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Difference between revisions of "Linux Tools Project/Systemtap/User Guide"

(Lesson 2: Writing Your First Script)
(Lesson 3: Running Your Script)
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==== Lesson 3: Running Your Script ====
 
==== Lesson 3: Running Your Script ====
  
In this lesson we will cover running your script. You may use either the example script you opened in Lesson 1 or the script you wrote in Lesson two. Select <u>R</u>un-&gt;<u>R</u>un. Enter the remote server details. You should receive output in the console similar to the following, which shows the reads and write per second.
+
In this lesson we will cover running your script. You may use either the script you wrote in Lesson two or write a new one.
  
[[Image:IDEOutput.png]]
+
There are two ways to run a script. If you click on the run button in the tool bar that will run the current script as the current user on the local machine. For more control over running options you can create a Launch Configuration. To do so right click on the script editor or the script file in the Project Explorer then select '''Run As -> Run Configurations...'''. Once the dialogue pops up double click on the SystemTap tree item and you should be presented with the following dialogue:
  
Now we will demonstrate running Systemtap scripts with graphs. In order to run the chart example you'll need to use the code provided in [[#Lesson_2:_Writing_Your_First_Script | Lesson 2: Writing Your First Script ]];. To do this select '''<u>R</u>un-&gt;Run w/ <u>C</u>hart'''. This feature will prompt the user for the number of columns for the chart, in addition to their titles and regular expressions. The regular expressions are used to parse the console output for the script and determine the values of each column at a certain sample point. The combined regular expression is shown at the bottom of the dialogue box.  
+
[[Image:SystemTapRunConfiguration.png]]
 +
 
 +
Here you can enter remote host information, run as a different user, as well as various other options for running systemtap. Explore the various taps and options. The tooltips should provide help in understanding what the various options do. When you are ready click Run to run your script.
 +
 
 +
 
 +
Now we will demonstrate running Systemtap scripts with graphs. In order to run the chart example you'll need to use the code provided in [[#Lesson_2:_Writing_Your_First_Script | Lesson 2: Writing Your First Script ]]:
 +
 
 +
  global read, write, start
 +
 
 +
  probe begin {
 +
    start = gettimeofday_s()
 +
  }
 +
 
 +
  probe syscall.write {
 +
    write += count
 +
  }
 +
 
 +
  probe syscall.read {
 +
    read += count
 +
  }
 +
 
 +
  probe timer.ms(1000) {
 +
    printf("%d\t%d\t%d\n", (gettimeofday_s()-start), read, write)
 +
    read=0
 +
    write=0
 +
  }
 +
 
 +
 
 +
To do this select '''Run As -> Run Configurations...''' create a new SystemTap Launch Configuration as you did previously and switch to the graphing tab.
 +
 
 +
 
 +
This feature will prompt the user for the number of columns for the chart, in addition to their titles and regular expressions. The regular expressions are used to parse the console output for the script and determine the values of each column at a certain sample point. The combined regular expression is shown at the bottom of the dialogue box.  
  
 
[[Image:chartbox1.png]]
 
[[Image:chartbox1.png]]
Line 166: Line 197:
 
Note that the multiple series graphs (Multi-Line, Multi-Bar, and Multi-Scatter) will request two Y series, Y1 and Y2. In the case of our example, these would be "Read" and "Write". Each series will be assigned a different color value for the purposes of differentiation and will be plotted both in respect to the specified X series.
 
Note that the multiple series graphs (Multi-Line, Multi-Bar, and Multi-Scatter) will request two Y series, Y1 and Y2. In the case of our example, these would be "Read" and "Write". Each series will be assigned a different color value for the purposes of differentiation and will be plotted both in respect to the specified X series.
  
Those are the basics behind running a script in Systemtap GUI.  
+
Those are the basics behind running a script in Systemtap GUI.
  
 
== Concepts ==
 
== Concepts ==

Revision as of 10:08, 4 June 2013

Contents

Overview

Welcome to the SystemTap plug-in Help pages. This section is intended to provide users with information and links about the SystemTap scripting language itself, in addition to a brief introduction to SystemTap plug-in's structure for new users and a brief explanation of SystemTap.

The SystemTap Plugin

The SystemTap Plugin is designed to help you create, edit, and run Systemtap scripts. It also provides the ability to graph the output of your scripts and run Systemtap scripts remotely.

It provides the SystemTap IDE perspective. When in this perspective you should be able to see the Probe view the Function view and the Project Explorer, and be able to create Systemtap Scripts.

Systemtap

SystemTap provides free software (GPL) infrastructure to simplify the gathering of information about the running Linux kernel. This assists diagnosis of a performance or functional problem. SystemTap eliminates the need for the developer to go through the tedious and disruptive instrument, recompile, install, and reboot sequence that may be otherwise required to collect data.

SystemTap provides a simple command line interface and scripting language for writing instrumentation for a live running kernel. The internal tapset library as well as the published samples can be used to aid reuse and abstraction.

Current project members include Red Hat, IBM, Intel, and Hitachi.

Installing

Requirements

Hardware Requirements:

  • x86, x86_64, ppc64, s390

Sotware Requirements:

    • Linux kernel v2.6.14 or newer
      • Linux kernel devel and debuginfo packages
    • Eclipse v3.8/v4.2 or newer
    • SystemTap v0.7 or newer

Once all dependencies are installed, the easiest way to install the SystemTap plug-in for Eclipse is through the Software Updates and Add-ons menu. For information on how to use this menu, refer to this link.


Kernel Source Location

In order to use the kernel source browser you'll need to point it to the kernel source initially. Do this by either selecting the Kernel Source Browser in the browser pane or by going to Window->Preferences, then going to the SystemTap->IDE->'Kernel Source Path' tab. It is possible to explore the kernel source in your local machine or in the same machine used to run SystemTap scripts. Enter your option and inform the kernel source location. If you selected the remote option, it is necessary to set up the remote machine information at SystemTap->'Remote Server' tab. This configuration detail is relevent to the IDE Perspective only.

Tutorials

If you haven't already, you will want to take the IDE and Graphing tutorials. You can find them in the Getting Started section of each perspective's help pages. These tutorial provides fundamental knowledge on graphing in SystemTap plug-in.

Preferences (Optional)

Finally, you may want to set certain non-essential preferences before using SystemTap plug-in regularly. Use Window->Preferences to access the Preferences page.

Of particular note are Logging->Log To, SystemTap->Environment Variables, SystemTap->Graphing->Refresh Delay, SystemTap->IDE->Editor->Syntax Coloring.

Links to SystemTap Resources

The following links contain information specific to the SystemTap scripting language.

The following links are related to the SystemTap GUI project:

SystemTap IDE

Getting Started

IDE Tutorial

Lesson 1: Getting Started

In this tutorial we will orient you with IDE Perspective and its functions. At this point we assume that you are able to run Systemtap plug-in and are unfamiliar with how to procede. If you cannot yet start the application, please refer to our Installation help page NOTE: If this is the first time opening the IDE Perspective it will take a while to load as it has to parse the tapsets.

The IDE Perspective's purpose is to allow the user to create, view, and edit Systemtap scripts. There are other editors built in (plain text and the C editor), however, they ultimately exist to facilitate the writing of Systemtap scripts.

In this lesson we will open a new Systemtap script file to familiarize ourselves with the IDE Perspective. If you don't already have a project you plan to put your new script in start by creating a new one. Select the File menu -> New -> Project -> General -> Project. Follow the wizard to create a new project.

Now you are ready to create the script. Select File -> New -> Other -> Systemtap -> Systemtap Script. Follow the wizard to provide your script name and the project which will contain it (Use the project we created above).

This should open up a new editor with a small stub of a script.

At this point proceed to Lesson 2: Writing Your First Script if you wish to learn how to write your own script file or Lesson 3: Running Your Script if you wish to run this one.

Lesson 2: Writing Your First Script

In this tutorial we will guide you through the process of writing your first Systemtap script. It is strongly recommended that you review the Systemtap website's tutorial - http://sourceware.org/systemtap/tutorial for up-to-date information on the latest version of Systemtap.

In the previous lesson we created a new script and opened it in the editor.

