HP OpenVMS Availability Manager User's Guide

HP OpenVMS Availability Manager User's Guide

March 2010

This guide explains how to use HP Availability Manager software to detect and correct system availability problems.

Revision/Update Information: This guide supersedes the HP OpenVMS Availability Manager User's Guide, Version 3.1.

Operating System: Data Analyzer:
Windows 2000 SP 4 or higher;
Windows XP SP 2;
OpenVMS Alpha Versions 8.2 and 8.3;
OpenVMS I64 Versions 8.3 and 8.3-1H1

Data Collector:
OpenVMS VAX Version 6.2 and 7.3;
OpenVMS Alpha Versions 8.2 and 8.3;
OpenVMS I64 Versions 8.3 and 8.3-1H1

Software Version: HP Availability Manager Version 3.1



Hewlett-Packard Company Palo Alto, California

© Copyright 2010 Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.

Confidential computer software. Valid license from HP required for possession, use or copying. Consistent with FAR 12.211 and 12.212, Commercial Computer Software, Computer Software Documentation, and Technical Data for Commercial Items are licensed to the U.S. Government under vendor's standard commercial license.

The information contained herein is subject to change without notice. The only warranties for HP products and services are set forth in the express warranty statements accompanying such products and services. Nothing herein should be construed as constituting an additional warranty. HP shall not be liable for technical or editorial errors or omissions contained herein.

Intel and Itanium are trademarks or registered trademarks of Intel Corporation or its subsidiaries in the United States and other countries.

Microsoft and Windows are U.S. registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation.

Java is a US trademark of Sun Microsystems, Inc.

Printed in the US

ZK6552

Contents Index

Preface

Intended Audience

This guide is intended for system managers who install and use HP Availability Manager software. It is assumed that the system managers who use this product are familiar with Microsoft Windows terms and functions.

Note
The term Windows as it is used in this manual refers to either Windows 2000 or Windows XP but not to any other Windows product.

Document Structure

This guide contains the following chapters and appendixes:

Related Documents

The following manuals provide additional information:

For additional information about HP OpenVMS products and services, see: 


http://www.hp.com/go/openvms

Reader's Comments

HP welcomes your comments on this manual. Please send your comments or suggestions to: 


openvmsdoc@hp.com

How to Order Additional Documentation

For information about how to order additional documentation, see: 


http://www.hp.com/go/openvms/doc/order

Conventions

The following conventions are used in this guide:
Ctrl/ x A sequence such as Ctrl/ x indicates that you must hold down the key labeled Ctrl while you press another key or a pointing device button.
PF1 x A sequence such as PF1 x indicates that you must first press and release the key labeled PF1 and then press and release another key or a pointing device button.
[Return] In examples, a key name enclosed in a box indicates that you press a key on the keyboard. (In text, a key name is not enclosed in a box.)

In the HTML version of this document, this convention appears as brackets, rather than a box.

... A horizontal ellipsis in examples indicates one of the following possibilities:
  • Additional optional arguments in a statement have been omitted.
  • The preceding item or items can be repeated one or more times.
  • Additional parameters, values, or other information can be entered.
.
.
. 		A vertical ellipsis indicates the omission of items from a code example or command format; the items are omitted because they are not important to the topic being discussed.
( ) In command format descriptions, parentheses indicate that you must enclose choices in parentheses if you specify more than one.
[ ] In command format descriptions, brackets indicate optional choices. You can choose one or more items or no items. Do not type the brackets on the command line. However, you must include the brackets in the syntax for OpenVMS directory specifications and for a substring specification in an assignment statement.
| In command format descriptions, vertical bars separate choices within brackets or braces. Within brackets, the choices are optional; within braces, at least one choice is required. Do not type the vertical bars on the command line.
{ } In command format descriptions, braces indicate required choices; you must choose at least one of the items listed. Do not type the braces on the command line.
bold type Bold type represents the introduction of a new term. It also represents the name of an argument, an attribute, or a reason.
italic type Italic type indicates important information, complete titles of manuals, or variables. Variables include information that varies in system output (Internal error number), in command lines (/PRODUCER= name), and in command parameters in text (where dd represents the predefined code for the device type).
UPPERCASE TYPE Uppercase type indicates a command, the name of a routine, the name of a file, or the abbreviation for a system privilege.
Example This typeface indicates code examples, command examples, and interactive screen displays. In text, this type also identifies URLs, UNIX commands and pathnames, PC-based commands and folders, and certain elements of the C programming language.
- A hyphen at the end of a command format description, command line, or code line indicates that the command or statement continues on the following line.
numbers All numbers in text are assumed to be decimal unless otherwise noted. Nondecimal radixes---binary, octal, or hexadecimal---are explicitly indicated.

Chapter 1
Overview

This chapter answers the following questions:

1.1 What Is the HP Availability Manager?

The HP Availability Manager is a system management tool that allows you to monitor, from an OpenVMS or Windows node, one or more OpenVMS nodes on an extended local area network (LAN).

The Availability Manager helps system managers and analysts target a specific node or process for detailed analysis. This tool collects system and process data from multiple OpenVMS nodes simultaneously, analyzes the data, and displays the output using a graphical user interface (GUI).

Features and Benefits

The Availability Manager offers many features that can help system managers improve the availability, accessibility, and performance of OpenVMS nodes and clusters.
Feature Description
Immediate notification of problems Based on its analysis of data, the Availability Manager notifies you immediately if any node you are monitoring is experiencing a performance problem, especially one that affects the node's accessibility to users. At a glance, you can see whether a problem is a persistent one that warrants further investigation and correction.
Centralized management Provides centralized management of remote nodes within an extended local area network (LAN).
Intuitive interface Provides an easy-to-learn and easy-to-use graphical user interface (GUI). An earlier version of the tool, DECamds, uses a Motif GUI to display information about OpenVMS nodes. The Availability Manager uses a Java GUI to display information about OpenVMS nodes on an OpenVMS or a Windows node.
Correction capability Allows real-time intervention, including adjustment of node and process parameters, even when remote nodes are hung.
Uses its own protocol An important advantage of the Availability Manager is that it uses its own network protocol. Unlike most performance monitors, the Availability Manager does not rely on TCP/IP or any other standard protocol. Therefore, even if a standard protocol is unavailable, the Availability Manager can continue to operate.
Customization Using a wide range of customization options, you can customize the Availability Manager to meet the requirements of your particular site. For example, you can change the severity levels of the events that are displayed and escalate their importance.
Scalability Makes it easier to monitor multiple OpenVMS nodes.

Figure 1-1 is an example of the initial System Overview window of the Availability Manager.

Figure 1-1 System Overview Window

The System Overview window is divided into the following sections:

1.2 How Does the Availability Manager Work?

The Availability Manager consists of the following parts:

The next two sections describe how these parts work together on an extended LAN and on a WAN.

1.2.1 Data Analyzer and Data Collector on the Same Extended LAN

The Data Analyzer and Data Collector communicate over an extended LAN using an IEEE 802.3 Extended Packet format protocol. Once a connection between the Data Analyzer and the Data Collector is established, the Data Analyzer instructs the Data Collector to gather specific system and process data.

Although the Data Analyzer can be run on a member of a monitored cluster, it is typically run on a system that is not a member of a monitored cluster. Because of this, the Data Analyzer does not hang if the cluster hangs.

When the Data Analyzer and Data Collectors reside on the same extended LAN, they can communicate directly with each other. Restrictions on this direct communication setup are as follows:

Note
The Availability Manager protocol is based on the 802.3 Extended Packet Format (also known as SNAP). The IEEE Availability Manager protocol values are as follows: 


        Protocol ID:        08-00-2B-80-48 
        Multicast Address:  09-00-2B-02-01-09

If your routers filter protocols in your network, add these values to your network protocols so that the private transport is propagated over the routers.

Figure 1-2 shows a possible configuration of nodes running Data Analyzers and Data Collectors on an extended LAN.

Figure 1-2 Availability Manager Node Configuration for an Extended LAN

In Figure 1-2, the Data Analyzer can monitor nodes A, B, and C across the network. The password on node D does not match the password of the Data Analyzer; therefore, the Data Analyzer cannot monitor node D.

