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Installing and running the Data Analyzer: Dell OpenManage™ Data Analyzer Installation and Operation Guide

Overview • Installing the Data Analyzer on the management station • Starting and stopping the Data Analyzer • Using the default performance spreadsheet • Running the Performance Logger • Charts, data tables, and histograms

Overview

This chapter explains how to install, remove, and run the Data Analyzer software. Major topics are

• Installing the Data Analyzer - Windows NT management station
• Starting and stopping the Data Analyzer - Windows NT management station
• Using the performance spreadsheet
• Running the Performance Logger
• Charts, data tables, and histograms

Installing the Data Analyzer on the management station

The host on which you will run the Data Analyzer must have the following hardware and software:

• A color graphics console with a minimum of 1024 x 768 resolution
• The Windows NT operating system
• Simple TCP/IP Services configured with connections to the servers with arrays whose performance the Data Analyzer will monitor

NOTE: For information on which hosts you can use and the required software revisions and service packs, refer to the Data Analyzer Release Notice.

The person who runs the Data Analyzer must be an authorized user of the Data Agent. For information about adding privileged users, see the Dell OpenManage™ Data Agent for NT and Integrator Installation and Operation Guide (P/N 3967C).

If a version of the Data Analyzer is already installed, remove it as described next before installing a new version.

To remove the Data Analyzer from the management station

1. Log on to the server as Administrator or someone who has administrative privileges.
2. From the Windows NT taskbar, follow the path

Start � Dell OpenManage� PowerVault Manager� Data Analyzer� Data Analyzer Uninstall.

3. In the Confirmation window that opens, click the Yes button to confirm the removal of Data Analyzer.
4. In the Remove Program Files From Your Computer window, click the OK button when the Uninstall is successfully completed.

You have removed Data Analyzer from the server.

To install the Data Analyzer on the management station

1. Log on to the server as Administrator or someone who has administrative privileges.
2. Insert the Dell OpenManage™ Data Analyzer CD into the server's CD drive.

The installation of Data Analyzer starts automatically, and the Dell OpenManage™ Data Analyzer window with the following Welcome screen is displayed.

Figure 2-1. Data Analyzer installation screen



If you do not see the Data Analyzer installation screen, follow these steps to start the installation:

 

1. From the Windows NT taskbar, follow this path

Start � Run

2. In the Run window, enter the following program name, and then click the OK button:

drive:\setup.exe

where drive is the letter for the CD drive, which is usually D.

3. In the Welcome window, click the Next button.
4. In the Software License Agreement window, read the license agreement and then click the Yes button to accept the agreement and continue the installation.
5. In the User Information window, make sure that the Name and Company entries are correct, and click the Next button.
6. In the Choose Destination Location window, either click the Next button to accept the default location or enter or select different pathname, and then click the Next button.

C:\Program Files\Dell OpenManage™\PowerVault Manager\Data Analyzer is the default location directory where the software will be installed.

7. In the Select Program Folder window, either click the Next button to accept the default folder or enter or select different folder, and then click the Next button.

Dell OpenManage™ PowerVault Manager Data Analyzer is the default folder where the Data Analyzer program icons will be installed.

The Data Analyzer files are installed.

8. In the Setup Console window, click the Finish button
9. Remove the Dell OpenManage™ Data Analyzer CD from the management station's CD drive.

You have completed the installation of the Data Analyzer.

NOTE: Any user who can access the management station can change or delete the Data Analyzer files you just installed. If you want to change the permissions on these files, refer to the Data Analyzer Release Notice for information on what the permissions should be.

Starting and stopping the Data Analyzer

Before you can use the Data Analyzer on a management station, someone must have performed the following tasks:

To start a Data Analyzer session

For the Data Analyzer to gather samples from one or more arrays, statistics logging must be on for all SPs (storage processors) involved. If logging is not on, the Data Analyzer tries to turn it on. Therefore when you start the Data Analyzer either logging must already be on or you must have the privilege to turn it on (your username must be entered in the Data Agent configuration file).

1. Log in to the management station as Administrator or someone who has administrative privileges.
2. If SP statistics logging is not on, turn logging on using the Data Administrator or Data Supervisor.
3. From the Windows NT taskbar, follow the path

Start � Programs � Dell OpenManage™ Data Analyzer � Dell OpenManage™ Data Analyzer

The following Dell OpenManage™ Data Analyzer information window opens.