Newfile.png

Now try writing a new script or type/copy the following example:

 
	global read, write, start

	probe begin {
		start = gettimeofday_s()
	}
	probe syscall.write {
		write += count
	}

	probe timer.ms(1000) {
		printf("%d\t%d\t%d\n", (gettimeofday_s()-start), read, write)
		read=0
		write=0
	}

Now to demonstrate the functionality of the Probe Alias browser we will have you complete the read probe yourself. Start by opening the syscall folder in the Probe Alias browser. If you do not have any content in the browser you are experiencing a problem with Systemtap installation and should refer to our Installation help page. Ensure your cursor is located at the end of the file. Now scroll down and double click the read probe alias. Systemtap GUI will insert the skeleton probe at the point at which your cursor is at, and should look similar to the following:

probe syscall.read
{
	/*
	 * available variables on this probe:
	 * argstr, buf_uaddr, count, fd, name
	 */

}

Now insert the following line into the syscall.read probe:

read += count

You may remove the comment (/* ... */) if you wish This will count the number of bytes read and written each second and print it out. The begin probe executes first, by getting the time of day. The read and write probes increment each time the function is called. The timer probe prints the information every second. If you typed the script in manually you may have noticed that the editor provides code completion for probe alias. If you did not, type "syscall.". You'll see a box come up that you may use to select an item to complete your probe alias.

Another way to get assistance while writing a new probe is to press CTRL+Space at any point during editing. Doing so will provide autocompletion for partially spelled probe names, what variables and functions are available inside a probe and documentation where available.

ContextAssist.png

In Lesson 3 you will learn how to run Systemtap scripts in the IDE Perspective.

Lesson 3: Running Your Script

In this lesson we will cover running your script. You may use either the script you wrote in Lesson two or write a new one.

There are two ways to run a script. If you click on the run button in the tool bar that will run the current script as the current user on the local machine. For more control over running options you can create a Launch Configuration. To do so right click on the script editor or the script file in the Project Explorer then select Run As -> Run Configurations.... Once the dialogue pops up double click on the SystemTap tree item and you should be presented with the following dialogue:

SystemTapRunConfiguration.png

Here you can enter remote host information, run as a different user, as well as various other options for running systemtap. Explore the various taps and options. The tooltips should provide help in understanding what the various options do. When you are ready click Run to run your script.


Now we will demonstrate running Systemtap scripts with graphs. In order to run the chart example you'll need to use the code provided in Lesson 2: Writing Your First Script :

 global read, write, start
 
 probe begin {
   start = gettimeofday_s()
 }
 
 probe syscall.write {
   write += count
 }
 
 probe syscall.read {
   read += count
 }
 
 probe timer.ms(1000) {
   printf("%d\t%d\t%d\n", (gettimeofday_s()-start), read, write)
   read=0
   write=0
 }


To do this select Run As -> Run Configurations... create a new SystemTap Launch Configuration as you did previously and switch to the graphing tab.


This feature will prompt the user for the number of columns for the chart, in addition to their titles and regular expressions. The regular expressions are used to parse the console output for the script and determine the values of each column at a certain sample point. The combined regular expression is shown at the bottom of the dialogue box.

Chartbox1.png

For this example enter the following:

	Columns: 3

	TITLE	REGULAR EXPRESSION	DELIMITER
	Time		\d+		.*			\D+
	Read		\d+		.*			\D+
	Write		\d+		.*			\D+

The title fields simply display the associated string in the column's header. After clicking OK the script will prompt you for details regarding the Remote Server. Provide the ip address of the remote server that is running the systemtapgui Server or the Data Management Daemon. The port is by default 22462. Enter a username and password.This will give the application permissions to run your script on the remote machine. You have the option of saving your password as well, however be warned this is currently NOT encrypted so this convenience runs at a risk. The username is also used to transfer the file to the remote system using SCP. If the same machine is used as both the server and the client enter 'localhost' for the Host field. When the script is executed the application will switch into the Graphing perspective. A Data View chart is populated with live data, in addition to the output in the console. You should see a screen similar to the following:

IDEGraphics.png

You will see that the data table poplulates from live data parsed from the console. Now we'll make a graph to briefly illustrate the Graphing perspective. Click the Create Graph button next to bring up the Select Chart dialogue.Select line graph. You will be prompted to select a column of the X series and Y series; select "Time" and "Write" respectively. After you click ok you should see the line graph as follows:

IDEGraph.png

Note that the multiple series graphs (Multi-Line, Multi-Bar, and Multi-Scatter) will request two Y series, Y1 and Y2. In the case of our example, these would be "Read" and "Write". Each series will be assigned a different color value for the purposes of differentiation and will be plotted both in respect to the specified X series.

Those are the basics behind running a script in Systemtap GUI.

Concepts

SystemTap Perspectives

SystemTap has three perspectives, each with its own purpose.

completion features that facilitate efficient development of scripts.

  • Graphing.png Graphing Perspective - This perspective is invoked when the user calls the Run /w Chart option. It defaults to showing a data table containing the script results and is capable of producing six different chart types: Scatter Graph, Line Graph, Area Graph, Bar Graph, Pie Graph.
  • Dash.pngDashboard Perspective - This perspective is capable of storing meta-data related to each graph such as filters, aggregates, and display options in addition to showing a "dashboard" interface with multiple graphs updating simultaneously.

STP Editor

This editor is the most commonly used; it is used for the authoring and editing of Systemtap scripts. It is invoked when the user starts a new file or opens a file with the .stp extension. It provides syntax highlighting, code completion, and run support.

Editor.png


See also: Menus , Example SystemTap Scripts , Toolbars

Function Browser

The Funtion Browser lists all of the functions that are defined in the tapset library. Functions are grouped by the file that they are defined. Each listed function has an icon that corresponds to its return type.

  • Var str.gif String
  • Var long.gif Long
  • Var void.gif Void

If you double click on any function a call to that function will be added to the active editor at the current cursor location. Also if you right click on a function and click "View Definition" the tapset file where the function is defined will be opened.

Function.png

The default behavior of this view is to look for functions in the tapset library in the local machine. To look for functions in the same machine used to run the SystemTap scripts, go to Window->Preferences, select SystemTap->SystemTap IDE and check the Use remote connection to load SystemTap probes and functions option. Don't forget to configure the remote server used by remote execution in SystemTap->Remote Server.

Kernel Browser

The Kernel Source Browser is used to display the kernel tree. This provides you with a quick way to locate places to add probes. Any file in the Kernel Source tree can be opened by double clicking on it. This will open up the selected file in the Editor view. You can then double click on the ruler next to any line that you wish to probe. If SystemTap can probe that line a probe point will be inserted at the end of the script you were most recently working on. If the line can't be probed, an error message will be displayed.

KernelSource.png

To use this feature it is necessary to configure the Kernel Source Location.

Probe Alias Browser

The Probe Alias Browser lists all of the probe aliases that are defined in the tapset library. Probes are grouped based on their type. In addition to the list of probes, each probe lists all of the variables that it has access to. Each variable is listed with an icon that represents its type. Types are as follows:

  • Var str.gif String
  • Var long.gif Long
  • Var unk.gif Unknown

If you double click on any probe alias, probe point will be added to the end of the active editor. Also if you right click on a probe and click "View Definition" the tapset file where the probe is defined will be opened.

ProbeAlias.png

The default behavior of this view is to look for probes in the local machine. To look for probes in the same machine used to run the SystemTap scripts, go to Window->Preferences, select SystemTap->SystemTap IDE and check the Use remote connection to load SystemTap probes and functions option. Don't forget to configure the remote server used by remote execution in SystemTap->Remote Server.

Tasks

Creating SystemTap Scripts

Create a SystemTap script by selecting File->New in the IDE Perspective. You'll be prompted to enter a name for the file; make sure that you use a .stp extension or else SystemTap GUI will not recognize the file as a SystemTap script and certain editor and run features will not be active.

Your new file will be open and ready for coding in the Editor pane.

A IDE Tutorial is also provided in the help pages for a step by step demo.

For advanced SystemTap langauge help please see the SystemTap Development User's Guide and the documentation available at the SystemTap website's documentation page - http://sourceware.org/systemtap/documentation.html

Using the STP Editor

The STP Editor is used for the authoring and editing of Systemtap scripts. It is invoked when the user starts a new file or opens a file with the .stp extension. Using the editor is as easy as setting the focus to the editor pane and typing.

