Open System Testing Architecture

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Creating Collectors

A Collector is a set of user-defined data collection queries which determine the type of performance data that is monitored and recorded from one or more Host computers or devices during a Test-run. Include them in your Tests to target specific components of the WAE under test and the Hosts used to run a Test, with precise data collection queries to record the performance data you need. Create Collectors and incorporate them into your Tests, then run the Test to generate the results data required.

OpenSTA also supports the creation of Collector-only production monitoring Tests. These Tests are used to monitor and collect performance data within a production system where the load is generated externally by the normal use of the system.

Collectors give you the flexibility to collect and monitor a wide range of performance data at user defined intervals during a Test-run. A Collector can contain a single data collection query and be used to target a single Host. Or alternatively, they can contain multiple queries and target multiple Hosts. The specific data collection queries defined within a Collector can be selected and monitored from the Monitoring Tab view of the Test Pane during a Test-run.

OpenSTA supplies two Modules which facilitate the creation of Collectors:

In this example the following procedures take you through the creation of one NT Performance Collector and one SNMP Collector.

NT Performance Collectors

NT Performance Collectors are used to monitor and collect performance data from your computer or other networked Hosts running Windows NT or Windows 2000 during a Test-run. Creating and running NT Performance Collectors as part of a Test enables you to record comprehensive data to help you assess the performance of systems under test.

Use NT Performance Collectors to collect performance data during a Test-run from performance objects such as Processor, Memory, Cache, Thread and Process on the Hosts you specify in the data collection queries. Each performance object has an associated set of performance counters that provide information about device usage, queue lengths, delays, and information used to measure throughput and internal congestion.

NT Performance Collectors can be used to monitor Host performance according to the data collection queries defined in the Collector during a Test-run. Performance counters can be displayed graphically by selecting the Task Group that contains the Collector from the Monitoring Window in the Monitoring Tab of the Test Pane.

The results recorded using a Collector can be monitored then viewed after the Test-run is complete. Select a Test and open up the Custom NT Performance graph from the Results Tab of the Test Pane to display your results.

Note: If you are using an NT Performance Collector to target a Web server that is running Microsoft IIS (Internet Information Server), you can monitor and collect performance from it by selecting the Web Service object from the Performance Object text box when you set up a new query.

In this example the procedure below takes you through adding two data collection queries targeting the same Host.

Create an NT Performance Collector
  1. In Commander, select File > New Collector > NT Performance.
    Or: In the Repository Window, right-click Collectors, and select New Collector > NT Performance.
    The Collector appears in the Repository Window with a small crossed red circle over the Collector icon , indicating that the Collector has no content.
    Note: After you have opened a Collector and defined a data collection query using the Edit Query dialog box in the Collector Pane, the icon changes to reflect this .
  2. Give the new Collector a name within the Repository Window, in this example NT_PERFORMANCE, then press Return.
  3. In the Repository Window, double-click the new Collector NT_PERFORMANCE, to open the Collector Pane in the Commander Main Window, where you can setup your data collection queries.
    The Edit Query dialog box opens automatically when you open a new Collector , or double-click on a row of an open Collector. Use this dialog box to add NT Performance data collection queries.
  4. In the Name text box enter a unique title for the data collection query, in this case Processor.
    Note: When you run a Test the query name you enter is listed in the Available Views text box which is displayed in the Monitoring Tab of the Test Pane. You can select and monitor queries during a Test-run.
    Query names also appear in the Custom SNMP graph with the associated results data. Use the Results Window in the Results Tab of the Test Pane to display them.
  5. Click the Browse Queries button to open the Browse Performance Counters dialog box and define the query.
    Tip: You can enter a query directly into the Query text box in the Edit Query dialog box.
  6. In the Browse Performance Counters dialog box, select the Host you want to collect data from. You can select to either:
  1. In the Performance object selection box select a performance object, in this example Processor. Click , to the right of the selection box and choose an entry from the drop down list.
  2. In the Performance counters selection box choose a performance counter, in this example % Processor Time.
    Note: Click Explain to view a description of the currently selected Performance counter.
  3. In the Instances selection box pick an instance of the selected performance counter.
  4. Click OK to confirm your choices and return to the Edit Query dialog box.
  5. In the Interval text box enter a time period in seconds, for example 5, to control the frequency of data collection, or use , to set a value.
  6. Leave the Delta Value column check box unchecked to record the raw data value, or check the box to record the Delta value.
    Note: Delta value records the difference between the data collected at each interval.
  7. Click OK to display the data collection query you have defined in the Collector Pane.
    Each row within the Collector Pane defines a single data collection query.
  8. Use , in the toolbar to add an additional query then repeat steps 4-13. This time select the Memory Performance object and Page Faults/sec Performance counter.
    Tip: Double-click on a query to edit it. Select a query then click , in the toolbar to delete it.
    Note: The Collector is saved automatically in the Repository when you switch to a different function or exit from Commander.

SNMP Collectors

SNMP Collectors (Simple Network Management Protocol) are used to collect SNMP data from Host computers or other devices running an SNMP agent or proxy SNMP agent during a Test-run. Creating then running SNMP Collectors as part of a Test enables you to collect results data to help you assess the performance of production systems under test.

