Overview of PATROL history
The PATROL Agent records the values of each parameter and stores them in a proprietary parameter history database. This database remains open while the agent is running. If the agent does not shut down properly, the database may be corrupted. PATROL provides a utility that enables you to extract information from the database about a parameter based on its class, instance, and time period. It also provides a utility for repairing corrupted history databases.
Contents of PATROL Agent history database
The PATROL Agent History database records the following information for each data point:
Information stored in history database
Structure of PATROL Agent history datase
PATROL stores history information in a history database that consists of three separate files as follows:
- Index file: points to the location of the data in the database
- History text file: contains annotations that a user has added to a data point
- History data file: contains data points
The history database stores information in a binary format. To view the information, you must use the PATROL Console or run the dump_hist utility.
Location of PATROL Agent history database
The PATROL Agent provides environment variables that enable you to determine where the agent creates the history database. You can designate a location in or out of the PATROL directory structure or on another host within the network. In addition, you can establish a location by port number. This feature allows you to accommodate a host with multiple agents by directing each agent running on a unique port number to write to a different history database.
Custom location of PATROL Agent history database
The environment variables that you can use to specify the location of an Agent's history database are as follows:
- PATROL_HISTORY
- PATROL_HISTORY_<PORT>
- PATROL_VIRTUALNAME
For information about how to use these environment variables, see variables for PATROL cluster-specific environment.
Default location of PATROL Agent history database
The following table indicates the file name and path of files that compose the history database.
Location of history files
File description | File name and path for UNIX |
File name and path for Windows |
Index file | PATROL_HOME/log/history/<hostName> / <port_num>/dir |
PATROL_HOME\log\history\<hostName> \ <port_num>\dir |
History text file | PATROL_HOME/log/history/<hostName> / <port_num>/param.hist |
PATROL_HOME\log\history\<hostName> \ <port_num>\param.hist |
History data file | PATROL_HOME/log/history/<hostName> / <port_num>/annotate.dat |
PATROL_HOME\log\history\<hostName> \ <port_num>\annotate.dat |