Editor.png

There are certain features within the editor you may want to take advantage of:

  • Syntax Highlighting - Certain code items are colored in .stp and .c files based on a set of rules and

colors. You can turn this on or off and change the colors in Window->Preferences.

  • Code Assist - SystemTap GUI will attempt to finish your probe alias names based on what you have already

typed. You can then select the appropriate probe alias or continue typing to filter the list down even more. You can turn this feature on and off or set the speed on it in Window->Preferences.

help page on a walk through use of the Run command. The Run command allows scripts to be executed directly through SystemTap GUI.

See also: Menus , Toolbars , Example SystemTap Scripts

Viewing Data Charts

Viewing data charts from a SystemTap script is accomplished by running that script with the Run->Run w/ Chart option. This is covered in the Lesson 3: Running Your Script . After running a script with the chart option, the user is taken into the Graphing Perspective and the Data Table is loaded by default. The data table immediately begins populating as it recieves input back through the console from the running SystemTap script.

IDEGraphics.png

Reference

Views and Editors

This section details the views and editor in relation to the IDE Perspective.

Views

The IDE Perspective consists of 5 views and and two editors.

  • Probe Alias Browser - A list of all probe aliases currently available in your version of Systemtap. Covered in detail here .
  • Function Browser - A list of functions currently supported in your version of Systemtap. Covered in detail here .
  • Kernel Source Browser - Used to display the kernel tree. Covered in detail here .
  • Console - The console view is where all of the output from the running script is shown. If more then one script is running at the same time you are able to switch between which console is currently displayed by clicking on the "Display Selected Console" button. The script can halt execution here if the user selects the Stop button. The user also has the option of saving the console output to a file, which can be done by clicking the Save log output button at the top of the console.IDEConsole.png
  • Error Log - If the script you tried to run contained errors, this view will become active and display the errors. You can double click on the eror message to jump to the line in the file where the error occured. ErrorLog.png

Editors

Three editors are available in Systemtap GUI.

  • STP Editor - This editor is the most commonly used; it is used for the authoring and editing of Systemtap scripts. It is invoked when the user starts a new file or opens a file with the .stp extension. It provides syntax highlighting, code completion, and run support.
  • C Editor - This editor is available for the read only viewing of kernel source. It is invoked when the user opens a file of extension .c. Syntax highlighting is supported in this mode.
  • Plain Text Editor - A plain text editor is also implemented for the user should they need it.

Menus

What follows is a comprehension list of the menu options available within the IDE Perspective of Systemtap GUI.

File

  • New File - This option will bring up a dialog to create a new file. You may specify any location. Files ending in a .stp or .c extension will have syntax highlighting and code completion features as appropriate. (Shortcut: Crtl+L)

Newbox1.png

  • Open File - This option will bring up a dialog to select a file to open. Once a file is selected it will open in the editor window. (Shortcut: Crtl+O)

Openbox1.png

  • Close - This option closes the file in the editor pane that currently has the focus. (Shortcut: Crtl+F4)
  • Close All - This option closes all files in the editor pane. (Shortcut: Shift+Crtl+F4)
  • Save - This option saves the file that currently has the focus. (Shortcut: Crtl+S)
  • Save As - This option prompts the user for a new location and file name and saves the file that currently has the focus under that new name and location.
  • Save All - This option saves all files currently open in the editor pane. (Shortcut: Shift+Crtl+S)
  • Revert - This option discards changes to the file currently under the focus replaces it with the last saved version.
  • Print - This option prints the file in the editor pane currently holding the focus. (Shortcut: Crtl+P)
  • Export Script - This option prompts the user to enter metadata associated with the Systemtap script to be exported and used in the Dashboard perspective. See the Creating Modules guide for instructions.
  • Import Tapset - This option allows you to include additional tapset directories when you run a script. (Shortcut: Crtl+I)

Importbox1.png

  • Exit - Exits Systemtap GUI.

Edit

  • Undo - Undos the previous editor related action. (Shortcut: Crtl+Z)
  • Redo - Redos the previous editor related action removed by Undo. (Shortcut: Crtl+Y)
  • Cut - Removes the selected text from the editor pane and places it in the clipboard. (Shortcut: Shift+Delete, Ctrl+X)
  • Copy - Copies the selected text from the editor pane and places it in the clipboard. (Shortcut: Ctrl+Insert, Crtl+C)
  • Paste - Copies the text from the clipboard to the location of the focus in the editor pane. (Shortcut: Shift+Insert, Crtl+V)
  • Select All - Selects all text within the file in the editor that the focus is currently in. (Shortcut: Crtl+A)
  • Find/Replace - Opens the Find/Replace dialogue in which users may specify a text string to find and/or replace, with options to search forwards or backwards, the entire document or just the selected lines, and whether or not they want the following options:
    • Case sensitive
    • Wrap Search
    • Whole Word
    • Incremental
    • Regular expressions

(Shortcut: Crtl+F) Findbox1.png

  • Find Next - Finds the next instance of the search string in the direction indicated in the Find/Replace dialogue box. (Shortcut: Crtl+K)
  • Find Previous - Finds the previous instance of the search string in the direction indicated in the Find/Replace dialogue box. (Shortcut: Shift+Crtl+K)
  • Incremental Find Next - Finds the next occurrence of the text and updates the selection after each character typed. To use Incremental Find:
    • In the text (or Java) editor, press Ctrl+J or select Edit > Incremental Find Next from the menu bar.
    • The workbench status line displays "Incremental Find:". The editor is now in the Incremental Find mode.
    • As you type, the editor finds the next occurrence of the text and updates the selection after each character typed.
    • Navigate to the next or previous match by pressing Arrow Down or Arrow Up.
    • Undo the last action within the Incremental Find mode by pressing Backspace.
    • You can leave the Incremental Find mode by pressing Esc
  • Incremental Find Previous - Operates as illustrated in above bullet but in the reverse. (Shortcut: Shift+Crtl+J)
  • Select All - Selects all the text in the file that currently has the focus. (Shortcut: Ctrl+A)
  • Word Completion - Completes the string being typed by using the last example typed by the user. (Shortcut: Alt+/)

Navigate

  • Forward - Navigates to the next file in sequence as they were opened in the editor pane. (Shortcut: Alt+Right)
  • Back - Navigates to the previous file in sequence as they were opened in the editor pane. (Shortcut: Alt+Left)
  • Last Edit Location - Moves the focus to the file containing the last known edit. (Shortcut: Crtl+Q)
  • Goto Line... - Moves the focus to the specified line number, with the range of line numbers listed in the dialogue box. (Shortcut: Ctrl+L)Gotobox1.png

Run

  • Run - Available when a Systemtap script is loaded into the editor, this feature runs the script. You will be prompted to enter details of the remote machine running the systemtapgui server.ShortCut(Ctrl+F5)

Consolebox1.png

  • Run w/Chart - Available when a Systemtap script is loaded into the editor, this feature will prompt the user for the number of columns for the chart, in addition to their titles and regular expressions. The regular expressions are used to parse the console output for the script and determine the values of each column at a certain sample point. The combined regular expression is shown at the bottom of the dialogue box. The user has the option to use Command Line Options as well. When you click OK you will be prompted to enter the details of the remote machine running the systemtapgui server. When the script is executed the application will switch into the Graphing perspective. A Data View chart is populated with live data, in addition to the output in the console. More information regarding the Graphing perspective is available here.

Chartbox1.png

  • Stop - This option terminates the script thread associated with whichever script currently has the focus. (Shortcut: Ctrl+F9)

Window

  • Open in New Window - This option opens a new instance of SystemTap GUI.
  • Open Perspective - This submenu lists each of the available perspectives to open:
    • IDE Perspective
    • Graphing Perspective
    • Dashboard Perspective
  • Show Views - This submenus lists each of the available views to open:
    • Console
    • Error Log
    • Functions
    • Kernel Source
    • Probe Alias
    • Other - Lists all views in the application.

Viewbox1.png

  • Preferences - Due to the breath of this topic it is covered in another section. Please see Preferences .

Toolbars

SystemTap GUI currently has two toolbars built in; an Action Bar for file and execution operations and a Perspective Selector to jump to different perspectives.

