Petrol Foundation

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www.bmc.com

PATROL ConsoleGetting Started GuideVolume 1—Understanding the Basics of PATROLfor Microsoft Windows

Supporting

PATROL Console for Microsoft Windows 3.5

May 2011


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Contacting BMC Software

You can access the BMC Software website at http://www.bmc.com. From this website, you can obtain informationabout the company, its products, corporate offices, special events, and career opportunities.

United States and Canada

Address BMC SOFTWARE INC2101 CITYWEST BLVDHOUSTON TX 77042-2827USA

Telephone 713 918 8800 or800 841 2031

Fax 713 918 8000

Outside United States and Canada

Telephone (01) 713 918 8800 Fax (01) 713 918 8000

© Copyright 2011 BMC Software, Inc.

BMC, BMC Software, and the BMC Software logo are the exclusive properties of BMC Software, Inc., are registered with the U.S. Patentand Trademark Office, and may be registered or pending registration in other countries. All other BMC trademarks, service marks, and

logos may be registered or pending registration in the U.S. or in other countries. All other trademarks or registered trademarks are the

property of their respective owners.

UNIX is the registered trademark of The Open Group in the US and other countries.PATROL® Console technology holds U.S. Patent Number 5,655,081.

The information included in this documentation is the proprietary and confidential information of BMC Software, Inc., its affiliates, orlicensors. Your use of this information is subject to the terms and conditions of the applicable End User License agreement for the productand to the proprietary and restricted rights notices included in the product documentation.

Restricted rights legend

U.S. Government Restricted Rights to Computer Software. UNPUBLISHED -- RIGHTS RESERVED UNDER THE COPYRIGHT LAWS OFTHE UNITED STATES. Use, duplication, or disclosure of any data and computer software by the U.S. Government is subject torestrictions, as applicable, set forth in FAR Section 52.227-14, DFARS 252.227-7013, DFARS 252.227-7014, DFARS 252.227-7015, and

DFARS 252.227-7025, as amended from time to time. Contractor/Manufacturer is BMC SOFTWARE INC, 2101 CITYWEST BLVD,HOUSTON TX 77042-2827, USA. Any contract notices should be sent to this address.

Customer support

You can obtain technical support by using the BMC Software Customer Support website or by contacting CustomerSupport by telephone or e-mail. To expedite your inquiry, see “Before contacting BMC.”

http://www.bmc.com/http://www.bmc.com/http://www.bmc.com/


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3

Support website

You can obtain technical support from BMC 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at http://www.bmc.com/support. From thiswebsite, you can

read overviews about support services and programs that BMC offers find the most current information about BMC products search a database for issues similar to yours and possible solutions order or download product documentation download products and maintenance report an issue or ask a question subscribe to receive proactive e-mail alerts when new product notices are released find worldwide BMC support center locations and contact information, including e-mail addresses, fax numbers, and

telephone numbers

Support by telephone or e-mail

In the United States and Canada, if you need technical support and do not have access to the web, call 800 537 1813 orsend an e-mail message to [email protected]. (In the subject line, enter SupID: ,such as SupID:12345). Outside the United States and Canada, contact your local support center for assistance.

Before contacting BMC

Have the following information available so that Customer Support can begin working on your issue immediately:

product information

— product name— product version (release number)— license number and password (trial or permanent)

operating system and environment information

— machine type— operating system type, version, and service pack or other maintenance level such as PUT or PTF— system hardware configuration— serial numbers— related software (database, application, and communication) including type, version, and service pack or

maintenance level

sequence of events leading to the issue

commands and options that you used

messages received (and the time and date that you received them)

— product error messages— messages from the operating system, such as file system full— messages from related software

http://www.bmc.com/supporthttp://www.bmc.com/supportmailto:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]://www.bmc.com/support


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4 PATROL Console Getting Started Guide for Microsoft Windows

License key and password information

If you have questions about your license key or password, use one of the following methods to get assistance:

Send an e-mail message to [email protected].

Use the Customer Support website at http://www.bmc.com/support.

mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]://www.bmc.com/supporthttp://www.bmc.com/supporthttp://www.bmc.com/supportmailto:[email protected]


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Contents 5

Contents

About This Book 13

Who Should Read This Book . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13How This Book Is Organized . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

Online and Printed Books . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14Online Help . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15Release Notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

Conventions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

Chapter 1 Overview of PATROL 19

Prerequisites . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20What PATROL Is . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

What PATROL Does . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21Components of PATROL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

How PATROL Works . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27How the PATROL Console Fits into PATROL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

Overview of the PATROL Architecture. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28Console to Agent Communication . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29

What the PATROL Console Looks Like . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30Components of the PATROL Console . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30The Desktop . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30Object Hierarchy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33Object Windows. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34Knowledge Modules and Your PATROL Environment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37

What Happens When You Start PATROL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45PATROL Accounts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45Loaded PATROL KMs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48How Application Discovery Works . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50

What the PATROL Console Allows You to Do . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53Support for IPv6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54

Chapter 2 Console and Desktop Organization 55

Console Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56Files That Affect What You See in the PatrolMainMap . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58

How Session and Desktop Files Are Alike and Different . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58About Configuration Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59About Desktop Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59About Session Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59Files Used at Startup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61


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6 PATROL Console for Microsoft Windows User Guide—Understanding the Basics of PATROL

Methods for Organizing Your Desktop. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61Ways to Customize How Windows Look . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61Objects for Organizing Your Desktop. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63User Preferences. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64PATROL Console Application Filters. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65

Icon Library. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65

Chapter 3 PATROL Startup 67

Determining the Instructions You Need . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69Required Tasks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69Optional Tasks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69PATROL Developer Console Users. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70PATROL Operator Console Users. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71PATROL Secure Plug-In Users . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71

Starting a PATROL Agent. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71Background Information. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72Task . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72Starting the PATROL Agent . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72

Starting a PATROL Console . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73Command Line Arguments for the PATROL Console. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74PATROL license information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75PATROL license information for versions earlier than 3.5.80. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75Task . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76Starting a PATROL Console . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76Potential Offline Host Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78Where to Go from Here. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79

Loading KMs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79Operating System KMs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80Application KMs and Security. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80Conditions That Can Affect KM Loading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80PATROL Consoles, KM Versions, and the PATROL Agent . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81Tasks. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81Loading a KM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81Reloading a KM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83Activities for Loaded KM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84Where to Go from Here. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85