SNMP is the Internet standard protocol developed to manage nodes on an IP network. It can be used to manage and monitor all sorts of equipment including computers, routers, wiring hubs and printers. That is, any device capable of running an SNMP management process, known as an SNMP agent. All computers and many peripheral devices meet this requirement, which means you can create and include SNMP Collectors in a Test to collect data from most components used in target WAEs.

SNMP data collection queries defined in a Collector can be displayed graphically during a Test-run to monitor the performance of the target Host. Select a Task Group that contains an SNMP Collector from the Monitoring Window in the Monitoring Tab of the Test Pane then choose the performance counters you want to display.

In this example the procedure below takes you through adding two data collection queries targeting the same Host.

Create an SNMP Collector
  1. In Commander, select File > New Collector > SNMP.
    Or: In the Repository Window, right-click Collectors, and select New Collector > SNMP.
    The Collector appears in the Repository Window with a small crossed red circle over the icon , indicating that the Collector has no content.
    Note: After you have opened a Collector and defined a data collection query using the Edit Query dialog box in the Collector Pane, the icon changes to reflect this .
  2. Give the new Collector a name within the Repository Window, in this example SNMP, then press Return.
  3. In the Repository Window, double-click the new Collector SNMP, to open the Collector Pane in the Commander Main Window, where you can setup your data collection queries.
    The Edit Query dialog box opens automatically when you open the new Collector , or double-click on a row of an open Collector. Use this dialog box to add SNMP data collection queries.
  4. In the Name text box enter a unique title for the data collection query, in this example IP In.
    Note: When you run a Test the query name you enter is listed in the Available Views text box which is displayed in the Monitoring Tab of the Test Pane. You can select query names to monitor the progress of the Test-run.
    Query names also appear in the Custom SNMP graph with the associated results data. Use the Results Window in the Results Tab of the Test Pane to display them.
  5. In the SNMP Server text box enter the Host name or the IP address you want to collect data from.
    Tip: You can run the SNMP Server Scan by clicking in the toolbar, to identify all networked SNMP Servers currently running an SNMP agent, then click , to the right of the SNMP Server text box to display the list and select an SNMP server.
  6. In the Port text box enter the port number used by the target SNMP Server.
    Note: Port 161 is the default port number that an SNMP agent runs from.
  7. Click the Browse Queries button to open the Select Query dialog box and define the query.
    Tip: You can enter a query directly into the Query text box in the Edit Query dialog box.
  8. In the Select Query dialog box, click to the right of the Category selection box and choose a category from the drop down list, in this example ip.
  9. In the Query selection box below, pick a query associated with the category you have chosen, in this example ipInReceives.0.
    Note: The Current Value of the query must contain a numeric counter in order to generate data to populate the results graphs.
  10. Click Select to confirm your choices and return to the Edit Query dialog box.
    The selected query, public ip.ipInReceives.0, records the total number of input datagrams received from interfaces, including those received in error.
  11. In the Edit Query dialog box use the Interval text box to enter a time period in seconds, for example 5, to control the frequency of data collection, or use , to set a value.
  12. Leave the Delta Value column check box unchecked to record the raw data value, or check the box to record the Delta value.
    Note: Delta value records the difference between the data collected at each interval.
  13. Click OK to display the data collection query you have defined in the Collector Pane.
    Each row within the Collector Pane defines a single data collection query.
  14. Use , in the toolbar to add an additional query then repeat steps 4-13. This time select the ip category and the ipOutRequests.0 query.
    This query appears as public ipOutRequests.0. It records the total number of IP (Internet Protocol) datagrams, which local IP user and protocols (including ICMP) supplied to IP in requests for transmission. This counter does not include any datagrams counted in ipForwDatagrams.
    Tip: Double-click on a query to edit it. Select a query then click , in the toolbar to delete it.
    Note: The Collector is saved automatically in the Repository when you switch to a different function or exit from Commander.

It is also possible to create new SNMP data collection categories which can then be selected during the Collector creation process. Follow the procedure below for details.

Create New SNMP Data Collection Categories

Use this option to create new SNMP data collection categories which you can select when you define a new query in the Select Query dialog box.

  1. In the Repository Window double-click on an SNMP Collector to open the Collector Pane in the Main Window.
  2. Click , in the toolbar.
  3. In the Category Definition dialog box, click in the Name text box and enter the title of the new data collection category.
    Note: The new category can be chosen from the Category text box of the Select Query dialog box when you are defining a query.
  4. In the Walk Point text box enter the query definition.
    Note: The Walk Point you define can be selected in the Query text box of the Edit Query dialog box and the Category text box of the Select Query dialog box when you are choosing a query.
  5. Click Apply to make the new category available for selection. Click Close to cancel.
    Note: Edit the Walk Point of a category by clicking , to the right of the Name text box to display and select a category, then enter the new query definition.

Next...

After you have created your Collectors the next step is to add them to a Test.
Move on to the next section for details on how to create a new Test.

Next Section: Creating a Test

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