sosybasease2.5.2 gettingstarted

8/11/2019 SoSybaseASE2.5.2 GettingStarted

1/54

2.5.2Spotlight on Sybase ASE

Getting Started Guide


2/54

2

2009 Quest Software, Inc.ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

This guide contains proprietary information protected by copyright. The software described in this guide is furnished

under a software license or nondisclosure agreement. This software may be used or copied only in accordance with

the terms of the applicable agreement. No part of this guide may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any

means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and recording for any purpose other than the purchasers

personal use without the written permission of Quest Software, Inc.

If you have any questions regarding your potential use of this material, please contact:

Quest Software World Headquarters

LEGAL Dept

5 Polaris Way

Aliso Viejo, CA 92656

www.quest.com

email:[email protected]

Refer to our web site for regional and international office information.

Disclaimer:The information in this document is provided in connection with Quest products. No license, express orimplied, by estoppel or otherwise, to any intellectual property right is granted by this document or in connection with

the sale of Quest products. EXCEPT AS SET FORTH IN QUEST'S TERMS AND CONDITIONS AS SPECIFIED IN

THE LICENSE AGREEMENT FOR THIS PRODUCT, QUEST ASSUMES NO LIABILITY WHATSOEVER AND

DISCLAIMS ANY EXPRESS, IMPLIED OR STATUTORY WARRANTY RELATING TO ITS PRODUCTS

INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE IMPLIED WARRANTY OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A

PARTICULAR PURPOSE, OR NON-INFRINGEMENT. IN NO EVENT SHALL QUEST BE LIABLE FOR ANY

DIRECT, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE, SPECIAL OR INCIDENTAL DAMAGES (INCLUDING,

WITHOUT LIMITATION, DAMAGES FOR LOSS OF PROFITS, BUSINESS INTERRUPTION OR LOSS OF

INFORMATION) ARISING OUT OF THE USE OR INAB ILITY TO USE THIS DOCUMENT, EVEN IF QUEST HAS

BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES.Quest makes no representations or warranties withrespect to the accuracy or completeness of the contents of this document and reserves the right to make changes

to specifications and product descriptions at any time without notice. Quest does not make any commitment to

update the information contained in this document.

Trademarks

Quest, Quest Software, the Quest Software logo, and Spotlight are trademarks and registered trademarks of Quest

Software, Inc in the United States of America and other countries. Other trademarks and registered trademarks used

in this guide are property of their respective owners.

Spotlight on Sybase ASE 2.5.2

Getting Started Guide

December 2008


3/54

Table of Contents

Ins tal lat ion ............................................................................................................................................................6

Installation Requirements................................................................................................................................................. 7

Privileges Required for User ID............................................................................................................................... 7

Monitoring Tables for 12.5.0.3 or later..................................................................................................................... 7

Hardware Requirements.......................................................................................................................................... 8

Software Requirements........................................................................................................................................... 8

Install or Upgrade Spotlight on Sybase ASE ................................................................................................................... 9

Uninstall Spotlight on Sybase ASE ................................................................................................................................. 9

Removing Database Objects ......................................................................................................................................... 10

Register Spotlight on Sybase ASE ................................................................................................................................ 10

Configuration.....................................................................................................................................................11

The Spotlight Program Group ....................................................................................................................................... 11

Access Spotlight on Sybase ASE ................................................................................................................................. 11

Connect to an Adaptive Server Instance ....................................................................................................................... 12

Creating a Spotlight User and a Connection......................................................................................................... 12

Using Spotlight with a limited access login account.............................................................................................. 15

Troubleshoot Spotlight on Sybase ASE ....................................................................................................................... 17

Problems connecting to an Adaptive Server instance........................................................................................... 17

Welcome to Spotligh t on

Sybase ASE ........................................................................................................................................................20

Features of Spotlight on Sybase ASE............................................................................................................................ 21

Easy installation..................................................................................................................................................... 21

Touchless architecture.......................................................................................................................................... 21

Audio and visual alerts ..........................................................................................................................................21

Server performance visualization.......................................................................................................................... 21


4/54

Table of Conten ts 4

Comprehensive information about problem areas.................................................................................................21

Corrective suggestions...........................................................................................................................................22

Smart monitoring....................................................................................................................................................22

Smart graphics.......................................................................................................................................................22

Smart threshold management................................................................................................................................22

SoWin SoUNIX Integration.....................................................................................................................................23

History Browser......................................................................................................................................................23

Spotlight Concepts .........................................................................................................................................................23

Metrics....................................................................................................................................................................23

Thresholds..............................................................................................................................................................24

Severities................................................................................................................................................................24

How metrics, thresholds and severities work together...........................................................................................24

.............................................................................................................................................................................25

The Spo tl ight Main Window ..............................................................................................................................26

The Spotlight Main Window............................................................................................................................................27

Elements in the Spotlight Main Window.................................................................................................................28

Performing calibrations...........................................................................................................................................30

Setting color displays.............................................................................................................................................30

Setting the frequency of screen refreshes..............................................................................................................31

Smoothing metric values........................................................................................................................................31

Specifying help for main screen components and alarms......................................................................................31

Spotlight alarms .............................................................................................................................................................32

Changing alarm properties.....................................................................................................................................32

Changing when an alarm is activated....................................................................................................................33

Enabling/disabling alarm sounds............................................................................................................................33

Logging and filtering alarms...................................................................................................................................33

Spotlight Drilldowns ........................................................................................................................................................34

Information Grids....................................................................................................................................................35

Information Blocks..................................................................................................................................................35

Information Graphs.................................................................................................................................................36

Whats This? Help..................................................................................................................................................36

The Spotlight toolbar ......................................................................................................................................................36

Using Spotlight on Sybase ASE.......................................................................................................................39


5/54

Table of Conten ts 5

The Main Spotlight on Sybase ASE Window .................................................................................................................40

Spotlight on Sybase ASE Alarms ...................................................................................................................................44

Spotlight on Sybase ASE Drilldowns .............................................................................................................................48

Appendix: Con tact Quest ..................................................................................................................................50

Contact Quest Support ...................................................................................................................................................50

Contact Quest Software..................................................................................................................................................51

About Quest ...................................................................................................................................................................51

Index....................................................................................................................................................................52


6/54

1

Installation

Contents

Installation Requirements

Install or Upgrade Spotlight o n Sybase ASE

Uninstall Spotlight on Sybase ASE

Removing Database Objects

Register Spotlight on Sybase ASE


7/54

Chapter 1 7Installat ion

Installation Requirements

Before beginning the installation, review this section to ensure required privileges are

set and system requirements are met.

