Menus and Commands

Chapter 6 describes six of the eight menus available in Performance Gallery Gold and all the of the choices found within those menus. See "Template Menu and Commands." and "Chart Menu and Commands." for information not contained in Chapter 6. Sections in this chapter include:

"File Menu."

"Edit Menu."

"View Menu."

"Desktop Menu."

"Window Menu."

"Help Menu."

Overview

There are eight major menus within Performance Gallery Gold. There are six main menus available at program startup. When a chart is opened, the Edit menu and Window menu are displayed, for a total of eight menus. The drop-down menus are located in the menu bar in the program window.

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Figure 6.1 Performance Gallery Gold menu bar

File Menu

The File menu contains options to open and close a data file, to view the most recently-used data files, to select and edit the continuous update options, to view the current data file statistics, to print the graph(s), and to exit the Performance Gallery Gold session.

Open Data File

Use the Open Data File menu option to open (load) a Performance Gallery Gold (*.pfg) or Performance SeNTry (*.smf) data file. System performance data files are downloaded from the host data collector to the PC.

To open a data file, do the following:

On the File menu, click Open Data File.

As an alternative, click the Open Data File toolbar button, or press the Ctrl+O shortcut keys.

Select the appropriate file group from the Files of type: drop-down menu:

Perfgal Files (*.pfg)

Sentry Files (*.smf)

All Files (*.*)

Select a data file from the list box, or type the name of the file in the File name text box.

Enable the following options as needed:

Select the Add to Currently Open Data check box. (See "Add to Currently Open Data")

Select the New Data Overwrites Old check box. (See"New Data Overwrites Old")

Click Open.

Figure 6.2 Open dialog box

Add to Currently Open Data

This option behaves in two different ways, depending on the files that are being opened:

Multiple files from the same host

Multiple data files from the same host system can be loaded and utilized as a data table by the Performance Gallery Gold program. The program combines the data files into one composite data table which is viewed in a top-down format.

The Add to Currently Open Data option determines how a data file is loaded.

When the Add to Currently Open Data check box in the Open (data file) dialog box is selected, the data file is added to the data table of currently open data file(s), provided those files were collected on the same host system as the new file.

A data file that has been loaded as part of a composite data table cannot be removed from the data table. The data file can, however, be loaded again independently.

When the Add to Currently Open Data check box is cleared (not selected), the composite data table (if one exists) is purged from memory, and the new data file is loaded and utilized independently of any other data file or data table.

To load additional data files on top of the currently open data file(s) from the same system, select the Add to Currently Open Data check box in the Open dialog box.

To view the top-down order of the composite data table, view the Current File Statistics dialog box (see "Current File Statistics").

Multiple files from different hosts

In order for multiple data files from different host systems to be loaded and visible, the Add to Currently Open Data option must be selected, otherwise attempting to open a second data file will result in the second data file simply taking the place of the first. This will be evident in the Open Chart dialog box, when the System text box is grayed out and only the last data file loaded is present.

New Data Overwrites Old

The New Data Overwrites Old option is used in conjunction with the Add to Currently Open Data provided the new data file (to be loaded) is from the same host system as the currently open data file(s).

When both options are selected from the Open (data file) dialog box, the new data is added to the open data table. In instances when the collection periods (time ranges) overlap, the most recent data will overwrite the earlier data.

When the New Data Overwrites Old check box is cleared and the Add to Currently Open Data check box is selected, only the new data from new collection periods (time ranges not already included in the currently open data table) will be loaded and added to the data table.

To view the top-down order of the composite data table, view the Current File Statistics dialog box (see "Current File Statistics").

Close Data File

To close the active data file or composite data table, select Close Data File in the File menu, or press the Ctrl+F shortcut keys. If data from multiple systems is loaded, a second dialog box will appear which allows you to choose which system’s data file you would like to close.

Close All Data

To close all data files currently open with Performance Gallery Gold, select Close All Data in the File menu, or press the Ctrl+H shortcut keys.

System Alias Manager

The System Alias Manager dialog box has been added to assist in managing data files from multiple systems.

Because Performance Gallery Gold uses data from SOS Performance Advisor, (which does not and cannot pass along information like system names) the only information available to differentiate one system from another is by the HP SUSAN number. This is not very user-friendly. As a result, the System Alias Manager has been developed in order to allow the user to assign user-friendlier names to the SUSAN numbers when a new data file is loaded. Figure 6.3 displays a sample System Alias Manager dialog box with data files from two different systems loaded.

