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System Diagnostics

System diagnostics are grouped together on the page:

  • EASA→Administrator→System→Diagnostics

These five links are described below:

Summary Page

The System Information heading lists details of EASA's resource footprint. By default this includes:

  • Current memory usage
  • Peak memory usage since EASA was last started
  • Maximum memory usage allowed
  • Java version in use
  • Free disk space
  • Number of threads being run by EASA
  • Number of commands running

Additional system resource values can be configured for display under System Information by making use of Performance Logs defined in the Computer Management tool available in Windows. See Adding a System Resource Monitor Value for details.

The Throughput heading displays the following throughput values accumulated since the EASA Server was last started:

  • Time EASA Server has been running
  • Web pages generated
  • HTTP requests processed
  • Number of runs submitted to EASAP queue
  • Maximum number of runs in the EASAP queue at any one time
  • Number of commands previously run

Server Output Page

The Server Output page provides diagnostic messages from the EASA Server. These include a variety of messages about such things as:

  • Initialization of EASA
  • Transactions within the EASAP queue
  • Error messages

Many of the messages are time and date stamped to help track down when and why problems may have occurred on an EASA system. There are several actions available under the ‘Actions’ dropdown beneath the log window:

  • Refresh → Update the display of messages in the log window.
  • Start New → Begin a new log file.
  • Download All → The current and old logs, are downloaded in a .zip file.
  • Delete Old Logs → Delete old log files from the filesystem.

The messages shown on the Diagnostics page are stored in a text file:

  • <SERVERDATA>/admin/logs\server.txt

Older archived log files are also stored here with date stamps added to the file names.

The output from the HTML Server is also available from this page, access it via the radio buttons above the log window. This information is also found at: 

 tomcat/webapps/jsf-easa/admin/logs/jsf-easa.log.

Logging Page

On the Logging page, set the level or quantity of logging performed by EASA, stored in the server.txt file and displayed on the Server Output page. There are two different types of diagnostic messages:

  • Queue messages
  • Web Page request messages

To change the logging level, perform the following two steps:

  • Select the logging level using the Queue and Web Pages choice lists
  • Click on the Update Settings button

Active Commands Page

This table lists all the system commands currently being run by EASA. These typically are associated with submitted EASAP processes being run either locally on the EASA Server acting as a Compute Server or via rsh commands to a remote Compute Server.

Free Resources Page

Press the Free Resources button to free up computer memory that the EASA Server no longer needs. 'Before' and 'after' memory usage is displayed.

Thread Details link shows:

  • Current number of threads
  • Peak number of threads
  • Total started threads
  • Deadlocked Threads
  • Monitor-Deadlocked Threads

EASA uses many threads though the roles of each are not in the scope of this document.

The Log Stacktraces button prints all data related to threads into the server log:

  • EASA→System→Diagnostics→Server Output→EASA Server

All Threads shows the current status for all EASA threads.

Memory is freed up automatically, from time to time.

Adding a System Resource Monitor Value (Windows specific)

In addition to the default system resource values displayed on the Summary page under the Diagnostics selection, it is possible to monitor additional system resources by making use of Performance Logs defined in the Computer Management tool available in Windows.

To add a new System Resource Monitor Value for display on the Summary page under the Diagnostics selection, complete two separate procedures:

  • Create a new Counter Log using the Computer Management tool available in Windows.
  • Add an entry for the new monitor in the System.properties file located under:
  • <SERVERDATA>/admin/config/System.properties

Create a Counter Log in Windows XP

On an EASA Server running Windows XP, select:

  • Start Menu→Settings→Control Panel→Administrative Tools→Computer Management

On the Computer Management window that appears, expand:

  • System Tools→'Performance Logs and Alerts'
  • Right click→Counter Logs
  • Select New Log Settings… on the pop-up menu.
  • Type in a name for the new counter
  • Click on OK.