Privileges Required for User ID

You must have the System Administrator (sa) user ID and password for the Adaptive

Server you want to diagnose, or have a DBA setup a user ID by running the setup utility

before you can use Spotlight to diagnose the Adaptive Server. All metrics are available

to sa users. Non sa users can be set up to monitor a Sybase Adaptive Server with a nonsa setup utility shipped with the Spotlight on Sybase ASE. Nearly all metrics and

features are available to non sa users.

Monitoring Tables fo r 12.5.0.3 or later

If an Adaptive Server 12.5.0.3 otlater does not have the monitoring tables instatlled

Sybase script , Spotlight cannot use the MDA API. Spotlight notifies you of this

condition and breaks the connection to the Adaptive Server. You can install these table

using the INSTALLMONTABLES script that is shipped with Adaptive Server.


8/54


Hardware Requirements

Software Requirements

Component Requirement

Processor 233 MHZ minimum

Disk Space 50 MB of disk space for installation

Note The disk space required may vary based on options selected

for installation.

Memory 128 MB of RAM minimum; 256 MB of RAM recommended

Monitor SVGA with a minimum resolution of 800x600, 1024x768

recommended

Note Spotlight can be viewed on a resolution of 800 by 600 pixels,

but this is not optimal. It is recommended that Spotlight be

viewed at a resolution of 1024 by 768 pixels. You should also

set the display to use the 64K color palette (65536 colors) or

higher.

Sound Card and

Speakers

Use to sound an alert when a threshold is reached.


Operating System Microsoft Windows 2000 Service Pack 4 with Update Rollup

1 or later

Microsoft Windows XP Service Pack 1 or later

Microsoft Windows Server 2003 R2

Browser Microsoft Internet Explorer 6.0 or later

PDF Viewer Adobe Acrobat Reader 7.0 or later (for viewing theInstallation Guide)


9/54


Install or Upgrade Spotlight on Sybase ASE

To install Spotlight on Sybase ASE

1 Run the Spotlight on Sybase ASE installation program from the CD or the

download file.

2 At the Welcome screen of the setup wizard, click Next.

3 Select Simplefo the Installation Type. Click Next.

Note The simple installation option is recommended. If a pre-existing Spotlight installation

is installed, it is updated automatically. Selecting theAdvancedoption allows you to

install into a separate directory structure from any other Spotlight installations.

By default, Spotlight on Sybase ASE is installed into the following directory:

C: \ Program Fi l es\Quest Soft ware\Spotl i ght

4 Select I accept the license agreement. Click Next.

5 Click Next.

6 Click Finish.

Uninstall Spotl ight on Sybase ASE

To uninstall from Windows Add or Remove Programs

1 Select Start | Control Panel.

2 Select Add or Remove Programs.

3 Select Spotlight on Sybase ASE.

4 Click the Change/Removebutton.

5 Follow the directions on the screen.

Database Client The installation program will install a database client if one is

not installed.

Database Server Adaptive Server Enterprise 11.9.2 or later



10/54


Removing Database Objects

If you plan to permanently remove Spotlight and would like to remove the database

objects that Spotlight on Sybase ASE installs in the Adaptive Server, run the following

SQL commands from within a client utility such as ISQL:

use sybsys t emprocs

go

exec sp_sl s_cl eanup

go

drop procedure sp_sl s_cl eanupgo

drop pr ocedur e sp_sl s_cl eanup_125

go

drop procedure sp_sl s_cl eanup_m

go

Register Spotl ight on Sybase ASE

To enter a License for Spotlight on Sybase ASE

1Select Start |Programs |Quest Software |Spotlight |Spotlight.

2 Select Help|About Spotlight.

3 Click View/change product license under Spotlight on Sybase ASE under the

Installed Products tab.

4 Click Change this license.

5 Enter the license number.

6 Click OK

7 Click Close.


11/54

2

Configuration

Contents

The Spotlight Program Group

Access Spot li gh t on Sybase ASE

Connect to an Adaptive Server Instance

Troubleshoot Spotlight on Sybase ASE

The Spotlight Program Group

The Spotlight installation creates a program group called Spotlighton the Windows

Startmenu. Unless you change the default locations during installation, this group islocated in All Program | Quest Software.

Access Spotlight on Sybase ASE

To start Spotlight

1On the Windows taskbar, click Start | All Programs | Quest Software |Spotlight | Spotlight.


12/54

Chapter 2 12Configuration

The Spotlight Connection Manager window is displayed.

2 Select Spotlight on Sybase ASEin the Connectionspane.

Connect to an Adaptive Server Instance

Use this procedure to establish a connection with an Adaptive Server. Spotlight on

Sybase ASE supports simultaneous connections to multiple servers. This eliminates theneed to run concurrent versions of the application. Repeat the following procedure to

connect to another server.

Creating a Spot light User and a Connect ion

Using the sa Login

If the login you use has the sa_role and the sso_role (both recommended), then all

monitoring metrics are available to Spotlight. See the section titled Making the

connection.