For information about password security, see Section 1.3.

Requesting and Receiving Information over an Extended LAN

After installing the Availability Manager software, you can begin to request information from Data Collectors on one or more nodes.

Requesting and receiving information requires the Availability Manager to perform several steps, which are shown in Figure 1-3 and explained in the text following the figure.

Figure 1-3 Requesting and Receiving Information over an Extended LAN

The following steps correspond to the numbers in Figure 1-3.

  1. The Data Analyzer passes a user's request for data to the driver on the Data Analyzer node:
  2. The driver on the Data Analyzer transmits the request across the network to the driver on the Data Collector node.
  3. The driver on the Data Collector transmits the requested information as data over the network to the driver on the Data Analyzer node.
  4. The driver on the Data Analyzer node passes the data to the Data Analyzer, which displays the data.

In step 4, the Data Analyzer also checks the data against various thresholds and conditions, and posts events if the thresholds are exceeded or the conditions met. The following section explains how data analysis and event detection work.

Data Collector Notes

There are some characteristics to note about the Data Collector drivers on OpenVMS and Windows.

1.2.2 Data Analyzer and Data Collector Connected over a WAN

The Data Analyzer can communicate only with Data Collectors that are on an extended LAN. (LANs are usually limited to a building or even just to a computer room.) However, you might need to run a Data Analyzer on a node that is not part of an extended LAN---for example, from home or at another site. To do this, you must add a Data Server node to your extended LAN.

The purpose of the Data Server node is to relay data between the Data Analyzer and Data Collectors. The Data Server formats data for transport to and from the Data Analyzer over a WAN.

Figure 1-4 shows an example of adding a Data Server and WAN connection to Figure 1-2.

Figure 1-4 Availability Manager Node Configuration for a WAN

In Figure 1-4, the Data Analyzer monitors Data Collector nodes by passing data through the Data Server. When you start the Data Analyzer, you direct it to connect to the Data Server over the WAN. Once the connection is established, the Data Analyzer can connect to Data Collectors through the Data Server and start collecting data.

Requesting and Receiving Information over a WAN

After installing the Availability Manager software, you can begin to request information from Data Collectors on one or more nodes.

Requesting and receiving information requires the Availability Manager to perform several steps, which are shown in Figure 1-5 and explained in the text following the figure.

Figure 1-5 Requesting and Receiving Information Over a WAN

The following steps correspond to the numbers in Figure 1-5.

  1. The Data Analyzer passes a user's request for data to the IP socket connection on the Data Analyzer node.
  2. Using a secure socket, the IP socket transmits the request to the IP socket connection on the Data Server node.
  3. The IP socket on the Data Server node passes the request to the Data Server.
  4. The Data Server passes the request to the IP socket on the Data Server node:
  5. The driver on the Data Server transmits the request across the network to the driver on the Data Collector node.
  6. The driver on the Data Collector transmits the requested information as data over the network to the driver on the Data Server node.
  7. The driver on the Data Server node passes the data to the Data Server.
  8. The Data Server passes the data to the IP socket connection.
  9. The IP socket on the Data Server node transmits the data to the IP socket on the Data Analyzer node.
  10. The IP socket on the Data Analyzer node passes the data to the Data Analyzer, which displays the data.

In step 10, the Data Analyzer also checks the data for any events that need to be posted. The following section explains how data analysis and event detection work.

Note
More than one Windows or OpenVMS Data Analyzer node can connect to a Data Server node.

1.3 How Does the Availability Manager Maintain Security?

The Availability Manager uses passwords to maintain security. Passwords are eight alphanumeric characters long. The Data Analyzer stores passwords in its customization file. On OpenVMS Data Collector nodes, passwords are part of a three-part security code called a security triplet.

The following sections explain these security methods further.

1.3.1 Data Analyzer Password Security

For monitoring to take place, the password on a Data Analyzer node must match the password section of the security triplet on each OpenVMS Data Collector node. OpenVMS Data Collectors also impose other security measures, which are explained in Section 1.3.2. This password match is used whether or not a Data Server is involved in the connection between the Data Analyzer and the Data Collector.

Figure 1-6 illustrates how you can use passwords to limit access to node information.

Figure 1-6 Availability Manager Password Matching

As shown in Figure 1-6, the Testing Department's Data Analyzer, whose password is HOMERUNS, can access only OpenVMS Data Collector nodes with the HOMERUNS password as part of their security triplets. The same is true of the Accounting Department's Data Analyzer, whose password is BATTERUP; it can access only OpenVMS Data Collector nodes with the BATTERUP password as part of their security triplets.

The Availability Manager sets a default password when you install the Data Analyzer. To change that password, you must use the OpenVMS Security Customization page (see Figure 7-21), which is explained in Chapter 7.

1.3.2 OpenVMS Data Collector Security

OpenVMS Data Collector nodes have the following security features:

1.3.3 Changing Security Triplets on OpenVMS Data Collector Nodes

To change security triplets on an OpenVMS Data Collector node, you must edit the AMDS$DRIVER_ACCESS.DAT file, which is installed on all Data Collector nodes. The following sections explain what a security triplet is, how the Data Collector uses it, and how to change it.

1.3.3.1 Understanding OpenVMS Security Triplets

A security triplet determines which nodes can access system data from an OpenVMS Data Collector node. The AMDS$DRIVER_ACCESS.DAT file on OpenVMS Data Collector nodes lists security triplets.

On OpenVMS Data Collector nodes, the AMDS$AM_CONFIG logical translates to the location of the default security file, AMDS$DRIVER_ACCESS.DAT. This file is installed on all OpenVMS Data Collector nodes.

A security triplet is a three-part record whose fields are separated by backslashes (\). A triplet consists of the following fields:

The exclamation point (!) is a comment delimiter; any characters to the right of the comment delimiter are ignored.

Example

All Data Collector nodes in group FINANCE have the following AMDS$DRIVER_ACCESS.DAT file: 


*\FINGROUP\R   ! Let anyone with FINGROUP password read 
               ! 
2.1\DEVGROUP\W ! Let only DECnet node 2.1 with 
               ! DEVGROUP password perform fixes (writes)

1.3.3.2 How to Change a Security Triplet

Note
The configuration files for DECamds and the Availability Manager are separate; only one set is used, depending on which startup command procedure you use to start the driver.

For more information about the configuration file setup for both DECamds and the Availability Manager, see the HP Availability Manager Installation Instructions.

On each Data Collector node on which you want to change security, you must edit the AMDS$DRIVER_ACCESS.DAT file. The data in the AMDS$DRIVER_ACCESS.DAT file is set up as follows: 


      Network address\password\access

Use a backslash character (\) to separate the three fields.

To edit the AMDS$DRIVER_ACCESS.DAT file, follow these steps:

  1. Edit the network address.
    The network address can be either of the following:
  2. Edit the password field.
    The password field must be an 8-byte alphanumeric field. The Availability Manager forces upper-case on the password, so "aaaaaaaa" and "AAAAAAAA" are essentially the same password to the Data Collector.
    The password field gives you a second level of protection when you want to use the wildcard address denotation to allow multiple modes of access to your monitored system.
  3. Enter R, W, or C as an access code:

The following security triplets are all valid; an explanation follows the exclamation point (!). 


*\1decamds\r   ! Anyone with password "1decamds" can monitor 
*\1decamds\w   ! Anyone with password "1decamds" can monitor or write 
2.1\1decamds\r ! Only node 2.1 with password "1decamds" can monitor 
2.1\1decamds\w ! Only node 2.1 with password "1decamds" can monitor and 
write 
08-00-2b-03-23-cd\1decamds\w ! Allows a particular hardware address to 
write 
08-00-2b-03-23-cd\1decamds\r ! Allows a particular hardware address to read 
node

OpenVMS Data Collector nodes accept more than one password. Therefore, you might have several security triplets in an AMDS$DRIVER_ACCESS.DAT file for one Data Collector node. For example: 


*\1DECAMDS\R 
*\KOINECLS\R 
*\KOINEFIX\W 
*\AVAILMAN\C

In this example, Data Analyzer nodes with the passwords 1DECAMDS and KOINECLS are able to see the Data Collector data, but only the Data Analyzer node with the KOINEFIX password is able to write or change information, including performing fixes, on the Data Collector node. The Data Analyzer node with the AVAILMAN password is able to perform switched LAN fixes and other control functions.