Figure 6.3 System Alias Manager dialog box

Two files from MPE/iX machines have been loaded. They have very similar SUSAN numbers, which would have made identifying and differentiating the systems within Performance Gallery Gold very difficult. Instead, both were given new aliases based on their machine names. There are two options that affect the display options of the Alias Manager:

Only display list from open data files

If this is checked, then only SUSAN numbers and assigned aliases from currently open data files will be displayed in the Current Alias List. To see all previously opened and aliased data files, uncheck this box.

Ask for an alias every time a new system’s data is loaded

If this is checked, then as soon as a new data file is opened within Performance Gallery Gold, this dialog box will appear. If this is unchecked, then the data file will open with only the SUSAN number in the header of any opened graphs.

You may assign an alias to a data file at any time:

Click on System Alias Manager in the File menu.

Select the file in the Current Alias List.

Type an alias in the System ID: Alias: text window. This must be a unique alias.

Click Apply if you want to continue assigning aliases, or OK to apply changes and close the System Alias Manager dialog box.

Most Recently Used Data Files

The File menu lists up to four of the most recently used data files. These files are numbered chronologically, 1 being the most recently used. Simply select a recently used data file in the File menu to open it.

Continuous Update

Performance Gallery Gold, when combined with server-side collection software, allows for real- time monitoring of MPE/iX, Unix, and Windows NT performance with the Continuous Update feature. Lund’s Performance Web Server (PWS), integrated with SOS Performance Advisor, provides real time monitoring for MPE/iX and Unix platforms. For Windows servers, Performance SeNTry makes Windows NT performance data available via standard Win32 API calls to the Windows operating system, then saves the current data to an.smf file. Performance Gallery Gold then reads the most current data and updates existing tables and charts. The Continuous Update feature enables timely identification and troubleshooting of even the most difficult performance bottleneck issues. In Real Time mode, Performance Gallery Gold checks for data updates every 2 seconds, so if you are monitoring the machine you are currently running on, there is only a 2 second delay. If you are remotely monitoring another system, the delay could be longer depending on network traffic.

Server Configuration

The Continuous Update feature may obtain data from either Performance SeNTry package on Windows-based servers or the SOS Performance Advisor package containing the Performance Web Server (PWS) on MPE/IX or Unix. This results in two sets of server requirements depending on the software installed on the remote system.

Servers running Performance SeNTry may require configuration in order for Continuous Update to work. First, the SeNTry Service should be running. Secondly, log file-sharing should be enabled. Also, SeNTry should be configured to log the appropriate Collection Set data. For information about enabling log file data-sharing, refer to the section titled "File Management" in the SeNTry User’s Guide. For more information on defining data to be logged, refer to "Collection set data definition" and "Data collection set start-up parameters" in the SeNTry User’s Guide.

In order to establish an initial connection, data from the remote system must be loaded into memory over a UNC network connection or file share with the target system. Once data is loaded, updating may begin.

NOTE Special consideration should be taken when configuring Performance SeNTry, as only the data configured to be logged will be available.

Servers running SOS Performance Advisor must have PWS installed and configured on the server to be monitored. For more information regarding installation and configuration, please see the PWS section of the applicable SOS Performance Advisor manual.

Continuous Update

To start using the Continuous Update ("Real Time") feature, click Continuous Update in the File menu. As an alternative, click the Continuous Update toolbar button , or press Ctrl+U shortcut keys. It is recommended that the Update Options be set prior to starting a Continuous Update session. For more details regarding the Continuous Update feature set, see "Update Options".

Figure 6.4 Manage Continuous Update dialog box

When the Manage Continuous Update dialog box opens, the top section will contain the alias names of all open data files (black text) and the connection names of systems currently connected (blue text) or previously connected (red text). Selecting the alias name of a data file will bring up a new dialog box prompting the user for an IP address or DNS entry. Enter the IP address or DNS name and click OK. The Alias name will turn blue, and real-time monitoring will begin.

Begin Real-Time Monitoring

If you would like to start monitoring a system that has already been connected to, it will appear in the list of systems in red text.

Click on the system to select it.

Click Start.

To monitor a new system:

Enter either the network path or the IP address of the remote server in the topmost text field. If the server-side performance software is installed on a non-default port (5000), then the network path will need to include the new path (firefly.lund.com:5001, for example).

Click Connect.

To begin real-time monitoring of the selected system, click Start.

To stop monitoring, select the system (or click Select Active) and click Stop.

To clear all selected systems, click Clear Selections.

When all changes have been made, click Done.

Errors

The bottom half of the Manage Continuous Update dialog box displays errors that have occurred during the last attempt to connect, start, or stop updating. These errors include DNS and data errors provided by both PGG and the operating system. Please see "Program Messages" for a listing of possible errors. Additional errors are possible, but they are posted by the operating system and may vary according to the service pack or patches installed.