Using a non- sa LoginIf the sa_role login is not used, several metrics in Adaptive Servers prior to

version12.5.0.3 will not be displayed. In addition, you need your Adaptive Server DBA


13/54


to run the nonsasetup.exe utility shipped with Spotlight. The DBA needs to run this

utility before monitoring the Adaptive Server with Spotlight can begin. This utility:

Creates some Spotlight stored procedures.

Checks/changes a few Server configuration parameters related to using Sybases

MDA API (ASE 2.5.0.3 and later).

Grants the non-sa login some minimal privileges (i.e., select on

master..sysengines and for the Adaptive Server 12.5.0.3 and later, the mon_role

is added to the login).

For further information on a non-sa account, see the section titled Using Spotlight with a

limited access login account.

Making the connection

To connect to Adaptive Server Enterprise

1 Start Spotlight on Sybase ASE.

2 Open the Spotlight Connection Manager.

3 Select Spotlight on Sybase ASEicon in the panel to the left.

4 Double-click the New Connectionicon

5 Complete the following fields in the New Connectionwindow.

6 Click OKto open the Sybase ASEPropertieswindow.

Field Description

Select Connection Type Select Spotlight on Sybase ASE from the list.

New Connection Name Select a short and meaningful name for the new con-

nection.


14/54


7 Complete the following fields in the Propertieswindow:

Field Description

ASE Server The name of the Adaptive Server that is to be monitored.

Spotlight attempts to find the SQL.INI file. If found, and the

ASE Server is in that list, Spotlight automatically fills in the

Host Name and Port Number.

Host Name The name of the specified host machine that the Adaptive

Server is running on.This corresponds to the host field in the SQL.INI file.

Port The port that the specified Adaptive Server is listening on.

This corresponds to the port field in the SQL.INI file.

Login Name The login used to connect to the Adaptive Server.

Remember that using a login that is the Sybase system

administration (sa) or an account with the sa_role and

sso_role allows full monitoring of an Adaptive Server and

automatically handles all issues for Spotlight to monitor the

Adaptive Server. If using a non-sa account, then have a DBA

follow the steps in the section Using a non-sa Loginbefore

attempting to open this connection to the Adaptive Server.

Password The respective password for the login entered.

Host Connection Details

Monitor OS Select this checkbox to monitor the operating system.

Host username The username you use when logging on to the machine.

Host Password The password you use when logging on to the machine.


15/54


8 Click OK.

Using Spotlight with a limited access login account

For Pre-ASE v12.5.0.3

Any data retrieved from Adaptive Server using the sysmon utility is not available from

within Spotlight.

1 Decide on the login to be used by Spotlight.

Note This executable needs to be run to create some Spotlight stored procedures and to

grant permissions on master..sysengines.

2 Request that your DBA run nonsasetup.exe, located in the following path:

/ Quest Sof t ware/Spotl i ght / Pl ug- i ns/ SoSyb

The nonsasetup.exedialog box is shown in the section titlednonsasetup.exeDialog Box.

Host Type Select the type of Spotlight connection to make to the machine.

The current set of options are Windows, Unix/SSH or Unix/

Rexec.

If you are connecting to a UNIX host first make sure that Rexec

or SSH is installed.

Domain If you are connecting to a Windows host, then the domain field

is the name of the domain that the specified user belongs to. If

no user name is entered in the Host username field, this fieldshould also be left blank.

Host port If you are connecting to a Unix/SSH host, then enter the port

number that Spotlight is to use for its SSH (secure shell)

connection to the UNIX host. The default value is 22.

Save password

details

Select this checkbox to save passwords whenever you add a

new connection.

Field Description


16/54


For ASE v12.5.0.3 and later

1 Decide on a login for connecting to Adaptive Server from Spotlight.

2 Contact your DBA to run nonsasetup.exelocated in the following path:

/ Quest Sof t ware/Spotl i ght / Pl ug- i ns/ SoSyb

Note This executable needs to be run to create some Spotlight stored procedures, to

grant permissions on master..sysengines, to add mon_roleto the login account, and

to set up Sybases MDA API by turning on and tuning the respective server

parameters.

nonsasetup.exe Dialog Box

The nonsasetup.exedialog box is shown below.


17/54


The fields in this dialog are defined in the following table:

Troubleshoot Spotl ight on Sybase ASE

Problems connecting to an Adaptive Server instance

If you have trouble connecting to an Adaptive Server instance using Spotlight on

Sybase ASE, check that you can do the following:

Attempt to connect to the Adaptive Server using another Sybase Open Client

application such as ISQL using the same credentials as defined in the properties

of Spotlight.

Field Description

ASE Server Name of the ASE Server.

A list of defined servers is displayed in the dropdown list.

Selecting an existing Adaptive Server automatically fills in the

Hostand Portfields.

Host The name of the specified host machine that the Adaptive Server

is running on.This corresponds to the host field in the SQL.INI file.

Port The port that the specified Adaptive Server is listening on.

This corresponds to the port field in the SQL.INI file.

SA Login Defaults to sa. Keep the sa or enter a login that has the

sa_role and sso_role granted to it.

SA Password Password required to log onto the specified server in sa.

This application requires an SA connection to correctly install and

establish permissions.

Target User Login of the non-sa user for whom privileges will be established.

Not specifying a target user still installs procedures and sets up

the server for Spotlight monitoring.


18/54


Make sure the host computer that Spotlight is installed on has proper network

access.

The most common problems are listed in the following table:

Symptom Possible ProblemLikelyProblem

Validation

Cant make

connection to the

ASE

Getting correct account

information (login name/

password)

N/A N/A

Entering the right

connection properties (port,

hostname, etc.)

N/A N/A

Spotlight is

hanging or the

connection

appears to be very

slow

The Adaptive Server itself

is having issues (database

or transaction log full, CPU

load is high, etc.)

N/A N/A


19/54


No data in the

drilldown grids

Entering the wrong case for

the Adaptive Server name

(12.5.0.3 issues only).