Adding a Host Computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86Background Information. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86Console Settings and Computer Instances. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86Tasks. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86Discovering Agent Hosts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87Adding a Host Computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88Solving Possible Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93Where to Go from Here. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93

Connecting and Disconnecting from Hosts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94Multiple Host Connections. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94Multiple Host Disconnections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94

Customizing User Preferences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94About the Default Logon Account . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95


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Contents 7

Preferences to Change. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95Tasks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96Changing User Preferences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96Saving User Preferences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105

Setting Up a Desktop File . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106

Tasks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106Creating and Saving a Desktop File . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107Inserting a Desktop File . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108

Using a Desktop Template . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109Tasks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109Creating and Saving a Desktop Template File . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109Inserting a Computer Desktop Template. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110

Stopping the PATROL Agent service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112Changing Properties for a Computer Instance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113

Property Tabs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113Tasks for Changing Properties for a Computer Instance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113

Related Tasks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118

Chapter 4 Online Help and Utilities 119

Online Help. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120PATROL Console Help Topics List . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120KM Help Topics List . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121PATROL Console Dialog Box Help . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122KM Parameter Help . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122

PATROL Utilities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123

Chapter 5 Troubleshooting Console Problems 127

If a Host Computer (Computer Instance) Is Offline . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128Recommended Actions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128What You Can Try Next . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130

If Applications or Application Instances Are Not Discovered . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131Recommended Actions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131

If an Application or Application Instance Is Offline. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132Recommended Actions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132

If the PATROL Agent Stops Running. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133Recommended Actions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133What You Can Try Next . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134

If You Cannot Start the PATROL Console . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135Recommended Actions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135What You Can Try Next . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135

Appendix A PATROL Environment Variables 137

Appendix B PATROL License Updating 141

Using the PATROL Console to Update Your License . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142Entering License Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142

Using an ASCII File to Update Your License. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143


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Updating License Information. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143

Glossary 145

Index 167


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Figures 9

Figures

How PATROL Works . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27Typical PATROL System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28Windows and Interface Elements in the Console (Part 1) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30Windows and Interface Elements in the Console (Part 2) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31Windows and Interface Elements in the Console (Part 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32PATROL Object Hierarchy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33PATROL Object Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34Knowledge Hierarchy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37Knowledge Hierarchy as Displayed by the KM Tree . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38Examples of Global and Local Folders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39Computer Classes and Instances on the PATROL KM Tree . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41Application Classes and Instances on the PATROL KM Tree . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42PATROL Discovery Cycle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51Example of IPPreference Usage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54PATROL Agent Manager Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73Example of Using a Command Line Argument . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75PATROL License Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77PATROL Console Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78Load KMs Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82PATROL Agent Discovery Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87Add Host Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89Console Window with Computer Instances . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92Console Window with IPv6 Computer Instance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92User Preferences Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97Configuration Tab on User Preferences Dialog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97Miscellaneous Tab on User Preferences Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99State Change Actions Tab on User Preferences Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100Event Manager Tab on User Preferences Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101Default Account Tab on User Preferences Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102

System Output Tab on User Preferences Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103KMDS Tab on User Preferences Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104Select a Desktop File Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108The Select a Desktop Template File to Export Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110Select a Desktop Template File to Import Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111PATROL Agent Manager Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112Customize Properties Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114Connection Setup Tab on the Customize Properties Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114Security Tab on the Customize Properties Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116Application Filters Tab on Customize Properties Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117PATROL Console Help Topics List . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120


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KM Help Topics List . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121PATROL Console Dialog Box Help Topic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122Parameter Help Topic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123


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Tables 11

Tables

Prerequisites for Monitoring and Managing Your Enterprise . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20Components of PATROL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22Object Manipulation Within and Across Object Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35Folders for Computer Classes and Instances . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40Folders for Application Classes and Instances . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42Attributes Available to Classes and Instances . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43PATROL KM Version Arbitration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49Discovery Methods . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52More Information About the PATROL Console Actions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53PATROL Agent and Classic Console Support for IPv6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54Console Directories and Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56Detailed Information About Configuration Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59Contents of Session Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60Tasks and Methods for Customizing Console Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62PATROL Objects You Can Use to Organize Your Desktop . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63Required Tasks for Starting Up PATROL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69Where to Find Instructions for Optional Tasks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70Command Line Arguments for the PATROL Console . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74Conditions That Can Affect KM Loading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80PATROL Agent Discovery Dialog Box Elements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87Add Host Dialog Box Property Elements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90Changing User Preferences with the Property Tabs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95User Preferences Configuration Tab Property Elements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98User Preferences Miscellaneous Property Elements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100User Preferences State Change Actions Property Elements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101User Preferences Event Manager Tab Property Elements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102User Preferences Default Account Tab Property Elements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103User Preferences System Output Tab Property Elements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103Determining Computer Instance Properties to Change . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113

Customize Connection Setup Tab Property Elements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115Customize Security Property Elements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116Application Filters Tab Property Elements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117Tasks Related to Starting Up PATROL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118Recommended Actions When a Host Computer Is Offline . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128Recommended Actions for Application Discovery Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131Recommended Actions for Offline Application Instances . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132Recommended Actions When the Agent Stops . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134Recommended Actions for Starting the Console . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135PATROL Environment Variables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137


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About This Book 13

About This Book

Volume 1 of the PATROL® Console for Microsoft Windows User Guide—Understandingthe Basics of PATROL describes PATROL components and architecture, theinformation provided by PATROL, and the object and knowledge hierarchy. Thisvolume also explains how to load PATROL® Knowledge Modules™ (KMs) anddiscover applications, and how to personalize your PATROL desktop. This book isVolume 1 of a 3-volume series.

The PATROL Console for UNIX (Operator and Developer) is a UNIX application thatruns on UNIX machines. For information about the PATROL Console for UNIX, referto the PATROL Console for UNIX User Guide.

Who Should Read This Book

The PATROL Console for Microsoft Windows User Guide—Understanding the Basics ofPATROL, is intended for database administrators, system administrators, and anyonewho monitors an open systems environment using the PATROL Console forMicrosoft Windows. Whether you are responsible for setting up PATROL or for usingPATROL after it has been set up, you should read this volume for basic, introductory

information.

This book assumes that you are familiar with your host operating system. You shouldknow how to perform basic actions in a window environment, including

choosing menu items

moving and resizing windows

opening and closing icon windows and folders

dragging and dropping icons

using mouse controls for your system

NOTE This book assumes that you are familiar with your host operating system. You should knowhow to perform basic actions in a window environment, such as choosing menu commandsand dragging and dropping icons.


