CONTENTS Title Page Copyright Page Preface 1 Introduction 1.1 Why Use DECamds? 1.2 Who Should Use DECamds? 1.3 How Does DECamds Work? 1.4 What Hardware, Software, and Privileges Does DECamds Require? 2 Getting Started 2.1 Starting and Quitting DECamds 2.2 Requesting Online Help 2.3 Basic Operations 2.3.1 Using the Mouse 2.3.2 Using Dialog Boxes 2.3.3 Opening Windows Using the Display Option 2.3.4 Opening Windows by Double Clicking 2.3.5 Closing Windows from the File Menu 2.3.6 Changing Color or Highlighting 2.4 Using the Event Log Window 2.4.1 Opening Windows from the Event Log 2.4.2 Implementing Fixes from the Event Log 2.4.3 Deleting an Event Using the Remove Option 2.4.4 Retaining an Event Using the Freeze Option 2.5 Using the System Overview Window 2.5.1 Using View to Display Groups Only 2.5.2 Collecting Data 2.5.2.1 Automatic Data Collection 2.5.2.2 Systemwide Data Collection 2.5.2.3 Single Node or Group Data Collection 2.5.2.4 Stopping Data Collection 2.6 Filters, Sorts, and Sample Intervals 2.6.1 Filtering Data 2.6.1.1 Changing a Filter Value 2.6.1.2 Changing a Filter Category 2.6.2 Sorting Data 2.6.3 Changing Sample Intervals 3 Implementing Fixes 3.1 Typical Fix Scenarios 3.1.1 "Quick" Fix Scenario 3.1.2 User Investigation Fix Scenario 3.2 Changing Working Set Size 3.2.1 VMS System Call 3.2.2 Repercussions of Changing Working Set Size 3.2.3 Where to Implement This Fix 3.3 Exiting an Image or Deleting Process 3.3.1 VMS System Call 3.3.2 Repercussions of Deleting a Process or Exiting an Image 3.3.3 Where to Implement This Fix 3.4 Changing Process Priority 3.4.1 VMS System Call 3.4.2 Repercussions of Changing Process Priority 3.4.3 Where to Implement This Fix 3.5 Purging a Working Set 3.5.1 VMS System Call 3.5.2 Repercussions of Purging a Working Set 3.5.3 Where to Implement This Fix 3.6 Suspending or Resuming a Process 3.6.1 VMS System Call 3.6.2 Repercussions of Suspending or Resuming a Process 3.6.3 Where to Implement This Fix 3.7 Crashing a Node 3.7.1 VMS System Call 3.7.2 Repercussions of Crashing a Node 3.7.3 Where to Implement This Fix 4 Summary of Menus and Windows 4.1 File Menu 4.2 Control Menu 4.3 Customize Menu 4.4 View Menu 4.5 Collect Menu 4.6 Help Menu 4.7 Event Log 4.8 System Overview 4.9 Node Summary 4.10 CPU Summary 4.11 Memory Summary 4.12 Process I/O Summary 4.13 Disk Status Summary 4.14 Disk Volume Summary 4.15 Page/Swap File Summary 4.16 Lock Contention Summary 4.17 Single Lock Summary 4.18 Single Process Summary 5 Security Features 5.1 Introduction 5.2 Console and Driver Communications 5.3 Security Files 5.3.1 Format of a Security Triplet 5.3.2 Guidelines for Setting Up Security Files 5.4 Driver Security 5.4.1 Installing the Driver 5.4.2 Using the Driver Command Procedure Parameters 5.4.3 Changing the Driver's Security File 5.4.4 Disabling the Driver Log 5.5 Console Security 5.5.1 Changing the Console Security File 5.5.2 Making Read and Write Access User Specific 6 Customizing DECamds 6.1 Startup Features 6.2 Event Severity Definitions 6.3 Event Threshold Definitions 6.4 Window Sample Intervals 7 Performance 7.1 Improvements at the Console Hardware Level 7.2 Improvements at the Application Level 7.3 Global Customizations That Affect Performance 7.3.1 Sample Intervals 7.3.1.1 Changing Default Sample Intervals 7.3.1.2 Changing Sample Rate Factor 7.3.1.3 Disabling the Automatic Sample Adjustment 7.3.2 Automatic Data Collection 7.3.2.1 Limiting the Scope of Automatic Collection at Startup 7.3.2.2 Enabling Automatic Collection When Events Are Detected 7.3.3 Event Definitions 7.3.3.1 Changing Event Thresholds 7.3.3.2 Changing Event Severity and Severity Filters 7.4 Window Customizations That Affect Performance 7.4.1 Changing Window Sample Intervals 7.4.2 Changing Window Filters A Installing DECamds A.1 