ACT MICS Analyzer for MeasureWare
MICS Analyzer
for MeasureWareThe MeasureWare system captures a broad range of performance and usage data for UNIX systems. It summarizes and stores the resulting metrics in compressed form in five log files: global log, application log, process log, device log and transaction log.
micsrm140
The MeasureWare system captures a broad range of performance and usage data for UNIX systems. It summarizes and stores the resulting metrics in compressed form in five log files: global log, application log, process log, device log and transaction log.
MeasureWare startup parameters may be entered that assign processes to an application name. The system administrator defines the application names and specifies one or more program names (executable files) and/or prefixes and, (Optional) user IDs and priorities that make up the application. When a process is executed that matches the criteria, it is logged to the application. Log records are written periodically that summarize the activity for each application during the measured interval. Processes that do not fit in any defined application are summarized in the application named "Other." "Other" is an automatic definition, you do not need to enter parameters for it.
The process log captures similar information, but it is not summarized by application. Startup parameters for the process log determine whether all processes or only selected ones will be logged.
MICS Analyzer
for MeasureWare and MICS Accounting and ChargebackThe
MICS
Analyzer for MeasureWare prepares the MeasureWare data for MICS Accounting and Chargeback
. With the MICS
Analyzer for MeasureWare installed, two Accounting journal files, the UNIX/MeasureWare Application Journal File (ACTJMA) and the UNIX/MeasureWare Process Journal File (ACTJMP), are available for charging.MICS Accounting and Chargeback
allows you to charge for UNIX/MW resources from either journal file or a combination of both files. However, you should take care not to charge for the same work from both files.The
MICS Accounting and Chargeback
Rate Table panels have validation checks to prevent duplicate charging in most cases, but they cannot ensure that applications selected for charging in the UNIX/MeasureWare Application Journal File do not contain processes selected for charging in the UNIX/MeasureWare Process Journal file. This can occur because the WORKUNIT field contains application name in one file and process name in the other file.You can use qualification groups to easily charge for selected applications from the UNIX/MeasureWare Application Journal File and for any remaining usage from the UNIX/MeasureWare Process Journal File.
A qualification group defines a set of values for any one of the following accounting fields:
SYSID
System Identifier.
Subsysid
Subsystem. For UNIX/MW, this is the application number.
Subtype
For UNIX/MW, this is the operating system identifier.
COSTCTR1
Cost center 1 value.
WORKUNIT
Unit of work. For the UNIX/MeasureWare Application Journal, this is the application name. For the UNIX/MeasureWare Process Journal, this is the process name.
Once you specify the individual values in a group in the qualification group table, you can use the group name in place of individual values to identify the work to be charged in a particular journal file.
For example, suppose you want to charge for application numbers 2 through 32 from the UNIX/MeasureWare Application Journal file, and for application number 1 (Other) from the UNIX/MeasureWare Process Journal file. You could define a Subsysid qualification group containing application numbers 2 through 32. Then you could use Rate Table Algorithm Qualification to specify this Subsysid group for the UNIX/MeasureWare Application Journal File and Subsysid value 1 for the UNIX/MeasureWare Process Journal File.