You can choose to set up your AMDS$DRIVER_ACCESS.DAT file to allow anyone on the local LAN to read from your system, but to allow only certain nodes to write or change process or device characteristics on your system. For example: 


*\1DECAMDS\R 
08-00-2B-03-23-CD\2NODEFIX\C

In this example, any Data Analyzer node using the 1DECAMDS password can read data from your system. However, only the Data Analyzer node with the hardware address 08-00-2B-03-23-CD and the password 2NODEFIX can perform fixes and other control functions.

Note
After editing the AMDS$DRIVER_ACCESS.DAT file, you must stop and then restart the Data Collector. This action loads the new data into the driver.

1.3.4 Processing Security Triplets

The Availability Manager performs these steps when using security triplets to ensure security among Data Analyzer and Data Collector nodes:

  1. A multicast "Hello" message is broadcast at regular intervals to all nodes within the LAN indicating the availability of a Data Collector node to communicate with a Data Analyzer node.
  2. The node running the Data Analyzer receives the message, returns a password to the Data Collector, and requests system data from the Data Collector.
  3. The password and network address of the Data Analyzer are used to search the security triplets in the AMDS$DRIVER_ACCESS.DAT file.

Table 1-1 describes how the Data Collector node interprets a security triplet match.

Table 1-1 Security Triplet Verification
Security Triplet Interpretation
08-00-2B-12-34-56\HOMETOWN\W The Data Analyzer has write access to the node only when the Data Analyzer is run from a node with this hardware address (multiadapter or DECnet-Plus system) and with the password HOMETOWN.
2.1\HOMETOWN\R The Data Analyzer has read access to the node when run from a node with DECnet for OpenVMS Phase IV address 2.1 and the password HOMETOWN.
*\HOMETOWN\R Any Data Analyzer with the password HOMETOWN has read access to the node.

Sending Messages to OPCOM

The logical names shown in Table 1-2 control the sending of messages to OPCOM and are defined in the AMDS$LOGICALS.COM file on the Data Collector node.

Table 1-2 DECamds Logical Names for OPCOM Messages
AMDS$RM_OPCOM_READ A value of TRUE logs read failures to OPCOM.
AMDS$RM_OPCOM_WRITE A value of TRUE logs write failures to OPCOM.

To put these changes into effect, restart the Data Collector with the following command: 


$ @SYS$STARTUP:AMDS$STARTUP RESTART

1.4 How Does the Availability Manager Data Analyzer Identify Performance Problems?

When the Data Analyzer detects problems on your system, it uses a combination of methods to bring these problems to the attention of the system manager. It examines both the types of data collected and how often it is collected and analyzed to determine problem areas to be signaled. Performance problems are also posted in the Event pane, which is in the lower portion of the System Overview window (Figure 1-1).

The following topics are related to the method of detecting problems and posting events:

1.4.1 Collecting and Analyzing Data

This section explains how the Data Analyzer collects and analyzes data. It also defines related terms.

1.4.1.1 Events and Data Collection

The data that the Data Analyzer collects is grouped into data collections. These collections are composed of related data---for example, CPU data, memory data, and so on. Usually, the data items on the tabs (like the ones displayed in Figure 1-7) consist of one data collection.

Figure 1-7 Sample Node Summary

An event is a problem or potential problem associated with resource availability. Events are associated with various data collections. For example, the CPU Process data collection shown in Figure 1-8 is associated with the PRCCUR, PRCMWT, and PRCPWT events. (Appendix B describes events, and Appendix C describes the events that each type of data collection can signal.) For these events to be signalled, you must enable the CPU Process data collection, as described in Section 1.4.1.2.

Users can also customize criteria for events, which is described in Section 1.4.2.

1.4.1.2 Types of Data Collection

You can use the Data Analyzer to collect data either as a background activity or as a foreground activity.

Note that for either type of data collection, if you collect data for a specific node, only that node is affected. If you collect data for a group, all the nodes in that group are affected.

1.4.1.3 Data Collection Intervals

Data collection intervals, which are displayed on the Data Collection customization page (Figure 1-8), specify the frequency of data collection. Table 1-3 describes these intervals.

Table 1-3 Data Collection Intervals
Interval (in seconds) Type of Data Collection Description
NoEvent Background How often data is collected if no events have been posted for that type of data.

The Data Analyzer starts background data collection at the NoEvent interval (for example, every 75 seconds). If no events have been posted for that type of data, the Data Analyzer starts a new collection cycle every 75 seconds.

Event Background How often data is collected if any events have been posted for that type of data.

The Data Analyzer continues background data collection at the Event interval until all events for that type of data have been removed from the Event pane. Data collection then resumes at the NoEvent interval.

Display Foreground How often data is collected when the page for a specific node is open.

The Data Analyzer starts foreground data collection at the Display interval and continues this rate of collection until the display is closed. Data collection then resumes as a background activity.

1.4.2 Posting Events

The Data Analyzer evaluates each data collection for events. The Data Analyzer posts events when data values in a data collection meet or exceed user-defined thresholds and occurrences. Values for thresholds and occurrences are displayed on Event Customization pages similar to the one shown in Figure 1-9. Thresholds and occurrences are described in the next section.

Figure 1-9 Sample Event Customization

1.4.2.1 Thresholds and Occurrences

Thresholds and occurrences are criteria that the Data Analyzer uses for posting events.

A threshold is a value against which data in a data collection is compared. An occurrence is a value that represents the number of consecutive data collections that meet or exceed the threshold.

Both thresholds and occurrences are customizable values that you can adjust according to the needs of your system. For details about how to change the values for thresholds and occurrences, see Chapter 7.

Relationship Between Thresholds and Occurrences

For a particular event, when the data collected meet or exceed the threshold, the data collection enters a threshold-exceeded state. When the number of consecutive data collections to enter this state meets or exceeds the value in the Occurrence box (see Figure 1-9), the Data Analyzer displays (posts) the event in the Event pane.

A closer look at Figure 1-9 shows the relationship between thresholds and occurrences. For the DSKERR, high disk device error count event, a threshold of 15 errors has been set. A value of 2 in the Occurrence box indicates that the number of errors during 2 consecutive data collections must meet or exceed the threshold of 15 for the DSKERR event to be posted.

Chapter 2
Getting Started

Note
Before you start this chapter, be sure to read the explanation of data collections, events, thresholds, and occurrences, as well as background and foreground data collection in Chapter 1.

This chapter provides the following information:

For information about installing the HP Availability Manager on OpenVMS or Windows systems, see the HP Availability Manager Installation Instructions. You can access these instructions from the documentation link at the Availability Manager web page at the following URL: 


http://www.hp.com/products/openvms/availabilitymanager

The installation instructions also include an explanation of how to install and use both DECamds and the Availability Manager on the same system.

2.1 Configure and Start the Data Collector

Configuration tasks include defining logical names and protecting passwords. After you complete these tasks, you can start the Data Collector. The following sections describe all of these operations.

2.1.1 Defining Logical Names

OpenVMS kits for DECamds Version 7.3-2B and Availability Manager Version 3.1 provide a template file that system managers can modify to define the logical names used by the Data Collector. You can copy the file SYS$MANAGER:AMDS$SYSTARTUP.TEMPLATE to SYS$MANAGER:AMDS$SYSTARTUP.COM and edit it to change the default logicals that are used to start the Data Collector and to find its configuration files.

The most common logicals, especially in a mixed-environment cluster configuration, are the ones shown in Table 2-1:

Table 2-1 Common Availability Manager Data Collector Logical Names
Logical Description
AMDS$GROUP_NAME Specifies the group that this node will be associated with when it is monitored.
AMDS$DEVICE For nodes with more than one network adapter, allows you to specify which adapter the Data Collector should use.
AMDS$RM_DEFAULT_INTERVAL The number of seconds between multicast "Hello" messages from the Data Collector to the Data Analyzer node when the Data Collector is inactive or minimally active.

