Overview of agent activities

Agents collect information from data sources and perform maintenance on the product.

It is the responsibility of the agents to collect information from the data sources to do the following tasks:

  • Populate a set of tables (data dictionary) which defines the entities and fields available from the data source.
  • Keep the source system database information synchronized with the local web tables.

After the information is populated, a user can run a report via the web by using the information to query the data source via a dynamic SQL query. The query results are then available to the user via a web browser.

The types of tasks the agents perform fall into four categories:

  • Database
  • Procedural
  • Sweeper
  • Summary
  • NCMANAGER
Note: Some of the agent activities in the table are marked reserved. These activities indicate that the agent activity is reserved for use or removal of future implementations of the product. Do not stop these activities from running as it might result in system consequences. These jobs have minimal impact on your system resources.
Table 1. Agent Types and Descriptions
Agent Activities Label Description
Procedure Agent Activity Cleanup The procedure agent runs every hour to remove old agent activity information. The procedure agent runs first on initial use of the administration software.
Procedure Temporary Report and Schedule Cleanup The procedure agent runs every hour to remove temporary reports and schedules. The procedure agent runs first on initial use of the administration software.
Procedure Data source cleanup. This procedure agent runs daily and cleans up deleted data sources (reserved).
Sweeper Unused file deletion. The sweeper agent runs every 20 minutes to remove report results that are no longer active from the database and the file system. A consequence of this agent is the removal of report results from the Monitor tab.
LDAP Synchronization LDAP Synchronization The LDAP synchronization agent updates the database with information about the configured data source, changes to the data source properties might occur if another Tivoli Netcool Performance Manager server uses the same data source. The LDAP agent also runs periodically normally after every hour to ensure that the Tivoli Netcool Performance Manager server and Security Directory Serverare synchronized.
Procedure Update Mapping of Rehomed Instances. Updates mapping of rehomed instances (reserved).
Instance Data System Retrieve Entity Data

The instance data agent gathers information from the remote data source that is used to track the network elements that are available for reports. The information is stored in tables that are maintained by the instance schema agent

The instance data agent runs automatically if the instance schema agent adds a table or column. The instance data agent also runs periodically usually every two hours to update the information about the Tivoli Netcool Performance Manager server. (reserved).
Data Dictionary Data Dictionary Import

The data dictionary agent maintains the field and entity information about the Tivoli Netcool Performance Manager server. The information includes the following:

  • Version information for the data source.
  • List of available entities.
  • List of available fields.

Data dictionary runs once when a new data source is added to the system. This agent also runs periodically usually every 2 hours to ensure that the Tivoli Netcool Performance Manager server is up to date. To avoid database errors, only one data dictionary agent is active at 1 time (reserved).
Summary Summary Computations Tivoli Netcool Performance Manager is configured to provide summary computations for all traffic counters that are gathered from a managed network element. The role of this agent is to assess if summaries must be completed and to populate the database with the computed summaries. This agent runs every two hours and assesses what summaries are ready for creation. The Summary Computation agent ensures daily, weekly, and monthly summary computations are performed.
Busy Hour Busy Hour Calculation Tivoli Netcool Performance Manager is configured to provide busy hour computations for traffic counters that are specified in busy hour definitions. The role of this agent is to assess if busy hours must be completed and to populate the database with the computed busy hours. This agent runs every two hours and assesses what busy hours are ready for calculation. The Busy Hour Calculation agent ensures daily, weekly, and monthly busy hour calculations are performed.
NCMANAGER Deactivating the network elements that do not have data for a specified number of days. Updates the active network elements that do not have any data for a specific number of days as inactive network elements. The deactivated network elements do not participate in summaries, and report calculations and hence there is an improved performance.