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dim_STAT User's Guide. by Dimitri |
Report Tool |
This User's Guide is completely written using Report Tool :))
As usually, this tool was created to cover my day to day needs :))Quite often I have to write reports to explain performance findings, present observed system/application activity, etc. etc. etc. ... etc. Yes, etc. because sometime we have to write too much to make things work or simply protect people from doing stupid things :))
So well, once you've started to write your document for French customer (so in French), and it appears majority of the development team speaking English only (or not only, but not French)... And you start to keep 2 parallel copies from the same document: FR/EN... Then you discover something very important and cannot say it to customer (yet) but absolutely need to communicate it internally! So you split once more again: FR/EN Customer/Internal = 4 different documents! next split give you 8 documents (still based on the same source of information!)... And more again: looking on people spending hours (or whole day) doing copy+paste of activity graphs from browser/teamquest/best1/patrol/etc into their wordprocessor ... makes me cry :))
So I was really tired by this situation and tried to imagine something different :))
Overview |
First point was with format choice: at least everybody on any platform able to read HTML! So it was easy :)) Also, you can easily convert HTML into any other formats (like PDF, etc.) if you need.Next point is more hard: SO WHAT?... :))
SO, my idea was to find a solution to generate any different kind of document from the same main data source!
When you get a look on any document, how its contents is organized? You'll see:
- Document= N x Chapters
- Chapter= M x Sections
- Section= P x Paragraphs
- so on...
- Smallest part = Smallest partAll depends on what is your smallest level (if your smallest part = 'letter' - you went too far and have a tendention to complicate things around :))
So, I've named my smallest part as Note and Document/Report is presented simply as ordered tree of Notes!
Main points:
- position of each Note in Report decided by its parent-ID (level+1) and order number (same level)
- any Note may have no one, one or several attributes on:
- Language (French, English, ...)
- Confidentiality (Personal, Customer, ...)
- ... (any other may be added into the system very easily)- each Note has:
- its Data Type
- Title
- text comments
- attachment (if supported by Data Type)- list of Data Type is fixed:
- Text
- Image
- HTML
- Binary
- dim_STAT Collect
- SysINFO
- HTML.tar.Z ArchiveAny Note may be created/edited/deleted at any time. During Report generation you only needs to choose right criteria according your requirements and obtain a valid document with criteria-corresponding parts!
Datatype: Text, HTML, Image, Binary |
These data types are quite similar - you may create any note with any text/ html/ image/ binary file in attachment with or without your comments. Except binary, any other file may be presented In-Line or LinkedIn-Line means your file will make part of the main document page and be part of the visible contents (ex: text directly included, image showed, etc.)
Linked means linked :)) means main document page will only include a link to your attachment (however, this attachment will be always included with document!)
Note: same idea is applied to other type of Notes too.
Datatype: SysINFO |
This is a special type to get on-line a system information from any host in the network running STAT-service (if you have permission to access this service + SysINFO).
Datatype: HTML.tar.Z |
Special type in case you want to integrate into your Report any other already written documents (converted to HTML and archived into one single tar.Z file). As you may have several files in the archive, the tool will ask you for the name of the 'main' file (file keeping references to all other).
Datatype: dim_STAT-Snapshot |
Special type in case you've saved any graph pages with Java applets during analyzing with dim_STAT. You may integrate them 'as it', tool will extract applets data from it and insert them as Note contents.Probably should be deprecated now as any graph you may save in PNG format very easily, or simply convert it into PNG or GIF....
Datatype: dim_STAT-Collect |
This is a VERY special type - it helps you to generate you all STAT graphs automatically and save your so costly time!!! (Follow example below).
Preview / Generate / Publish |
At any moment you may 'Preview' your Report or 'Generate' current/final version to be accessed on-line, or saved and shared as tar.Z archive, or single PDF file. Also, your document may be published on other site (this part is only limited to the same physical host actually).
Export / Import |
These features explains why Report Tool is called 'Mobil' :)) At any time you may export your Report and import to any other (central?) dim_STAT server (means: you edit/prepare everything on your laptop, and time to time synchronize your work with central repository). Also, it gives you a simple way to prepare your own templates! Instead to start new report every time, just import your template (old report) and continue!
Let's try! New Report |
Now relax, take your coffee, be sure you've 20 minutes of free time (while nobody stressing you), your GSM if off, you're ready to listen... So, go to the dim_STAT Main page and click on 'Report Tool'.
