Section 1, Task 2: Start Your Data Collection software Action 1: Start the logging and collector software, if it is not already running.

1. Start SpectroSERVER.

   With SPECTRUM Release 4.0, the recommended method for starting the server is by using the SPECTRUM Control Panel. Using the SPECTRUM Control Panel insures that the environment is properly set up and that the supporting daemons, DAS and ArchMgr, are running. For versions prior to 4.0, please refer to your SPECTRUM System Administrator's Guide for the proper method for starting SpectroSERVER.

   1. Check that the SPECTRUM processd daemon is started.

      Issue this command, at your workstation:

      spectrum

      You can type this command from any directory.

      SPECTRUM displays the Select Host Machine window (and the Control Panel window). Display of the Select Host Machine window indicates that the processd daemon is started. On the Select Host Machine window, select the name of the SPECTRUM management host or select DEFAULT. Select OK.

      SPECTRUM closes the Select Host Machine window.

      Note: If the Select Host Machine window does not display, and instead a window displays with a message similar to this (where machine name is the SPECTRUM management host name):

      Cannot connect to the processd at this location:

      machine name

      Then the SPECTRUM processd daemon on the management machine is not started. See Cabletron SPECTRUM Appendix 1: Starting the processd Daemon for instructions on starting processd. After you start processd, repeat this action.

   2. Check that SpectroSERVER is running.

      When the Select Host Machine window closes, the Control Panel window is left open. In the Message subwindow, SPECTRUM displays

      SpectroSERVER is now ready...

      and in the Status field SPECTRUM displays

      RUNNING

      This combination of values indicates that SpectroSERVER is running.

      Note: If one or both values are not as described, select Start SERVER on the Control Panel window. In the Status field, SPECTRUM displays STARTING and then displays RUNNING. In the Message subwindow, SPECTRUM displays

      SpectroSERVER is now ready...

      When this combination of values is present, go on to the next action.

2. Start SpectroGRAPH.

   On the Control Panel window, select SpectroGRAPH. The window named Select Server To Connect To... is displayed. Select the name of the SPECTRUM management machine or select DEFAULT. Then select OK. SPECTRUM closes the Select Server To Connect To ... window. After a pause, SPECTRUM displays and closes the eye window and then displays the Topology View window and perhaps other View windows (Alarm View or Geographic View or Hierarchy View).

   Note: If, instead of the eye window and View window, SPECTRUM displays a window with a message similar to this one

   Error: No SpectroSERVER to talk to!

   then SpectroSERVER is not running on the selected host. Select Close on this window. Repeat this action and select the correct host name (the one that you selected for SpectroSERVER).

   In this document we suggest you export and examine the data one model type at a time. Select a model type. We suggest using type HubCSIMRXi, a common Cabletron Systems MRXI Repeater. If you do not have models of this type, whenever you see references in this document to HubCSIMRXi, substitute another model type that you do have, preferably a common model type. To determine the model type for most models, follow this path from the Topology View window:

   Select the Model -> View -> Icon Subviews -> Model Information

   The Model Type field contains the model type name that SPECTRUM uses. To close this window and go back to the Topology View window, select File and Close.

   If there is no Model Information for that model type, check the SPECTRUM document Management Module Guide for that device.

   Perform all the steps in this task from within SpectroGRAPH. If the Topology view window is partially or fully overlaid, make it the top window so that it is fully visible.

3. Select the first node of type HubCSIMRXi from which you want to collect data.

   You may need to select down to a lower layer of the map to locate the device of interest.

   The "Find" view can be very useful for locating a particular model or all models of a particular model type.

   1. Locate all nodes of type HubCSIMRXi.

      Select...

      View -> New View -> Find...

      When the Find Attribute Selection window displays, select

      Model-Type Name -> OK

      Type HubCSIMRXi (remember that model type names are case sensitive) and select OK, in the Find Models with Model-Type Name field.

      SPECTRUM displays a list of all models of this model type.

   2. Select a node from the list.

      Double-click on the node name.

      The icon representing that node displays above the list.

4. Begin polling and logging data for the device.
   
   
   1. Select the appropriate icon subview.

      When an icon representing a HubCSIMRXi is visible, follow this path

      View -> Icon Subviews -> Model Information

      to select the icon subview that controls polling and logging of attributes for the HubCSIMRXi devices. For model types other than HubCSIMRXi, use the Management Module Guide to determine which icon subview controls polling and logging of attributes for your device.

      • Set the Poll Interval field to 60 to collect data every minute.

        When changing the value for this field, you may be asked to confirm the changes. Select OK to keep the changes.

      • Set the Log Ratio field to 10 to log data every ten minutes.
        
        
      • Select File and Close to exit from the Model Information icon subview.

      SPECTRUM begins the polling and logging.

   2. Verify what is being logged.

      Follow this path:

      View -> Icon Subviews -> Model Information

      and look at the LOGGED list box. The attributes that are now being logged display in this section.

      Note: If the attributes listed do not describe the performance of the device sufficiently for your purposes, you may need to edit the model type definition so that it logs other attributes in addition to the ones shown. See Cabletron SPECTRUM Appendix 5: Editing Model Types for SPECTRUM for information on adding attributes to be logged.