Action Bar

  • New wiz.gif New File - This button will bring up a dialog to create a new file. When you click ok the file will be opened in the editor window.
  • Open wiz.gif Open File - This button will bring up a dialog to select a file to open. Once a file is selected it will open in the editor window.
  • Import wiz.gif Import Tapset - This button allows you to include additional tapset directories when you run a script.
  • Run exc.gif Run Script - This will compile the open script and start running it. All output will be sent to the console. If there is an error in the script the error will be reported in the ErrorLog.
  • Run chart.gif Run Script w/Chart - This button is also like the standard Run Script button but will bring up a charting dialog box. Once the formatting expressions have been entered it will change the current perspective to the graphing perspective.
  • Stop obj.gif Stop Script - This button will stop the currently active script from running.

Perspective Selector

  • Ide.png IDE Perspective - This button brings you into the IDE Perspective, useful for writing and executing scripts.
  • Graphing.png Graphing Perspective - This button brings you into the Graphing Perspective, useful for graphing scripts.

Preferences

This section details each of the options listed under Window->Preferences. The Preferences dialog is the dialog used to set user preferences. The Preferences dialog pages can be searched using the filter function. To filter by matching the page title, simply type the name of the page you are seeking and the available pages will be presented below. The filter also searches on keywords such as appearance and java.

  • Logging
    • Enable logging - This option turns on and off the ability to log data from the console.
    • Logging level - This dropdown box allows you to select one of our levels of logging.
      • Debug - A very large quantity of debug information, difficult to identify what you are looking for but extremely exhaustive.
      • Info - Displays most information regarding program execution; the default level.
      • Critical - Lists only critical errors duration execution.
      • Fatal - Lists only fatal errors during execution.
    • Log to' - Specifies where you wish the logging to be written:
      • Console - Writes the debug information directly to the console.
      • File - Write the debug information to a file.
    • File - The location of the file that logging sends the debug information to.
  • SystemTap - This section contains options relevent to SystemTap itself.
    • Remember window state - Preserves the state of the window on exitting SystemTap GUI.
    • Dashboard Preferences - Preferences relate to the Dashboard Perspective.
      • Additional Modules - Provides for the addition of more modules to the Dashboard. Modules are files containing a SystemTap script and associated metadata.
    • Environment Variables - Allows the user to set specific values to the following environment variables
      • LD_LIBRARY_PATH
      • PATH
      • SYSTEMTAP_TAPSET
      • SYSTEMTAP_RUNTIME
    • Graphing - Preferences related to the Graphing Perspective.
      • Refresh Delay (ms) - Milliseconds in between re-painting the graph.
      • Data Table - Preferences related to the data table.
        • Jump to the newest entry - Determines whether the scroll bar maintains its location at the newest entry.
        • Auto resize columns - Determines whether columns automatically resize to the width of the contents or whether they remain placed when moved.
        • Max data items - Maximum number of entries that the table shows, though the table itself may have more not visible.
      • Graph - Preferences related to graphs.
        • Show grid lines - Turns on and off painting of the grid lines.
        • Viewable data items - Number of maximum samples plotted at any time.
    • IDE - Preferences when loading the IDE Perspective.
      • Use stored tapset trees - Loads the stored tapset trees on initialization.
      • Editor - Preferences related to the editor.
        • Editor Background Color - Sets the color painted in the background of the editor pane.
        • Show Line Numbers - Option to turn on and off line numbers in the editor pane.
        • Code Assist
          • Use Code Assist - Turns on and off the option to use Code Assist, which is a method that predicts what you are typing based on existing probe alias and opens a window that allows you to scroll down and select and/or continue typing for refined results.
          • How Code Assist adds code - Method used in Code Assist.
            • Insert - Inserts the selected text directly into the cursor point.
            • Overwrite - Overwrites as you type.
          • Activation Delay (requires restart) - Delay in milliseconds before the code assist routines attempts to run.
          • Activation Trigger - This is the key that actives Code Assist. For SystemTap GUI it is set to the divider between tapset and probe alias.
        • Syntax Coloring - These options assign color values to identified types within the .stp and .c editors.
          • STP editor
            • Default Color - Color of normal code.
            • Keyword Color - Color of keywords.
            • Embedded C Color - Color of embedded C code.
            • Embedded Color - Color of embedded code.
            • Comment Color - Color of comments.
            • Type Color - Color of items identified as types.
            • String Color - Color of strings.
          • C editor
            • Default Color - Color of normal code.
            • Keyword Color - Color of keywords.
            • Preprocessor Color - Color of preprocessor code.
            • Comment Color - Color of comments.
            • Type Color - Color of items identified as types.
            • String Color - Color of strings.
        • Typeing - No options available at this time.
      • Path
        • Kernel Source Directory - Location of the directory that the kernel source code is pulled from.
        • Stap - No options available at this time.
          • Tapsets - Preferences related to tapsets.
            • Additional Tapsets - Allows you to specify additional tapsets scripts to be added in with every script.
    • Remote Server - Details regarding the remote machine running the systemtapgui Server
      • Host Name - IP address of the remote machine
      • Port - Port used for communication. Default is 22462.
      • User Name - User name that has sufficient permissions to transfer and run the script on the remote machine.
      • Password - Password for the above user.

Frequently Asked Questions

This section details frequently asked questions relating to the IDE Perspective.

Where can I find information regarding the Systemtap scripting language?

A: The best place to look for up to date information regarding Systemtap itself is its homepage - http://sourceware.org/systemtap/documentation.html


How do I run a script once I've written it?

A: There are different options as far as running your Systemtap script. Please visit the Menus to learn more about the four ways of running Systemtap scripts.


Why does the application seem to hang when switching to the IDE Perspective?

A: If this is the first time you are trying to open the IDE perspective, or have recently gotten a new version of SystemTap this is expected. In order to generate a full list of all of the available probes, and functions the GUI has to run the stap command. If there are tapsets that do not run correctly using the 'stap -up2' comamnd this takes a long time. In order to build as complete a list as possible it will use a binary filtering algorithm to figure out which tapset function is broken and generate data for all of the others.


Example SystemTap Scripts

What follows is a few SystemTap Scripts that you may use in SystemTap GUI, taken from and linked to http://sourceware.org/systemtap/documentation.html

There is also a description of the examples - http://sourceware.org/systemtap/examples/demo_script.txt

top.stp - Prints the top 20 system calls (http://sourceware.org/systemtap/examples/top.stp)

#!/usr/bin/env stap 
#
# This script continuously lists the top 20 systemcalls on the system
#

global syscalls

function print_top () {
	cnt=0
	log ("SYSCALL\t\t\t\tCOUNT")
	foreach ([name] in syscalls-) {
		printf("%-20s\t\t%5d\n",name, syscalls[name])
		if (cnt++ = 20)
			break
	}
	printf("--------------------------------------\n")
	delete syscalls
}

probe kernel.function("sys_*") {
	syscalls[probefunc()]++
}

# print top syscalls every 5 seconds
probe timer.ms(5000) {
	print_top ()

prof.stp - Simple profiling (http://sourceware.org/systemtap/examples/prof.stp)

#!/usr/bin/env stap

# This is an example of profiling a specific command or pid.
# It works by recording the time when a system call is entered
# exited. 

