PMNSADD(1)

NAME
pmnsadd - add new names to the Performance Co-Pilot PMNS

SYNOPSIS
$PCP_BINADM_DIR/pmnsadd [-n namespace] file

DESCRIPTION
pmnsmerge(1) performs the same function as pmnsadd and is faster, more robust and more flexible. It is therefore recommended that pmnsmerge(1) be used instead.

pmnsadd adds subtree(s) of new names into a Performance Metrics Name Space (PMNS), as used by the components of the Performance Co-Pilot (PCP).

Normally pmnsadd operates on the default Performance Metrics Name Space (PMNS), however if the -n option is specified an alternative namespace is used from the file namespace.

The default PMNS is found in the file $PCP_VAR_DIR/pmns/root unless the environment variable PMNS_DEFAULT is set, in which case the value is assumed to be the pathname to the file containing the default PMNS.

The new names are specified in the file, arguments and conform to the syntax for PMNS specifications, see pmns(5). There is one PMNS subtree in each file, and the base PMNS pathname to the inserted subtree is identified by the first group named in each file, e.g. if the specifications begin

myagent.foo.stuff {
    mumble	123:45:1
    fumble	123:45:2
}

then the new names will be added into the PMNS at the non-leaf position identified by myagent.foo.stuff, and following all other names with the prefix myagent.foo.

The new names must be contained within a single subtree of the namespace. If disjoint subtrees need to be added, these must be packaged into separate files and pmnsadd used on each, one at a time.

All of the files defining the PMNS must be located within the directory that contains the root of the PMNS, this would typically be $PCP_VAR_DIR/pmns for the default PMNS, and this would typically imply running pmnsadd as root.

As a special case, if file contains a line that begins root { then it is assumed to be a complete PMNS that needs to be merged, so none of the subtree extraction and rewriting is performed and file is handed directly to pmnsmerge(1).

Provided some initial integrity checks are satisfied, pmnsadd will update the PMNS using pmnsmerge(1) - if this fails for any reason, the original namespace remains unchanged.

CAVEAT
Once the writing of the new namespace file has begun, the signals SIGINT, SIGHUP and SIGTERM will be ignored to protect the integrity of the new files.

FILES
$PCP_VAR_DIR/pmns/root
    the default PMNS, when then environment variable PMNS_DEFAULT is unset

PCP ENVIRONMENT
Environment variables with the prefix PCP_ are used to parameterize the file and directory names used by PCP. On each installation, the file /etc/pcp.conf contains the local values for these variables. The $PCP_CONF variable may be used to specify an alternative configuration file, as described in pcp.conf(5).

SEE ALSO
pmnsdel(1), pmnsmerge(1), pcp.conf(5), pcp.env(5) and pmns(5).