Extended Monitor

The SavWareHA Extended Monitor is an add-on package for SavWareHA that provides additional monitoring capabilities.

Application Process Monitoring

The extended monitor provides the capability to define a list of process that should be monitored. If any of these processes fail during the normal operation of the system, an automatic switch to fallback mode can be initiated.

Network Monitoring

The extended monitor also provides the capability to monitor the user network. A system fallback can be initiated in the case of a network failure.

Administration

An administration program is provided that will run as a graphical X-Windows session or on a character mode device. The administration program can be used to set all controllable monitoring parameters and will also show a log of the monitor activity.

 
Installation

Primary System Only

The Extended Monitor only needs to be installed on the Primary system.

Installation Instructions

The Extended Monitor program should be installed while the system is in multi-user mode.

Login to the root account

Insert the “SavWareHA Extended Monitor” distribution diskette into the floppy diskette drive

Select one of the following installation procedures:

SCO Unix 3.2v4 and SCO ODT3

Run the SCO ‘custom’ utility and select the following options:

custom->Install->A New Product->Entire Product

If the SCO Visual Tool Control Language has not previously been installed on the system it will now be automatically installed.

Insert SCO Visual Tcl 1.0 for Open Server 3.0 Vol 1 and press ENTER

Insert SCO Visual Tcl 1.0 for Open Server 3.0 Vol 2 and press ENTER

Insert SCO Visual Tcl 1.0 for Open Server 3.0 Vol 3 and press ENTER

The Release Notes for SCO VTCL will be displayed on the screen. Press the SPACE BAR at the “—More—(xx%)” prompts until the installation continues.

SCO OpenServer5

Run the SCO ‘custom’ utility and select the following options:

custom->Software->Install New->From system->Floppy Disk Drive 0->Full

Installation Continued

The Extended Monitor Administration program will run after all of the files have been transferred from the diskette. Please refer to the detailed explanation of this program later in this manual for more information. Make any necessary changes to the configuration options and exit the program by pressing the ESC key. This program can be re-run at any time by running emon.adm from the root account.

 
Configuration Parameters

Application Monitoring

This parameter determines whether the Extended Monitor will monitor application processes. If the option is enabled, the Extended Monitor will monitor application processes. If the option is disabled the Extended Monitor will not monitor application processes.

The processes to monitor must be listed in the “Processes To Monitor” table at the bottom of the screen.

Network Monitoring

This parameter determines whether the Extended Monitor will monitor the user network. If the option is enabled, the Extended Monitor will monitor the user network. If the option is disabled, the Extended Monitor will not monitor the user network.

The interface name for the user network must be specified using the “Network To Monitor” parameter.

Network To Monitor

This is the interface name for the user network. If Network Monitoring is enabled, the Extended Monitor will monitor this network interface.

Automatic Fallback

This parameter determines whether the Extended Monitor will initiate an automatic fallback. If this option is enabled, the Extended Monitor will be allowed to initiate an automatic fallback if it recognizes a failure condition. If this option is disabled, the Extended Monitor will not initiate an automatic fallback but will record all events in the system log.

Interval (seconds)

The parameter is the number of seconds between each check by the Extended Monitor. A high number will lower system overhead but will take longer to recognize a failure. A low number will cause more system overhead but will recognize failures more quickly. The number cannot be set below 2.

Processes To Monitor

This parameter is a list of the processes to monitor. The process name of each process that is to be monitored should be included in this list. The name of the process in this list should match the value that is displayed when a ps -e command is issued. No spaces are permitted in a process name.

Administration Menu

X Windows Navigation

The X Windows SavWareHA Extended Monitor Administration menu can be started by clicking on the following icons root->etc->emon.adm or selecting File->Open from the main desktop and then entering the name emon.adm and then click on “OK”.

The “Application Monitoring”, “Networking Monitoring” and “Automatic Fallback” options can be selected or deselected by clicking on the toggle buttons. If the button is solid, the option is enabled. If the button is hollow (light colored), the option is disabled.