   3. Repeat these steps for the remaining devices of type HubCSIMRXi for which you want to collect data.

      Note: If you find this interactive method too time-consuming, see Cabletron SPECTRUM Appendix 2: Alternate Data-Logging Method.

      Note: You can exit SpectroGRAPH now (by selecting File and Exit) without affecting data polling and logging.

5. Edit the export script.

   The script that executes the actual data export process must be configured for your site.

   1. Edit this file in any ASCII editor.

      SPECTRUM_home/SG-Tools/dtxscript

   2. Delete the comment delimiters (#s) that are at the beginning of these lines:

      # SASROOT=
      # export SASROOT

   3. Specify the location of base SAS software.

      SASROOT is the path to base SAS the lines to software. Add the SASROOT path to the line that now begins SASROOT=. For example, change it to this:

      SASROOT=/local/sas
      export SASROOT

   4. Save the edited version and exit from the editor.

      Note: If you want to know more about dtxscript, see the document SPECTRUM Data Export User's Guide.

6. Export the data using SDE and the export script.

   SDE uses Export Definition Descriptions, which are templates that control the export process. Because this is your first time using SDE, you will need to create one of these descriptions.

   1. Start SDE.

      Select the following from the main SpectroGRAPH window:

      File -> Export Data...

   2. Create and save a description for exporting the data.
      
      
      • Set the Landscapes... field to the name of the SPECTRUM management host.
        
        
      • Set the Output Format field to SAS.
        
        
      • Select Statistics in the middle third of the SDE window.

        SPECTRUM displays the SDE: Statistics Filter window.

        1. Double-click on the HubCSIMRXi entry in the Models/Model Types field in the Statistics Filter window.
           
           
        2. Select all the models of interest by highlighting their model names.

           Hint: To select all models for a particular model type, such as HubCSIMRXi select the model type name. SPECTRUM will highlight all models belonging to that model type.

        3. Select the attributes that you want to keep in your PDB.

           Select Attributes from the list of all attributes that are listed in the Common Attributes part of the window.

           Later, you will want to review the attributes that you select here, in order to check that they match the variables kept in your PDB.

        4. Select OK.
           
           
      • Specify frequency of exporting data.

        To specify that the data that were collected on the previous day should be exported, in the same row of buttons as the Statistics button under the Export Range heading select:

        Custom... -> Day

      • Select Models in the lower third of the window.

        Note: You are not required to export the model data set on a regular basis, only when significant changes to the network topology have been made. Exporting, as a daily process, assures that you have a model name for all data in your statistics data set.

   3. Save the Export Definition Description.

      Select:

      File -> Save...

      In the Selection field, type a file name such as exp_def_desc_1 (SDE automatically appends the .sde suffix to the file name ), and then press ENTER or RETURN.

      In exp_def_desc_1.sde, SDE saves the description of what data to export.

7. Allow SPECTRUM some time to collect data.

   If polling and logging have not been enabled until now, SPECTRUM will need about two days to collect a meaningful amount of data. We recommend that you collect two days' worth of data so that you will have a better sense of what typical data are like, what a typical PDB is like, and what typical reports are like as you explore your PDB in later tasks.

8. Start the export process.

   After two days, select the following from the current window:

   File -> Export Now -> OK

   SDE starts the export process, which uses:

   • the exp_def_desc_1.sde description for what data to export
     
     
   • the Export Range value of Day for how much data to export
     
     
   • the directory SPECTRUM_home/export.output (by default) for the directory to which SDE will write the data.

   In summary, SDE exports all model data to the model data set in the SPECTRUM_home/export.output directory and exports the previous day's statistics data (logged data) for the selected models to the statistics data set in SPECTRUM_home/export.output.

   • The model data set contains model-handle to model-name mappings for the selected model type's models that were present on the previous day. Each observation in the model data set contains the mapping of one model handle (in hex) to its model name (host name).

     In a later task you will define a libref named specgway that points to the SPECTRUM_home/export.output directory. At that point you will refer to the model data set as specgway.model.

   • The statistics data set contains the metrics logged during the previous day on the selected model type's models. Each observation in the statistics data set contains a timestamp, a model handle (in hex), and the value at that time of each attribute that was logged for that model handle.

     Note: To be exact, the data set that contains the statistics has a name of stat not statistics. In a later task you will define a libref named specgway that points to the SPECTRUM_home/export.output directory. At that point, you will refer to the statistics data set as specgway.stat.

9. Check export progress.

   In a separate UNIX window, monitor the log file by using this command:

   tail -f SPECTRUM_home/export.output/exp_def_desc_1.log

   where exp_def_desc_1 is the name of the Export Definition Description that you created in this action.

   Note: Tail the .log file not the .sde file.

   When SPECTRUM displays a message in the UNIX window that indicates the export of the models data and statistics data is complete, press CTRL-C in the UNIX window to interrupt the tail command.

10. Close SDE.

    Follow this path:

    File -> Close -> OK

If you want to know more about creating and saving an Export Definition Description than was described above, refer to the SPECTRUM Data Export User's Guide.

There is also an example of processing SPECTRUM data in the IT Service Vision Showroom.