After you make a

connection to a Adaptive

Server on UNIX, case does

matter, and this is reflected

in a wrong entry beingmade to the sysservers table

for a loopback entry. This,

in turn, causes problems

with retrieving any MDB-

related data.

N/A From within ISQL, runsel ect*f rommaster. .

sysservers. Look at the

row with loopback in the

srvname column. On that

row, look at the entry for

column srvnetname. Is

that name case correct? If

not, issue the following

command to correct:

sp_addserver l oopback,nul l , CASE CORRECT ADAPTI VESERVER NAME

The monitoring tables

available in Adaptive

Server 12.5.0.3 or later are

not installed. Run the

InstallMonTablesscript

(found in the Adaptive

Server directories).

From within ISQL, run

select*from master..

monState. If you get an

error message that the table

is not found, that means that

the installmontables script

has not been run. You canrun the script using the

following ISQL utility:

i sql - Usa-Password - i$SYBASE/ ASE-12_5/ scri pt s/i nst al l mont abl es

Symptom Possible ProblemLikelyProblem

Validation


20/54

3

Welcome to Spotlight onSybase ASE

Contents

Spotlight on Sybase ASE is Quest Softwares powerful diagnostic and problem

resolution tool for Adaptive Server Enterprise. Its unique user interface provides you

with an intuitive, visual representation of the activity on your database and operating

system.

Features of Spotlight o n Sybase ASE

Spotlight Concepts


21/54

Chapter 3 21Welcome to Spotl ight on Sybase ASE

Features of Spotlight on Sybase ASE

The underlying architecture for Spotlight is designed for ease of installation and use,

and offers a range of tools to create custom solutions for problem diagnosis.

Easy installation

Spotlight on Sybase ASE is packaged in a quick and simple installation program. It

includes all files needed to communicate to the Adaptive Server and is not dependent

on, nor does it conflict with, Sybases Open Client.

Touchless architecture

Spotlight on Sybase ASE is a client-only installation. This agent-less architecture has

many advantages:

Increases the speed and ease of installation

Reduces maintenance and deployment complexity

Allows monitoring of Adaptive Servers running on any hardware/platform

supported by Adaptive Server

Audio and v isual aler tsSpotlight alerts you with visual and audible warnings and alarms when performance

metrics exceed acceptable thresholds.

Server performance visualization

Spotlights unique graphical representation allows a database administrator to quickly

spot performance problems on an Adaptive Server. Spotlight is tailored to show the

process dataflow unique to Adaptive Server and to highlight performance-related details

to the administrator.

Comprehensive information about problem areas

Spotlight visually identifies problem areas: active sessions, locks, deadlocks, and disk

I/O information providing extensive drilldown capabilities for rapid problem resolution.


22/54


A range of reports and graphs provides you with detailed information about your server

environment for up to 24 hours. This information can be viewed on the screen or

printed.

Corrective suggestions

When Spotlight detects a condition that appears to be a potential problem, it not only

informs you about it, but advises you what you could look at to diagnose the problem

further and suggests actions you can take to correct the situation.

Smart monitor ing

Spotlight utilizes a powerful facility called calibration. Calibration allows each

Adaptive Server being monitored by Spotlight to have its visual displays and thresholds

dynamically adjusted. The adjustments are based on measured activity on the server.

This allows Spotlight to represent each servers unique performance characteristics in

the context of the servers expected behavior.

Calibration can be turned on for a designated period of time (ideally during a time frame

where activity on the Adaptive Server is at typical levels). During this time, Spotlight

performs statistical sampling on the metrics being monitored. These statistical values

are then utilized by the metric components displayed and the related thresholds.

Smart graphics

Spotlight graphically represents process flows within an Adaptive Server, allowing you

to observe activity in real time. The speed of the flows represents true activity levels on

the server. Flow speed is dynamically adjusted with Spotlights statistical sampling

process called calibration.

Smart threshold management

Using a variety of methods, Spotlight defines the thresholds at which performance

warnings and alarms operate.

When a metric reaches a specific value (dynamic or fixed)

When a metric reaches a percentage of maximum value (dynamic or fixed)


23/54


When a metric deviates from the statistically sampled values derived during

Spotlight calibration

This allows Spotlight on Sybase ASE to provide you with accurate and meaningful

alerts quickly, out of the box.

You can customize each threshold level. In addition, custom actions (i.e., email, paging,

etc.) can easily be assigned to any alert defined to Spotlight.

SoWin SoUNIX Integration

Spotlight has integrated with SoWin and SoUNIX to enable monitoring of Host CPUusage and related metrics. The Host CPU usage is now clearly visible on the Spotlight

on Sybase ASE Home page. Linkage is provided to other SoWin and SoUNIX products

depending on the type of server host that is being monitored.

History Browser

Spotlight on Sybase ASE monitors historical data within its data repository. This

historical data may be accessed through the Spotlight history browser.

Spotlight Concepts

Spotlight uses metrics, thresholds, and severities to determine the performance statistics

of a system. Icons, flows, and labels graphically display this information in the main

application window.

Metrics

A metric is a measurable value resulting from a request made against the target

machine. This query runs each time the main application window is refreshed.

The query provides a performance statistic about the system, the number of machines

that have at least one server session, and return a value to Spotlight.


24/54


Thresholds

Each metric is divided into thresholds. Some metrics may have only one threshold,

while others can have many. A threshold is simply a range of values that can be returned

by the metric. A threshold cannot belong to more than one metric.

Severities

Each threshold is associated with a severity. The severity determines what action

Spotlight is to take when the value returned by a metric falls into the range controlled by

a threshold. For example, you may set a severity to display a color, flash a color, emit a

sound, or perform an action.

Alarms are attached to severities.

How metrics, thresholds and severities work together

The following diagram shows an example of the relationship between metrics,

thresholds, and severities.