# Usage: prof.stp -c "top -n5"
# Will start up "top" and after 5 iterations, will exit.
#
# Usage: prof.stp -x 3323
# Will profile pid 3323 until it ^c is hit.
#

probe kernel.function("sys_*") {
	if (target() = tid())
		calltime[tid()] = gettimeofday_us()
}

probe kernel.function("sys_*").return {
	if (target() != tid())  next
	now = gettimeofday_us()
	c = calltime[tid()]
	if (!c) next
	ttime[probefunc()] <<< now - c
	delete calltime[tid()]
}

probe end {
	printf("\n")
	foreach (x in ttime)
		printf("%-20s\tcalls:%6d\tavg time (ms):%5d\ttotal(ms):%7d\n", 
			x, @count(ttime[x]), @avg(ttime[x]), @sum(ttime[x]))
}

global calltime, ttime

keyhack.stp - Modifying variables in the kernel. (http://sourceware.org/systemtap/examples/keyhack.stp)

#! /usr/bin/env stap

# This is not useful, but it demonstrates that
# Systemtap can modify variables in a running kernel.

# Usage: ./keyhack.stp -g

probe kernel.function("kbd_event") {
	# Changes 'm' to 'b' .
	if ($event_code = 50) $event_code = 48
}

probe end {
	printf("\nDONE\n")
}


kmalloc.stp - Statistics example. (http://sourceware.org/systemtap/examples/kmalloc.stp)

#! /usr/bin/env stap

# Using statistics to examine kernel memory allocations

global kmalloc

probe kernel.function("__kmalloc") { 
	kmalloc <<< $size
}

# Exit after 10 seconds
probe timer.ms(10000) { exit () }

probe end {
	printf("Count:   %d allocations\n", @count(kmalloc))
	printf("Sum:     %d Kbytes\n", @sum(kmalloc)/1000)
	printf("Average: %d bytes\n", @avg(kmalloc))
	printf("Min:     %d bytes\n", @min(kmalloc))
	printf("Max:     %d bytes\n", @max(kmalloc))	
	print("\nAllocations by size in bytes\n")
	print(@hist_log(kmalloc))
}


kmalloc2.stp - Example using arrays of statistics. (http://sourceware.org/systemtap/examples/kmalloc2.stp)

#! /usr/bin/env stap

# Using statistics and maps to examine kernel memory allocations

global kmalloc

probe kernel.function("__kmalloc") { 
	kmalloc[execname()] <<< $size
}

# Exit after 10 seconds
probe timer.ms(10000) { exit () }

probe end {
	foreach ([name] in kmalloc) {
		printf("Allocations for %s\n", name)
		printf("Count:   %d allocations\n", @count(kmalloc[name]))
		printf("Sum:     %d Kbytes\n", @sum(kmalloc[name])/1000)
		printf("Average: %d bytes\n", @avg(kmalloc[name]))
		printf("Min:     %d bytes\n", @min(kmalloc[name]))
		printf("Max:     %d bytes\n", @max(kmalloc[name]))	
		print("\nAllocations by size in bytes\n")
		print(@hist_log(kmalloc[name]))
		printf("-------------------------------------------------------\n\n");
	}
}

Guide to Regular Expressions

Regular expressions are used in SystemTap GUI to define how the GUI interprets information that it recieves from the script file. If the user wishes to change the regular expression during runtime they may do so by selecting Edit->Modify Parsing Expression.

Basic regex (taken from "http://java.sun.com/j2se/1.5.0/docs/api/ ) -

 Summary of regular-expression constructs

Construct 	Matches
 
Characters
x 	The character x
\\ 	The backslash character
\0n 	The character with octal value 0n (0 <= n <= 7)
\0nn 	The character with octal value 0nn (0 <= n <= 7)
\0mnn 	The character with octal value 0mnn (0 <= m <= 3, 0 <= n <= 7)
\xhh 	The character with hexadecimal value 0xhh
\uhhhh 	The character with hexadecimal value 0xhhhh
\t 	The tab character ('\u0009')
\n 	The newline (line feed) character ('\u000A')
\r 	The carriage-return character ('\u000D')
\f 	The form-feed character ('\u000C')
\a 	The alert (bell) character ('\u0007')
\e 	The escape character ('\u001B')
\cx 	The control character corresponding to x
 
Character classes
[abc] 	a, b, or c (simple class)
[^abc] 	Any character except a, b, or c (negation)
[a-zA-Z] 	a through z or A through Z, inclusive (range)
[a-d[m-p]] 	a through d, or m through p: [a-dm-p] (union)
[a-z&&[def]] 	d, e, or f (intersection)
[a-z&&[^bc]] 	a through z, except for b and c: [ad-z] (subtraction)
[a-z&&[^m-p]] 	a through z, and not m through p: [a-lq-z](subtraction)
 
Predefined character classes
. 	Any character (may or may not match line terminators)
\d 	A digit: [0-9]
\D 	A non-digit: [^0-9]
\s 	A whitespace character: [ \t\n\x0B\f\r]
\S 	A non-whitespace character: [^\s]
\w 	A word character: [a-zA-Z_0-9]
\W 	A non-word character: [^\w]
 
POSIX character classes (US-ASCII only)
\p{Lower} 	A lower-case alphabetic character: [a-z]
\p{Upper} 	An upper-case alphabetic character:[A-Z]
\p{ASCII} 	All ASCII:[\x00-\x7F]
\p{Alpha} 	An alphabetic character:[\p{Lower}\p{Upper}]
\p{Digit} 	A decimal digit: [0-9]
\p{Alnum} 	An alphanumeric character:[\p{Alpha}\p{Digit}]
\p{Punct} 	Punctuation: One of !"#$%&'()*+,-./:;<=>?@[\]^_`{|}~
\p{Graph} 	A visible character: [\p{Alnum}\p{Punct}]
\p{Print} 	A printable character: [\p{Graph}\x20]
\p{Blank} 	A space or a tab: [ \t]
\p{Cntrl} 	A control character: [\x00-\x1F\x7F]
\p{XDigit} 	A hexadecimal digit: [0-9a-fA-F]
\p{Space} 	A whitespace character: [ \t\n\x0B\f\r]
 
java.lang.Character classes (simple java character type)
\p{javaLowerCase} 	Equivalent to java.lang.Character.isLowerCase()
\p{javaUpperCase} 	Equivalent to java.lang.Character.isUpperCase()
\p{javaWhitespace} 	Equivalent to java.lang.Character.isWhitespace()
\p{javaMirrored} 	Equivalent to java.lang.Character.isMirrored()
 
Classes for Unicode blocks and categories
\p{InGreek} 	A character in the Greek block (simple block)
\p{Lu} 	An uppercase letter (simple category)
\p{Sc} 	A currency symbol
\P{InGreek} 	Any character except one in the Greek block (negation)
[\p{L}&&[^\p{Lu}]]  	Any letter except an uppercase letter (subtraction)
 
Boundary matchers
^ 	The beginning of a line
$ 	The end of a line
\b 	A word boundary
\B 	A non-word boundary
\A 	The beginning of the input
\G 	The end of the previous match
\Z 	The end of the input but for the final terminator, if any
\z 	The end of the input
 
Greedy quantifiers
X? 	X, once or not at all
X* 	X, zero or more times
X+ 	X, one or more times
X{n} 	X, exactly n times
X{n,} 	X, at least n times
X{n,m} 	X, at least n but not more than m times
 
Reluctant quantifiers
X?? 	X, once or not at all
X*? 	X, zero or more times
X+? 	X, one or more times
X{n}? 	X, exactly n times
X{n,}? 	X, at least n times
X{n,m}? 	X, at least n but not more than m times
 
Possessive quantifiers
X?+ 	X, once or not at all
X*+ 	X, zero or more times
X++ 	X, one or more times
X{n}+ 	X, exactly n times
X{n,}+ 	X, at least n times
X{n,m}+ 	X, at least n but not more than m times
 
Logical operators
XY 	X followed by Y
X|Y 	Either X or Y
(X) 	X, as a capturing group
 
Back references
\n 	Whatever the nth capturing group matched
 
Quotation
\ 	Nothing, but quotes the following character
\Q 	Nothing, but quotes all characters until \E
\E 	Nothing, but ends quoting started by \Q
 
Special constructs (non-capturing)
(?:X) 	X, as a non-capturing group
(?idmsux-idmsux)  	Nothing, but turns match flags on - off
(?idmsux-idmsux:X)   	X, as a non-capturing group with the given flags on - off
(?=X) 	X, via zero-width positive lookahead
(?!X) 	X, via zero-width negative lookahead
(?<=X) 	X, via zero-width positive lookbehind
(?<!X) 	X, via zero-width negative lookbehind
(?>X) 	X, as an independent, non-capturing group                                                                    
Match a position that is not a word boundary.

Information regarding regular expressions can be found all over the Internet. A few examples have been listed below:

SystemTap Graphing

Getting Started

Introduction

The Graphing Perspective in the SystemTap Plug-in is a perspective that is active once a user runs a script with the chart option (Run->Run w/ Chart). From this point a DataTable is populated with live data as it is parsed from the Console. From the information in the DataTable you can generate the following graphs:

These graph types can be used instantiated by using the Graph Wizard once the DataTable is populated. The Graphing Perspective can support multiple graphs from one DataTable. Each are updated and can be viewed by navigating through the tabs shown at the top of each graph.