Preparing to Install DECamds A.1.1 Required Operating System Components A.1.2 Prerequisite Hardware A.1.3 Prerequisite Software A.1.4 License Registration A.1.5 Installation Procedure Requirements A.1.5.1 Privileges and Disk Space A.1.5.2 System Parameters A.1.5.2.1 Checking System Parameter Values A.1.5.2.2 Changing System Parameter Values with AUTOGEN A.1.5.2.3 Setting Dynamic System Parameter Values A.1.5.3 Process Account Quotas A.1.5.4 VMSINSTAL Requirements A.1.5.5 Backing Up Your System Disk A.2 Performing the Installation A.2.1 The Installation Procedure A.2.2 Error Recovery A.3 After Installing the Driver A.3.1 Start the Driver A.3.2 Modify User Accounts A.3.3 Assign Driver Node to a Group A.3.3.1 Assigning a Node to a Group A.3.4 Modify Driver Security Files A.3.5 Add Driver to the System Startup and Shut down Files A.4 After Installing the DECamds Console A.4.1 Modify Console Security Files A.4.2 Define the System Directory A.4.3 Modify User Accounts A.4.4 Start the Application A.5 Determining and Reporting Problems A.6 Running the Installation Verification Procedure Separately A.7 Sample Installation B Files and Logical Names B.1 Files and Logical Names on the Console B.2 Files and Logical Names on the Driver C Error Messages C.1 Messages C.1.1 Success Messages C.1.2 Informational Messages C.1.3 Warning Messages C.1.4 Error Messages C.1.5 Fatal Messages C.2 Solutions to Common Problems D Log Files D.1 Event Log File D.2 Lock Contention Log File D.3 OPCOM Log Glossary EXAMPLES 6-1 AMDS$CUSTOMIZE.DAT File as Provided with Installation 6-2 AMDS$SEVERITY_DEFS.DAT as Provided with Installation 6-3 AMDS$THRESHOLD_DEFS.DAT as Provided with Installation 6-4 AMDS$INTERVAL_DEFS.DAT as Provided with Installation D-1 Sample Event Log File D-2 Sample Lock Contention Log File FIGURES 4-1 Event Log Window 4-2 System Overview Window 4-3 Node Summary Window 4-4 CPU Summary Window 4-5 Memory Summary Window 4-6 Process I/O Summary Window 4-7 Disk Status Summary Window 4-8 Disk Volume Summary Window 4-9 Page/Swap File Summary Window 4-10 Lock Contention Summary Window 4-11 Single Lock Summary Window 4-12 Single Process Summary Window TABLES 4-1 File Menu Options 4-2 Control Menu-System Overview and Event Log 4-3 Customize Menu Options 4-4 View Menu Options 4-5 Collect Menu Options 4-6 Help Menu Options 4-7 Event Log Pop-up Menu 4-8 Fixes Initiated from the Event Log 4-9 System Overview Pop-up Menu 4-10 Fixes Initiated from the System Overview Window 4-11 Events Detected from the System Overview Window 4-12 Events Detected from the Node Summary Window 4-13 Fixes Initiated from the CPU Summary Window 4-14 Events Detected from the CPU Summary Window 4-15 Fixes Initiated from the Memory Summary Window 4-16 Events Detected from the Memory Summary Window 4-17 Events Detected from the Process I/O Window 4-18 Events Detected from the Disk Status Window 4-19 Events Detected from the Disk Volume Summary Window 4-20 Events Detected from the Page/Swap File Summary Window 4-21 Events Detected from the Lock Contention Summary Window 4-22 Events Detected from the Single Lock Summary Window 4-23 Events Detected from the Single Process Window 5-1 Driver Interpretation of Security Triplets 6-1 Variables in the DECamds Customization File 6-2 DECamds Event Severity Definitions 6-3 DECamds Event Threshold Definitions 6-4 Window Sample Intervals at Installation A-1 Hardware Requirements for Installing DECamds A-2 Prerequisite and Optional Software A-3 Minimum System Parameter Values for IVP A-4 Required Dynamic Parameter Values A-5 Process Account Quotas for the Installing Account B-1 Files on the DECamds Console B-2 Logical Names Defined for the DECamds Console B-3 Files on Nodes Running the Driver B-4 Logical Names on Defined on Nodes Running the DECamds Driver