Figure 2-2. Dell OpenManage™ Data Analyzer information window



4. In the Dell OpenManage™ Data Analyzer information window, click the OK button or wait 30 seconds for the window to close automatically.

The performance spreadsheet window opens Using the default performance spreadsheet.

To stop a Data Analyzer session

1. In the Data Analyzer spreadsheet menu bar, follow the path File � Exit.
2. Use the Data Administrator or Data Supervisor to turn statistics logging off for the SPs. SP statistics logging consumes significant system resources. (The Data Analyzer does not turn statistics logging off.)

Using the default performance spreadsheet

The Data Analyzer displays information in a performance spreadsheet. The format of the spreadsheet is based on a formula sheet file. When it starts, the program displays data using the default formula sheet file, default.pfs. The program takes the data from the sample log file, samples.npl. You can specify a different log file or performance sheet file using the sequence File � Open. The default performance spreadsheet looks like the following.

Figure 2-3. Sample default performance spreadsheet

Device names appear in alphabetical (not numeric) order. The device name display varies with the kind of operating system you have. The display above shows arrays on a Windows NT server. The server name is acct_due; the array is PHYSICALDRIVE2; and the label following Disk shows the disk module ID in the cabinet or chassis.

Data values within a normal range display in black, high values in blue, and low values in green. The range between high and low is about 10%, with normal values between. The high and low thresholds are based on standard deviation.

You can select cells using the mouse or arrow keys and space bar. To select more than one cell, move the mouse or press the arrow keys while depressing the Shift key, or by drag the mouse while pressing the left button.

The menu bar, toolbar, filters, and status bar choices have the following meanings. (If the toolbar or status bar does not appear, click View and select the entry for the missing bar to make it appear.)

Menu bar

From the menu bar in the Storage Management window you can access these pull-down menus: File, Data, Performance, View, and Help. Some menu options are active only when you have selected cells with certain kinds of data.

File menu

The File Menu lets you open performance log files, create and save performance formula sheet files, manage the logger and start related applications.

Table 2-1. File menu options

Data menu

The data menu lets you create charts and display detailed device information. All displays are based on cells you selected in the spreadsheet Use the Data Menu to perform the following operations.

Table 2-2. Data menu options

Performance menu

The Performance Menu lets you edit and evaluate formulas, create new data categories, and shift columns from right to left.

Table 2-3. Performance menu options

View menu

The View Menu lets you change the appearance of the current spreadsheet.

Table 2-4. View menu options

Help menu

The Help entry on the main Analyzer screen provides information on running the Data Analyzer and on its revision.

Table 2-5. Help menu options

NOTE: You cannot print the Help text directly using the File � Print option. To print help text, copy it and paste it to a WordPad document; then print that document.

Toolbar

The buttons on the toolbar give you quick access to many of the operations you can perform using other menus.

To hide or show the toolbar

Follow this path from the menu bar:

View � Show Toolbar

To display a description of a button's function

Position the cursor on the button for a few seconds without clicking the button.

Toolbar buttons

Table 2-6. Toolbar buttons and their functions

Icon	Name	Use to
	Open Log File	Open an existing log file (name.npl) for the program to interpret. By default, the program looks in the working directory (directory from which the application was started). To open an output log file to record performance data, click the Performance Logger Administrator icon or select File � Logger Administration.
	Update Performance Data	Update performance data. This button tells the program to load any data that was written since the last read from the log file.
	Display Line Chart	Display performance data in a line, pie, or bar chart. These buttons are not active (they are grayed out) until you select one or more data cells in the performance spreadsheet. You can select more than one cell by moving the mouse while depressing the Shift key; or by dragging the mouse while pressing the left button; or by using the arrow keys and space bar. When it displays a chart, the program uses a different color for each cell you selected.
	Display Pie Chart
	Display Bar Chart
	Create Write Histogram	Create a write histogram (W) or read histogram (R). The buttons are active only after you select one or more LUNs in the device column.
	Create Read Histogram
	Logger Administration	Display the Logger Administration window. This lets you start and stop performance logging, and change logging parameters such as interval and hosts to poll. This window is explained later in this chapter.

Array, device, and time filters

The Array and Device filters let you restrict the amount of data displayed in the performance spreadsheet. The Arrays pull-down lists shows all arrays from which performance data is available. To restrict display to one array, select that array. The Device pull-down list shows all device types: LUN, SP and Disk. To restrict display to a specific device type, select that type.