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How This Book Is Organized

How This Book Is Organized

This book is organized as follows:

Online and Printed Books

The books that accompany BMC Software products are available in online format andprinted format. You can view online books with Acrobat Reader from AdobeSystems. The reader is provided at no cost, as explained in “Access Online Books.” You can also obtain additional printed books from BMC Software, as explained in“Request Additional Printed Books.”

Chapter Title Purpose

1 Overview of PATROL Provides an overview of PATROLcomponents, the PATROL hierarchy, andthe PATROL Console for MicrosoftWindows interface.

2 Console and DesktopOrganization

Contains information about the PATROLConsole files, their contents, and theuser-defined preferences stored in theconsole files. It provides information foryou to organize your PATROL Console anddesktop according to your needs.

3 PATROL Startup Provides step-by-step instructions forstarting a PATROL Agent and a PATROLConsole, and for setting up the PATROLConsole to monitor your computingenvironment.

4 Online Help and Utilities Provides instructions for using online Helpfor PATROL and accessing utilities forPATROL.

5 Troubleshooting ConsoleProblems

Provides recommended actions to take ifyou have startup problems with PATROL.

Appendix A PATROL EnvironmentVariables Contains environment variables that aredefined during PATROL installation.

Appendix B PATROL License Updating Provides instructions for updating yourPATROL license when it expires.

Glossary Glossary Contains terms and definitions for thePATROL Console.

Index Index Lists index entries for Volume 1.


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About This Book 15

Online Help

Access Online Books

Online books are formatted as Portable Document Format (PDF) files. You can viewthem, print them, or copy them to your computer by using Acrobat Reader 3.0 orlater.You can access online books from the documentation compact disc (CD) that

accompanies your product or from the World Wide Web.

In some cases, installation of Acrobat Reader and downloading the online books is anoptional part of the product-installation process. For information about downloadingthe free reader from the Web, go to the Adobe Systems site at http://www.adobe.com.

To view any online book that BMC Software offers, visit the support page of the BMCSoftware Web site at http://www.bmc.com/support.html. Log on and select a product toaccess the related documentation. (To log on, first-time users can request a user nameand password by registering at the support page or by contacting a BMC Softwaresales representative.)

Request Additional Printed Books

BMC Software provides a core set of printed books with your product order. Torequest additional books, go to http://www.bmc.com/support.html.

Online Help

You can access Help for a product through the product’s Help menu. The online Helpprovides information about the product’s graphical user interface (GUI) and providesinstructions for completing tasks.

Release Notes

Printed release notes accompany each BMC Software product. Release notes provideup-to-date information such as

updates to the installation instructions

last-minute product information

The latest versions of the release notes are also available on the Web athttp://www.bmc.com/support.

http://www.adobe.com/http://www.bmc.com/support.htmlhttp://www.bmc.com/support.htmlhttp://www.bmc.com/supporthttp://www.bmc.com/supporthttp://www.bmc.com/support.htmlhttp://www.bmc.com/support.htmlhttp://www.adobe.com/


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Conventions

Conventions

The following conventions are used in this book:

All syntax, operating system terms, and literal examples arepresented in this typeface.

In instructions, boldface type highlights information that you enter. File names,directories, and Web addresses also appear in boldface type.

The symbol => connects items in a menu sequence. For example, Actions => CreateTest instructs you to choose the Create Test command from the Actions menu.

The symbol » denotes one-step instructions.

In syntax, path names, or system messages, italic text represents a variable, asshown in the following examples:

The table table_name is not available.

system/instance/file_name

NOTE Notes provide additional information about the current subject.

WARNING Warnings alert you to situations that can cause problems, such as loss of data, if you do notfollow instructions carefully.

EXAMPLE

An example clarifies a concept discussed in text.

TIP

A tip provides useful information that may improve product performance or makeprocedures easier to follow.


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About This Book 17

Conventions

In syntax, the following additional conventions apply:

— A vertical bar ( | ) separating items indicates that you must choose one item. Inthe following example, you would choose a, b, or c:

a | b | c

— An ellipsis ( . . . ) indicates that you can repeat the preceding item or items asmany times as necessary.

— Square brackets ( [ ] ) around an item indicate that the item is optional.

The following table shows equivalent mouse buttons for Unix users and MicrosoftWindows users:

Unix Button Windows Button DescriptionMB1 left mouse button Click this button on an icon or menu

command to select that icon orcommand. Click MB1 on a command

button to initiate action. Double-click anicon to open its container.

MB2 not applicable Click this button on an icon to displaythe InfoBox for the icon. To simulateMB2 on a two-button mouse,simultaneously press the two buttons(MB1 and MB3).

MB3 right mouse button Click this button on an icon to display itspop-up menu.

NOTE If you have a one-button mouse (such as an Apple Macintosh mouse), assign MB1 to that

button. You should also define a user-selectable combination of option and arrow keys tosimulate MB2 and MB3. For details, refer to the documentation for your emulation software.


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Conventions


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C h a p t e r 11Overview of PATROL

This chapter provides an overview of PATROL components, the PATROL hierarchy,and the PATROL Console for Microsoft Windows interface. The following topics arediscussed:

Prerequisites . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20What PATROL Is . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

What PATROL Does . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21Components of PATROL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

How PATROL Works . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27How the PATROL Console Fits into PATROL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

Overview of the PATROL Architecture. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28Console to Agent Communication . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29

What the PATROL Console Looks Like . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30Components of the PATROL Console . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30The Desktop . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30Object Hierarchy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33Object Windows. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34Knowledge Modules and Your PATROL Environment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37

What Happens When You Start PATROL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45PATROL Accounts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45Loaded PATROL KMs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48How Application Discovery Works . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50

What the PATROL Console Allows You to Do . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53Support for IPv6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54


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Prerequisites


Prerequisites

Before you can use PATROL to monitor and manage your enterprise, you must meetthe prerequisites listed in Table 1.