Click on Report Tool |
As you may expected - nothing here for the moment :))
So, let's click on the New Report!
New Report |
All you need here is just to fill new report form:
- ID: unique digital number
- Title: Main title
- Owner: owner information
- Chart: any additional comments to be present on the cover page
- Use: choose a pre-configured Report templateand click on 'Create' :))
Edit Report |
Wow! It works! :)) So well you may with 'big' buttons:
- Hide/Show Note comments
- Preview your report
- Generate report
- go Home (back to the main Report page)But if you'll walk your mouse over currently pre-generated notes you'll see explicit pop-up messages explaining each action...
Edit Actions |
As you may see:
- click on 'down' icon -- create new note 'after' current one (same parent level)
- click on 'right' icon -- create new 'son' note 'under' current one (parent level+1)
- click on 'cut' icon -- cut following by paste action (may go to 'trash' if need to be deleted (end of screen))
- click on 'data' -- edit/view NoteSo let's edit 'General Information' (click on 'data' icon)...
Edit Note |
From here you may see current Note preview and edit Note comments or attributes. If you change only attributes - click on the corresponding button to apply changes. If you want to modify Note comments - click on 'Edit Note' (BTW, you may also do it with any external editor!)
Edit Note, continue... |
Add what you want in the text fields (you may use any HTML tags, etc.)
Edit Note, continue2... |
Note: if you choose Text-format option your text is auto-formatted:
- any empty line is seen as 'new paragraph'
- any 3 blanks in the beginning of the line are replaced by 'tabulation' (like here :))Save Note! :))
Edit Note, continue3... |
You may re-edit again or open the door :))
Edit Report, continue... |
Let's fill other notes in the same way...
Edit Report, continue2... |
Pretty good :))
Now, I want to add SysINFO Note for both hosts: 'tahiti' and 'java'. (SysINFO data received on-line on the moment you're asking for, it's an easy way to keep your document updated on the moment you're writing. BTW, look into STAT-service package to know how it configured on the host side, you may extend it with any other information you need!).So, new SysINFO note under 'Software Configuration'... (right icon)...
Add Note |
New Note -- SysINFO |
As tool has no idea which kind of Note you want to add - it ask you here to choose one before continue :)) (also, I did not want to bring too much complexity on interface, no? :)) So, just click on 'SysINFO' here...
New Note -- SysINFO Form |
Here you need to fill SysINFO form: usual data (title/comments/attributes) and SysINFO specific:
- host name
- host's STAT-service portAs SysINFO output is quite wide (usually) it's preferred to keep it 'As External Link'.
Save Note! If you gave a right hostname, port, and STAT-service is up and running on this host - you'll receive your data in few seconds as me from my 'tahiti' domain :))
New Note -- SysINFO Result |
As I asked for 'Linked' contents - there is only link to SysINFO data from 'tahiti'. Let's click on it to see if it's correct...
New Note -- SysINFO Link Contents |
Edit Report, continue3... |
As you see, I've my new SysINFO note under 'Software Configuration'. Let's get SysINFO from 'java' host now and place it 'under' current tahiti SysINFO...
Edit Report, continue4... |
OK! :)) Now, under 'Hardware Configuration' I want to add an image representing my platform diagram (very simple image, just for ********* not able to imagine 2 hosts with one storage box :)) but what do you want: if people time to time doing presentation is because we are still more lazy in reception of words vs images :)))
So: 'Hardware Configuration' -> Image -> ...
Add New Note -- Image |
Once again, similar info to fill, except you may give a name of your image file to upload [Browse]. Let's fill it and save as 'In-Line' attachment.
Add New Note -- Image Inline |
Wow, it's TOO BIG! And it's not because it's so big you see it better! :)) So, I prefer to keep 'linked' any big images (except if they are VERY important :)) So, [Edit Note] -> 'As External Link' (no more need to give image file again) -> [Save Note]
Add New Note -- Image Linked |
Ok, it's better! :)) Now, let's do the most complex task here: we'll add 'dim_STAT Collect' note!
Leave this page [Door], go to the end of Report and click on [Right] icon on 'Report' note, then choose 'dim_STAT Collect'...
Add New Note -- dim_STAT Collect, Step1 |
dim_STAT Collect Note has several steps during its full creation:
1. - setup dim_STAT server database parameters, [Next]
2. - select STAT collect you want to use, [Next]
3. - select STATs you want to see and time interval, [Next]
4. - [Finish] or select STATs you want to see and time interval, [Next] (goto 4)
5. - Check graph titles, choose graph parameters, [Save]So, we are on the Step-1 here, and if you don't have any data collected you may get them from the 'Default' demo collect:
- server: localhost
- port: Default
- database: Default[Next]...