If you have not already, you will want to review the Graphing Tutorial

Graphing Tutorial

In order to graph SystemTap scripts you must have a script open in the IDE Perspective, and the Run->Run w/ Chart option must be used. If you are unfamiliar with how to load or write a SystemTap script, please review the IDE Tutorial in the SystemTap IDE User's Guide. Please use the following script for this example by copying and pasting it into a new file (any name is fine that ends in a .stp extension):

global read, write, start

probe begin {
   start = gettimeofday_s()
}
probe syscall.write {
   write += count
}

probe syscall.read {
   read += count
}

probe timer.ms(1000) {
   printf("%d\t%d\t%d\n", (gettimeofday_s()-start), read, write)
   read=0
   write=0
}

Now select Run->Run w/ Chart. This feature will prompt the user for the number of columns for the chart, in addition to their titles and regular expressions. The regular expressions are used to parse the console output for the script and determine the values of each column at a certain sample point. The combined regular expression is shown at the bottom of the dialogue box. You should see the following:

Chartbox1.png

For this example enter the following:

	Columns: 3

	TITLE	REGULAR EXPRESSION	DELIMITER
	Time		\d+		.*			\D+
	Read		\d+		.*			\D+
	Write		\d+		.*			\D+

The title fields simply display the associated string in the column's header. After clicking OK the script will prompt you for details regarding the Remote Server. Provide the ip address of the remote server that is running the systemtapgui Server or the Data Management Daemon. The port is by default 22462. Enter a username and password.This will give the application permissions to run your script on the remote machine. You have the option of saving your password as well, however be warned this is currently NOT encrypted so this convenience runs at a risk. The username is also used to transfer the file to the remote system using SCP. If the same machine is used as both the server and the client enter 'localhost' for the Host field. When the script is executed the application will switch into the Graphing perspective. A Data View chart is populated with live data, in addition to the output in the console. You should see a screen similar to the following:

IDEGraphics.png

You will see that the data table poplulates from live data parsed from the console. Now we'll make a graph to briefly illustrate the Graphing perspective. Click the Create Graph button next to bring up the Select Chart dialogue.

GraphWizard.png

Select line graph. You will be prompted to select a column of the X series and Y series; select "Time" and "Write" respectively. After you click ok you should see the line graph as follows:

IDEGraph.png

Note that the multiple series graphs (Multi-Line, Multi-Bar, and Multi-Scatter) will request two Y series, Y1 and Y2. In the case of our example, these would be "Read" and "Write". Each series will be assigned a different color value for the purposes of differentiation and will be plotted both in respect to the specified X series.

Concepts

DataTable

The DataTable is the default view the user sees when running a script with the chart option. It intitially starts empty and populates as it recieves information parsed from the console originally from the script. The DataTable is a visualization of the data structure that every other graph type spawns from. GraphingPerspective.png

The columns of the DataTable can be resized at will by dragging the seperation lines between column headers. In addition, the information in the data table can be saved and loaded without having to re-run the script. Furthermore, the user can populate the DataTable without having to run a script if a script's output has been saved into a file, see Opening Script Output .Right clicking the DataTable provides a menu with the following options:

  • Format as... - Depending on which column the user right clicked, his allows the user to format that column's data as one of the following:
    • Unformated - No formating is applied.
    • String
    • Date
    • Double
    • Hex
    • Octal
    • Binary
  • Add Filter... - Adds a filter to the DataTable.
  • Remove Filter... - Removes a filter from the DataTable.
  • Manually Resize - Allows the user to resize column width without bouncing back to the minimum based on the largest value.

DataGraph Types

Currently there are five graph types built into SystemTap Plug-in.

These graph types can be used instantiated by using the Graph Wizard once the DataTable is populated. The Graphing Perspective can support multiple graphs from one DataTable. Each are updated and can be viewed by navigating through the tabs shown at the top of each graph.

Scatter Graph

A Scatter Graph uses Cartesian coordinates to show the relation of two or more quantitative variables.

Creating a Scatter Graph will prompt the user for three values. The first is the title and is fully cosmetic. The option to turn on and off the title is given to the user, and its off by default. The second option is X Series; here you select which series of data you want to plot along the X Axis. The third option is the Y Series; here you select which series of data you want to plot along the Y Axis. Optionally you can add extra Y Series; here you select another series of data you want to plot along the Y Axis.

Scatter.png

Line Graph

The Line Graph is traditionally ideal for horozontally depicting non-cumulative data over, say, time.

Creating a Line Graph will prompt the user for three values. The first is the title and is fully cosmetic. The option to turn on and off the title is given to the user, and its off by default. The second option is X Series; here you select which series of data you want to plot along the X Axis. The third option is the Y Series; here you select which series of data you want to plot along the Y Axis. Optionally you can add extra Y Series; here you select another series of data you want to plot along the Y Axis.

Line.png

Area Graph

The Area Graph is traditionally ideal for horozontally depicting non-cumulative data over, say, time.

Creating an Area Graph will prompt the user for three values. The first is the title and is fully cosmetic. The option to turn on and off the title is given to the user, and its off by default. The second option is X Series; here you select which series of data you want to plot along the X Axis. The third option is the Y Series; here you select which series of data you want to plot along the Y Axis. Optionally you can add extra Y Series; here you select another series of data you want to plot along the Y Axis.

Area.png

Bar Graph

The Bar Graph typically uses bars to show frequencies or values.

Creating a Bar Graph will prompt the user for three values. The first is the title and is fully cosmetic. The option to turn on and off the title is given to the user, and its off by default. The second option is X Series; here you select which series of data you want to plot along the X Axis. The third option is the Y Series; here you select which series of data you want to plot along the Y Axis. Optionally you can add extra Y Series; here you select another series of data you want to plot along the Y Axis.

Bar.png

Pie Graph

The Pie Graph uses a pie to show percentages.

Creating a Pie Graph will prompt the user for three values. The first is the title and is fully cosmetic. The option to turn on and off the title is given to the user, and its off by default. The second option is X Series; here you select the series to be used as labels of each area of the pie chart. The third option is the Y Series; here you select which series of data will be used to calculate the percentages of each area of the pie chart. Optionally you can add extra Y Series; here you select another series of data you want to plot along the Y Axis.

Pie.png

Filters

Filters are screens that you can set on your DataTable to limit the quantity of samples you wish to work with. Filters are very often used in restricting the sheer amount of information available to make data tables and graphs more substantial to people.

The following options exist to work with Filters in the DataTable:

  • Add Filter... - Adds a Filter to the DataTable.
  • Remove Filter... - Removes a Filter from the DataTable.

When you select Add Filter you see the following dialogue box:

Filters.png

What follows is a breakdown of each Filter type:

  • Match Filter - This filter removes everything from the data set where the selected column's

value does not match the chosen value.

Match.png Result: Match2.png


  • Range Filter - This filter removes everything from the data set that is not included in the

selected range of values.

Range.png

Result:

Range2.png


  • Sort Filter - This filter will sort the data set based on the selected column. No data will be

removed.

Sort.png Result: Sort2.png


  • Unique Filter - This filter will remove all merge all entries in that data set that share a common

value in the selected column. Data for the removed rows will be aggregated together based on the chosen aggregation method. Unique.png

    • Average Aggregate - This aggregate will return the average of all the items consolidated.
    • Count Aggregate - This aggregate will return the number of items consolidated.
    • Max Aggregate - This aggregate will return the maximum value of all the items consolidated.
    • Min Aggregate - This aggregate will return the minimum value of all the items consolidated.
    • Sum Aggregate - This aggregate will return the sum of all the items consolidated.

Graph Interaction

Each of the Graph Types have similar options that can be used in the Graphical Perspective:

  • Zoom Bar - This enables the user to zoom in and out on the current graph by sliding the bar up and down. The current magnification is shown at the top of the bar. Magnification can range from as high as .0625x to as low as 4x the dimensions of the original graph.<Zoom.png
  • Title - This option turns on and off the title specified in the graph creation wizard.
  • Legend - This option turns on and off the legend, particularly useful in the graph types that show multiple series.
  • Grid Lines - This option permits the user to turn and off the grid lines.
  • Normalization - The option to normalize occurs only in multi-series graphs. By default, series graphs are rendered using normalization which scales them to visuals easily comparable to one another. The user has the option to view the normalization scale by clicking the data in the graph. The user also has the option of disabling normalization by deselecting it.