NOTE If you choose to run Real Time on a line graph configured to show no data points (see "Mark Data Points"), the first data sample in your chart will not appear, because graphs need two data points in order to make a line. The same is true of area graphs as well. Once a second sample interval passes, the graph will begin to show performance data.

Update Options

There are four options used by the Continuous Update feature found in the File menu under Update Options:

Clear old Continuous data on start.

Allow automatic trimming of data.

Refresh new chart start times.

Cycle Continuous Update data.

The Continuous Update Options dialog box is shown in Figure 6.5).

Figure 6.5 Continuous Update Options dialog box

Clear old Continuous data on start

When Clear old Continuous data on start is selected, data in memory acquired from previous collection sessions is cleared. This allows the most recent data to be displayed without clutter from older session data. This feature has no affect on the Allow automatic trimming of data or Cycle Continuous Update data options, except when viewing an initial graph.

Allow automatic trimming of data

The Allow automatic trimming of data enables trimming of old data if the system being monitored becomes unresponsive due to a heavy work load.

When both automatic trimming and data cycling are enabled (see "Cycle Continuous Update data"), the cycle time is halved and the oldest half discarded after three successive fails in order to regain system responsiveness. After the second set of three failures, half of the remaining currently logged data is discarded. After the third set of three failures, Continuous Update is stopped.

When data cycling is disabled, Allow automatic trimming of data checks system responsiveness. After three successive fails, it trims the oldest one-third of the data logged from memory. If the system remains unresponsive after an additional three checks, the oldest two- thirds of the logged data is dropped from memory. After the third set of three failures, Continuous Update is stopped and a warning message is displayed.

If Allow automatic trimming of data is disabled, no data will be trimmed. After three sets of successive failures, Continuous Update will stop.

NOTE All data in the SeNTry log file will remain intact, regardless of the "Allow automatic trimming of data" and the "Cycle Continuous Update data" settings.

Refresh new chart start times

When the Refresh new chart start times check box is selected and Continuous Update is active, the default settings in the Updating tab on the Open Chart dialog box are shifted from File Start to Updating Start. This causes any historical data in the data file to be unused. The chart will display only data gathered by the continuous update (from the time the chart is opened in Continuous Update mode) feature. If Refresh new chart start times is not checked, then the charts opened while in Continuous Update mode will include historical data. The first data point will be the earliest data point contained in the historical data file.

Cycle Continuous Update data

When the Cycle Continuous Update data check box is selected, the data displayed will stay within the constraints set by the value in the Minutes cycle time field. The purpose of this option is to ensure that data being displayed is the most current data available, and that the updated data will become viewable as changes are made to the system’s configuration. There are four separate situations where no data will be displayed:

A data file has been loaded, but no data exists.

The Continuous Update feature is started, but no data is logged yet.

Data from a different system is loaded for analysis (Performance Gallery Gold is designed to monitor one system at a time).

The Clear old Continuous data on start option is selected in the Continuous Update Options dialog box and the Continuous Update feature has been started before the first update (for information regarding the Continuous Update Options dialog box, see "Update Options").

These situations will produce a chart displaying the message "No Data Available."

NOTE When there is no data available, the date in the chart heading will display 01/01/1970 00:00 - 01/01/1970 00:00.

When Cycle Continuous Update data is disabled, data is displayed as it becomes available. No data is dropped from the history of the graph, thus, although the graph/table is available, the overhead will increase, potentially rendering the monitored system unresponsive. As data is logged, it is displayed in the appropriate chart(s). For an example of this graph, see Figure 6.6.

Figure 6.6 Chart viewed after a period of time

Continuous Update will also allow for merging of historical and real-time data. If historical data is present and an attempt is made to log new data from the same system, the Continuous Update data will be merged with the data already in memory, which is reflected in the graph. This will also show gaps between times where data hasn’t been logged.

Figure 6.7 A merged historical and Continuous Update chart

If more than one chart is open while Continuous Update is running, it will update existing graphs with what logged data is available for them. If there is no data available, the graph will display "No Data Available."

Current File Statistics

To view a list of all data files that make up the composite data table in the top-down view order, click Current File Statistics in the File menu. The Current Data File Statistics dialog box provides the following information for each open data file:

The name of the data file.

The host system from which the data file was collected.

The start time of the data collection/extraction period.

The end time of the data collection/extraction period.

Figure 6.8 Current Data File Statistics dialog box

Print Current Chart

To send the currently-selected graph or table (or selected cells from a table) to a printer, click Print Current Chart in the File menu.

Before the chart is actually sent to the printer, a Print dialog box will prompt you to check the print settings. Adjust as necessary, then click OK to send the print request.

NOTE A table with a range so extensive that it requires scrolling to view some cells will be printed on multiple pages.