The minimum value is 5. The maximum value is 300.

AMDS$RM_SECONDARY_INTERVAL The number of seconds between multicast "Hello" messages from the Data Collector to the Data Analyzer node when the Data Collector is active.

The minimum value is 5. The maximum value is 1800.

Note
Multicast "Hello" messages are notifications from nodes running the Data Collector to the Data Analyzer. This is the way the Data Analyzer discovers Data Collectors on the network.

The Data Collector on a node transmits multicast "Hello" messages for any Data Analyzer or Data Server on the extended LAN to receive. The rate at which these messages are transmitted is regulated by the settings of the following logicals:

AMDS$RM_DEFAULT_INTERVAL
AMDS$RM_SECONDARY_INTERVAL

These logicals are contained in the file SYS$MANAGER:AMDS$LOGICALS.COM. The shorter the time interval, the faster the node is discovered and configured.

2.1.2 Protecting Passwords

To change passwords to allow a Data Analyzer to monitor a node, edit the following file: 


SYS$MANAGER:AMDS$DRIVER_ACCESS.DAT

The passwords section of the file is close to the end of the file, after the Password documentation section. The passwords in this file correspond to the passwords in the Security page shown in Section 7.9.1. Note that you can specify a list of passwords in this file. See the comments in the file for details.

2.1.3 Starting the Data Collector

Beginning with OpenVMS Version 7.2, the files needed to run the Data Collector on OpenVMS nodes are shipped with the OpenVMS operating system. However, if you want the latest Data Collector software, you must install it from the Availability Manager Data Collector kit. Once the Data Collector is running on a node, you can monitor that node using DECamds or the Availability Manager Data Analyzer.

For the Data Collector to access requests to collect data and to support the Data Analyzer, start the Data Collector by entering the following command: 


     $ @SYS$STARTUP:AMDS$STARTUP START

To start the Data Collector when the system boots, add the following command to the SYS$MANAGER:SYSTARTUP_VMS.COM file: 


     $ @SYS$STARTUP:AMDS$STARTUP START

If you make changes to either the AMDS$DRIVER_ACCESS.DAT or AMDS$LOGICALS.COM, restart the driver to load the changes. Enter the following command: 


     $ @SYS$STARTUP:AMDS$STARTUP RESTART

Note
You can start the Data Collector on all the nodes in a cluster by using the following SYSMAN command: 


$ RUN SYS$SYSTEM:SYSMAN 
SYSMAN> SET ENVIRONMENT/CLUSTER 
SYSMAN> DO @SYS$STARTUP:AMDS$STARTUP START 
SYSMAN> EXIT 
$

This method works for any AMDS$STARTUP option.

2.2 How to start the Data Analyzer

This section describes what you need to do after the Availability Manager Data Analyzer is installed. Starting the Data Analyzer is somewhat different on OpenVMS than on Windows systems. However, on both systems, starting the Data Analyzer automatically starts the Java graphical user interface (GUI), which allows you to view information that is collected from Data Collectors running on OpenVMS nodes.

The following sections describe the sequence of steps required to start the Data Analyzer on an OpenVMS node and on a Windows node.

2.2.1 Starting the Data Analyzer on an OpenVMS Node

To start a Data Analyzer on an OpenVMS node, make sure that:

Starting the Data Collector accomplishes the following important tasks:

To start the Data Analyzer, enter the following command: 


   $ AVAIL/ANALYZER

The Data Analyzer displays the Network Connection dialog box, which is shown in Figure 2-20.

Note
For a list of qualifiers you can use with the AVAIL/ANALYZER command, see the HP Availability Manager Installation Instructions, or enter HELP AVAIL at the DCL dollar prompt and then enter the qualifier.

2.2.2 Starting the Data Analyzer on a Windows Node

To start the Data Analyzer on a Windows node, first make sure that the Availability Manager Windows kit is installed on the node.

To start the Data Analyzer, follow these steps:

  1. Click
    Start ---> Programs.
  2. Select Availability Manager.
  3. Select Data Analyzer Startup.

The Data Analyzer displays the Network Connection Dialog box, which is shown in Figure 2-20.

2.3 Do You Need to Set Up a Data Server?

At this point, you must determine whether you need to use a Data Server to communicate with the Data Collectors. For an overview of what a Data Server is and how it works, see Section 1.2.2.

If the analyzer system is on the same LAN as the Data Collectors, you can use a network adapter on the analyzer system to connect with the Data Collectors. If this is the case, you do not need to set up the Data Server. To continue starting the Data Analyzer without a Data Server, go to Section 2.6.

If the Data Analyzer is on a different LAN than the Data Collectors, you must set up the Data Server on a server system that is on the same LAN as the Data Collectors. To set up secure communication between the Data Analyzer and Data Server, see Section 2.4.

Note
The Data Collector on an OpenVMS system only allows one Data Analyzer or Data Server to use it for communicating with other Data Collectors (see section Data Collector Notes under section Section 1.2.1). If you want to run both the Data Server and Data Analyzer on the same OpenVMS system, HP recommends that you run the Data Server to communicate with the other Data Collectors, and then let the Data Analyzer connect to the Data Server. This setup is similar to the one shown in Figure 1-4 and section Requesting and Receiving Information over a WAN under section Section 1.2.2. In this case, the Data Analyzer and Data Server are running on the same node (Data Server node), and use an internal IP connection for communications.

2.4 Setting Up Secure Server Communications Between the Data Analyzer and Data Server

Note
The following terminology is used in the next sections:
  • Data Server refers to the Availability Manager Data Server software.
  • Server system refers to the hardware that runs the Data Server software.
  • Analyzer system refers to the hardware that runs the Data Analyzer software.
  • Combined kit refers to the kit that includes both the Data Analyzer and the Data Server kit.

Note the following:

  • The server system and analyzer system can be either an OpenVMS system or a Windows system.
  • Any analyzer system can connect to any server system. The operating system and hardware platform make no difference to the operation of the Availability Manager.

To collect data over a WAN, the Data Analyzer communicates with a Data Server. The Data Server is a Java-based program that runs on OpenVMS or Windows. Except for differences in starting the Data Server on OpenVMS and Windows, the following section applies to both operating systems.

The Availability Manager uses an encrypted connection for secure communication between the Data Analyzer and the Data Server. The following sections describe how to set up the Data Analyzer and Data Server to use a secure communication link.

2.4.1 Introduction to Secure Communications

The Availability Manager uses Transport Layer Security (TLS) Version 1 for secure communication between the Data Analyzer and the Data Server. TLS is an extension of Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) Version 3.0, which is the most widely used protocol for security on the web.

TLS uses public key cryptography (also called asymmetric cryptography) to guarantee secure communication over a network. This type of cryptography uses an encryption algorithm that produces a pair of keys:

What one key encrypts, only the other key can decrypt. Together, these two keys are known as an asymmetric key pair.

Key Pairs, Key Stores, and Trust Stores

Before you can use the Data Server, you must create an asymmetric key pair. This key pair is associated with the Data Server, and is used by the Data Server and Data Analyzer to establish an encrypted communication link between them.

The Data Server stores the public and private key associated with it in a key store . The Data Server key store is the file AM$KeyStore.jks and resides on the server system. On OpenVMS systems, this file is in the AMDS$AM_CONFIG: directory. On Windows systems, the key store is in the installation folder. Currently, HP supports configurations in which the Data Server has only one key pair in a key store.

The Data Server public key is also stored by the Data Analyzer in a trust store on the analyzer system. The Data Analyzer trust store is the file AM$TrustStore.jks. On OpenVMS systems, this file is in the AMDS$AM_CONFIG: directory. On Windows systems, the trust store is in the installation folder. A trust store for a particular Data Analyzer holds the public key for each Data Server with which it communicates.

