Parameters

 A parameter is a command that periodically obtains data on a monitored system resource. Parameter data values are collected, summarized, and stored on the computer where the PATROL Agent resides. The collected parameter information is available for review by a PATROL console.

PATROL for Microsoft SQL Server organizes parameters into application classes by function or by the objects that they monitor. BMC PATROL uses several types of parameters and stores parameter history data in a file.

See Consumer-collector parameter dependencies, and the online Help for PATROL for Microsoft SQL Server for more information about the PATROL for Microsoft SQL Server parameters. For more general information about parameters and their functions, see the PATROL user guide for your console.

Parameter types

PATROL for Microsoft SQL Server uses the following types of parameters:

• A collector parameter executes commands at regular intervals (poll times) to gather data that it sends to the consumer parameters. Collector parameters do not display the values that they collect, nor do they generate alarms or recovery actions.
• A standard parameter collects a single value of data as numeric or text and displays that value. Many of the standard parameters used by PATROL for Microsoft SQL Server have collector properties; they execute commands and gather the data that consumer parameters display.
• A consumer parameter displays a value that was collected by a collector parameter (or a standard parameter with collector properties) and can generate alarms or warnings and recovery actions if those values exceed predefined thresholds. Consumer parameters do not issue commands.

The use of standard parameters with collector properties (standard collectors) and consumer parameters enables BMC PATROL to set an almost unlimited number of parameters with one data retrieval query to the server, creating an extremely efficient and flexible data retrieval system.

The Collectors application contains all but two of the standard collectors used by PATROL for Microsoft SQL Server. UserColl is found under the User application and ErrorLog Coll is found under the Error log application. Double-clicking the Collector application icon opens a window that contains all of the standard collector parameters and one standard parameter, CheckConfiguration.

These standard collectors are represented by an icon that contains a check mark and an X. The check mark is green when the standard collector parameter is in an okay state and the X turns red when the standard collector parameter goes into an alarm state. (See the PATROL user guide for your console for detailed information on alarm states and icons.) These standard collector parameters go into an alarm state if a scheduled collection fails. Double-clicking on a standard collector icon opens a graph or timetable that displays a mark for each collection that the standard collector parameter completed. Standard collector parameters do not display the data that they collect, but display only information about their collections.

The data collected by the standard collector parameters is distributed to related consumer parameters. Consumer-collector parameter dependencies, provides a table that cross-references the consumer parameters with the standard collector parameter that sets its value. Disabling a standard collector parameter also disables the consumer parameters that it sets.

The following figure shows the Collector Application icon, the parameters it contains, and an example of a graph that standard collector parameters use to display collection information.

 Parameter History file

All parameter history data is stored in a single file named param.hist, which is located in the following directory on the computer where the PATROL Agent resides:

$PATROL_HOME\log\history\computername\portnumber