Print Preview

To preview the print job prior to printing, send the selected material to the Print Preview screen.

In the File menu, click Print Preview. One or more charts must be selected.

Click Zoom In to examine the page in closer detail.

Click Zoom Out to view the entire page.

Click Next Page to view the next page if necessary.

Click Previous Page to view any previous pages, if necessary.

Click Two Page to view two consecutive pages, side by side.

After previewing the print job, either click Close to return to the program window, or select the Print... command to send the chart(s) to the printer.

Print All

To print all charts currently open, click Print All in the File menu, click the Print All toolbar button or use the shortcut keys Ctrl+P.

NOTE The Print All command is not applicable to tables. Multiple graphs will be printed one per page unless you specify otherwise (see "Graph Print Setting").

Print Setup

Specify the parameters for your print request, such as the paper size and orientation, in the Print Setup dialog box. To display the Print Setup dialog box, click Print Setup... in the File menu.

Graph Print Setting

Choose Graph Print Settings in the File menu to choose how many graphs will print on a page.

1 Graph per Page

Print 1 Graph per Page is the default print setting associated with the Print All command. To print each of the selected graphs, one per page, click 1 Graph per Page in the Graph Print Setting menu.

2 Graphs per Page

Select 2 Graphs per Page in the Graph Print Settings menu to print two charts on one page. One chart will be printed on the upper half, and the second chart will printed on the lower half of the page.

4 Graphs per Page

Click 4 Graphs per Page in the Graph Print Setting menu to print four graphs per page; one graph in each quadrant of the page.

Exit

To exit the Performance Gallery Gold program, click Exit in the File menu.

Edit Menu

The Edit menu options enable the user to copy a chart to the Clipboard, clear any Performance Gallery Gold images from the Clipboard, and exit the Performance Gallery Gold session.

Copy

To move a copy of the active chart to the Clipboard, click Copy in the Edit menu, or use the toolbar button or shortcut keys (Ctrl+C).

Use another graphics tool or word processor (such as Microsoft Excel, Paintbrush, or Word for Windows) to retrieve the copied chart from the Clipboard. This function can also be used to copy the information contained in the Exception Window onto the clipboard to be pasted into another program (Word, Excel, etc.)

Clear

Unlike most Windows-based applications, the Clear option in the Edit menu deletes all Performance Gallery Gold images from the Clipboard. This command does not affect any open chart(s) or the contents of the Clipboard associated with other programs.

Export

Performance Gallery Gold charts can be exported to other applications.

Graphs can be exported as:

Windows or OS/2 Bitmap (*.bmp) files

JPEG (*.jpg) files

Portable Network Interface (*.png) files

Tables and the exception window can be exported as:

Microsoft Excel Workbook (*.xls) files

Tabbed Text (*.txt) files

HTML (*.htm) files

Formula One Workbook (*.vts) files

To export a graph or table, do the following:

Select an open graph or table (select either specific cells or the entire table).

In the Edit menu, click Export or use the Ctrl+R shortcut keys.

In the Select Image Dimensions dialog box, set the dimensions of the chart by selecting the appropriate button, or accept the default dimensions shown in the Width and Height boxes, which display the original dimensions of the chart.

Figure 6.9 Select Image Dimensions (for export) dialog box

NOTE The dimensions must be within the range of 80 to 8000 pixels. If you attempt to set the width or height dimensions using values outside this range, the program will automatically default to the nearest value within the acceptable range (80 or 8000). For example, if you try to set the width to 60 pixels, the program will default to 80 pixels.

Click OK. A Save As dialog box will prompt you to save the graph or table to disk in the file format of your choice.

To export the exception window, do the following:

Select the exception window.

In the Edit menu, click Export or use the Ctrl+R shortcut keys.

Type a file name in the File Name: text box.

Select a file type from the Save as Type: text box.

Click OK.

View Menu

The View menu options affect the program window display.

Toolbar

The Toolbar menu displays a set of buttons used to carry out common menu commands. Toolbar buttons can change, depending on which window or view is currently selected. The toolbar can be moved or docked at any edge of the program window.

Figure 6.10 Performance Gallery Gold toolbar

To hide the toolbar, clear the check mark next to the word Toolbar in the View menu. The absence of a check mark next to the Toolbar menu item indicates the option in disabled.

To display the toolbar, click the Toolbar option in the View menu again. The check mark next to the menu item indicates the option is enabled.

To move the toolbar to another location within the program window, click the frame surrounding the toolbar, then drag it to a new location within the program window.

Floating Toolbar Window

When the toolbar is placed near the center of the main program window, it becomes a floating Toolbar window. A floating Toolbar window has a title bar and can be resized and repositioned anywhere in the main program window.