You create and store the key pair after installing either the combined kit (for OpenVMS) or the Availability Manager kit (for Windows). The next sections describe how to perform the following tasks:

2.4.2 Methods of Setting Up Secure Communications

The key store and trust store are created and maintained by dialog boxes in the Data Analyzer. The Data Analyzer is used for key management because it is the part of the Availability Manager that uses a GUI interface. By using the GUI interface, keys are managed the same way on OpenVMS and Windows platforms. This also keeps the Data Server from having the overhead of the dialog boxes used for creating and maintaining key and trust stores.

There are two basic methods of setting up secure communications. Both methods create a key store for the Data Server and a trust store for the Data Analyzer. The difference is that one creates the key store using the server system, and the other creates the key store from the analyzer system. Using one method or the other is sufficient to set up secure communications between the Data Analyzer and Data Server.

2.4.2.1 Setup Using the Server System

Creating the key store from the server system is the simplest method. You create the key store and export the public key using the Data Analyzer on the server system, copy the public key to the analyzer system, and import the public key with the Data Analyzer on the analyzer system. For a description of this method, see Section 2.4.3.

Using this method assumes that you can use the Data Analyzer's GUI interface on the server system. You can start the Data Analyzer on the server system and display the GUI on the following:

If this is not possible, use the alternate method to create and maintain key stores in Section 2.4.2.2.

2.4.2.2 Setup Using the Analyzer System

With this method, you create the key store and export the public key using the Data Analyzer on the analyzer system, and copy the key store to the server system. This method is described in Section 2.4.4.

2.4.3 Steps for Setting Up Secure Communications from the Server System

The following section describes how to set up the Data Server from the server system. It also describes the key setup for the Data Analyzer that runs on the server system. The procedure involves the following tasks:

When you complete these steps, the Data Server can accept connections from any Data Analyzer on the server system or on other systems.

2.4.3.1 Creating the Key Pair for the Data Server

  1. Start the Data Analyzer on the server system according to the instructions in Section 2.2. When the Data Analyzer starts, it displays the Network Connection dialog box as shown in Figure 2-1.

    Figure 2-1 Network Connection Dialog Box


  2. From the Server menu, select Key Store... to open the default key store for this system.
    The Availability Manager displays the Key Store Management dialog box as shown in Figure 2-2.

    Figure 2-2 Key Store Management Dialog Box


  3. In the Key Store Management dialog box, click New Key... to display the Generate New Key Pair dialog box as shown in Figure 2-3.

    Figure 2-3 Generate New Key Pair Dialog Box


    To create a new key pair, fill in the fields in this dialog box.
    The information you enter in the Generate New Key Pair dialog box includes fields that pertains to an X.500 Distinguished Name. HP recommends that you enter the name of the server system in the Server Name field (CN) and in Alias field. ("Alias" is simply a name that is used to track items in the key store and is not part of the generated key.)
    Currently, the Availability Manager does not verify whether or not a key has expired. Therefore, the Validity field is not used. However, for the field to work in future versions, HP recommends that you enter a large value if you are creating a key that must be valid for a long time.
    To run the Data Analyzer on the server system and have it connect to the Data Server on the server system, check the Default Trust Store check box. This creates a trust store for the Data Analyzer that contains the public key for accessing the Data Server on the server system.
    When you finish entering information to create a new key pair for the Data Server, click Add (it might take a few seconds to create the key). If you checked the Default Trust Store check box, the default trust store for this key pair is created for the Data Analyzer running on the server system.
    The Key Store Management dialog box shown in Figure 2-4 now displays one key pair, reflecting the information you entered in the Generate New Key Pair dialog box.

    Figure 2-4 Key Store Management Dialog Box Showing Key Pair


    If the only system you want to run the Data Analyzer is the server system, then do the following:
    1. Click on OK in the Key Store Management dialog box to save the key store on the server system.
    2. Follow the instructions in Section 2.6 to start and configure the Data Analyzer.

To run the Data Analyzer on other systems, see Section 2.4.3.2.

2.4.3.2 Export the Public Key for Other Data Analyzers

To run the Data Analyzer on other systems, and to connect to the Data Server on this system, you must export the public key for the Data Server as a trusted certificate. To do this, click the key pair name in the Key Store Management dialog box. This action enables the Export... button. Click Export... to export the public key in a trusted certificate. The Availability Manager displays the Export Certificate dialog box as shown in Figure 2-5.

Figure 2-5 Export Certificate Dialog Box

Store the trusted certificate in the folder and file name of your choice. Any file name with a CER extension works, although naming the file the same as the server alias can make it easier to identify. Click Export to complete this process.

Important
Remember the location of this certificate. This certificate is used in Section 2.4.5.

2.4.3.3 Save the Key Store

To save the key store on the server system, click OK in the Key Store Management dialog box. Then see Section 2.4.5 to import the trusted certificate into the Data Analyzer trust store.

2.4.4 Steps for Setting Up Secure Communications from the Analyzer System

The process for setting up the Data Server from an analyzer system involves the following tasks:

2.4.4.1 Creating the Key Store for the Data Server

Start the Data Analyzer on the analyzer system. When the Data Analyzer starts, it displays the Network Connection dialog box as shown in Figure 2-6.

Figure 2-6 Network Connection Dialog Box

From the Key Stores menu, click New Trust or Key Store.... The Availability Manager displays the Key Store Management dialog box, shown in Figure 2-7.

Figure 2-7 Key Store Management Dialog Box

In the Key Store Management dialog box, click New Key... to display the Generate New Key Pair dialog box as shown in Figure 2-8. To create a new key pair, fill in the fields in this dialog box. For a description of these fields, see Section 2.4.3.1.

Figure 2-8 Generate New Key Pair Dialog Box

When you finish entering information in the Generate New Key Pair dialog box, click Add (it might take a few seconds to create the key). If you checked the Default Trust Store check box, the default Trust Store for this key pair is created for the Data Analyzer running on the this analyzer system.

The Key Store Management dialog box (Figure 2-9) now displays the new key pair, reflecting the information you entered.

Figure 2-9 Key Store Management Dialog Box with One Entry

This step finishes the setup needed for this analyzer system. If this is the only Data Analyzer that needs to connect to this Data Server, go to Section 2.4.4.4.

2.4.4.2 Exporting the Public Key for Analyzer Systems

For other Data Analyzers that need to connect to the Data Server, export the public key as described in this section.

In the Key Store Management dialog box, select the Data Server key pair by clicking the key entry. This enables the Export... button in the dialog box. Click Export... to extract the Data Server's public key and store it in a file as a trusted certificate.

The Export Certificate dialog box is displayed as shown in Figure 2-10.

Figure 2-10 Export Certificate Dialog Box

Store the trusted certificate in the folder and file name of your choice. Any file name with the CER extension works, although accepting the default can make the file easier to identify. Click on the Export button to complete this process.

Important
Remember the location of this certificate. This certificate is used in Section 2.4.5.

2.4.4.3 Saving the Key Store for the Server System

Now that you have created the key pair for the Data Server, you must save the pair in a key store. In the Key Store Management dialog box, select the Key Store menu, and then select Save. This displays the Save Key Store dialog box as shown in Figure 2-11.

Figure 2-11 Save Key Store Dialog Box

Note
If you checked the Default Trust Store check box in Figure 2-8, the file AM$TrustStore.jks appears.

Save the key store in the folder and file name of your choice. Any file name with a JKS extension works, although naming the file the same as the server alias can make the file easier to identify. Enter this file name in the File Name: field, and click Save to save the key store. In the Key Store Management dialog box, click Cancel to dismiss the dialog box.

2.4.4.4 Copying the Key Store to the Server System

The key store is now ready for the server system. Copy the file to the server system. If you use FTP to transfer the file, be sure to use the binary transfer mode.

Once the file is copied, move it to the location and file name that the Data Server looks for when it starts. On OpenVMS, the location is AMDS$AM_CONFIG: directory. On Windows, the location is the installation directory. Make sure that the file is named AM$KeyStore.jks.

