Tivoli Netcool/OMNIbus configuration files for the self monitoring of probes

When you install Tivoli Netcool/OMNIbus, a number of configuration files are provided for configuring probes to collect and process statistical data for self monitoring. Samples of these configuration files are available in the $NCHOME/omnibus/extensions/roi directory.

Details of the configuration files are as follows:
  • probestats.sql file: This file provides a set of automations to capture the incoming statistical data collected for a probe, and to log the data to a file. Tables are also created in the ObjectServer to store the probe metrics and to record the last reporting period for the data. Note that the probe metrics are stored in the specially-created master.probestats table, rather than the alerts.status table.
    The log file that is created is similar to the profiling log, and includes:
    • Individual metrics for each connected probe; for example, the number of events processed, generated, and discarded since the last reporting period
    • A set of collated metrics; for example, the total number of alerts.details and alerts.journal inserts since the last reporting period

    You can review this SQL file to familiarize yourself with the potential changes that will be applied to the ObjectServer.

  • probewatch.include file: This customized rules file is provided for use with probes, and must be embedded within the main rules file for the probe. The probewatch.include file expands on the original default ProbeWatch-specific rules. This file contains new CASE statements for two additional ProbeWatch messages and for the ProbeWatch Heartbeat events, which act as a carrier for statistical data.

    The probewatch.include rules file is generic to all probes. You can customize and share this file between multiple (or all) probes to centralize the administration of ProbeWatch Heartbeat events.

  • Omnibus_TDW_Reports_ROI.zip file: This archive file contains a set of sample reports that require user customization, and integration with Tivoli® Data Warehouse and Tivoli Common Reporting. Working knowledge of these components is required to support this configuration.

A number of statistical properties are also added to the configuration for probes. These properties are used to collect usage and resource information that is specific to each probe. The statistical properties are different from the standard probe properties because they cannot be set to a meaningful value in the properties file, and they cannot be run as command-line options. These property names are all prefixed with OplStats, and are displayed in the output obtained when the probe is run with the -dumpprops command-line option.

The statistical properties are as follows:

Table 1. Statistical properties for probes
Property Description
OplStatsCPUTimeSec The CPU time consumed by the probe in seconds.

Example: If 6.002345 seconds CPU time has been consumed by the probe, OplStatsCPUTimeSec = 6
OplStatsCPUTimeUSec The subsecond component of CPU time consumed by the probe, in millionths of a second.

Example: If 6.002345 seconds CPU time has been consumed by the probe, OplStatsCPUTimeUSec = 2345
OplStatsRulesFileTimeSec The time spent processing rules in seconds.

Example: If 4.372700 seconds is spent processing rules, OplStatsRulesFileTimeSec = 4
OplStatsRulesFileTimeUSec The subsecond component of time spent processing rules, in millionths of a second.

Example: If 4.372700 seconds is spent processing rules, OplStatsRulesFileTimeUSec = 372700
OplStatsProbeStartTime The time (in UNIX epoch time) at which the probe was started.
OplStatsMemoryInUse The memory footprint (in KB) of the probe.
OplStatsNumberEvents The number of events (including ProbeWatch events) that the probe has received from its event source since the probe started.
OplStatsNumberEventsDiscarded The number of events that are discarded after rules processing.
OplStatsNumberEventsGenerated The number of events that are generated using the genevent function in the rules file.