Metric

% of users connected

Threshold 1

0

Severity 1

Threshold 2

30

Threshold 3

60

Severity 2

Severity 3

Severity 4


25/54


In the above example, the query (% of users connected) is run against the database,

and any values returned can fall into one of three ranges called thresholds. If the query

returned the value 20%, the value would fall into the range covered by Threshold 1.

In this example, Threshold 1 is attached to Severity 2. You can choose via the Spotlight

Console Optionswindow to set the colors of the severity (for example, Severity 2

might be set to display in green). The component that the metric belongs to then

changes to green whenever that threshold is exceeded.


26/54

4

The Spotlight Main Window

Contents

The main Spotlight window shows a unique view of the activity of a connection. The

display is based on the connection architecture.

This chapter describes the Spotlight window in more detail, alarms and drilldowns, and

how to set the optional settings that are available.


Spotlight alarms

Spotlight Drilldowns

The Spotlight toolbar


27/54

Chapter 4 27The Main Spotlight Windo w


All Spotlight applications (including Spotlight on Sybase ASE) have a main window

also known as a Spotlight home pagethat helps you locate system bottlenecks

quickly.

Within that window, related server statistics are grouped together on panels that are

connected by a series of graphical flows and icons. Spotlight updates these flows in real

time so that you can see how quickly data is moving through the system. The icons

change color as their values move through the range of thresholds.

Note You can change the appearance and behavior of a Spotlight home page via the options by

selecting View | Options | Spotligh t Console.


28/54


Elements in the Spotlight Main Window

A standard Spotlight main window (the home page) contains some or all of the

following visual elements.

Connection identifier

The Connections list

This label identifies the system you are currently connected to,

and is located at the upper right corner of the Spotlight console.

The connection identifier changes color to match the color of

the Spotlight component that registers the highest alarm

severity.

Use the Connections list to view the details of a system that has

an open Spotlight connection.

Select an item in the list to display details of the corresponding

server.

Items in the Connections list alert you to any bottlenecks that

may be occurring in the systems by changing color. Items in the

Connections list take change to the color of the most urgent

severity now active on the systems being analyzed.


29/54


Panel

Dataflow

Button

A panel is a visual feature that groups related components on the

Spotlight home page. Components change color as alarms are

raised for the metrics they contain.

Most panels in the Spotlight home page are connected to other

panels by dataflows that show the rate at which data is moving

through a system. As the rate increases, so does the speed of the

flow.

Sometimes called a process icon. A Spotlight component that

contains a single value that represents the state or existence of a

process.


30/54


Container

Gauge

Spinner

Performing calibrations

Each time you connect, you are prompted to run the calibration process so that Spotlight

can assess the process flows on your PC and automatically configure the display speed

of the visual alarms accordingly.

To initiate a calibration

Select File | Calibration | Start.

Setting co lor displays

You can reset the color schemes on the main window, the drilldowns windows, and theseverity visual indicators at any time. These settings can be saved.

A cylindrical component that fills up as the value it measures

increases. Normally used to indicate file size or disk usage.

A Spotlight component that shows a measurement as acontinuous range of possible values.

Spotlight component that shows a measurement as a rotating

wheel. The higher the value, the faster the speed of rotation.


31/54


To reset color schemes

Select View | Options | Spotlight Console | Appearance.

Setting the frequency of screen refreshes

The frequency of screen refresh in seconds for both foreground (the screen you are

viewing) and background (the screens you are not viewing) can be set as a configuration

option.

To set the screen refresh frequency

Select View | Options | Spotlight Console | Data Collection.

Smoothing metric values

The default setting for graphs is to not perform smoothing on any metric values.

However, you can opt to select a sample range on which the smoothing off is based,

such as 2 samples or 6 samples. This smoothing effect applies to all metrics but can be

overridden for individual metrics if required.

To smooth metric values

Select View | Options | Spotlight Console | Display |Flow Settings.

Specifying help for main screen components and alarms

You can specify that when you click on a main screen component, you see either the

balloon help panel or the default drilldown for that component. The default display is

the drilldown.

Similarly, you can choose what you see displayed when you click on an alarm that has

been raised. The options are the alarm help window or the drilldown that is raising the

alarm.


32/54


To set the type of help that is displayed

Select View | Options | Spotlight Console | Help.

or

Select Help | Help Options.

or

Click a component.

Spotlight alarmsSpotlight alerts you to problems with your database by issuing an alarm. An alarm

normally involves one or more of the following actions:

Changing the color of the component that is experiencing the problem

Flashing the component

Sounding an alarm

For a full list of the alarms that may be displayed while you are using Spotlight on

Sybase ASE, and the actions you can take, see the online help. The online help also

provides recommendations for each alarm on how to resolve the problem, and where to

look to further diagnose it.

For additional information about alarms, see the section titled Spotlight on Sybase ASE

Alarms.

Changing alarm properties

Alarms are assigned to a severity. To change the properties of an alarm, for example the

color, whether it flashes, the intensity, the type of sound and so on, you must change the

properties of the associated severity. This is done in the Thresholdspage of the Metric

Editorwindow.

To open the Thesholds page

1Select View | Show All Alarms. The SybaseMetricswindow appears.

2 Select the Thresholdstab.

For more information about the properties of a severity, see Metrics, thresholds and

severitiesin the online help.


33/54


Changing when an alarm is activated

To change when an alarm is activated, you must change the severity assigned to a

threshold.

A threshold is a range of values that might be returned by a metric. A threshold

indicates what severity is used when the metric is returning values in the range.

For more information, see Viewing and editing metricsin the online help.

Enabling/disabling alarm sounds

To enable a sound for a particular alarm, you must first set a rule for the alarm and then

select a particular.wavfile to use as the alarm sound

1 Select View | Options|Alarm Log.

2 Select Action rules.

3 Click New.

4 Select the conditions for an alarm log filter.

5 Select the actions to perform. If you want to play a sound when the alarm is

triggered, select Play a sound.