2.4.4.5 Delete the key and trust store from the analyzer system

Once you have created the key store and copied it to the server system, it is recommended that you delete the key and trust store on the analyzer system. This sets up the analyzer system to create a key store for another Data Server, or to create the trust store by importing the trusted certificates from each Data Server into the Data Analyzer.

This concludes the Data Server setup on the server system. If you want to create a key store for another Data Server, go to Section 2.4.4. Otherwise, go to Section 2.4.5, which describes how to import the Data Server's public key into the trust store of other Data Analyzers.

The next section describes how to obtain the public key from an existing Data Server. This step allows the Data Analyzer to connect to the Data Server.

2.4.4.6 Obtaining the Public Key from an Existing Data Server

This section describes how to obtain a Data Server's public key from the analyzer system.

2.4.4.6.1 Copy the Key Store from the Server System

Copy the key store from the server system to a place that is accessible to the analyzer system. On OpenVMS, the key store is AMDS$AM_CONFIG:AM$KEYSTORE.JKS. On Windows, it is AM$KeyStore.jks in the Availability Manager installation directory. If you use FTP, be sure to use the binary mode to transfer the key store successfully.

2.4.4.6.2 Export the Key Store Public Key to a Trusted Certificate

This step extracts the Data Server public key from the key store by exporting it to a trusted certificate.

Start the Data Analyzer on the analyzer system. When the Availability Manager starts, it displays the Network Connection dialog box as shown in Figure 2-12.

Figure 2-12 Network Connection Dialog Box

From the Key Stores menu, select Open Trust or Key Store... to open the Open Key or Trust Store dialog box as shown in Figure 2-13.

Figure 2-13 Open Key or Trust Store Dialog Box

In this dialog box, locate the key store file by selecting the name of the key store file, and clicking Open. The opened key store is displayed in the Key Store Management dialog box as shown in Figure 2-14.

Figure 2-14 Key Store Management Dialog Box

Select the key pair entry in the dialog box. This enables the Export... button. Click Export... to export the public key of the key pair into a trusted certificate. The Availability Manager displays the Export Certificate dialog box as shown in Figure 2-15.

Figure 2-15 Export Certificate Dialog Box

Store the trusted certificate in the folder and file name of your choice. Any file with the CER extension works, although accepting the default can make the file easier to identify. Click Export to complete this process. You now have the trusted certificate.

Important
Remember the location of this certificate. This certificate is used in Section 2.4.5.

2.4.5 Key Setup for a Data Analyzer to Connect to an Existing Data Server

This section describes how to set up a trust store for a Data Analyzer to connect to an existing Data Server. The steps involve the following tasks:

2.4.5.1 Obtaining the Data Server Public Key

First enter the Data Server's public key into the trust store of the Data Analyzer. This transfer involves exporting the key into a trusted certificate from the key store, and importing the key into the Data Analyzer's trust store.

The following sections describe how to export the the public key into a trusted certificate. If you need to export the public key, determine which of the following applies to you.

Make sure you have the Data Server's public key in a trusted certificate for the next step.

2.4.5.2 Copying the Trusted Certificate

Copy the trusted certificate from the server system to the analyzer system. Note that the trusted certificate contains binary data, so you must use binary mode if FTP is the file transport. The certificate is now ready for importing to the Data Analyzer's trust store.

2.4.5.3 Importing the Data Server Public Key

Start the Data Analyzer on the analyzer system. From the Analyzer menu, select Trust Store to open the default trust store for this system. The Availability Manager displays the Trust Store Management dialog box as shown in Figure 2-16.

Figure 2-16 Trust Store Management Dialog Box

Click Import... to import the trusted certificate. The Availability Manager displays the Import Certificate dialog box as shown in Figure 2-17.

Figure 2-17 Import Certificate Dialog Box

Select the name of the trusted certificate, and click Import. The Availability Manager displays the Assign Alias for Certificate dialog box as shown in Figure 2-18.

Figure 2-18 Assign Alias for Certificate Dialog Box

This dialog box displays the trusted certificate. Enter the alias name for the certificate in the Assign Alias field. Although you can put any text in this field, it is best to choose the same alias name that the Data Server uses. Then click OK to continue. The Availability Manager displays the Trust Store Management dialog box with the imported key as shown in Figure 2-19.

Figure 2-19 Trust Store Management Dialog Box

In the Trust Store Management dialog box, click OK to save the trusted certificate in the Data Analyzer trust store.

This sets up the Data Analyzer to connect to a Data Server. The Data Analyzer supports connections to multiple Data Servers. To connect to multiple Data Servers, export the public key for each Data Server and import it into the Data Analyzer.

This completes the Data Analyzer key configuration. You are now ready to run the Data Analyzer and connect to the Data Server.

2.5 Starting the Data Server

This section describes tasks you must perform after the Availability Manager Data Server is installed. Starting the Data Server is somewhat different on OpenVMS than on Windows systems. However, on both systems, the Data Server listens for connections from Data Analyzers once it is started.

The Data Server is designed to run in a minimal environment. It only outputs text messages to log various events and Data Analyzer connections. Because of this design, it can be run in a batch job on OpenVMS, or as a startup task on Windows.

The following sections contain the sequence of steps required to start the Data Server on an OpenVMS node and a Windows node.

The first step is to decide which platform is to run the Data Server: Windows or OpenVMS.

2.5.1 Starting the Data Server on an OpenVMS System

To start a Data Server on an OpenVMS System (Alpha or I64), make sure the following conditions are met:

Starting the Data Collector is important for these reasons:

After you install and configure the Data Collector and Data Server and start the Data Collector, enter the following command to start the Data Server: 


   $ AVAIL/SERVER

Note
For a list of qualifiers you can use with the AVAIL/SERVER command, see the HP Availability Manager Installation Instructions, or enter HELP AVAIL and then the qualifier name at the DCL dollar prompt.

2.5.2 Starting the Data Server on Windows

To install and configure the Availability Manager, follow the steps in the HP Availability Manager Installation Instructions. Then, to start the Data Server, click Click Start -> Programs -> HP Availability Manager -> Data Server Startup.

2.5.3 Data Server Port and Firewalls

If you are running a firewall on your server system, ensure that the firewall allows communication over the port the Data Server uses. The default port number is 9819, and the type of connection for the port is TCP.

2.6 Using the Network Connection Dialog Box to Start Collecting Data

The following section describes the steps needed to get the Data Analyzer to connect to one or more network adapters, or connect to one or more Data Servers. The Data Analyzer supports any combination of available network adapters and Data Servers.

These steps assume that the Data Servers are already running on the server systems.

Start the Data Analyzer on the analyzer system as described in Section 2.2. The Availability Manager displays the Network Connection dialog box, shown in Figure 2-20.

Figure 2-20 Network Connection Dialog Box

Figure 2-20 shows two entries for the two network adapters on this particular system. The last entry is where you enter the IP address and port number of a Data Server. To use one or more of these network adapters, check the check box to the left of each network adapter, and click OK. The Data Analyzer starts, using the network adapters you have chosen. To start using the Data Analyzer, see the instructions in Section 2.8.

To connect to one or more Data Servers, enter the IP address of each server, along with the IP port that the Data Server uses for communication. There are a number of possible forms for the IP address:

The default IP address shown in the dialog box is "localhost". Localhost is a synonym for the IP address of the Analyzer system itself. Use the "localhost" default or enter the IP address of the Data Server, the IP port the Data Server is using in the Port: field, and click on the plus sign button to register the entry. The data for the new Data Server entry is displayed in the dialog box. You can repeat this process to enter all the Data Servers you want to use.

Note
You can use the "localhost" name to allow more than one Data Analyzer instance to access data from a particular network adapter on the system. See Figure 1-4 for a figure that is similar to the following example that illustrates how this is done.

For instance, Data Server node ACCPNT is connected to Data Collector nodes Edmund and Lucy through network adapter A on ACCPNT. If you start the Data Analyzer on ACCPNT and have it use adapter A to gather data, this instance of the Data Analyzer is the only instance that can use adapter A to access Edmund and Lucy. If you want more than one Data Analyzer to access Edmund and Lucy through node ACCPNT, then use the Data Server instead. Start the Data Server on ACCPNT and have it use adapter A. Then you can start the Data Analyzer on ACCPNT, use the "localhost" name to access the Data Server running on ACCPNT, and gather data from Edmund and Lucy. Another person using the Data Analyzer on a Data Analyzer node can also gather data from Edmund and Lucy from ACCPNT by connecting to the Data Server on ACCPNT.