Table 1 Prerequisites for Monitoring and Managing Your Enterprise

Step Prerequisite Where to Find More Information

1 The PATROL Console is installed on yourPC.

PATROL Console Release Notes

2 You know whether your role with PATROLis as an operator or developer.

“Components of PATROL” on page 21

3 You know your logon ID and password forthe PATROL Console.

The sections in this chapter and Chapter 3,“PATROL Startup”

4 You know the port number of the PATROLAgent on each computer you want tomonitor.

Chapter 3, “PATROL Startup”

5 The PATROL Agent is installed andrunning on each computer you want tomonitor.

Chapter 3, “PATROL Startup”

6 You have the correct permissions in theaccess control list of the PATROL Agent oneach computer you want to monitor.

PATROL Agent Reference Manual

7 The appropriate KMs are available to boththe PATROL Agents and the PATROLConsoles.

“Loaded PATROL KMs” on page 48 and Chapter 3,“PATROL Startup”


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What PATROL Is


What PATROL Is

PATROL is a systems, applications, and event management tool for database andsystem administrators. It provides an object-oriented graphical workspace where you

can view the status of every vital resource in the distributed environment you aremanaging.

What PATROL Does

Using PATROL, you can monitor the status of the computers and applications youuse to conduct your business. PATROL represents these resources and indicates theircurrent states with object icons.

If PATROL detects a problem with a monitored computer or application, it attemptsto fix (if configured accordingly) the problem by performing any stored recoveryactions. If the problem escalates or requires your attention, PATROL displays theaffected resources in a warning or an alarm state.

The PATROL Console interacts with the PATROL Agent on each remote machinethrough an event-driven dialog. Messages are sent to the PATROL Console when aspecific event causes a state change on the monitored computer. Alternately, you canuse PATROL Event Manager (PEM) to access recent stored events. Events are stored by the PATROL Agent in an event repository that is on the PATROL Agent’s hostcomputer.

Components of PATROL

PATROL is made up of several components that work together to help you monitorand manage your enterprise. The main components of PATROL are described inTable 2 on page 22.


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Table 2 Components of PATROL (part 1 of 5)

Component PurposeDependent onThese Components

PATROL Operator

Console

The graphical workspace from which you issue commands and

manage the distributed environment monitored by PATROL. ThePATROL Console displays all of the monitored computers andapplications as icons. With the PATROL Operator Console youcan perform these tasks:

define which applications you want PATROL to monitor

monitor and manage computers and applications through thePATROL Agent and PATROL KMs

monitor the PATROL Agent’s use of resources

run predefined or user-defined commands and tasks againstmonitored machines

run commands on the PATROL Console machine when astate change occurs on a monitored computer

monitor any managed computer

retrieve historical data stored by the PATROL Agent

PATROL Agent

PATROL KM


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PATROL DeveloperConsole

With the PATROL Developer Console, you can do everythingyou can do with the PATROL Operator Console, plus thefollowing actions:

build new KMs

customize menu commands and application parameters

edit or replace Knowledge Module files

send an additional Knowledge Module file to an agentmachine

start and stop PATROL Agents remotely

PATROL Agent

PATROL KM

PATROLKnowledgeModuleDeploymentServer

modify agent knowledge in memory

start the PATROL Agent configuration utility

transfer knowledge to an agent

specify which changes the agent should commit (save)

delete historical data stored by the PATROL Agent

start and stop PATROL Agents remotely

PATROL Agent

PATROL KM

PATROLKnowledge ModuleDeployment Server(KMDS)

The repository for base PATROL KMs and changes that aPATROL Developer Console makes to them.

Using the PATROL KMDS to distribute PATROL KM changes isoptional in PATROL. For information about enabling the KMDS,see Chapter 3, “How to Plan a Customized PATROLEnvironment for Your Enterprise,” in Volume 3 of the PATROLConsole for Microsoft Windows User Guide —Customizing PATROL.

The PATROL KMDS allows you to

preserve each version of a new or modified PATROL KM

save a migrated PATROL KM without overwriting your oldPATROL KM customizations

PATROL KMPackage

PATROLKMDS Manager




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PATROL KMDSManager

The interface for the PATROL KMDS. You can use the KMDSManager to perform configuration and deployment tasks such as

setting up permissions to use the PATROL KMDS Manager

managing PATROL KM packages by grouping them beforedeployment

deploying PATROL KMs to PATROL Agents and Consoles inproduction

PATROLKMDS

PATROL Agent

PATROLDeveloperConsole

PATROL KMPackage

PATROLVIEW With the PATROLVIEW products, you can monitor PATROLAgent objects and events on Network Management Consoles.

PATROL Agent

PATROL KMAgent The core piece of the PATROL architecture which is used for

monitoring and managing host computers.

The Agent performs these tasks:

Loads specified Knowledge Modules at startup, runs menucommands, and updates InfoBox displays on the PATROLConsole.

PATROL KM

PATROLKnowledgeModuleDeploymentServer

Runs commands to collect system or application information.The information is collected according to parameters andapplications defined in Knowledge Modules.

Stores information locally for retrieval by the PATROLConsole or a Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP)manager console.

Acts as a service provider for event management.

PATROL KM

PATROL KM A set of files from which a PATROL Agent receives informationabout all of the resources, such as databases and file systems,running on a monitored computer.

The KMs provide information to the Agent about

how to identify objects

which commands to run to obtain resource information(parameters)

actions to take when border or alarm thresholds are breached

PATROL Agent

PATROL KM




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PATROL KMPackage

A file containing a list of all the files that comprise a PATROLKM. You can use the PATROL KMDS Manager to distributePATROL KM packages to PATROL Agent and consoles.

The PATROL architecture supports three types of packages: agentpackages, console packages, and application class packages.Agent packages contain PATROL KM files needed only by thePATROL Agent, console packages contain files needed only bythe PATROL Console, and application classes packages containfiles needed by both the agent and console.

PATROLKMDS Manager

PATROLKMDS

PATROL EventManager

PATROL Event Manager (PEM) provides an interface forworking with events generated by the PATROL Agent. The PEMcan be accessed from the PATROL Console for Windows.

PATROL Agent

PATROL KM

Agent Query You can view information about monitored objects throughAgent Query. Using this function, you can work with objectsviewing their names in a tabular or table format. Results ofqueries appear in the Query Results window. You can savequeries, then load and reissue them when needed.

PATROL Agent

PATROL KM

PATROLConsole

PATROL ScriptLanguage (PSL)

Included as part of the PATROL Developer Console is thePATROL Script Language (PSL) that you can use to writeparameters, commands, tasks, recovery actions, and discoveryprocedures for the PATROL Agents. PSL is a fourth-generationlanguage similar to programming languages such as C, csh, Perl,and awk. The KMs are written in PSL. PSL includes

PSL functions

Built-in commands

Built-in macro variables

PATROL Agent

PSL Compiler You can use the PSL Compiler to check the syntax of PSL that youwrite.