6 In the Rule description panel, click the text {sound file}.

7 From the Play Sound window, locate the sound file that you want to use for thealarm and click OK.

Logging and filt ering alarms

The location to which alarms are logged can be modified from the default Alarms Log

window into a separate folder, or into both if desired. You can change the severity level

at which alarms are logged or displayed.

Filters can also be applied to the alarms so that only alarms for a selected component are

displayed.

To log or filter alarms

Select View | Options | Alarm Log.


34/54


Spotlight Drilldowns

Spotlight on Sybase ASE makes it possible for you to view your system at different

levels of detail.

At its highest level, which is the main application window, Spotlight displays a visual

representation of the status of the major components in the current system. The detail at

this level is designed to help you locate and identify bottlenecks quickly.

When you have isolated a problem, you can display a detailed breakdown, called a

drilldown, of the underlying statistics by clicking the component showing the

problem.

The image on the next page is an example of a typical drilldown window. In this case, it

is the User Activity drilldown that opens when you right-click an element in the Users

panel on the main Spotlight on Sybase ASE window, and then select Show Details >

User Activity General, or when you click Users .

This example drilldown on the next page consists of an Information Grid (table) in the

top half of the window and an Information Block and an Information Graph in the

bottom half.

Screen Reference Screen Element

A Page (has one or more tabs associated with it that are

shown in the bottom half of the window)

B User Activity grid

C User Activity tab

D Summary sub-page

E Process Distribution graph


35/54


Information Grids

Drilldowns may contain large information grids that provide information about the

screen element in the main window.

Information Blocks

Information blocks provide data about specific Spotlight on Sybase ASE system

operations.

A

D

B

EC


36/54


Information Graphs

Many types of graphs are shown in drilldowns.

To zoom in on a graph

1 Position the mouse pointer in the top left-hand corner of the graph.

2 Hold down the left mouse button and drag diagonally from left to right, then

release the mouse button.

To reset the graph display

Select the Drilldownmenu option and click Unzoom Graphs.or

Click Unzoom Graphs .

Whats This? Help

Help is available for each component of a drilldown.

To view help, either

Right-click a component and select Whats This?.

or

Click , point the cursor to the component you want help on, and click.

The Spotlight toolbar

The Spotlight toolbar is located at the top of the main window. The toolbar provides you

with quick access to commonly used commands and functions. Click a button on the

toolbar to carry out the command. If a button appears dimmed, it is unavailable. To see a

description of each button, rest your mouse pointer over the button. Information about

the button appears.

Note The buttons used to access drilldowns are specific to individual Spotlight applications. For

more information on product-related drilldown buttons, refer to the online help topic specificto the product.


37/54


The following are common Spotlight buttons:

Click thisButton...

to...

Open a Spotlight connection to a system.

Close an open connection.

Return to the previous window or drilldown.

Go to the next window or drilldown. This option is only available if

you are viewing a previous window or drilldown.

Pause the current display. Spotlight does not retrieve data from the

system. Details on the windows or drilldowns are not updated until

you click Pauseagain or select File | Resume.

Refresh the current window. This is equivalent to selecting File |

Refresh.

View Overhead Management Settings. Allows you to adjust the

amount of load Spotlight places upon the monitored system.

Return to the main Spotlight window for the current system.

View the Alarm Log for the current connection; alarms are sorted by

time. This is equivalent to selecting View | Alarm Log.

View the Alarm Log as a Gantt chart.

Display online help for Spotlight.


38/54


In addition to these toolbar buttons, Spotlight on Sybase ASE also has buttons used

specifically to access drilldowns.

For additional information about drilldowns, see Spotlight on Sybase ASE Drilldowns.

Click thisButton...

to access the...

Users drilldown.

Network drilldown.

Engines drilldown.

Locks drilldown.

Memory drilldown.

Device drilldown.

Database drilldown.

Error Log drilldown.

Server Configuration drilldown.


39/54

5

Using Spotlight on Sybase ASE

Contents

Spotlight on Sybase ASEs unique user interface provides you with an intuitive, visual

representation of the activity on a Sybase ASE connection.

This chapter describes the elements of the main application window, the alarms and

drilldowns available, and a description of the Sybase ASE architecture.

The Main Spotli ght on Sybase ASE Window

Spotlight o n Sybase ASE Alarms

Spotlight on Sybase ASE Drilldowns


40/54

Chapter 5 40Using Spotligh t on Sybase ASE

The Main Spotlight on Sybase ASE Window

The main Spotlight on Sybase ASE window provides a quick and intuitive view of the

activity of a Sybase instance.

The Spotlight on Sybase ASE window helps you locate system bottlenecks quickly.

Related server statistics are grouped together on panels that are connected by a series of

graphical flows and icons. Spotlight on Sybase ASE updates these flows in real time so

that you can see how quickly data is moving through the system. The icons change color

as their values move through the range of thresholds.

The following graphic shows the main features of the Spotlight on Sybase ASE window.

The list following the window identifies and describes each element.


41/54


This Window Element... Shows...

A Users panel Number of user connections allowed by the

current Spotlight on Sybase ASE instance.

Number of user processes that may potentially

be problematic for system operations.

Amount of time a sample SQL statement took

to run.

Processes running on the Adaptive Server,

including those blocked, active, and idle.

B Host panel This current level of activity for the host CPUs

in the machine. The value is the sum of the

usage by the system and users.

C Packets sent and

received

The current level of activity. As the rate of data

transfer increases, so does the speed of the

flow. If the statistic represented by the flow

moves into another threshold, the flow may

change color. The combination of movement

and color makes it easy to spot congested areas.

D ASE panel Date and time Adaptive Server was started.

Name of the host machine on which the

Adaptive Server is running.

Adaptive Server-related tasks (shown in two

sectionsCPU Busy and Locks.

Time spent on server-related tasks.

Engines online and configured.