A window appears to configure the new counter. On the General tab:

  • Click on the Add Counter… button
  • The Add Counters window opens
  • Add a counter:
    • Select the desired Performance object from the list
    • Select the desired Counter in the next list
    • Click on the Add button.
  • Repeat for other counters.
  • Once other counters have been added:
    • Click on the Close button.
  • Configure the counter log file:
    • Click on the Log Files tab
    • Click on Configure. . . :
      • Specify the file Location and File name.
  • Set the Log file size to a specified Limit of say 500 KB or 1 MB
  • Click on OK
  • Set the Log file type to ‘Text File (Comma delimited)’
  • Set the schedule for the log file by clicking on the Schedule tab,
  • Leave the Start log setting to the current date and time
  • Set the Stop log settings to:
    • stop When the log file is full
    • Start a new log file when a log file closes.
  • Click on OK to start the new counter log file.

Create Counter Logs in Windows 7

Unlike in Windows XP, Counter Logs in Windows 7 are organized into Data Sets. To create a new Counter Log in Windows 7, please follow these instructions:

  • On an EASA Server running Windows 7:
    • Type 'Computer Management' under the Start menu to find the program.
  • In the Computer Management window:
    • Expand Performance
    • Expand Data Collector Sets.
    • Right click on User Defined
    • Select New→Data Collector Set
    • Type in a name for the new set:
      • Choose Create Manually
      • Click Next
    • Tick the Performance Counter
    • Click Next
  • Next to the Performance Counters pane:
    • Click Add…
  • In the next window, select a performance counter from the list
  • Add this counter to the Added counters pane by clicking Add».
  • Add more than one counter, if desired
  • When finished, click OK to close the Add counters window
  • Click Finish to create the Data Collector Set
  • In the middle pane for the newly created Data Collector Set
  • Right-click the Performance Counter object and click Properties
  • Set the Log format to 'Comma Separated' in the drop-down box,
  • On the File tab, give it a relevant name and choose the Log mode as Overwrite

This creates a CSV file for EASA to work with, and we’re more interested in current performance information.

  • Next, define where and how to store the log file:
    • Right-click on the Data Collector Set in the tree
    • Select Properties
  • Set the root directory for the log files under the Directory tab
    • (such as C:\perflogs, for simplicity).
  • To keep a consistent file name for EASA to locate:
    • Clear the Subdirectory name format field
    • Unselect the Prefix subdirectory with computer name option

The log file is stored in the root folder.

  • Finally, set the schedule for the log file:
    • Click on the Schedule tab
    • Add a default Start log setting with the current date
    • Click the Stop Condition tab
    • Select the Restart the data collector set at limits box.
    • Check the Maximum Size box:
      • Set a value of say, 1MB.
  • Click on OK,
    • Right-click the Data Collector Set
    • Click Start to start the new counter log file immediately

Configuring the Counter Log in EASA

After creating the new counter log file, proceed to add an entry for the new monitor in the file:

  • <SERVERDATA>/admin/config/System.properties

To add the entry and complete the addition of the new System Resource Monitor Value, please follow the instructions given below:

  • Open the System.properties file in a text editor such as Notepad or Wordpad.
  • Add an entry for each new counter added to the counter log file created above.

These entries take the following form: 

 easa.server.systemmonitor<text>=<location_of_log_file>,<column_number>,<title_shown_on_summary_page>

Where:

  • <text> is unique identifier such as a number
  • <location_of_log_file> is the full path to the log file including the file name
  • <column_number> is the number of the column containing the monitor value data in the log file
  • <title_shown_on_summary_page> is the text shown on the Sytem Information→Summary page

Examples: 

 easa.server.systemmonitor1=C\:/PerfLogs/cpu.csv,2,% CPU Time
 easa.server.systemmonitor2=C\:/PerfLogs/mem.csv,2,RAM Usage
  • Once finished add entries
  • Save the System.properties file
  • Exit the text editor
  • Finally, stop and restart the EASA Server for the new System Resource Monitor Value to be displayed at:
    • EASA→Administrator→System→Diagnostics

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