PATROL Agent

PATROLConsole




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PSL Debugger You can use the PSL Debugger to debug the PSL scripts that youwrite.

PATROL Agent


PATROLCommand LineInterface

The PATROL Command Line Interface (CLI) is a program forretrieving object and event information from a PATROL Agent.CLI is designed to connect to a PATROL Agent in instances whena GUI interface is unavailable or when the user is logged onto ahost using a terminal emulator (that is, without a TCP/IP stack).

CLI has both interactive and non-interactive modes. You can startCLI from a command line and manually submit commands to

CLI. You can also call the CLI within a script and have it executecommands that you provide on the command line or inadditional CLI script files.

PATROL Agent

PATROL KM

PATROLConsole




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How PATROL Works


How PATROL Works

Figure 1 illustrates how PATROL works.

Figure 1 How PATROL WorksThe Agent runs operating system or PATROL Script

Language (PSL) commands contained in the

parameters of a KM to

return values and compare them to valuesdefined as alarms

• execute specified recovery actions when a borderor alarm threshold is breached

• trigger an event

The PATROL Console

• organizes computers

and applications inhierarchical structure

• runs operating systemcommands to performan action when aparameter changes state

• displays warnings andalarms generated byPATROL Agents andKMs

• lists events receivedfrom all monitoredcomputers

PATROL KMs for operating systems

organize commands (parameters) by

computer type.

PATROL KMs for applications

organize commands (parameters) by

application type.

The PATROL Agent sends messages to the PATROL

Console when a specific event causes a state

change on the monitored computer.


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How the PATROL Console Fits into PATROL


How the PATROL Console Fits into PATROL

Information in this section demonstrates the PATROL Console interaction with otherPATROL components.

Overview of the PATROL Architecture

Figure 2 shows the relationship between the PATROL Console and other PATROLand non-PATROL components. This figure also describes the PATROL Console’sinteractions with these components.

Figure 2 Typical PATROL System

PATROLConsole

Application

OperatingSystem

Remote computer with PATROL monitoring theoperating system and an application. The Agentcommunicates with the PATROL Console on the remotesystem.

Local computer with an agent and KM monitoring itsoperating system and applications and connecting tothe PATROL Console and, optionally, to an SNMPConsole.The Agent and Knowledge Modules on the remotesystem are monitoring the operating system and anapplication and are connected to the PATROL Consoleon the local system.

PATROLAgent

Application

OperatingSystem

PATROLAgent

PATROL

PATROL

Local Computer

UserInterface

UserInterface

Remote Computer

OperatingSystem

KnowledgeModule

OperatingSystem

Knowledge

Module

ApplicationKnowledge

Module

ApplicationKnowledge

Module

SNMP

Console

PATROL SNMP

Master Agent


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Console to Agent Communication


Console to Agent Communication

The default communication between the PATROL Agent and the PATROL Consolerelies on a modified UDP packet with TCP/IP transport. You may modify the

communication to use a TCP/IP socket-level connection. The PATROL Agent usesthe following methods to update the PATROL Console:

PATROL protocol

Event notification API

PATROL Protocol

The PATROL protocol is a highly optimized communication mechanism that allowsthe PATROL Agent to communicate efficiently with the PATROL Console. Messages

are sent to the PATROL Console when a specific event causes a state change on themonitored computer.

Because the PATROL Agent resides on the monitored computer and autonomouslyperforms all of its work on that computer, the PATROL Console communicates withthe PATROL Agent only when you want to perform a function such a viewing aparameter graph or gauge, viewing parameter history, or executing a menucommand.

Event Notification API

A subset of the PATROL protocol is available as a public domain API that you canuse to create your own console functions. The API is the basis for event notificationthat takes place between the PATROL Agent and the PATROL Event Manager.

The PEM (as well as all other registered event managers) receives event notificationssent by PATROL Agents. Event information is entered into the PEM’s event cache.

SNMP Traps

The PATROL Agent can automatically generate SNMP traps that are directed toSNMP network manager consoles (MIB browsers) on your network.


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What the PATROL Console Looks Like


What the PATROL Console Looks Like

Information in this section provides an illustration of the PATROL Console and anexplanation of its components.

Components of the PATROL Console

The PATROL Console comprises three major components:

desktop

object hierarchy

knowledge hierarchy

The Desktop

The desktop shows which PATROL KMs you have loaded, which computers you areconnected to, and your user preferences.

Figure 3 Windows and Interface Elements in the Console (Part 1)

The PATROL Console window is the main window that contains views of objects

and their statuses, the object hierarchy, and the knowledge hierarchy.

The PATROL tree

is a hierarchical list

of folders. There

are two different

views for the tree:

• Desktop

• KM


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The Desktop



The message windowdisplays command output

from the PATROL Console

and messages from the

KMDS and the Event

Manager.

Toggle

between the

two views by

clicking the

Desktop or

KM tab on the

tree.

The Desktop

tree displays

the object

hierarchy.

The PATROL Desktop window (PatrolMainMap )

contains computer icons. Display the PATROL

Desktop window by double-clicking the

PatrolMainMap folder from the Desktop tree.

Each object has its own window display

of the next level down in the object

hierarchy. Open an object’s window by

double-clicking the object either from theobject window or the tree of folders.

The PATROL Console task button displays with

other task buttons on the Windows taskbar. When

a monitored object is in a warning or alarm state,

the PATROL Console task button flashes.

The status icon in the system tray

indicates whether monitored objects are

in an OK, a warning, or an alarm state.

The message window has acontext menu (accessed

with the right mouse button)

that allows you to manage

the window and its contents.


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The Desktop



The PATROL

Console toolbar

allows you to

performactivities without

accessing the

menu bar.

The KM tree displays the knowledge hierarchy. With aPATROL Operator Console, you can view KM

properties and attributes and delete (unload) computer

classes and application classes (KMs). With a PATROL

Developer Console, you can view and change KM

properties and attributes.

The menu bar across the top of the PATROL

Console window allows you to perform

functions on a group of monitored objects orto access other PATROL components and

utilities.