Number of times a lock waited longer than the

Lock Wait threshold.

Number of locks in use.

Number of deadlocks.

E Server Status Displays important information about the status

of the server that affects Spotlight's ability to

perform monitoring.


42/54


F Disk Writes/Disk

Reads

Information about how many disk writes and

disk reads per second have been completed by

the Adaptive Server.

G Data Cache/

Procedure Cache

Searches

Number of searches per second requested from

the data cache.

Number of stored procedures requested per

second.

H ASE Error Log panel The ASE Error Log panel displays the number

of errors that match the severity levels that

have been established for error log entries.

Severity levels are defined using the Spotlight

on Sybase ASE Error Log Options window.

I Backup Server panel Status information for the Backup Server.

J Memory panel Information about the following:

Memory allocated to the Adaptive Server.

Data cache size.

Data cache hit rate.

Procedure cache size.

Procedure cache hit rate.

Metadata cache Open DBs.

Metadata cache Open Objects.

Metadata cache Open Index.

K Data Cache Writes/

Reads

Number of buffers written from cache to disk,

expressed as a rate per second.

Number of searches of the data cache that did

not find the page in cache and required a disk

read.

L Procedure CacheReads The rate at which stored procedures are readfrom disk.



43/54


L Disk Storage panel The Disk Storage panel has two main

sectionsI/O Busyand Databases.

The I/O Busysection shows ASE performance

of I/O-related tasks (as a percentage) and also

the number of I/O disk devices.

The Databasessection shows:

Number of databases:

Size of the fullest database being

monitored.

Percentage of space used by the fullest

database, along with a container

representing this same data.

Size of the fullest transaction log being

monitored.


transaction log, along with a container

representing this same data.

Size of the fullest temp DB being

monitored.


temp DB, along with a containerrepresenting this same data.



44/54


Spotlight on Sybase ASE Alarms

Some of the main alarms that may appear on the Spotlight on Sybase ASE window are

shown in the following table. For a full list of alarms, see Spotlight on Sybase ASE

alarms in the online help.

This alarm... is raised when...

Backup Server

Status

Spotlight detects an error when attempting to connect to the

Backup Server. This checking is done by executing a remote

server call from the connection to the Adaptive Server thatSpotlight has established. Spotlight then dissects return

messages from the Backup Server.

The Backup Server needs to be started by going to the host

machine where the Backup Server is installed and running the

appropriate shell or batch files for your environment. You are

not be able to back up your database or dump your transaction

logs until the respective Backup Server is up and running.

Blocked User The percentage of processes unable to run (waiting) because

another process has a lock on a needed resource has exceeded

the defined thresholds.

ConnectionsUsed

The number of current user connections approaches themaximum number defined in the configuration variable

number of user connections.

This value represents the number of connections found in the

master..sysprocessestable.

If the number of connections used remains close to the

maximum allowed on Adaptive Server, consider increasing the

number of connections allowed.

There is a cost in memory associated with increasing this value

(approximately 146K per connection, depending on the

Adaptive Server version).

CPU Busy The percentage of time that the Adaptive Servers CPU wasperforming Adaptive Server related tasks has crossed a defined

threshold.


45/54


Database Status Raised at the following levels when Spotlight detects that the

status of any database for the Adaptive Server is in one of the

following states:

Informational: Read Only, Database being Recovered,

Database being upgraded.

Low: DBO use only, Single user mode, Offline, Offline

until recovery completes

Medium: Database created for load.

High: Suspect Database, Suspect pages.

Data Cache The rate of searches requested from the data cache (expressed

as searches per second) exceeds normal levels.

Data Cache Hit

Rate

The data cache hit rate for the server falls below the ranges

defined by the thresholds on this component.

Deadlocks The number of server-side deadlocks detected on an Adaptive

Server goes above normal volumes.

Deadlocks become more common as lock contention

increases.

Disk Reads The rate of disk I/O for reads on an Adaptive Server (displayedas a rate per second) goes above normal levels.

Disk Writes The rate if disk I/O for writes on an Adaptive Server

(displayed as a rate per second) goes above normal levels.

Engines Offline This alarm is raised when Spotlight determines an engine is

offline.



46/54


Error Log Spotlight detects one or more lines written to the Error Log

that match the configured patterns defined within Spotlight.

This alarm is only available with Adaptive Server version

12.5.0.3 and later.

Fullest Database When any database exceeds the usage limits defined in the

thresholds.

Fullest TempDB When any tempdb exceeds the usage limits defined in thethresholds.

Fullest

Transaction Log

When any database's transaction log exceeds the usage limits

defined in the thresholds.

Host CPU Busy This alarm is raised when the percentage of time that the

Adaptive Server's Host CPU has been performing tasks

exceeds the defined thresholds.

By drilling down to the associated SoWin or SoUNIX plug ins,

you may be able to identify and correct the cause of the high

CPU usage.

I/O Busy The percentage of time that the Adaptive Servers CPU wasperforming Adaptive Server I/O-related tasks has crossed a

defined threshold.

If values are consistently high, it is likely that response time

and throughput could benefit from additional devices or better

distribution of I/O among multiple devices.

Locks Waiting The number of locks waiting to be granted is above normal

levels.

Locks Used The number of locks used is above normal levels.

Open Databases

Percent

The percentage of open databases for the server (based on the

number available) increases above the ranges defined by the

thresholds on this component.



47/54


Open Indexes

Percent

The percentage of open indexes for the server (based on the



Open Objects

Percent

The percentage of open objects for the server (based on the



Problem User Spotlight detects a user that meets or exceeds the performance

criteria defined in Spotlight as being of concern.

If this alarm is being raised too often, consider lowering the

amount of activity level thresholds defined in Spotlight.

Procedure

Cache

The rate of searches requested from the procedure cache

(expressed as searches per second) exceeds normal levels.