GraphExpanded.png

Tasks

This section of the Graphing User Guild is intended to provide help pages for common tasks that the user may wish to perform in the Graphics Perspective.

Importing/Exporting Data Sets

From time to time the user may want to preserve the script results for continued work at a later date/time or to share findings with others. The Importing and Exporting options provide an easy way to do this.

Importing a Data Set

In order to import a Data Set the user must first have one either from running a script or from another user. To import the Data Set select File->Import Data Set. The user will be prompted with an Open File dialogue box. Navigate to the Data Set file you wish to open and select it. Keep in mind Data Set files can have any extension type, though the user may want to use .set for consistency. Import.png

Exporting a Data Set

In order to export a Data Set the user must first have a populated DataTable from a previously running script. To export the Data Set select File->Export Data Set. The user will be prompted with an New File dialogue box. Navigate to the location you wish to export the Data Set to and save it. Keep in mind Data Set files can have any extension type, though the user may want to use .set for consistency. Export.png

Generating Graphs

In order to graph SystemTap scripts you must have a script open in the IDE Perspective, and the Run->Run w/ Chart option must be used. If you are unfamiliar with how to load or write a SystemTap script, please review the IDE Tutorial in the SystemTap IDE User's Guide.

A Graphing Tutorial has been written to guide the user through the execution and charting of a provided script. Any script can be used however that provides consistent data along with a regular expression (regex). For instructions on using regex see our Guide to Regular Expressions .

Opening Script Output

This option allows the user to open a text file containing the output of a SystemTap script, and to parse it as it would real time data from a running script. Select File->Open Script Output. Navigate to the file you wish to open and select it. The DataTable will populate with the data, at which point you can graph the results.

Saving a Graph Image

The Graphics Perspective provides a unique feature to users that allows them to save their graphs in a standard image format. In order to do this use the menu option File->Save Graph Image. This opens a dialogue box where the user can navigate to the location they desire to save the image file.

Saveoutput.png

Reference

This section of the Graphing User Guild is intended to provide the following resources should you have any very specific questions regarding the Graphing Perspective in general or one of the options associated with it. It also contains example scripts and FAQs.

Frequently Asked Questions

This section details frequently asked questions relating to the Graphing Perspective.

Can I make more than one graph at one time? Do they update concurrently?

A: Yes and yes. Start another graph the same way you started the first one, by clicking the Graph Wizard button.


Can I increase the rate at which SystemTap GUI update the graph?

A: Yes. By default it is set to once per second, but you can increase this in the Preferences


Is there any way to save or export the graph images?

A: Yes. Use File->Save Graph Image to save the graph.


What if I want to preserve this data for manipulation later?

A: You can do this by using File->Export Data Set. This will save your data set for further work.

Menus

What follows is a comprehension list of the menu options available within the Systemtap GUI Graphing Perspective.

File

  • Open Script Output - This option opens the specified file and reads the contents into the DataTable for use in the Graphing Perspective.Openbox1.png
  • Save Graph Image - This option saves the graph in the specified file extension format.Saveoutput.png
  • Import Data Set - This option allows you to load a previously saved set of data obtained from running a SystemTap script. You can proceed from this point as if you had just ran a script and populated the DataTable.Import.png
  • Export Data Set - This option allows you to save a current data set after you've ran a script in the intention of having someone else look at the user's script results through the tool or for further work done by the user. (Shortcut: Ctrl+X)Export.png
  • Print - This option prints the graph currently holding the focus. (Shortcut: Crtl+P)
  • Exit - Exits Systemtap GUI.

Run

  • Stop - This option terminates the script thread associated with whichever script currently has the focus. (Shortcut: Ctrl+F9)

Window

  • Open in New Window - This option opens a new instance of SystemTap GUI.
  • Open Perspective - This submenu lists each of the available perspectives to open:
    • IDE Perspective
    • Graphing Perspective
  • Show Views - This submenus lists each of the available views to open:
    • Console
    • Error Log
    • Functions
    • Kernel Source
    • Probe Alias
    • Other - Lists all views in the application.Viewbox1.png
  • Preferences - Due to the breath of this topic it is covered in another section. Please see Preferences .Preferencesbox1.png

Toolbars

SystemTap GUI currently has two toolbars built in; an Action Bar for file and execution operations and a Perspective Selector to jump to different perspectives.

Action Bar

  • Open wiz.gif Open Script Output - This option opens the specified file and reads the contents into the DataTable for use in the Graphing Perspective.
  • Save wiz.gif Save Graph Image - This option saves the graph in the specified file extension format.
  • Import wiz.gif Import Data Set - This option allows you to load a previously saved set of data obtained from running a SystemTap script. You can proceed from this point as if you had just ran a script and populated the DataTable.
  • Export wiz.gif Export Data Set - This option allows you to save a current data set after you've ran a script in the intention of having someone else look at the user's script results through the tool or for further work done by the user.
  • Stop obj.gif Stop Script - This button will stop the currently active script from running.

Perspective Selector

  • Ide.png IDE Perspective - This button brings you into the IDE Perspective, useful for writing and executing scripts.
  • Graphing.png Graphing Perspective - This button brings you into the Graphing Perspective, useful for graphing scripts.

SystemTap Dashboard

Welcome to SystemTap GUI help pages. Here you will find wide selection of help pages covering the Dashboard Perspective of SystemTap GUI.

Dashboard Tutorial

The Dashboard Perspective is the most advanced part of SystemTap GUI. It is designed to allow users to browse and run prebuilt Modules in order to see multiple graphs updating in sequence.

For this tutorial we'll use one of the prebuilt modules to illustrate how the Dashboard perspective is used. Each module is part of a module family, a collection of related modules. To start, switch to the Dashboard perspective. On the left you should see a browser titled "Modules".

ModuleBrowser.png

The Modules Browser contains a list of modules available to run. Notice that there is another tab, "Active Modules", in the same pane. The Active Modules Browser allows you to browse the modules you currently have running. At this point, however, it will be empty; there are no modules currently running. Open the module family "Hard Disk" by clicking the arrow next to it's name. This will display each module associated in the "Hard Disk" module family. We are going to be running the Disk Access module. This can be accomplished two ways. You may select it and Run->Run Script. You can alternatively click the Run Script button in the Toolbar. SystemTap GUI will request the details of the Remote Server(ip address, username, password), enter the details to proceed. You should see a display similar to the following:

RunningDashboard.png

The Dashboard shows three graphs, each obtaining data from one script, each analyzing different components of disk access - bytes read, bytes written, and a multi-line graph illustrating both.

SmallGraph.png

Each graph comes with graph-specific options:

  • ExpandButton.png - Expand Graph - This option opens a set of graph-unique options:
    • Zoom - This option allows the user to increase and decrease the no of x-axis ticks.
  • Rightleft.png - Close Zoom bar - This hides the zoom bar.
  • CloseButton.png - Close Graph - This removes the graph from the viewer pane.

Take a moment to interact with these options to familiarize yourself with them.

GraphExpanded.png

Multiple Module Execution

SystemTap GUI supports the execution of more than one module at one time. The currently running script does not not to be halted and the currently open graphs do not need to be closed, though they may be if desired. To execute another module, simply select and run it as described above. If you were to run a module in the Memory module family for example, a new tab will be opened titled 'Memory' in addition to the current tab for 'Hard Disk'.

Up to 8 graphs may be open in each tab at any given time. Drag and drop support is included for the graph types, permitting re-arrangement for ideal analysis. In addition, Pausing is also implemented in SystemTap GUI. You may pause any module by selecting Run->Pause Module, or by selecting Pause from the toolbar. Know that this method of pausing is an illusion; the graph data is simply not updated while the script continues to run. This inability to truly pause is inherent in SystemTap itself. You can also stop the script using the above methods. This will halt the running script of that module and remove the graphs entirely from the view pane. It will not affect graphs or scripts associated with any other modules. If at any time you are unsure of which modules are currently active you can check this by navigating to the Active Modules Browser

Concepts

This section of the Dashboard User Guide details conceptual topics of the application; the major components, what they do, and how how you interact with them.