The “Network To Monitor” can be selected by clicking the button. A list will then be displayed of all network interfaces configured into the system. Use the mouse to click on the interface of the network that should be monitored. The selected interface will then display in the “Network To Monitor” button on the main administration screen.

The Interval can be changed by using the mouse to position the text cursor into the field. Use the INS, DEL and number keys to change the value.

The Processes To Monitor list shows all of the processes that are currently being monitored. A new process can be added to the list by using the mouse to click on the “Add” button. A new window will appear that will allow the process name to be entered. The process name should be entered as it would appear in a ps -e command. Use the mouse to press the “OK To Add” button after the process name has been typed in. A process can be deleted by using the mouse to click on the process to be deleted and then click on the “Delete” button.

The “Log” button can be used to show the events that have been recorded by the Extended Monitor since the last time it was started.

The “Close” button can be used to exit the administration program.

 
Character Mode Navigation

The character mode administration menu can be started by running the command emon.adm from the root account.

The “Application Monitoring”, “Networking Monitoring” and “Automatic Fallback” options can be selected or deselected by using the TAB key to highlight the desired item and pressing the SPACE BAR to toggle the button. If an “*” is displayed between the brackets “[ ]” , the option is enabled. If no “*” is displayed between the brackets “[ ]”, the option is disabled.

The “Network To Monitor” can be selected by using the TAB key to highlight the option and then pressing the SPACE BAR. A list will then be displayed of all network interfaces configured into the system. Use the ARROW KEYS to highlight the desired interface of the network that should be monitored and then press the SPACE BAR to select the interface. The selected interface will then display in the “Network To Monitor” option on the main administration screen.

The Interval can be changed by using the TAB key to highlight the option. Use the INS, DEL and number keys to change the value.

The Processes To Monitor list shows all of the processes that are currently being monitored. A new process can be added to the list by using the TAB key to move the highlighted selection to one of the bottom buttons and the ARROW keys to highlight the “Add” button and then pressing the SPACE BAR. A new window will appear that will allow the process name to be entered. The process name should be entered as it would appear in a ps -e command. After the process name is entered, use the TAB key to move to the “OK To Add” button and press the SPACE BAR. A process can be deleted by using the TAB and ARROW keys to highlight the process to be deleted and press the SPACE BAR. Then use the TAB and ARROW keys to highlight the “Delete” button and press the SPACE BAR.

The “Log” button can be used to show the events that have been recorded by the Extended Monitor since the last time it was started.

The “Close” button can be used to exit the administration program.

 
Actions

The Extended Monitor program will automatically start on the primary system during the boot to multi-user mode and will continue to run while the system is in multi-user mode. Only one copy of the Extended Monitor program will start at a time. The Extended Monitor will delay for the Interval (seconds) and then perform the following monitoring.

Application Monitoring

If the “Application Monitoring” is enabled, the Extended Monitor will monitor the process list and insure that each of the “Processes To Monitor” is running. No action will occur until a processes is noticed by the Extended Monitor program and then subsequently disappears from the process list. When the Extended Monitor detects a “Process Failure” it will perform the fallback checks and initiate a fallback if appropriate.

Network Monitoring

If the “Network Monitoring” is enabled, the Extended Monitor will monitor the selected network interface. When the Extended Monitor detects a “Network Failure” it will perform the fallback checks and initiate a fallback if appropriate.

Fallback

When a fallback is requested by the Extended Monitor program, the following actions will occur. A notification will be sent to the system console. If “Automatic Fallback” is enabled, the Extended Monitor will then check to make sure that the mirror is properly synchronized on the standby system. If it is not, a message will be generated and normal operation will continue on the primary system. If the mirror is properly synchronized, the Extended Monitor will initiate a switch to fallback mode.

LOGS

A log of all monitoring activity is recorded in /tmp/emon.status and can be displayed by the administration program. In addition, any information regarding failures or an attempted switch-over is also recorded in the /usr/adm/dmx.log file, in the /usr/adm/messages file and is displayed on the system console.