NOTE: interface become more optimized and more extended with each new release, so screen shots are probably not up to date every time :))
Add New Note -- dim_STAT Collect, Step2 |
Choose STAT collect here and Search mode (I've already log messages on 'java' host, each message was added before any of my tests started, so it's quite easy to find now corresponding time interval to each test). Otherwise we may always choose 'Date and Time' search, but you'll quickly understand it's much more painful comparing to LOG messages :))
NOTE: since v.8.0 more options added to simplify reporting:
- replay the same time slices for N days (in Date and Time)
- auto include time/date into generated graph titles
- replace on-fly some part (max 5) of LOG message by something else
Add New Note -- dim_STAT Collect, Step3 |
So far so well :)) Now we need to choose kind of graphs we want to see and during which time interval...
NOTE:
- all proposed Per-Host STATs are Bookmarks! More you created Bookmarks during analyzing - more data you may generate in your report!
- as I selected 2 hosts, tool give me also Multi-Host STATs (depending on stat commands to be present here or not), each STAT (like in Multi-Host Analyze) will put all given hosts into single graph.
Add New Note -- dim_STAT Collect, Step3 continue |
So, I'm choosing:
- per host: CPU busy%, Run queue, Mutex spin, System calls/s
- multi-host: CPU busy%, Network load bytes/s and packets/sTime interval: as I know each my test run for ~15min, I choose time interval '15 min. After' each LOG message...
[Next]...
Add New Note -- dim_STAT Collect, Step4 |
So, it's OK for me now! I've got my STATs selected with pre-populated graph title (from LOG message). BTW, you may see all your previously selected STATs are pre-selected here (selection is saved via cookies and specific to each database name)... [Finish]...
Add New Note -- dim_STAT Collect, Step5 |
Here you've to specify your future graphs parameters:
- Main title
- per graph title
- order generation
- graph mode, style, size, etc.
- Auto-AVG: good to select if you have too large time intervals and your graph become too dense
- Show LOG/TASK (as during analyze)
- Show processing: get generation output on the browser (not all browsers working correctly with it, some are waiting to get EOF before show something... If you don't choose this option, processing output is always printed into /tmp/.report.log file on Report Tool server side).[Save]...
Finally you're free now to do something else, because now your machine is working for you and all you have to do is sit and wait... Once you'll have a habit and feel well the tool - you'll ask it to generate A LOT OF graphs on the same time and got much MORE TIME TO DO SOMETHING ELSE!!! :))
Add New Note -- dim_STAT Collect Result |
Here is the final result with all my graph generated! Let's click on any link to see graph results...
NOTE: If you remember, I've selected generating order 'by Collect', and what I see now is a list of collects first, and each collect link will show me all selected STAT graphs for the same given STAT collect. Now, if I select 'by STATs' order generation - I'll see here a STAT list, and each link will show me the same STAT metric for different collects on single page...
To understand this difference:
- click on any collect links here and look on graphs (same collect, different graphs)
- now just push [Back], [Back] button (back to Step5), re-select order as 'by STATs', and [Save] again!
Add New Note -- dim_STAT Collect Contents, ordered by:Collect |
Add New Note -- dim_STAT Collect Result per STATs |
As you see, now single STAT link contains all given collects inside, so if you want to compare network usage in different cases now - just click on bytes/sec or packets/sec link!
Add New Note -- dim_STAT Collect Contents, ordered by:STATS |
Edit Report, next... |
Edit Report -- Cut |
Last thing now: I don't want to see my 'per STAT' first in Report section, just let's move it at the end... Click on [Cut] icon, then [Paste] where you want ([Trash] icon does delete operation!)
Edit Report -- Paste! |
Edit Report -- Pasted... |
Edit Report -- Preview |
Edit Report -- Preview Output |
Edit Report -- Preview Output2 |
Generate Report |
Generated Report documents |
Report Tool Home |
THAT'S ALL, folks! :)) The export file of this demonstration report may be found within dim_STAT distribution as 'ExpReport_15.tar.Z'. You may import and play with it as long as you want! :))
Also, for good first exercise you may try to generate your first graphs from 'Demo collect' giving by default in your dim_STAT database!...
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