Collecting Collection Services Performance Data - ironstream_for_kafka - ironstream_for_splunk - ironstream_for_elastic - Ironstream_Hub - 1.3

One or more of the steps in this section may need to be re-run if the OS has modified or purged any of the monitoring components during the upgrade.

Step 1: Ensure Collection Services is configured and started

These options need to be defined:

• A Collection Interval from those available.
• The Database File Creation option must be turned on. This ensures that the data is stored in database tables for journaling.
• The System monitoring option must be turned off. This data is not required and will incorrectly inflate the visualizations that use the metrics collected by this option. (This option creates a second set of data for specific metrics which is written to object members starting with an “R” rather than a “Q”.)
• Choose which Data to Collect from:
  • A predefined profile
  • A customized collection profile, choosing from the available categories.

You can do this either in the IBM Navigator for i or using Commands.

Configure Collection Services using Commands

Configure Collection Services using the IBM Navigator for i

To configure Collection Services using the user interface open the IBM Navigator for i interface and follow these instructions:

1. Confirm that Collection Services have been started on the IBM i LPAR. If not, start performance collection as follows:
   1. Open the Start Collection Services window by using the search box, or expanding the Performance, All Tasks, Collectors and Collection Services nodes on the left.
   2. Choose the Collection Profile you wish to use and click Configure to choose additional options.
   3. Click OK to start collection.
      Figure 1. Start Collection Services
      
2. Confirm the Collection Services are configured as necessary:
   1. Open the Configure Collection Services window using the search box or expanding the Performance and Manage Collection nodes on the left.
   2. On the General tab, set the Collection Interval as required.
   3. Ensure Create database files during collection is checked.
   4. Ensure Enable system monitoring is unchecked.
      Figure 2. Configure Collection Services

      
3. On the Data to Collect tab to choose which performance data is to be collected.
   Figure 3. Collection Profile

   

Step 2: Create a Journal and Journal Receiver

Create a journal and journal receiver for the Collection Services performance data files. Defaults can be taken for most options unless installation specific standards dictate different options.

Create a Journal using Commands

To set up journaling using commands:

1. Create the journal receiver using the Create Journal Receiver CRTJRNRCV command.
2. Create the journal using the Create Journal CRTJRN command.
3. Ensure Journal Caching is turned Off.

Create a Journal using the IBM Navigator for I

To set up journaling with the IBM Navigator for i:

1. Open the IBM Navigator for i interface.
2. Expand the Journal Management section and choose Create Journal.
3. Enter the name for the Journal and choose a library for the Journal location or use the default QGPL.
4. Ensure Cache journal entries is turned Off.

Figure 4. Create New Journal

Step 3: Start Journaling the Collection Services Data

Start the journaling of the Collection Services performance data files.

Start Journaling using Commands

Issue a Start Journal Physical File (STRJRNPF) command so that entries are included in the new journal(s) as the performance data is captured. For example:

STRJRNPF FILE(QPFRDATA/QAPMDISK) JRN(MYLIB/MYPERFJRN)

Start Journaling using IBM Navigator for i

To set up journaling with IBM Navigator for i, follow these steps:

1. Expand Journal Management and select Create a journal.
2. Start journaling for each file you wish to collect from the Collection Services data tables.

Step 4: Create the File Field Descriptions

After journals and journal receivers have been created, create a File Field Description for each of the performance data files you wish Ironstream to collect entries from.

To create a File Field Description, open the Hub and select File Field Description from the side menu. A File Field Description configuration entry may be created in one of two ways:

To manually enter a file’s configuration:

1. Click the Create button.
2. Enter a Configuration Name for the File Field Description.
3. Click the Add Field button to enter the field information for the file’s field(s). This information can be retrieved using a DSPFFD command on the IBM i LPAR.
4. Click the Add Field button as many times as needed to define all the desired fields of the file.
5. Click the Save button when all file field descriptions are entered.

To automatically fill in the configuration using a query:

1. Click the Generate button.
2. On the next page, enter a Configuration Name for the File Field Description.
3. Fill in the file’s Object name and Object library location on the IBM i LPAR, for example QAPMDISK in library QPFRDATA.
4. Select a system from the System selector to choose which IBM i LPAR to collect the field information from.
5. Click the Generate button at the bottom of the page to send a query to collect all the fields of the named file object.
   Figure 5. Generate File Field Descriptions
   
6. After the list is created, click the Edit button next to the list name to view the field list. On this page, you have the option to change the field labels, and you can also remove fields if the field does not contain data that you want to send to the target.
   Figure 6. Edit Field Labels