PATROL Knowledge Module for Unix V8.3 – Features and FAQs

PATROL Knowledge Module for Unix V8.3 – Features

and FAQs

PATROL? Knowledge Module ? for Unix V8.3 – Features and FAQsBackground

Why Read the Kernel?

There Has to Be a Catch

Initial development Sustaining engineering How Do I Know It's Right?

Data Availability

Targeted Usage

How Does It Work?

Is That All There Is?

Composite parameters Log file scanning Process

presence Summary

Frequently Asked Questions Background

Since the release of V2.0 of PATROL, the PATROL Knowledge Module for

Unix has used Unix command-line utilities as its primary source for

reported system data. The concept of parsing human-readable text to

extract the desired data was one of the principles on which PATROL was

developed. This method has served customers well by providing a

convenient way to bring data from user-written utilities into the

product for monitoring and history retention. While relatively easy to

implement, this technique is not the most efficient interface method,

and if not carefully implemented can introduce undesirable overhead,

particularly on larger systems. The market has for some

time been

requesting that PATROL collect Unix data by directly accessing the Unix

kernel, rather than via command-line utilities.

The merger of BMC Software and BGS Systems in 1998 provided access to BEST/1?

technology that extracts Unix operating system data directly from the

kernels of the leading Unix vendors, and access to developers with

knowledge and experience working with kernel readers. Immediately

following the merger, work began to interface the BEST/1- Collect

component from the BEST/1 product (now PATROL for Unix – Perform) with

the PATROL KM? for Unix, eliminating the use of as many command-line utilities as possible. This work has been very successful

and is now incorporated in V8.3 of the PATROL KM for Unix component of