PMCLIENT(1)PMCLIENT(1)NAMEpmclient - a simple performance metrics client
SYNOPSISpmclient [-a archive] [-h host] [-n pmnsfile] [-p] [-S numsec] [-s sam‐
ples] [-t interval] [-Z timezone] [-z]
DESCRIPTIONpmclient is a simple client that uses the Performance Metrics Applica‐
tion 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 Perfor‐
mance 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 met‐
rics, 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 pmclientPCP 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).
SEE ALSOPCPIntro(1), pmcd(1), pmchart(1), pmgenmap(1), pmstat(1), PMAPI(3),
pcp.conf(5) and pcp.env(5).
DIAGNOSTICS
All are generated on standard error, and are intended to be self-
explanatory.
Performance Co-Pilot PCP PMCLIENT(1)
