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HPjmeter 4.1 User's Guide

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  HPjmeter 4.1 User's Guide > Chapter 3 Getting Started   

Using HPjmeter to Monitor Applications

The following sections summarize how to use HPjmeter to monitor applications. Detailed descriptions of the behavior of HPjmeter are linked to from each section.

Configure and Start Your Application

  1. Set the command line of your Java application to use the JVM agent and any desired agent options.

  2. Start your application with the JVM agent.

For details, see:

Confirm that the Node Agent is Running

With a standard installation, the node agent should be running on the systems where it was installed.

For details about the node agent, see:

Start the Console

Start the console from a local installation on your client workstation.

For starting instructions by platform, see Starting the Console.

Connect to the Node Agent from the Console

Procedure 3-2 Connection to Server (Default Mode)

To connect to a node agent:

  1. Choose Connect from the File menu or click Connect to server [ ]

    Screen showing connecting to server where node
agent is running
  2. In the Connect to Server dialog box, type the complete host name (server.domain.com) on which a Java application and a corresponding node agent are running.

  3. Optionally, in the Optional Port box, specify the same port number that was used when the node agent was started.

  4. Click Connect.

    After a few moments, the running JVM for each application identified should appear in the console main window pane marked with one of the following symbols:

    • — A JVM that has already loaded an HPjmeter JVM agent

    • — A JVM that has not yet loaded an HPjmeter JVM agent

  5. Repeat the previous steps if you want to connect to several node agents on several servers at once.

Procedure 3-3 Secured Connection to Server

To connect to a node agent via a SecureShell (SSH) tunnel:

  1. Choose Connect from the File Menu or click Connect to server [ ]

    Screen showing connecting to server where node
agent is running
  2. In the Connect to Server dialog box, type the complete host name (server.domain.com) of the system that is the designated host for the SSH tunnel (the SSH delegate machine).

  3. Optionally, in the Optional Port box, specify a port number through which information can pass from the SSH delegate to the node agent.

  4. Check the box labeled Use SSH Options.

    The Connect to Server dialog expands to reveal required SSH attributes.

  5. Type the IP address External IP) of the SSH delegate.

  6. Type the port number (External Port) on the SSH delegate through which information can pass from the SSH delegate machine to the console.

  7. Type the port number (Internal Port) listened to on the console side that can accept information from the SSH delegate machine.

  8. Click Connect.

    After a few moments, the running JVM for each application identified should appear in the console main window pane marked with one of the following symbols: or .

  9. Repeat the previous steps if you want to connect to several node agents.

Set Session Preferences

  1. Double-click on the JVM icon in the data pane for the application that you want to monitor.

    This opens the Session Preferences dialog box.

    NOTE:

    When the Optional Port Box Is Not Used

    The console automatically attempts to use a port on the remote system between 9505 and 9515 when arranging a port for its server socket. If it is unable to successfully use a port from this range, it will use an ephemeral port number.

    Screen showing
Session Preferences window with metric tab open
  2. By clicking the tabs in this dialog, you can see the default settings for metrics, filters, and alerts. Enable or disable the settings as desired.

    Interdependencies Exist Among Some Metrics and Between Some Metrics and Alerts:

    Some metrics are obtained together and do not display independently from one another. When this occurs, checking one metric may activate others, as shown in the following image.

    Screen showing
metric interdependence

    Some alerts require collection of specific metrics such that even if a metric is de-selected, it may be activated by selection of a related alert.

  3. Once all selections are made, click OK. The preferences window will close and the new Open Session will be visible, marked by this icon:

    Pane showing time slice and open session

    Though it is possible to begin viewing application activity immediately in the monitoring visualizers, you may want to wait for a short period of time before viewing some of the metrics. The length of time needed to collect sufficient data depends on the application size, the load imposed on the application, and on the selected preferences. Typically, a wait of 5 to 30 minutes provides sufficient data to begin seeing significant clues to the application behavior and performance. A longer collection time gives you greater accuracy in the results. For details, see: Setting Monitoring Session Preferences .

Changing Session Preferences During a Session

With HPjmeter 4.0 and later, it is possible to change session preferences during a session.

  1. Double-click the “Open Session” line in the console for the session that you want to change.

    The Session Preferences window opens.

  2. Alternately, selecting the “Open Session” line on the console enables the Session Preferences icon on the console tool bar. Click the icon to open the Session Preferences window.

View Monitoring Metrics During Your Open Session

  1. Click on the open session or time slice to highlight the data that you would like to view.

  2. Use the Monitor menu on the console main window to select the metrics that you want to see. Mousing over each category in the cascading menu will reveal the relevant metrics for that category.

    Monitor
cascading menu
  3. Click a metric to open a metric visualizer displaying the chosen data.

For details on individual metrics and how to interpret the data display, see:

See also: