PATROL InfoBoxes

InfoBoxes exist for all PATROL objects by default. That is, if you choose InfoBox from any PATROL object's icon menu, an InfoBox pops up displaying information about the managed object. Some InfoBox items are default items; that is, the commands for these default items are permanently defined by PATROL and should not be changed or deleted. However, you can add your own InfoBox items to provide users with relevant information about a specific application object. Example InfoBoxes for Windows and UNIX are shown in the following figure. 

 Example InfoBoxes on Windows and UNIX



The following table presents some of the PATROL default InfoBox items for application classes and instances.

An InfoBox lists the results of specific data collection commands. Each monitored object in PATROL has its own InfoBox. For example, the InfoBox for a database application class could display the last time the transaction log was dumped or the date on which the database was created. The InfoBox for a computer could display the host name, IP address, and machine class.

An InfoBox item has the following properties:

• Used for object classes and instances
• Initiated by the PATROL Console
• Run by the PATROL Agent

Create InfoBox items in your PATROL KM product for the following objects:

• Computer classes
• Application classes

How an InfoBox works

Each InfoBox is made up of several items. Each item in an InfoBox has an associated command script. The script can be a PSL script, a shell script, or an application-specific script. InfoBox definitions are saved in the .km file in the section labeled INFO_BOX. The output of each script is returned to the PATROL Console and forms the data that is displayed in the InfoBox. 
Unlike parameters, InfoBox items are not scheduled by the PATROL Agent's internal run queue. InfoBox commands execute each time you display or update the InfoBox. 

When the InfoBox is displayed, the scripts for all the items are sent to the PATROL Agent for execution. The PATROL Agent does the following:

• Accesses the InfoBox definitions for the application class to which the object belongs.
• Executes as ad hoc commands when the InfoBox is opened by a user and returns the output to the console.

 Why create an InfoBox

An InfoBox provides a quick overview of pertinent information about a specific PATROL KM application. You can create an InfoBox as a mechanism for displaying such information so that it is concise and easily accessible.