1.2.4 Using collected performance data effectively

(1) Graphically displaying the operation status at monitored hosts

By using PFM - Web Console, you can process and display in a graphical format various types of performance data collected by PFM - RM for Platform, such as the CPU usage rate. Because this feature enables you to check trends and changes in collected and summarized performance data graphically, you can easily analyze the operation status of multiple hosts.

In Performance Management, data that is processed and displayed in a graphical format is called a report. There are two types of reports:

• Real-time reports

  A real-time report indicates the current status of monitored hosts.

  This type of report is used to check the current status of the system and for possible problems. Performance data that is current at the time when such a report is displayed is depicted in a real-time report.

• Historical reports

  A historical report indicates the status of monitored hosts over a period of time, such as from some point in the past up to the present.

  This type of report is used to analyze trends in the operation status of the system. Collected performance data stored in PFM - RM for Platform's Store database is used to display historical reports.

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(2) Taking appropriate action in the event of an operational problem at a monitored host

In the event of a problem at a monitored host, such as insufficient system resources, you can take appropriate action on the basis of judgment conditions and threshold values set by PFM - RM for Platform.

For example, you could define that a 90% usage rate of the physical CPU is to be set as the threshold value for a failure condition and that an email notification is to be sent when the threshold value is reached. Whenever this failure condition occurs, the system administrator will be notified of the problem in a timely manner.

If you set a judgment condition, as in this example, the appropriate action is taken automatically, thereby enabling the problem to be resolved at an early stage.

In Performance Management, the operation that is to be taken when a specified threshold value is reached is called an action. The following types of actions can be set:

• Sending an email

• Executing a command

• Issuing an SNMP trap

• Issuing a JP1 event

Defining a threshold together with an action constitutes an alarm. You use PFM - Web Console to set the alarms for the various type of performance data. For details about how to set alarms, see the chapter that describes operation monitoring by alarms in the Job Management Partner 1/Performance Management User's Guide.

When PFM - Web Console is used to set alarms, a table of the individual alarms is associated with PFM - RM for Platform. This table is called an alarm table; the association of an alarm table to PFM - RM for Platform is called binding.

Once an alarm table has been bound to PFM - RM for Platform, then whenever an item of performance data collected by PFM - RM for Platform reaches a threshold defined as an alarm, the defined action is executed.

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