Each PATROL object has a shortcutmenu that allows you to perform certain

activities. To display an object’s shortcut

menu, right-click the object icon.

The PATROL icon in the system tray displays a

shortcut menu that allows you to perform activities

without accessing the PATROL Console window.


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Object Hierarchy


Object Hierarchy

PATROL uses four object types:

computer instances application folders

application instances

parameters

The PATROL object hierarchy dictates the way windows and objects are categorizedwithin the PATROL Console. The object hierarchy defines the relationships of theseobjects.

Figure 6 PATROL Object Hierarchy

A computer instance(also called a host)

represents a

monitored computer

(one with a resident

PATROL Agent).

An applicationinstance is the actual

monitored object (a

file system, server, or

database) that the

PATROL Agent

discovers on a

monitored computer.

An application folderrepresents a KM you

have loaded in your

PATROL enterprise.

Within each instance areany number of parameters.

A parameter is a method

for obtaining a

measurement or data

about an instance. When

you load a KM, you load

the KM’s parameters.


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Object Windows


Object Windows

In addition to the tree view, each object has its own window display of the next leveldown in the object hierarchy.

Figure 7 PATROL Object Windows

NOTE When closing the PATROL Console, all windows and objects retain the state and orientationthey are left in. Therefore, when the console is restarted, all windows and objects appear as

they were when the console was shut down. For more information on customizing userpreferences, see Chapter 3, “Customizing User Preferences.”

The

Desktop

tree

displays

the object

hierarchy

in a tree

view.

Open an object’s window by double-clicking the object, either from the

object window or the Desktop tree.

Double-click an application instance in

an object window to open an object

window and view its parameters.

An object window for a

computer instance shows

the KMs in use.


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Object Windows


Table 3 lists several methods of manipulating objects within and across PATROLobject windows.

Table 3 Object Manipulation Within and Across Object Windows (part 1 of 2)

Object Task Action Limitations Requirements

move Choose one of thefollowing options:

Click on applicableobject and drag todesired window or todesktop tree.

Use the Cut and Paste or Copy and PasteShortcut commands.

Multiple selection isnot available in treewindow.

Drag-and-drop actionsthat are not allowedare indicated by the“not allowed” symbol( ).

When dragging and

dropping multipleobjects onto target,only objects allowedare dropped into thetarget and a message

box displays if someobjects are notdropped.

selection window anddestination window must bevisible and accessible incurrent view

copy Choose one of thefollowing options:

Click once on object

and choose Edit =>Copy.

Click once on objectand click the Copytoolbar button.

Right-click object andselect Copy frommenu.


Objects selected withCopy command canonly be pasted asshortcuts.

none

cut Choose one of thefollowing options:

Click once on objectand choose Edit =>Cut.

Click once on objectand click the Cuttoolbar button.

Right-click object andselect Cut from menu.

Multiple selection isnot available in tree

window.

You can only paste(move) object. Youcannot paste asshortcut.

none


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Object Windows


paste With object cut, choose oneof the following options:

Click in destinationwindow and chooseEdit => Paste.

Click once on objectand click the Pastetoolbar button.

Right-click indestination windowand select Paste frommenu.


You can only selectobject with Cut command.

Object must be selected withCut command.

paste shortcut With object copied, chooseone of the followingoptions:

Click in destinationwindow and chooseEdit => Paste Shortcut.

Click once on objectand click the PasteShortcut toolbar

button.

Right-click indestination windowand select PasteShortcut from menu.


You can only selectobject with Copy command.

Object must be selected withCopy command.

Table 3 Object Manipulation Within and Across Object Windows (part 2 of 2)

Object Task Action Limitations Requirements


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Knowledge Modules and Your PATROL Environment



Knowledge modules in PATROL contain PATROL Script Language (PSL) commandsand scripts that define the attributes for

computer classes

computer instances

application classes


parameters

The knowledge hierarchy defines the relationships of these items.

Figure 8 Knowledge Hierarchy

corepubs lsuardint


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Figure 9 Knowledge Hierarchy as Displayed by the KM Tree

The KM tree displays the knowledge hierarchy. With a

PATROL Operator Console, you can view KM properties

and attributes and delete (unload) computer classes and

application classes (KMs). With a PATROL Developer

Console, you can view and change KM properties andattributes.

Computer

Classes

Application

Classes


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Global and Local Folders on the PATROL KM Tree

Global and local folders for object classes on the PATROL KM tree show you wheredefinitions reside and show the inheritance among objects in the PATROL knowledgehierarchy, from class to instance. (Customized instances do not have global or localfolders.)

For example, an application class has a Global folder containing its attributes, buteach customized instance of the application resides in a Local folder.

Figure 10 Examples of Global and Local Folders

With an object’s global folder, you can

expand the attribute folders to see the attributes that are defined for the class

see the attributes that PATROL automatically assigns to all instances of the class

By looking at a local folder, you can see

names of all customized instances of the class

whether attributes were added or changed for an instance

An object class’s \Global folder

contains attributes that all instancesof the class can inherit.

All customized instances of a class are in the class’s \Local folder. Inthis example, the instance inherits all parameters defined in the\Global folder. However, the properties of one parameter have beenchanged for the instance.

The customized instance

The object class


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What’s the difference between Global and LocalDefinitions?

The division among sets of global and local folders on the PATROL KM tree helps

you see the differences in what’s defined for an object class compared to itscustomized instances.

Global sets of folders on the PATROL KM tree contain definitions for computerand application classes.

Customized instances for each computer and application class are in local sets offolders for their respective class.

Computer Classes

A computer class is a grouping of computers that PATROL can monitor. At the top ofthe knowledge hierarchy is the ALL_COMPUTERS computer class. All othercomputer classes are a subset of ALL_COMPUTERS (for example, NT, HP or DECOSF/1).

The PATROL KM tree divides Computer Classes into three parts:

ALL_COMPUTERS

Computer classes (which inherit properties and attributes fromALL_COMPUTERS)

Customized computer instances (which inherit properties and attributes fromALL_COMPUTERS and their corresponding computer class)

Each part of computer classes has its own set of folders. Table 4 describes the Global and Local folders.

