perfSONAR User Q&A and Other Discussion

[Guilherme Rhoden <>]

Hi Jeff,

I make some "patchs" on Cacti data-sources to create the MA XML
configuration file. Now I need translate the mini howto on below URL
to English.

http://wiki.gt-med.ufsc.br/wiki/index.php/Measurement_Archive

Guilherme
Jeff W. Boote wrote:
> Hi Ivo,
> 
> First, please start using the perfsonar-* email aliases. We are trying
> to deprecate the 'proto' list. I'm responding on the -user list because
> this is a usage/configuration question.
> 
> As Jason responded, the most 'definitive' answer to how the schemas
> should work is kept in the 'schemas' are of the svn repository.
> Specifically the examples area:
> 
> http://anonsvn.internet2.edu/svn/perfsonar/trunk/perfsonar/schema/example-instances/sonar/
> 
> 
> We intend to write more descriptive documentation to explain the
> examples in this area, but for now this is what we have.
> 
> In addition to Jason's very good answer below, there is a contrib script
> that was written to translate a 'cricket' configuration to the config
> file needed by RRD. (I don't know if it is completely up to date, but it
> will at least give you another example of how rrd data relates to the
> schema):
> 
> http://anonsvn.internet2.edu/svn/perfsonar/trunk/perfsonar/contrib/CricketParser/
> 
> 
> jeff
> 
> Jason Zurawski wrote:
> 
>> Ivo;
>>
>>>
>>> What I exactly want to know is what do I have to do to have the data
>>> from an RRD-MA.
>>> I want to understand how to use that schemas to get data from a RRD-MA.
>>>
>>> I think I have to follow some steps like that:
>>>
>>> 1. SetupDataRequest without a key
>>> (but I don´t know what parameters is mandatory, maybe none?)
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> This is where reading the schema files will come in handy, they are
>> annotated with comments indicating what is required and what is not. 
>> If you are looking at this file
>> (http://wiki.perfsonar.net/jra1-wiki/index.php/Setup_Data_Request_without_a_key)
>> the goal is to use the metadata section of the request to match what
>> appears in the 'storage file' on the RRD MA.  Storage files
>> (http://anonsvn.internet2.edu/svn/perfsonar/trunk/perfsonar/schema/example-instances/sonar/store.xml)
>> are really just the mapping of the metadata about an RRD file (it's
>> descriptive information) to it's physical location on disk so the RRD
>> MA can read it, and deliver information from requests.  For example,
>> in the storage file if there is this information describing some
>> monitored interface:
>>
>>    <nmwg:metadata id="meta1">
>>        <netutil:subject id="subj1">
>>            <nmwgt:interface>
>>                <nmwgt:hostName>test-hostName</nmwgt:hostName>
>>                <nmwgt:ifAddress type="ipv4">10.1.2.3</nmwgt:ifAddress>
>>                <nmwgt:ifName>test-0</nmwgt:ifName>
>>                <nmwgt:ifDescription>test
>> descripyion</nmwgt:ifDescription>
>>                <nmwgt:direction>in</nmwgt:direction>
>>                <nmwgt:authRealm>TestRealm</nmwgt:authRealm>
>>                <nmwgt:capacity>1000BaseT</nmwgt:capacity>
>>            </nmwgt:interface>
>>        </netutil:subject>
>>        <nmwg:eventType>utilization</nmwg:eventType>
>>    </nmwg:metadata>
>>
>> Then you could either send that entire chunk as is, or just try to
>> match on only a couple of the fields (the preferred method) such as:
>>
>>    <nmwg:metadata id="meta1">
>>        <netutil:subject id="subj1">
>>            <nmwgt:interface>
>>                <nmwgt:hostName>test-hostName</nmwgt:hostName>
>>                <nmwgt:ifAddress type="ipv4">10.1.2.3</nmwgt:ifAddress>
>>                <nmwgt:direction>in</nmwgt:direction>
>>            </nmwgt:interface>
>>        </netutil:subject>
>>        <nmwg:eventType>utilization</nmwg:eventType>
>>    </nmwg:metadata>
>>
>>    <nmwg:data id="data1" metadataIdRef="meta1"/>
>>
>>
>> The MA will be compelled to return *all* data that is a match to this
>> metadata, so that can mean getting lots and lots of measurements.  We
>> use a technique called 'filtering' to help limit the results
>> (http://wiki.perfsonar.net/jra1-wiki/index.php/Setup_Data_Request_with_metadata_and_filtering)
>> which basically applies additional criteria (in this case start and
>> end times) so that only a limited amount of data can be returned:
>>
>>
>>    <nmwg:metadata id="meta1">
>>        <netutil:subject id="subj1">
>>            <nmwgt:interface>
>>                <nmwgt:hostName>test-hostName</nmwgt:hostName>
>>                <nmwgt:ifAddress type="ipv4">10.1.2.3</nmwgt:ifAddress>
>>                <nmwgt:direction>in</nmwgt:direction>
>>            </nmwgt:interface>
>>        </netutil:subject>
>>        <nmwg:eventType>utilization</nmwg:eventType>
>>    </nmwg:metadata>
>>
>>    <nmwg:metadata id="meta2">
>>      <select:subject id="sub2" metadataIdRef="meta1"/>
>>      <select:parameters id="param2">
>>        <nmwg:parameter name="startTime">1148370000</nmwg:parameter>
>>        <nmwg:parameter name="endTime">1148373000</nmwg:parameter>
>>        <nmwg:parameter
>> name="consolidationFunction">AVERAGE</nmwg:parameter>
>>        <nmwg:parameter name="resolution">300</nmwg:parameter>
>>      </select:parameters>
>>      <nmwg:eventType>select</nmwg:eventType>
>>    </nmwg:metadata>  <nmwg:data id="data1" metadataIdRef="meta2"/>
>>
>>
>>> 2. ...
>>>
>>> or I have to
>>> 1. MetaDataKeyRequest
>>> (but what is a Key in that context? a rrd file location?)
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> A key in this context is a reusable XML chunk that can be used again
>> and again to get at the same metadata mapping.  For example if you
>> look at the key request file
>> (http://wiki.perfsonar.net/jra1-wiki/index.php/Metadata_Key_Request)
>> it has the same basic structure as the SetupDataRequest.  Instead of
>> getting back just data, you will only get a reusable key:
>>
>>  <nmwg:data id="data1" metadataIdRef="meta1">
>>    <nmwg:key id="localhost.-77179f19:10b5b954cea:-7e4f">
>>      <nmwg:parameters id="localhost.-77179f19:10b5b954cea:-7e4e">
>>        <nmwg:parameter name="dataSource">ds0</nmwg:parameter>
>>        <nmwg:parameter
>> name="file">/PATH/TO/SOME_RRD_FILE.rrd</nmwg:paramete r>
>>      </nmwg:parameters>
>>    </nmwg:key>
>>  </nmwg:data>
>>
>>
>> You do not get actual data, but this key can then be used in the ....
>>
>>> 2. DataSetupRequest with a key..?
>>>
>>
>> ... type of interaction in place of sending the complete metadata
>> description.  This basically just re-uses the key over and over, and
>> gets you data just like in a SetupDataRequest.  This should be enough
>> to get you started, the various design documents and presentations
>> (http://wiki.perfsonar.net/jra1-wiki/index.php/JRA1_Main) may help you
>> more.
>> -jason
>>
>>
>>
> 
>