Ubuntu Manpage: pmclient - a simple performance metrics client

NAME

       pmclient - a simple performance metrics client

SYNOPSIS

       pmclient  [-a archive] [-h host] [-n pmnsfile] [-p] [-S numsec] [-s samples] [-t interval]
       [-Z timezone] [-z]

DESCRIPTION

pmclient is a simple client that uses the Performance Metrics Application Programming
Interface (PMAPI) to report some high-level system performance metrics.

The real value of pmclient is as a sample client using the PMAPI(3), interfaces and to
this end the source code is included with the Performance Co-Pilot (PCP) package (see
PCPIntro(1)), and is typically installed in /usr/share/pcp/demos/pmclient.

Normally pmclient operates on the distributed Performance Metrics Name Space (PMNS),
however if the -n option is specified an alternative local PMNS is loaded from the file
pmnsfile.

Unless directed to another host by the -h option, or to an archive by the -a option,
pmclient will contact the Performance Metrics Collector Daemon (PMCD) on the local host to
obtain the required information. The -a and -h options are mutually exclusive.

By default, pmclient reports the time of day according to the local timezone on the system
where pmclient is run. The -Z option changes the timezone to timezone in the format of
the environment variable TZ as described in environ(5). The -z option changes the
timezone to the local timezone at the host that is the source of the performance metrics,
as identified via either the -h or -a options.

Other options control the specific information to be reported.

-p The default behavior for replaying an archive, is to replay at full speed. The -p
option may be used in conjunction with an archive, to request that the prevailing
real-time delay be applied between samples (see -t) to effect a pause.

-S numsec
The -S option may be used in conjunction with an archive to request that display
start at the time numsec seconds from the start of the archive.

-s samples
The argument samples defines the number of samples to be retrieved and reported.
If samples is 0 or -s is not specified, pmclient will sample and report
continuously (in real time mode) or until the end of the PCP archive (in archive
mode).

-t interval
The default update interval may be set to something other than the default 5
seconds. 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).

The output from pmclient is directed to standard output, and lists

+ Aggregate CPU utilization, in the range 0 to 1.

+ If the system has more than 1 CPU, the ordinal number of the busiest CPU, in the range
0 to ...

+ If the system has more than 1 CPU, the CPU utilization for the busiest CPU.

+ Real free memory in Mbytes.

+ Aggregate physical disk I/O operations per second (IOPS).

+ Load average over the last 1 minute and over the last 15 minutes.

FILES

       $PCP_VAR_DIR/pmns/*
                 default PMNS specification files
       $PCP_DEMOS_DIR/pmclient
                 source code and Makefiles when pcp.sw.demo is installed
       $PCP_SYSCONF_DIR/pmlogger/config.pmclient
                 pmlogger(1)  configuration  for  creating  an  archive  suitable for replay with
                 pmclient

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).

DIAGNOSTICS