Metrics Collected for Accounting
The following charging elements are available in the UNIX/MeasureWare accounting journal files:
UNIX/MeasureWare Charging Elements
UNIX/MeasureWare Application Journal ------------------------------------ Comp Accounting code Element Units Description ---- ---------- ----------- -------------------- 2601 APPCPUTM CPU Seconds Total CPU time 2602 APPSYSTM CPU Seconds System CPU Time 2603 APPUSRTM CPU Seconds User CPU Time 2604 APPNICTM CPU Seconds Nice CPU Time 2605 APPRTMTM CPU Seconds Real Time CPU Time 2606 APPNORTM CPU Seconds Normal CPU Time 2611 APPKDIO 1000 I/O Physical Disk I/O 2612 APPKLRD 1000 I/O Logical Disk Reads 2613 APPKLWT 1000 I/O Logical Disk Writes 2614 APPKPRD 1000 I/O Physical Disk Reads 2615 APPKPWT 1000 I/O Physical Disk Writes 2616 APPPKBCT Kilobytes I/O Transfer Count 2617 APPKLIO 1000 I/O Logical Disk I/O UNIX/MeasureWare Process Journal -------------------------------- Comp Accounting code Element Units Description ---- ---------- ----------- ------------------ 2651 KPSCPUTM CPU Seconds Total CPU time 2661 KPSKDIO 1000 I/O Physical Disk I/O 2662 KPSKLDK 1000 I/O Logical Disk I/O 2663 KPSPKBCT Kilobytes I/O Transfer Count
Some of the elements listed are not available on all UNIX systems. Refer to the "
MICS
Analyzer for MeasureWare" guide for the elements available on your UNIX system.The recommended charging elements are CPU time and I/O transfer count. I/O transfer count is not available for all UNIX systems, however, in which case we recommend charging for logical I/Os. The UNIX system caches disk I/O, so applying a rate to logical I/Os provides a more consistent charge for applications and processes than physical I/Os. In the UNIX/MeasureWare Application Journal, the recommended computation codes are 2601 for total CPU time and 2616 for I/Os. In the UNIX/MeasureWare Process Journal, the recommended codes are 2651 and 2663. If I/O transfer counts are not available for your UNIX system, you can use computation codes 2617 and 2662, Logical Disk I/O, to charge for I/O usage.
Strategies for UNIX Accounting
MeasureWare summarizes metrics data into predefined application categories. This makes it possible to charge for resource usage without having to process large volumes of statistical data. To maximize this capability you must know, and define, what programs or program prefixes will be executed on a given UNIX system, and assign each of them to a particular application. Any undefined usage will fall into the catch-all application, Other.
In order to charge from the UNIX/MeasureWare Application Journal File, you must also be able to identify the cost center to be charged from the application name or number. This is because the application log does not identify the user of the application.
The UNIX/MeasureWare Application Journal contains fewer records than the UNIX/MeasureWare Process Journal, so charging from this file uses less overhead and is preferred. You can implement charging using only the UNIX/MeasureWare Application Journal if the following conditions are met:
- All major processes are assigned to an application.
- You can identify the cost center to be charged based on the application name or number.
- The usage identified by the "Other" application can be treated as overhead, or assigned to a single cost center, or prorated on a percentage basis between a limited number of cost centers.
Another strategy, the one that organizations are most likely to choose, is to use the two journals in combination. Define major applications to MeasureWare and the accounting system. Charge for these applications from the UNIX/MeasureWare Application Journal. Charge for work that falls into the "Other" application category from the UNIX/MeasureWare Process Journal. The default UNIX/MeasureWare Rate Table definitions in
MICS Accounting and Chargeback
support this strategy.If you have multiple UNIX systems, you do not have to implement the same strategy for all systems. You can specify the work to be charged in each journal file by system identifier (SYSID) as well as by application. This allows you to implement different strategies concurrently.
For example, suppose a company has three UNIX systems: one that supports a dynamic set of applications, one that supports a database with a fixed set of applications, and a third that supports both dynamic and fixed applications. For the first system, you might charge by user from the UNIX/MeasureWare Process Journal, for the second by application from the UNIX/MeasureWare Application Journal, for the third by using both journal files, depending on the application number.
As a general guideline, select a method for each system that will provide the best accounting and reporting abilities using the fewest administrative and system resources. To do this, favor accounting by application; use charging by process when the applications and users change frequently.
Summary
The MeasureWare software system collects performance and resource usage metrics on UNIX systems. The combination of MeasureWare from Hewlett-Packard with the
MICS
Analyzer for MeasureWare and MICS Accounting and Chargeback
from Broadcom
provides an integrated financial management solution for users adding UNIX systems to the enterprise computing network. Users have the option to charge for resource usage by process, by application, or by using a combination of both methods.