmdalogger agent
       $PCP_LOG_DIR/pmcd/logger.log
                 default log file for error messages and other information from pmdalogger

PCP ENVIRONMENT