The time filter (Start and End) lets you set the time range for performance computation. This filter shows how many samples are in the current observation period, and the period Start and End time. When the filter is off, the software computes values from all values in the log. When the filter is on, you can change the sample start and end times using the Start and End popdown lists; or you can use the arrow buttons. The two arrow buttons next to the End Time adjust the Start and End time simultaneously. The buttons next to the Start Time adjust only the Start Time. The check box at the right side of the filter turns the time filter on or off.

When the time filter is off, the display includes values from all samples in the log file, for the period shown in the status bar (described next).

the Data Analyzer will not let you set identical Start and End times. If you specify a time before the earliest Start time, it will display the earliest Start time. The first Start time displayed is an internal value; you cannot select this time from the pull-down list.

the Data Analyzer can display only the most recent 200 samples in a log.

Status bar information

The status bar contains a button to display the Performance Logger administration window and several display fields as follows.

Figure 2-4. Status bar

Running the Performance Logger

To start and stop the Performance Logger, and select servers and arrays to monitor, you use the Performance Logger window.

The Performance Logger runs independently of agents on the servers and arrays connected to servers. If an array fails or comes back on line, that information will be logged.

You can change logger parameters while the logger is running, but your changes will not take effect until the logger is stopped and restarted.

NOTE: Runtime logger messages may display behind the performance spreadsheet and not be visible. To ensure that you see all messages, use the sequence Window � Cascade. Also, periodically refresh the Logger Messages window.

You can start the Performance Logger Administration window using any of these sequences:

• On the menu bar, select File � Logger Administration;
• On the toolbar, click the tools button; or
• On the status bar (bottom of window), click the red X button or green dot; a red X means the logger is not running; a green dot means it is running.

The software displays the Logger Administration window as follows.

Figure 2-5. Logger Administration window

The Polling Interval[s] is the interval in seconds at which, when the Data Analyzer is logging, it will poll the agents on the selected servers. You can enter a value or select one from the Polling Interval[s] pull-down list. A long polling interval affects system performance less and produces smaller log files; a smaller interval shows short-term spike effects more precisely. One approach to performance analysis is to time your applications over both a long period (such as a work week, with an interval of 10 minutes or more) and a short peak period (such as 20 minutes, with an interval of 60 seconds).

NOTE: The Data Analyzer gets status data from the Data Agent running on each server. the Data Analyzer cannot get this data faster than the Data Agent can. Therefore, it is useless to set the Data Analyzer polling interval to less than the Agent polling interval. The default Agent polling interval is 60 seconds. For details on Agentpolling, see the Dell OpenManage™ Data Agent for NT and Integrator Installation and Operation Guide (P/N 3967C). Polls may take a long time, depending on the number of arrays and the amount of I/O with them.

The Output File Name is the log filename. When logging is on, the logger writes performance data to this file and the Data Analyzer reads the data. The default output filename is the last output filename used. The sample output file supplied with the software is named samples.npl. If you specify an existing filename, the program will warn you that the new performance data will overwrite the data in that file. We suggest the extension .npl for log files.

The Session Directory stores the output file and all other files (such as logger message files) created during this Data Analyzer session. You can use the Data Analyzer Samples directory for these files or create and use a separate directory for them. When the Data Analyzer starts, it looks for log files in its samples directory. For Windows NT, this is (drive:\Program Files\Dell OpenManage™\PowerVault Manager\Data Analyzer\Samples). We suggest you use the Samples directory as the session directory.

The Max. File Size [MB] indicator sets the maximum size allowed for a log file. A typical server, with a storage system that hold 20 disk modules, uses about 300 Kbytes per poll, which at 10-second intervals produces an output file of about 9 Mbytes in a working day of 8 hours. When the current log file reaches the max size, the Data Analyzer will take one of the following actions:

• If it can create another log file (the Max. Log Files number has not been reached), it will do so;
• If it cannot create another log file and you have specified Log File Wrap Around, it will write new data over the data at the beginning of the current log file;
• If it cannot create another log file or wrap around, it will stop logging.

Smaller log files (of 5 to 10 Mbytes) are more efficient to process than larger ones. We suggest you keep the size of log files under 10 Mbytes.

The Max. Log Files indicator lets you direct the Data Analyzer to create and use a second and subsequent file when the current file reaches its Max. File Size. The filenames used are based on the output filename you specified earlier, of the form name1.npl, name2.npl, name3.npl, and so on. If you allow more than one log file (above), then the logger will create a new file whenever the current log reaches its maximum. Then the logger will stop recording in the current log and start recording in the new log without notifying you, and the information in the current log will not be updated. You must keep track of the log files and make sure the Data Analyzer is displaying the one you want.