Table 4 Folders for Computer Classes and Instances

Folder Description

ALL_COMPUTERS\Global contains attribute folders for use by all computer classes andinstances

ALL_COMPUTERS\Local lists the computer classes already defined by PATROL

ALL_COMPUTERS\Local\\Global

contains attribute folders for the computer class

ALL_COMPUTERS\Local\\Local

lists the customized computer instances for the class

ALL_COMPUTERS\Local\\Local\

contains attribute folders for the computer instance; no global orlocal folders exist for the instance


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Figure 11 Computer Classes and Instances on the PATROL KM Tree

Application Classes or Applications

Within each computer are any number of application classes or applications. Anapplication is a logical grouping of individual instances (for example, file systems, ordatabases). An application class is another logical grouping of like applications (forexample, servers or databases of a particular version).

Sometimes the additional grouping of like applications is not necessary, and whenthat occurs, the application and the application class serve the same purpose.

The PATROL KM tree divides application classes into two parts:

application classes

customized application instances (which inherit properties and attributes fromtheir corresponding application class)

NOTE Any PATROL Console can customize limited properties for a computer instance by accessingits properties dialog box from the computer instance’s shortcut menu.

The \Global folder has attributesfor all computers.The \Local folder forALL_COMPUTERS has definitions

for computer classes.

The \Global folder for thecomputer class contains itsattribute definitions.

The \Local folder under acomputer class containscustomized computer instances.

Attribute folders appear under thecomputer instance.

To change properties for ALL_COMPUTERSor a computer class, right-click thecorresponding folder icon and chooseProperties from the shortcut menu.


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Each part of application classes has its own set of folders. Table 5 describes the\Global and \Local folders.

Figure 12 Application Classes and Instances on the PATROL KM Tree

Table 5 Folders for Application Classes and Instances

Folder Description

\Global

contains attribute folders for use by all instances of the applicationclass

\Local

lists the customized application instances for the class

\Local\

contains attribute folders for the application instance; no global orlocal folders exist for the instance.

NOTE

After PATROL discovers application instances, their icons display on the desktop. Bycontrast, icons for computers display when you add a host from the main console window.

The Global folder for theapplication class containsattributes that can be inheritedby instances.

The Local folder for theapplication class lists eachcustomized instance. Attributefolders appear under theinstance.

To change properties foran application class, right-click the

corresponding folder icon and chooseProperties from the shortcut menu.


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Attributes

Using menus on the PATROL KM tree, you can

change properties for attributes

add and delete attributes

assign attributes to other object classes or instances

Each object class and instance has attributes, but not all attributes are available for allobjects. Table 6 lists the attributes that are available to PATROL object classes andinstances.

Command Types

Command types are logical groupings of commands that describe how thecommands are executed; for example, what happens when an error occurs and how acommand terminates. PATROL provides a number of predefined command types,depending on your computing environment and the KMs that you use:

operating system (OS)

PSL

commands that a KM uses for its environment (for example, ORA_SQL)

Menu Commands

Predefined menu commands and one-time user commands can be executed acrossmultiple computers and applications or for an individual computer, application, andinstance.

You must use a PATROL Developer Console to create or change predefined menucommands.

Table 6 Attributes Available to Classes and Instances

Attribute Computer Class

Computer

Instance Application Class

Application

InstanceParameters yes yes yes yes

Menu commands yes yes yes yes

InfoBox commands yes yes yes yes

Setup commands yes yes no no

Command Types yes no yes no

State change actions yes yes yes yes

Event catalogs and classes no no yes no

Environment variables yes yes yes yes


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InfoBox Commands

InfoBox commands return values to the PATROL Console and are run by thePATROL Agent when an InfoBox is displayed. Unlike parameters, InfoBoxcommands are not scheduled by the PATROL Agent’s run queue.

Parameters

A parameter is an object that obtains a measurement or data about an instance.

PATROL Agent Setup Commands

Setup commands are run by the PATROL Agent when the PATROL Console connectsor reconnects to the PATROL Agent.

State Change Actions

State change actions are run on the PATROL Console when the computer or anapplication changes from one state to another on a host computer. State changeactions differ from parameter recovery actions, which try to fix problems and arestored with the PATROL Agent. State change actions can be used to alert a PATROLConsole operator when a situation requires attention.

You must use a PATROL Developer Console to add or modify state change actions.However, any PATROL Console can disable the execution of state change actionsusing user preferences.

Environment Variables

Environment variables specify settings for the environment in which you run thePATROL Agent. For example, environment variables can specify the PATROLHOME directory where the executable file resides and the location of temporarydirectories for storing temporary work files.

NOTE Parameter history retention level and number of days collected are part of the properties ofparameters and other objects and do not display an icon in the KM tree. Access parameterhistory information using user preferences, a parameter Properties dialog box, a hostconnection properties dialog box, or an agent configuration utility such as wpconfig.


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What Happens When You Start PATROL


Event Classes and Catalogs

Used with PATROL Event Manager (PEM), event classes specify certain attributesabout a type of event. For example, an event class can specify that certain events foran application be notarized with a certain severity level and categorized with the

severity level in the event log. An event class can also specify that commands beexecuted after a certain escalation period or whenever a specific event is triggered(notification). An event catalog is a grouping of event classes. PATROL provides astandard event catalog containing predefined standard event classes. An optional,custom event class can be generated for any PATROL KM.

What Happens When You Start PATROL

Information in this section explains essential concepts regarding what happens whenyou start PATROL. The following table lists the major startup actions and where theactions are described.

PATROL Accounts

PATROL uses three kinds of accounts to run all commands and tasks on monitoredcomputers and applications. The permissions and security granted to each accountare in effect for the commands and tasks run from PATROL.

Three Kinds of PATROL Accounts

PATROL uses three kinds of accounts:

OS (default) account — an account that is set up for the PATROL Agent atinstallation and that is used by (or can be changed in) an agent configurationutility. All OS commands executed by the PATROL Agent use this account, exceptMenu commands and Info Box commands.

Step Description For more information, see

1 starting up PATROL “PATROL Accounts” on page 45

2 loading PATROL KMs “Loaded PATROL KMs” on page 48

3 discovering applications “How Application Discovery Works” on page 50


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PATROL Accounts


Application account — an account you define at PATROL KM setup that is used by(or can be changed for) an application class or instance. An application account iscommonly used to connect to an RDBMS on a server where the database resides, orto run RDBMS commands, such as SQL commands.

Account you use to start the PATROL Console — an account you use to start thePATROL Console that is defined at installation. Commands that run on the consoleuse this account.