Modules

A module is a package used in the Dashboard perspective, containing a SystemTap script and associated metadata.

Module Families

Modules are grouped in "module families", groups of modules that are related. One example is the Hard Disk module family which contains the module Disk Access:

ModuleBrowser.png

Multiple Graphs

Often, as in the case of the Disk Access module, modules will spawn multiple graphs on execution.

RunningDashboard.png

There are a number of different module families constructed for different analysis sets.

Modules Browser

The Modules Browser displays all the modules available to run, categorized by module families. Modules in each family can be viewed by expanding the appropriate module family name.

ModuleBrowser.png

From the Modules Browser the following options are available on right-clicking a module:

  • View Script - Opens the module's SystemTap script in the IDE Perspective.

To view the currently active modules, switch to the Active Modules Browser .

Active Modules Browser

The Active Modules Browser displays each module currently active.

ActiveModules.png

The following right click options exist for the graphs embedded in each of the active modules:

  • Stop Graph - Stops the graph from updating.
  • Activate Graph - Instructs a formerly stopped graph to continue updating.

To view all modules available, switch to the Modules Browser .

Tasks

This section of the Dashboard User Guild is intended to provide help pages for common tasks that the user may wish to perform in the Dashboard Perspective.

Creating Modules

SystemTap GUI allows for the creation of custom modules. In order to do this the user must have a script that returns data in a consistent pattern along with providing a regular expression to interpret it; the same requirements as any script run in the Graphics Perspective. Creating a module can be done in two ways

Export Script

Using the Export Script option in the File menu of the IDE Perspective. This will create a module from a script that is currently open in the IDE. The module will consist of the script and metadata information stored as a '.dash' file on the local system(where SystemTapGUI is running).The user is first prompted for regular expression details (just like in the Graphing perspective) after which a dialog box similar to the following shows up:

ExportScript.png

The dialogue box has the following properties:

  • Display - This is the name of the module. This is the text that will show up under the specified

module family.

  • Category - This field requires the name of the module family the module should be placed in.
  • Graphs - This box allows you to added one or more predefine graph types to spawn each time the

module is ran.

When you click ok your module will be added into the Module Browser in the Dashboard Perspective.

AddedModule.png

Create Module

Using the Create Module option in the dashboard or IDE toolbar. This will create a module from an example script that available on the remote System, Users will have to specify the location of the examples directory and the path to the script.The module will consist of only the metadata information stored as a '.dash' file on the local system(where SystemTapGUI is running). The script will not be packaged with the module, the location specified will be used to run the script directly on the remote system. The user would have to first enter the script details, and then follow the same set of steps as in the previous option.

Script details.gif

Tips

Make sure your script works fine with the regular expression and the graphs are as desired using the IDE/Graphing perspectives before creating a dashboard module using the script.

Constraints

The script should adhere to the below constraints to add it to the dashboard:

  • The script should regularly output rows/tables of data that will confirm to the same regular expression, i.e, you cannot have two sets of output in the same script
  • The script should not have exit() statements
  • Since the dashboard supports dynamic graphs the script should output data periodically
  • Users should remember that the dashboard currently does not support any processing of the output data.

Importing Modules

The Dashboard Perspective allows for the import of modules by using the option File->Import Module Location. Simply navigate to and select the module file you wish to import, and SystemTap GUI will add the module to the Modules Browser in the Dashboard Perspective.

ImportDialogue.png

Running Modules

The Modules Browser contains a list of modules available to run.

Running modules in the Dashboard Perspective can be accomplished in three different ways. You may select it and Run->Run Script. You can alternatively click the Run Script button in the Toolbar. SystemTap GUI will request the details of the remote system(IPAddress,username,password).Enter these details and make sure that the username has sufficient access to execute SystemTap scripts You should see a display similar to the following, graphs differing based on what module you chose to run and Module Browser differences based off of your current module include list:

RunningDashboard.png

Multiple Module Execution

SystemTap GUI supports the execution of more than one module at one time. The currently running script does not not to be halted and the currently open graphs do not need to be closed, though they may be if desired. To execute another module, simply select and run it using one of the two methods described above.

Up to 8 graphs may be open at one given time in any given tab. Stopping the script will halt the running script of that module and remove the graphs entirely from the view pane. It will not affect graphs or scripts associated with any other modules. If at any time you are unsure of which modules are currently active you can check this by navigating to the Active Modules Browser

Graph Interaction

The graphical options used in the Dashboard perspective:

  • Zoom.pngZoom Bar - This enables the user to zoom in and out on the current graph by sliding the bar to the left and right. The current magnification is shown at the top of the bar. Zooming would increase the no of x-axis ticks therefore allowing the user to see more(or less) data at a point in time.
  • ExpandButton.png - Show Zoom bar - This displays the zoom bar.
  • Rightleft.png - Close Zoom bar - This hides the zoom bar.
  • CloseButton.png - Close Graph - This removes the graph from the viewer pane.

Reference

This section of the Dashboard User Guild is intended to provide the following resources should you have any very specific questions regarding the Dashboard Perspective in general or one of the options associated with it. It also contains example scripts and FAQs.

Frequently Asked Questions

This section details frequently asked questions relating to the Dashboard Perspective.

Can more than one module be open at any given time?

A: SystemTap GUI supports the execution of more than one module at one time. The currently running script does not not to be halted and the currently open graphs do not need to be closed, though they may be if desired. To execute another module, simply select and run it as described previously . If you were to run the Page Faults module in the Memory module family for example, an additional tab will be created for the Memory module family


How many graphs may be opened at one time?

A: Currently, 8 in each tab(i.e, 8 per module family). You may close graphs to make more room by using the closebox. CloseButton.png


Is there an option to pause specific graphs?

A: No. You can pause or stop a specific module, which will in turn pause or stop the specific graphs associated with it, but you cannot pause or stop just one graph unless that module produces just one graph or you close all but that graph.

Menus

What follows is a comprehension list of the menu options available within the Systemtap GUI Dashboard Perspective.

File

  • Import Module Location - This option allows brings up a dialogue box prompting the user with the location of a module file which is then loaded into the Modules Browser .

ImportDialogue.png

  • Exit - Exits Systemtap GUI.

Run

  • Run - This option runs the selected module in the Modules Browser .
  • Pause - This option pauses the selected module in the Modules Browser . Know that this method of pausing is an illusion; the graph data is simply not updated while the script continues to run. This inability to truly pause is inherent in SystemTap itself.
  • Stop - This option stops the selected module in the Modules Browser .

Window

  • Open in New Window - This option opens a new instance of SystemTap GUI.
  • Open Perspective - This submenu lists each of the available perspectives to open:
    • IDE Perspective
    • Graphing Perspective
    • Dashboard Perspective
  • Show Views - This submenus lists each of the available views to open:
    • Console
    • Error Log
    • Functions
    • Kernel Source
    • Probe Alias
    • Other - Lists all views in the application.

Viewbox1.png

  • Preferences - Due to the breath of this topic it is covered in another section. Please see Preferences

Toolbars

SystemTap GUI currently has two toolbars built in; an Action Bar for file and execution operations and a Perspective Selector to jump to different perspectives.

Action Bar

  • Import wiz.gif Import Dashboard Module Location - This option brings up a dialogue box prompting the user for a module file which is then loaded into the Modules Browser .
  • Start script.gif Run - This option runs the selected module in the Modules Browser .
  • Pause script.gif Pause - This option pauses the selected module in the Modules Browser . Know that this method of pausing is an illusion; the graph data is simply not updated while the script continues to run. This inability to truly pause is inherent in SystemTap itself.
  • Stop obj.gif Stop - This option stops the selected module in the Modules Browser .
  • Mod obj.gif Create a New Dashboard module - This option creates a new module in the Modules Browser .

Perspective Selector

  • Ide.png IDE Perspective - This launches the IDE Perspective, useful for writing and executing scripts.
  • Graphing.png Graphing Perspective - This launches the Graphing Perspective, useful for graphing scripts.
  • Dash.png Dashboard Perspective - This launches the Dashboard Perspective, useful for multiple graphing.

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