The Log File Wrap Around option lets you direct the Data Analyzer to overwrite the beginning of the current log file (which has the oldest data) when the Max. File Size and Max. Log Files settings have been reached. If you specified more than one log file, the program overwrites them in order: name.npl, name1.npl, and so on. If you want to retain and archive your log files, this value should be no.

The Hosts to Poll box lets you select a different server or multiple servers on which to monitor arrays. The Data Analyzer can monitor any server on the network that is running the Data Agent. To add a server, type its server hostname and click Add. To remove a server, type its hostname and click Remove. When you specify multiple servers, the Data Analyzer polls all of them and contributes their performance data to the performance log file. The main window displays data from all hosts at the same time. You can use this to compare the load and performance of all your hosts/arrays. To focus on one server and/or array, use the Arrays filter.

For Logger Control, click the Start or Stop button to confirm all entries and start or stop the logger process. Only one logger process can run; therefore just one button, Start or Stop, is enabled.

The Take Sample button tells the logger to take a sample immediately, regardless of the next scheduled polling interval. (Taking a sample may take a long time, depending on the number of arrays and amount of I/O traffic.)

The Close button closes the window.

1. Run the logger for the time period you want.
2. Stop the logger using the sequence File � Logger Administration as above; and then click the Stop button.

NOTE: After you finish running the Data Analyzer, you may want to turn SP statistics logging off for the SPs, since statistics logging affects performance. The Data Analyzer turns SP statistics logging on, but does not turn logging off.

Charts, data tables, and histograms

You can create a chart (line, pie, or bar) or histogram by selecting data cells in the performance spreadsheet and then clicking the appropriate toolbar icon. You can create charts using different categories of data; for example, using the Utilization and Total IOs.

A sample line chart showing utilization of a disk follows.

Figure 2-6. Sample line chart

The chart toolbar buttons have the following meanings.

Figure 2-7. Chart toolbar buttons

In the chart settings window, you can set the minimum and maximum values for the y-axis. However, the maximum for the y-axis is adjusted in real time. This means that whenever the next computed y value of the latest samples is higher than the specified y maximum, the y value adjusts to accommodate this value. The maximum value for the x-axis is fixed to be equal to the buffer size multiplied by the poll rate. By default, the buffer size is 100 and the poll rate is 20 seconds, so the default x-axis is 2,000 seconds. You can change the minimum x-axis value.

Line chart settings

You can change the display period and the appearance of a line chart using the Line Chart window. To do this, select Line Chart � Settings in the Line Chart menu bar. The Line Chart settings window appears as follows.

Figure 2-8. Sample line chart settings

The Title and Show Title and Footer and Show Footer boxes control the Title and Footer displays. You can edit the title and footer or turn off title or footer display at will.

If the number of characters you enter for a title or footer exceeds the width of the chart window, the Data Analyzer will suppress the entire title or footer.

The Tick Marks, Legend, Grid Lines, and Data Points boxes turn display of the item off or on.

The Min x and Max x times set the beginning and end of the display period. You can enter different times (precisely or approximately) to change the display period.

The Min y and Max y numbers set the height of the y axis in units. You can enter a different maximum number to concentrate on different aspects of performance.

A line chart requires at least three samples; the observation period must include time for at least three samples.

Data tables

A data table shows the change in a data value over time. It is the numeric representation of a line or bar graph. You can display a data table from the performance spreadsheet by selecting the data cells of interest, then selecting Data � Data Table.

Histograms

A histogram is a bar chart that shows the relative sizes of writes or reads to a LUN. You can display a histogram from the performance spreadsheet by selecting the LUNs in the left column, and then clicking the write histogram or read histogram button. A sample histogram follows.

Figure 2-9. Sample histogram

The preceding histogram indicates that during about 26 seconds, the following number and sizes of writes occurred to LUN 1:

Most writes were 8 sectors (2,048 bytes) and 128 sectors (65,536 bytes). The latter number is the default RAID-5 stripe size.

Changing chart appearance

You can change the appearance of a chart using the toolbar button. Or you can use the sequence View � Chart Settings or, for a Line Chart, Line Chart � Settings.

Printing and exporting graphic displays

You can print and/or export a chart using the chart's File menu. To do so, fillow the sequence File � Print or File � Export.

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