Procedure

Cache Hit Rate

The procedure cache hit rate for the server falls below the

ranges defined by the thresholds on this component.

Response Time The amount of time a sample (or benchmark) SQL statement

took to run exceeds normal thresholds.



48/54


Spotlight on Sybase ASE Dril ldowns

Drilldowns display detailed information about the database that you are diagnosing.

Each drilldown contains a series of reports and graphs that provide you with specific

information about the components of your database. The statistics that are available help

you identify and anticipate performance problems.

Drilldownicon

Use thisdrilldown...

to access information about...

Alarm Log List of alarms, sorted according to time.Information includes the name of the component

that issued the alarm, the date and time at which the

alarm was logged, and the severity of the alarm.

Alarms by

Time

List of alarms organized into a Gantt chart.

CPU

Summary

Amount of time the Adaptive Server spends on

server-related tasks and the number of engines

configured.

Database

Summary

Number of databases.

Size of the fullest database, transaction log, and

tempdb being monitored.

Device

Summary

Number of physical writes and reads per second

completed by the Adaptive Server.

Percent of time spent by the Adaptive Server on

I/O related tasks.

Number of disk devices.

Number of physical reads per second by the data

cache.

Number of stored procedures read from the disk

per second.

Error Log Error messages for the Adaptive Server you are

diagnosing.


49/54


Locks

Summary

Locks shows a listing of users and the number of

locks they are holding.

Memory

Summary

Memory usage for the Adaptive Server you are

diagnosing.

Network Number of packets sent and received by the

Adaptive Server.

Spotlight

Monitoring

Requirements

General Adaptive Server, login, and machine

information.

Settings for Adaptive Server Enterprise

configuration elements.

Current Alarm Log, ASE Error Log, and Spotlight

Error Log messages.

User Activity User connections, problem users, processes

running on an Adaptive Server, SQL text capturing,

and user wait events.

Drilldownicon

Use thisdrilldown...

to access information about...


50/54

A

Appendix: Contact Quest

Contact Quest SupportQuest Support is available to customers who have purchased a commercial or trial

version of Quest software and have a valid maintenance contract. Quest Support

provides around the clock coverage with SupportLink, our web self-service. Visit

SupportLink at:http://support.quest.com.

With SupportLink, you can do the following:

Quickly find thousands of solutions (Knowledgebase articles/documents).

Download patches and upgrades.

Seek help from a Support engineer.

Log and update your case, and check its status.

View the Global Support Guidefor a detailed explanation of support programs, online

services, contact information, and policy and procedures. The guide is available at:

http://support.quest.com/pdfs/Global%20Support%20Guide.pdf.

Note This document is only available in English.


51/54

Appendix A 51Contact Quest

Contact Quest Software

Refer to our web site for regional and international office information.

About Quest

Quest Software, Inc., a leading enterprise systems management vendor, delivers

innovative products that help organizations get more performance and productivity from

their applications, databases, Windows infrastructure, and virtual environments.

Through a deep expertise in IT operations and a continued focus on what works best,

Quest helps more than 90,000 customers worldwide meet higher expectations forenterprise IT. Quest Software helps organizations deliver, manage and control complex

database environments through award-winning products for Oracle, SQL Server, IBM

DB2, Sybase, and MySQL. Quest Software can be found in offices around the globe and

at www.quest.com.

Email [email protected]

Mail Quest Software, Inc.

World Headquarters

5 Polaris Way

Aliso Viejo, CA 92656

USAWeb site www.quest.com


52/54

Index

Aaccess11activated

alarm33

alarm

activiated33

filtering33

properties32

sounds33

alarms 32

alerts

audio and visual21

architecture21

Bbackup server status alarm 44

blocked user alarm 44

blocks

information35

Ccalibrations 30

color displays

setting30

concepts23

connecting to an adaptive server

troubleshooting17

connection

identifier28

list28

connections used alarm44

CPU busy alarm 44

Ddata cache alarm 45

data cache hit rate alarm 45

database objects

removing10

database status alarm 45

deadlocks alarm 45

disk r eads alarm 45

disk writes alarm45

drilldowns34

Eengines offline alarm 45

error log alarm 46

Ffiltering

alarm33

frequency of screen refreshes

setting31

fullest database alarm 46

fullest t empDB alarm 46

fullest transaction log alarm 46


53/54

Index 53

Ggraphics22

graphs

information36

grids

information35

Hhardware requirements 8

history browser23

host CPU busy alarm 46

II/O busy alarm 46

information

blocks35

graphs36

grids35

installation 9, 21

hardware requirements8

program group11

requirements7

software requirements8installlation

roles and privileges required7

integration

SoUNIX23

SoWin23

Llaunch11

locks used alarm 46

locks waiting alarm 46

Mmain window 27

elements28

management

threshold22

metric values

smoothing31

metrics 24

concepts23

monitoring22

Oonline help31, 36

open databases percent alarm 46

open indexes percent alarm 47

open objects percent alarm 47

Ppanel

ASE41

ASE error log42

backup server42

disk storage43

host41

memory42

panelUser41

performance

server21privileges

for installlation7

problem areas 21

problem user alarm 47

procedure cache alarm47

procedure cache hit r ate alarm 47

product registration 10

program group

installation 11

properties

alarm32

Rregistration 10

removing


54/54

Index 54

database objects10

requirements

hardware8

installation 7

software8

response time alarm 47

roles

for installation7

Sseverities24

concepts24

software requirements 8

sounds

alarm33

SoUNIX23

SoWin23

suggestions 22

support (technical)

contact50

system requirements7

hardware8

privileges7

software8

Ttechnical support

contact50

threshold management22

thresholds 24

concepts24

toolbar36

troubleshoot 17

U

uninstall 9

Wwindow

main27

elements28

window element

button29

connection identifier28

connections list28

container30

dataflow29

gauge30

panel29

sosybasease2.5.2 gettingstarted

Documents