Using the Data Server in this manner allows you to run the Data Analyzer on a Data Server node without restricting access to its network adapters.

Figure 2-21 shows an example of this procedure. The IP address entered is Aslan, the WINS entry for the Data Server system, and the port number entered is 9819.

Figure 2-21 Network Connection Dialog Box with One Data Server Entry

Figure 2-22 shows the result of adding a second Data Server using the numeric form of the IP address.

Figure 2-22 Network Connection Dialog Box with Two Data Server Entries

Figure 2-23 shows the result of adding a third Data Server using the alphanumeric form of the IP address.

Figure 2-23 Network Connection Dialog Box with Three Data Server Entries

To remove a Data Server entry from the Network Connection dialog box, click the delete button (X) to the right side of the Data Server entry.

To start collecting data, check the network adapter and Data Server entries you want to use, and click OK. This process is described in Section 2.7.

2.6.1 Additional Information About Key Stores

This section contains some additional information about handling keys, key stores and trust stores.

2.6.1.1 Clarification of Network Connection dialog box Menus

Note the following:

2.6.1.2 Export and Import Made Easy

The Availability Manager allows you to open multiple key and trust stores using the menus on the Network Connection dialog box. The Key Store and Trust Store Management dialog boxes allow you to drag and drop items interchangeably between dialog boxes (and to the file system or desktop on Windows). This operation can make import and export easier if you open the key and trust stores locally or if you use network shares to open them.

2.6.1.3 Certificates

The certificate that you create is a "self-signed" one. This means that the person who creates the certificate also signs off on its legitimacy. This type of certificate is also called a root certificate.

2.7 Choosing Network Connections for Collecting Data

When you start the Data Analyzer, it displays the Network Connection dialog box. This dialog box shows the available network adapters on the system, and any Data Servers that have been entered. You can choose which networks adapters and Data Servers the Data Analyzer uses for collecting data by check the check box of each entry.

Figure 2-24 shows a Network Connection dialog box with the two available network adapters on the system, and three Data Servers. Three of the entries are checked. Section 2.8 uses this example to document how to use the Data Analyzer.

Figure 2-24 Sample Network Connection Dialog Box with Three Checked Entries

2.8 Using the System Overview Window

After you click OK on the Network Connection dialog box, the Data Analyzer displays the System Overview window Figure 2-25 and monitors the network for multicast "Hello" messages from nodes running the Data Collector. It follows these steps:

  1. After receiving a multicast "Hello" message from the Data Collector, the Data Analyzer attempts to connect to a node. This is called the attempting collection state.
    The Data Analyzer notifies you of this and other states in the System Overview window, which is shown in Figure 2-25.
  2. The Data Collector performs a security check on the Data Analyzer connection attempt.
  3. While the Data Analyzer collects data, if a node goes down, or a network connection fails between the graphical user interface and the node, that node is placed in the path lost state.

The colors of the icons preceding each node name in Figure 2-25 indicate the state of the node.

Figure 2-25 System Overview Window

The color code of each node state is explained in Table 2-2.

Table 2-2 Explanation of Color Codes in the System Overview Window
Color Description
Brown Attempts to configure nodes have failed---for example, because the nodes are in a connection failed state. A tooltip, which is described in Section 2.8.2.1, explains the reason for the failure.
Yellow Nodes are in the attempting collection state; that is, the security check of the nodes is in progress. Nodes that remain in this state more than several seconds indicate network connectivity problems with the Data Analyzer.
Black Nodes are in a path lost state; that is, the network path to the node has been lost or the node is not running.
Red Nodes are in the data collection state---that is, they are collecting data---but the nodes have exceeded a threshold, causing events to be posted. Note that if an event causes the output of any message besides an informational one, a node is displayed in red.
Green Nodes are in the data collection state; that is, the security check was successful, and the nodes are collecting data.

The System Overview window is divided into two segments, or panes: the Group/Node pane and the Event pane.

2.8.1 Using the Group/Node Pane

When you start the Data Analyzer, the System Overview window (see Figure 2-25), displays information on connection lines at the top of the pane (that is, lines starting with "Device", "Aslan" and "16.212.8.229" in Figure 2-25). The items on these lines measure throughput and congestion on each connection. The following table describes the column headings.
Heading Description
MEM These numbers monitor the memory statistics of Data Server. The first number is the amount of memory used. The second number is the total memory available. The colored bar represents the percentage of memory used. A blue bar is used for values up to 60%, yellow up to 80%, and red up to 100%.
PFLTS These numbers are the number of Data Analyzers connected to the Data Server, and measure the delay from when a packet is queued from the Data Server LAN connection to when it is sent to the Data Analyzer. The delay is measured in milliseconds. The data is in the form C - X/A/N where

C - Connection count

X - Maximum delay

A - Average delay

N - Minimum delay

The colored bar represents the average delay, with the maximum set at 500ms. A blue bar is used for values up to 250ms, yellow up to 400ms, and red for 400ms.

PFW/COM These numbers measure the delay from when a packet is queued in the Data Analyzer to when it is written to the Data Server. The delay is measured in milliseconds. The data is in the form X/A/N where

X - Maximum delay

A - Average delay

N - Minimum delay

The colored bar represents the average delay, with the maximum set at 500ms. A blue bar is used for values up to 250ms, yellow up to 400ms, and red for 400ms.

BIO These numbers monitor the packets that have been read using this connection, including multicast "Hello" messages for nodes that are not being monitored. The first number is the number of packets per second. The second number is the number of bytes per second. Note that for wide area network connection, this does not include any overhead that TCP/IP introduces when transmitting the data. The blue bar represents the number of packets read in the last monitoring interval. A full bar represents 50 or more packets per second.
DIO The first (or only) number is the number of packets currently waiting on the server to be read on this connection. A number consistently greater than 0 indicates congestion or a failing connection. The yellow bar also reflects this number. A full bar represents 50 or more packets in the queue.

The second number (when shown) is a count of the number of packets that have been discarded because the write queue on the server grew too large. A red bar indicates the number of packets that were discarded in the last monitoring interval. A full bar represents 50 or more packets discarded.

CPUQs These numbers monitor the packets that have been written using this connection. The first number is the number of packets per second. The second number is the number of bytes per second. Note that for wide area network connections, this does not include any overhead that TCP/IP introduces when transmitting the data. The blue bar represents the number of packets written in the last monitoring interval. A full bar represents 50 or more packets per second.
EVENTS The first (or only) number is the number of packets currently waiting to be written to the server on this connection. A number consistently greater than 0 indicates congestion. For a WAN connection, this might indicate a slow or failing connection. The yellow bar reflects this number. A full bar represents 50 or more packets in the queue.

The second number (when shown) is a count of the number of packets that have been discarded because the write queue grew too large. The red bar indicates the number of packets that were discarded in the last monitoring interval. A full bar represents 50 or more packets discarded.

PROC CT The status shows the state of the server connection. If the status is ERROR or FAILED, the error text is in the HW Model field.
OS VERSION The version and build number show what version of the Availability Manager that the Data Server is running.

If the number of packets waiting or discarded is consistently large, you might notice that the data displayed in the application updates at a slower rate. In extreme cases, nodes might turn black, indicating a lost connection with the node when, in reality, the problem is the congestion between the Data Analyzer and the Data Server.

If you have a problem with congestion, consider scaling back the number of nodes or the amount of data being collected, or lengthening the collection intervals.

Note
Most of these fields have a tooltip describing the field contents and some additional data. The tooltips can be rather large. To ensure that the tooltip stays up as long as you need to read it, move the mouse slightly over the field to keep the tooltip visible.

The rest of the Group/Node pane displays information about the OpenVMS groups and nodes that the Data Analyzer has found. By default, within each group, the Data Analyzer displays the nodes with which it can establish a connection. (If the Data Analyzer finds Windows nodes, those are also displayed.)