Ability to Customize Operating System Accounts

You can use many different operating system accounts. You can use a differentoperating system account to set security for

the PATROL Agent

computer instances application classes


individual commands or tasks

parameters

Search Order for Operating System Accounts

The operating system account in effect for commands and tasks run by PATROL

depends on which operating system accounts you have specified. PATROL searchesfor the operating system accounts and overrides them in a particular order.

PATROL uses the following order to search for and override operating systemaccounts:

1 individual parameter

2 individual command or task

3 application instance

4 application class

5 computer instance

6 default account used by the PATROL Agent

7 account used to start the PATROL Agent


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PATROL Accounts


Ability to Customize Application Accounts

You can use different application accounts for

application classes


Search Order for Application Accounts

The application account in effect for commands and tasks run by PATROL dependson which application accounts you have specified. PATROL searches for theapplication accounts and overrides them in a particular order.

PATROL uses the following order to search for and override application accounts:

1 application instance

2 application class

3 application account specified at KM setup

Account You Use to Start the PATROL Console

Commands and tasks run on the PATROL Console use the same account as the one

used to start the PATROL Console.

For More Information about Customizing PATROL Accounts

More information about customizing PATROL accounts can be found in Volume 3 ofthe PATROL Console for Microsoft Windows User Guide—Customizing PATROL.


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Loaded PATROL KMs


Loaded PATROL KMs

A PATROL Operator Console and a PATROL Developer Console both permit you tospecify which PATROL KMs are loaded on your Console. If the PATROL Agent has

another version of a PATROL KM loaded, the PATROL Console uses its own version.The process through which the PATROL Console and PATROL Agent determinewhich version of a PATROL KM to load is called version arbitration.

Conditions When the PATROL Agent Will Not MonitorApplications

There are three conditions under which a PATROL Agent will not monitorapplications that you have loaded from the PATROL Console:

The PATROL Agent does not have a PATROL KM that you load from a PATROLOperator Console.

The application class is included in the PATROL Agent’s knowledge moduledisabled list. (The PATROL KM is disabled.)

The application class definition specifies that the applications are invalid for thePATROL Agent version and/or computer class.

Version Arbitration

The process through which the PATROL Console and PATROL Agent determinewhich version of a KM to load is called version arbitration. Table 7 on page 49 showswhat version of a KM is loaded by the PATROL Agent under different conditions.


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Loaded PATROL KMs


For more information about KM version arbitration, see Volume 3 of the PATROLConsole for Microsoft Windows User Guide—Customizing PATROL. For informationabout how to load a KM, see Chapter 3, “PATROL Startup.”

Table 7 PATROL KM Version Arbitration

Type of PATROLConsole ThatLoads PATROLKM K

M I

n s t a l l e d i n

\ k n o w l e d g e D

i r e c t o r y

o f t h e P A T R O L A g e n t

K M

P r e l o a d e d

o n t h e

P A T R O L A g e n

t

K M

i n t h e D i s

a b l e d L i s t

f o r t h e P A T R O

L A g e n t

Result

PATROLOperatorConsole

yes no no PATROL Agent loads into memory the local version ofthe KM.

yes no yes PATROL Agent ignores the PATROL OperatorConsole’s request to load the KM.

yes yes no PATROL Agent allows the PATROL Operator Consoleto use the KM.

no no no Agent does not collect information for the KM.

no N/A yes PATROL Agent ignores the PATROL OperatorConsole’s request to load the KM.

Note: If PATROL KM versions differ, the PATROL Operator Console and the PATROL Agent will each usetheir own version of the PATROL KM.


Yes No No PATROL Agent loads into memory the KM from thePATROL Developer Console.

Yes No Yes PATROL Agent ignores the PATROL DeveloperConsole’s request to load the KM.

Yes Yes No PATROL Agent loads into memory the KM from thePATROL Developer Console.

No N/A No PATROL Agent loads into memory the KM from thePATROL Developer Console. (If the KM hasdependencies on external files and/or PSL libraries, theKM will not function.)

No N/A Yes PATROL Agent ignores the PATROL DeveloperConsole’s request to load the KM.

NOTE

The above criteria apply when a Developer Console is connected to an agent with a developerconnection (not an operator connection), as defined in the Connection Setup tab of the agentproperties. When a Developer Console is connected to an agent with an operator connection,the Developer Console functions as an Operator Console with that agent.


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How Application Discovery Works



PATROL identifies the applications on each monitored computer through a processcalled application discovery. The PATROL Agent performs application discovery on

each monitored computer using a number of methods, which include

finding a match for one or more names of processes and files

checking environment variables

getting the contents of a file and using the values to determine whether theapplication exists and what state it is in

checking the output of commands and using the values to determine whether theapplication exists and what state it is in

When the PATROL Agent Performs Application Discovery

The PATROL Agent performs application discovery on a monitored computer when

A PATROL KM is initially loaded.

You define an application class or modify an existing one.

The preset time interval stored in the APPL_CHECK_CYCLE built-in macro is

reached. This interval is known as the application discovery check cycle.

The preset time interval stored in the GET_PROCS_CYCLE built-in macro isreached. This interval is known as the process cache refresh cycle.

The process cache is manually refreshed (this action doesn’t happen immediately, but forces a full discovery on the next discovery cycle)


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Discovery Cycle

Figure 13 shows the PATROL discovery cycle.

Figure 13 PATROL Discovery Cycle

The built-in macro variable

GET_PROCS_CYCLE governs

the rate at which the PATROL

Agent Discovery Cache is

refreshed. Each time the

PATROL Agent DiscoveryCache is refreshed, application

discovery is triggered. Any new

applications and state changes

are then displayed.

The PATROL Agent searches for applications

on a monitored computer at a preset interval

called the application discovery check cycle.

The built-in macro variable

APPL_CHECK_CYCLE governs how often

this check is performed. Application

discovery uses the information in the

PATROL Agent Discovery Cache rather than

accessing the system directly.

The PATROL Agent takes a snapshot of the

system’s process table and stores the

process IDs of all the applications in the

PATROL Agent Discovery Cache. The

PATROL Agent periodically checks that these

processes are still running.


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Discovery Methods

There are two methods for performing application discovery. Table 8 lists anddescribes those methods.

For more information about discovery methods, see Volume 3 of the PATROL Console for Microsoft Windows User Guide—Customizing PATROL.

Table 8 Discovery Methods

Type of Discovery Description Notes

PSL discovery A discovery method called PSL discover

Documents

Petrol Foundation