2.3.20 Data that can be collected with virtualized systems that use WPAR
- Organization of this subsection
(1) WPAR function
WPAR included in AIX provides a function that runs multiple AIX instances, which are virtualized as software, in a single LPAR. There are two types of WPAR environments, system WPAR and application WPAR. The global environment required for configuring WPAR is also provided. The following describes these environments.
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Global environment
This environment has a view that includes all processes, IPC, file systems, devices, and other user-level objects and system-level objects.
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System WPAR
This is a virtual system environment that has a unique file system, users and groups, resource control, login, and network.
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Application WPAR
This environment is used for separating applications from their resources.
(2) WPAR structure
The structure of WPAR is similar to that of Solaris Zone, which provides workspace for applications.
In the global environment, you can display or interact with the processes, file systems, and other system components allocated on WPAR running in the system. A new instance of WPAR can be created only in the global environment. Another instance of WPAR cannot be created in the WPAR environment. Most management tasks can be executed only in the global environment. Most commands behave differently depending on whether they are executed in the global environment or in the WPAR environment.
PFM - Agent for Platform can collect performance data in the following cases:
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PFM - Agent for Platform is running in the global environment that uses the WPAR function.
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PFM - Agent for Platform is running in the system WPAR environment.
- Note
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PFM - Agent for Platform installed in the global environment can monitor performance of the entire WPAR environment including the application WPAR environment.
(3) Monitoring processes in the global environment
When PFM - Agent for Platform is running in the global environment, you can set the ALL WPAR Collection for Process property to select the environment for which process information is collected. You can set either of the following values for the ALL WPAR Collection for Process property.
- Yes
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Collect process information for the global environment and all WPAR environments.
- No
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Collect process information for the global environment.
The ALL WPAR Collection for Process property is set to Yes by default.
The following figure shows the process information that is collected when PFM - Agent for Platform is running in the global environment.
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![[Figure]](GRAPHICS/ZUU01018.GIF)
(4) Monitoring processes in a system WPAR environment
When PFM - Agent for Platform is running in a system WPAR environment, information only about that system WPAR environment is collected regardless of the setting of the ALL WPAR Collection for Process property. The following figure shows the process information that is collected when PFM - Agent for Platform is running in the system WPAR environment.
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![[Figure]](GRAPHICS/ZUU01019.GIF)
(5) Using PFM - Agent for Platform on WPAR
When using PFM - Agent for Platform on WPAR, note that the information about processors and memory is dynamically changed.
- Installing PFM - Agent for Platform
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PFM - Agent for Platform can be installed in the global environment or system WPAR environment. Note, however, that when you install PFM - Agent for Platform in the system WPAR environment, the following information cannot be obtained because a separate application environment is provided due to the characteristics of WPAR.
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Information about the WPAR environments other than the system WPAR environment in which PFM - Agent for Platform is installed
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Some device information, such as /dev/mem and /dev/kmem
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Some network information related to the NFS Server
When you configure a system WPAR environment after PFM - Agent for Platform is installed in the global environment, the files related to PFM - Agent for Platform are copied to the system WPAR environment. However, this does not affect PFM - Agent for Platform in the global environment. Note that the copy of the PFM - Agent for Platform instance in the system WPAR environment cannot be used as is. To use PFM - Agent for Platform in the system WPAR environment, you need to manually delete the files related to PFM - Agent for Platform (all files under the /opt/jp1pc directory) in the system WPAR environment. Then perform a new installation of PFM - Agent for Platform.
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- Processor information
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Because a virtualized system based on WPAR runs according to the allocation ratio of the processor, the number of processors is not changed while PFM - Agent for Platform is running. However, because the processor allocation ratio can be dynamically changed while the system is running, information such as the processor usage for applications might be affected.
- Memory
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Be careful when setting an alarm for memory as a resource that can be changed dynamically. Even when the amount of memory used is fixed, if the allocated memory resources are reduced, memory usage will grow, and could cause alarms to be reported unintentionally.
- Devices
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When monitoring devices on WPAR, information for only logical partition groups on WPAR can be collected. To collect information for physical partition groups, install PFM - Agent for Platform in the global environment and monitor the devices in the global environment.