2.8.1.1 Setting Up Groups

Groups are set up during installation on Data Collector nodes and are user-definable. Be sure to define groups by cluster membership. If a node is not a member of a cluster, then you can define a group by function, type of hardware, or geographical location.

If you want to change the groups being monitored, you need to use a customization option to make changes. See Section 7.4.1 for instructions.

Note
HP recommends that you define a cluster as its own group. This is necessary for the Lock Contention, Disk Summary, Disk Volume, and Cluster data collections to function correctly.

2.8.1.2 Displaying Group Information

Groups---and the nodes in each group with which the Data Analyzer is able to establish a connection---are displayed in the Group/Node pane of the System Overview window (see Figure 2-25).

To display only groups in the Group/Node pane, click the handle in front of a group name to a horizontal position, and the nodes in that group are removed, as shown for both groups in Figure 2-26. (Clicking the handle into a vertical position displays nodes again.)

Figure 2-26 Group Overview Pane

The numbers in parentheses after "OpenVMS" (in the Group/Node pane of the System Overview window) are the following:

On each group name row, following the name of the group, the number in parentheses is the number of nodes in that group with which the Data Analyzer has established a connection.

On a group name row under the OS Version heading are color-coded numbers indicating the number of nodes in that group that are one of five color-coded states. These states are explained in Table 2-2.

Additional summary information about the entire group is on the group line. CPU, MEM, BIO, and DIO numbers are averages. The rest of the number are totals for all of the nodes in the group.

Notice the small triangle in the BIO heading in Figure 2-26. The direction of the triangle indicates that the nodes are sorted in descending order of BIO rates. Click on the triangle to reserve the sort order, or click on another column header to select a new item on which to sort data.

In the Group/Node pane, only nodes within a group are sorted. The groups remain in alphabetical order. You can sort groups in the Group Overview window by changing the sort order of one of the data column headings (see Figure 2-26).

2.8.2 Displaying Node Information

The Group/Node pane of the System Overview window allows you to focus on resource usage activity at a high level and to display more specific data whenever you want. This section explains the basic use of the Group/Node pane. For more information, see Chapter 3.

2.8.2.1 Displaying Summary Node Information

Even when nodes are not displayed on the System Overview window or the Group/Node pane, you can display important node information by placing the cursor over a group name or icon. By holding the cursor over the KOINE group name, for example, the tooltip similar to the one shown in Figure 2-27 is displayed, containing summary node information.

Figure 2-27 Tooltip Example: Summary Node Information

Note
Most of these fields have a tooltip describing the field contents and some additional data. The tooltips can be rather large. To ensure that the tooltip stays up as long as you need to read it, move the mouse slightly over the field to keep the tooltip visible.

Possible tooltip colors and their meanings are in Table 2-3.

Table 2-3 Explanation of Tooltip Colors
Color Meaning
Brown Indicates why the configuration of the node failed.
Yellow Shows number of Data Collector multicast "Hello" messages received and the number of attempts to configure the node ("Configuration packets sent"). Nodes that remain in this state more than several seconds indicate network connectivity problems with the Data Analyzer.
Black Shows the following:
  For nodes that were in the data collection state (see Table 2-2), and communication was then lost:
-- When the connection to the node was lost ("Path lost at time").
-- When that node was booted ("Boot time: time").
-- What the uptime of the node was ("Uptime: time").
  For nodes that were in the connection failed state (see Table 2-2):
-- When the connection to the node was lost ("Path lost at time").
-- The reason the node was not configured.
Red Nodes have exceeded a threshold, causing events to be posted for the node. If an event causes the output of any message besides an informational one, a node is displayed in red.
Green The security check was successful, and the nodes are collecting data; node uptime is shown.

The Group/Node pane is designed to display monitored nodes in a single pane. This format works well for sites that have relatively few nodes to monitor. However, for large sites that have many groups and nodes, scrolling through the display can be time-consuming. To help those with large sites, two additional windows are available:

2.8.2.2 Displaying a Group Overview Window

The first window to help you view large sites is the Group Overview window. To view all the group name row data easily, click on the View menu at the top of the page and select "Group Overview." The Group Overview window that is displayed (Figure 2-28) is similar to the Group Overview pane in Figure 2-26.

Figure 2-28 Group Overview Window

This display is designed to provide an overview of all the groups being monitored. If you want more information about a group, place the cursor over the group name or icon. A tooltip is displayed with additional information about nodes in the group similar to the one displayed in Figure 2-27.

You can also double-click a group name to display a Single-Group window, as explained in Section 2.8.2.3.

2.8.2.3 Displaying a Single-Group Window

The second window to help you view large sites is the Single-Group window. This display shows the nodes in one group (see Figure 2-29).

To obtain this display, you can also right-click the group name in the Group/Node pane and select the "Display" option. A separate window appears with only the nodes in the group you have selected (see Figure 2-29). This window is useful in simultaneously displaying groups that are not adjacent in the list in the Group/Node pane.

Figure 2-29 OpenVMS Single-Group Window

Within each group of nodes displayed, the Data Analyzer displays all the nodes with which it can communicate. If some nodes in the group are not displayed, it is because the Data Analyzer has not received a multicast "Hello" message from the Data Collector on that node.

The display includes the following items:

More information about node data is in Chapter 3.

Somewhat different information is displayed for a group of Windows nodes. For more information, see Section 3.1.2.

2.8.2.4 Focusing On a Specific Node

To display more information about an individual node, double-click a node name or in the Single-Group window or the Group/Node pane. You can also right-click a node name and select the "Display..." option. The Data Analyzer displays the Node Summary page shown in Figure 2-30. (The data on this page is explained in more detail in Chapter 3.)

Figure 2-30 OpenVMS Node Summary

At the top of the Node Summary page are tabs that correspond to types of node data displayed in the Group/Node pane. If you double-click a field under a column heading in the Group/Node pane, the Data Analyzer displays a page that provides more information about that field. For example, if you click a value under "CPU", the Data Analyzer displays a page similar to the one shown in Figure 3-6.

2.8.2.5 Specifying Data to Be Collected

By default, the only data collected for a node is the data displayed in the Node pane (Figure 2-29). This data is called a node summary data collection. The events in the Event pane of the System Overview window (see Figure 2-25) are produced when node summary data is processed. See Appendix C for a list of events associated with node summary data.

If you want to signal additional events that are listed in Appendix C, you must collect the data associated with those events. To collect this data by default, you must enable background data collection for the data. Background and foreground data collections are explained in more detail in Section 1.4.1.2.

For OpenVMS nodes, if you want background data collection (and the associated event detection), you must turn on data collection for each type of data you want to collect. On Windows nodes, background data collection is always enabled and cannot be turned off.

To turn on various types of data to be collected, follow these steps:

  1. In the System Overview window (Figure 2-25), click the Customize menu.
  2. Click Customize OpenVMS....
  3. Click the Data Collection tab.

The Data Analyzer then displays the Data Collection Customization page (Figure 2-31).

Figure 2-31 Data Collection Customization

The following types of data are collected by default:

To turn on a type of data collection, select the checkbox for that type of data collection in the "Collect" column. For example, to collect CPU process data, check the checkbox for "CPU process" in the Collect column. Clicking the checkbox again clears it.

When you click a data collection name, the Explanation section at the bottom of the page tells where the data for a particular data collection is displayed. Table 7-3 summarizes this information.

You cannot turn off the collection of single disk and single process data. These types of data are collected by default when you open a Single Disk Summary page or a Process Information page, respectively.

On the Data Collection Customization page, you can change the intervals at which data is collected. Collection intervals are explained in Chapter 7.

2.8.2.6 Sorting Data

You can sort data in many OpenVMS displays. The following list provides some examples. To sort the values in a field, click the corresponding column heading. To reverse the sort order, click the column heading again.

Depending on the field, you can sort data alphabetically or numerically. An alphabetical sort is performed using ASCII character values; for example, dollar signs ($) precede letters in the sort order.

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