This article describes the new interface between Caché and BMC PATROL.
BMC PATROL is a tool for monitoring and managing various software systems. Caché supplies PATROL extensions so that you can monitor and collect information about Caché.
This interface allows users to monitor metrics of one or multiple Caché systems from the PATROL Console. The interface requires that the PATROL daemon is running on the Caché system to collect and output the metric values and that the Caché knowledge module files (*.km) are loaded into the PATROL Console to read and display these values.
This article provides information about:
Running PATROL with Caché
You run the ^PATROL Caché ObjectScript routine on each Caché installation that you want to monitor using the Caché-provided system class methods, or by setting it to automatically run at system startup.
The routine starts a background process that outputs metrics to a file, patrol.dat, located in the Caché manager's directory, c:\CacheSys\mgr by default. The file is rewritten for each collection period, so the file size is static. The file also includes an identifying header and a time stamp so that the PATROL Console can determine that it is active and up-to-date.
There are two ways to run PATROL in Caché:
Caché PATROL System Class Methods
Caché provides system class methods to start and stop BMC PATROL. These methods are in the %SYSTEM.MonitorTools.BMC class.
To start PATROL:
 Do $System.MonitorTools.BMC.StartPatrol(Data,ProcessCount,Timer)
PATROL Method Arguments
Argument Description Default
Data The literals Total, Delta, or Rate to indicate the type of numbers to output. Total
ProcessCount How many processes for which to pass %SS statistics. 20
Timer Collection period in seconds. 30
The collection period argument is also passed to the PATROL Console so that the collection and display update are in sync.
To stop PATROL:
 Do $System.MonitorTools.BMC.StopPatrol()
Automatic PATROL Startup
The Caché Configuration Manager has an option to automatically start the PATROL daemon.
  1. Start the Caché Configuration Manager (by selecting it from the Caché cube menu.)
  2. Near the bottom of the Advanced tab, double-click Monitoring to expand the tree.
  3. Double-click BMC Patrol to display the Patrol settings.
  4. Select the check box to start Patrol at Caché startup.
You can also set the other PATROL routine arguments described in the previous section by selecting each and clicking Change.
Caché PATROL Knowledge Modules
The architecture of PATROL is based on the concept of knowledge modules. A knowledge module contains a set of commands, parameters to monitor, and actions used by PATROL. The Caché plug-in for PATROL consists of several knowledge modules, that you load into the PATROL Console.
Once these KMs are loaded, the Console automatically attempts to discover Caché installations on all connected systems. The discovery process either searches the Registry on NT or parses the output from the ccontrol list command on UNIX and OpenVMS. For each Caché installation it finds it checks to see if the patrol.dat file exists in the Caché manager's directory and if the time stamp within that file is current. Caché installations which are currently reporting Caché metrics for PATROL appear in the PATROL Console.
Adding Caché Modules to PATROL
To add a Caché knowledge module into the Console and activate it:
  1. From the PATROL Console File menu, click Load KM.
  2. Select all the *.km files, located in the Caché Patrol directory, c:\CacheSys\Patrol, by default.
  3. The ISC_CACHE module should appear in the Desktop tab of the Console in a few seconds.
  4. Right-click ISC_CACHE and choose Add Configuration from the KM Commands menu.
  5. In the Add Configuration dialog box, enter a configuration name and the Caché directory, C:/CacheSys, as the install directory.
  6. You may need to wait for, at most, 30 seconds (PATROL default sync period), before PATROL recognizes Caché statistics.
For more information you can consult the BMC Web site.
If any Caché installations are discovered on a system, then the main entry for Caché (the Caché class) appears under that system entry. Each Caché instance (each Caché configuration installed on that system) appears under the Caché class. Under each Caché instance are the general metric categories of Overview, Global, Routines, Disk Activity, Network, and Other.
For example:
- PATROLMainMap
  - TEST1
    - ISC_CACHE
      - ISC_Config_CACHE
        + ISC_DiskActivity
        + ISC_Global
        + ISC_Network
        + ISC_Other
        + ISC_Overview
        + ISC_Routine
The categories expand to show all the individual metrics. The metrics under Overview are gauges showing current levels. The others are graphs showing values over time.
Right clicking the Caché configuration allows the user to select Caché-specific commands, to either Remove Configuration or show a Process Status window.
Manually adding a configuration should not normally be necessary, since all Caché installations should be automatically discovered, but might be useful if there is a question or a problem with a specific installation.
Error messages from the Caché KMs may be output to the System Output window. Check these messages if you have questions about Caché installations that are not automatically discovered.
Caché Metrics Used with BMC PATROL
The list of metrics for Caché:
Caché PATROL Metrics
Category Metric
Overview Global Refs (gauge)
Global Sets, Reads, Kills (graph)
Net Global Refs (gauge)
Net Global Sets, Reads, Kills (graph)
Routine Lines (gauge)
Routine Loads (gauge)
Locks (gauge)
Process Count (graph)
Cache Efficiency (graph) (= 100*(LogicalReads/(LogicalReads + Physical Reads)) )
Licenses Used (gauge)
Global Global Refs
Global Sets
Global Kills
Global Reads
Blocks Allocated
Locks
Successful Locks
Failed Locks
Job InGlobal
WD QueSize
Global AvailBufs
Que Gaccess
Que GaccUpd
Que GBFAny
Que GBFSpec
Journal Entries
Jrn FileSize
Jrn EndOffset
Tot Global Bufs
GThrottle Cur
GThrottle Max
GThrottle Cnt
Routine Routine Lines
Routine Loads
Routine Fetches
Disk Activity Physical Directory Reads
Physical U-Ptr Reads
Physical B-Ptr Reads
Physical Data Reads
Physical Routine Reads
Physical Map Reads
Physical Other Reads
Physical Directory Writes
Physical U-Ptr Writes
Physical B-Ptr Writes
Physical Data Writes
Physical Routine Writes
Physical Map Writes
Physical Other Writes
Logical Directory Reads
Logical U-Ptr Reads
Logical B-Ptr Reads
Logical Data Reads
Logical Routine Reads
Logical Map Reads
Logical Other Reads
Network Net Global Refs
Net Global Sets
Net Global Kills
Net Global Reads
Net Requests Sent
Net Cache Hits
Net Cache Misses
Net Locks
Net Retransmits
Net Buffer
Net GblJobs
Other Terminal Reads
Terminal Writes
Terminal Read Char
Terminal Write Char
Sequential Read
Sequential Write