Manual Index

Additional resources can be found in the How To... Guide.

6. Views:  Graphs and Plots

DesktopProfile provides a number of additional Plot views of the data which can be selected from the DesktopProfile 'File->New->Plot' menu option. The various report types documented in Section 5 are also available from the 'File->New' menu option. Choosing the Plot option presents the user with the 'Load Data' dialog (see Fig 6.1 below). This is the same dialog as presented for the Grid Report in Section 5.

Fig 6.1 The load data dialog

When requesting a plot, the user requests the dataset time period and granulation as for any DesktopProfile report. This results in the "Add/Remove Plot metrics" dialog being displayed (see Fig 6.2 below). 

Fig 6.2 The Add/Remove Plot metrics

The Add/Remove Plot dialog is used to select the tests, the hosts and the metrics to plot. Selecting a test from the "Available tests" list box displays the hosts/devices where the test was processed and the metrics that the test gathered. Once selected from the three marked list boxes on the left side of the dialog, click the '>' button to move the selected items into the "Current metrics" window. Click 'OK' to generate the plot (see Fig 6.3 below).

Figs 6.3 A typical plot view (Area Graph )

Plot View types

Line

Bar

Pie

Meter

Histogram

Statistical

Scatter

Stacked Bar

Gauge

Kiviat

Area

Figs 6.3.1 A typical plot view (Line Graph )

The plot views allow the user to change many of the display features to present a graph of choice. For example the two plots above show the use of legends and view types 'area' and 'line'. The Plot View Types table lists the plot views that are available. Plot views can be easily changed by simply right mouse clicking anywhere on the plot image and selecting the view or option desired. Also clicking the mouse on the y-axis or the legend displays the  "Plot properties" dialog (see Fig 6.4 below).

Fig 6.4 Plot properties dialog

The "Plot properties" dialog allows the user to change many of the plot cosmetics from the items being plotted to the scale, fonts and titles. If the "Apply" check box is ticked then the dialog operates in real-time so that as options are changed in the dialog they are reflected in the plot. The color cube is real-time also and moving the mouse over the cube colors changes the color of the line highlighted in the variables panel above. While this dialog provides scale options to change the plot, the user may also change the scale dynamically by simply left mouse clicking on the scale border on the plot itself and dragging the scale in the desired direction. 

7. DesktopProfile Support Edition Agent Configuration and Deployment

DesktopProfile Support Edition is designed specifically to measure the service delivery to the users desktop from the perspective of the users. This provides the DesktopProfile customer with the vital and valuable performance picture of the "users experience". DesktopProfile Support Edition works by seamlessly submitting all desktop measuring requests to user workstations running the DesktopProfile collection module.

7.1 DesktopProfile Support Edition Agent Configuration

DesktopProfile Support Edition has been architected for fast and simple deployment by using a unique digital signing technique which enables pre-configuration of the executable file. This signing process requires no further installation or configuration other than copying the executable to the desktop itself.

It is crucial that desktop deployed technology does not impact the users workstation. The DesktopProfile agent is exceptionally small and very lightweight and consumes very little local resources to conduct the measures on the users desktop workstation.

Measurements are gathered from the users desktop by submitting a desktop collection module (as opposed to a server collection module). Server collection modules are run from the DesktopProfile server engine and DesktopPerspective collection modules are run from the targeted user workstations. The following desktop collection modules are available:

DesktopHttp -- measures web service level performance by the retrieval of a web page URL and provides the latency, content and other timings.

DesktopPing -- measures device availability and quality of service from source-to-destination for packet loss and latency. Packet loss is one of the biggest problems impacting user application performance.

DesktopPort -- measures application availability and connection time for any application TCP Port such as SMTP for mail.

DesktopSmtp -- measures the quality of the SMTP email service from source-to-destination and provides a number of latency related metrics for send email.

DesktopPop3 -- measures the quality of the POP3 email service from source-to-destination and provides a number of latency related metrics for retrieving email.

DesktopDns -- measures the quality of the DNS services at the desktop and provides a number of latency related metrics for DNS.

DesktopFtp -- measures the quality of the FTP services at the desktop and provides a number of latency related metrics for data throughput.

DesktopNntp -- measures news services including port open and groups latency, get and send message latency and errors.

7.2 Digitally Signing the DesktopProfile Support Edition Agent

Several parameters can be configured in the DesktopProfile Support Edition agent. The TCP port number and server IP address need to be configured to match those set in the DesktopProfile test configuration process. By default, the value is port 85 however this can be changed to any value prior to transferring the executable to a desktop workstation. The DesktopProfile files are found in the DesktopProfile folder in the root DesktopProfile install directory. These files are the main executable (DesktopProfile.exe), the digital signing program (vsign.exe), a simple batch file (build.bat) and the configuration parameter input file (sign.ini). The configuration process is as follows:

1. Open the DesktopProfile folder in the root DesktopProfile install directory.
2. Edit the file sign.ini and change the port=nn and servers= xxx.xxx.x.xxx and save. You may also chose to edit other parameters to allow for better host and group attribute management. Several configuration examples are provided in the default sign.ini file. These include:

   host=London (alias for this desktop)
   port=85
   servers=your.server.address
   sport=11011
   user-location=London
   user-language=English
   user-*DesktopHttpurl=www.visualware.com
   user-OS=Win2k
   

   You may create your own attribute groups by following the user-XX=value syntax where user-XX is the attribute name and value is a string characteristic that will be used to make the attribute true. The use of the * character before the value drops the string "user-" from the attribute name when declaring hosts and groups (see Fig. 4.5.1 in Section 4.1).
   
3. Double-click (left button) the sign.bat file (also found in the DesktopProfile folder in the root DesktopProfile install directory; see fig 7.1 below). The result of the sign.bat file execution is the creation of a signed_desktopprofile.exe agent file.
4. Copy the newly created signed_desktopprofile.exe file to a folder on the destination systems desired. It is recommended that the executable be renamed as you may wish to create a number of agent files.

Fig 7.1

Note: It is advisable to ensure that the DesktopProfile is always started when the workstation is booted. To do this place the executable in the 'Startup' folder in the 'Start Menu' directory for the user.

7.3 Running the DesktopProfile Support Edition Agent at the Desktop

First, make sure that the desktop system meets the minimum requirements, including the proper Java VM.

If the DesktopProfile Support Edition agent has been placed in the Startup folder on the user's system, it will start automatically as soon as the system is rebooted. To manually start the agent, simply use file Explorer to navigate to the folder that contains the DesktopProfile agent file and double-click (left button) the icon.

When the DesktopProfile agent starts the following dialog should appear on the user's desktop system (see fig 7.2 below).

Fig 7.2

DesktopProfile reports the usage activity in the dialog window.

This window (Fig 7.2) reports that the agent is running on a specific port as assigned in the configuration, the number of hits or measures that have been requested and executed by the DesktopProfile management server, the number of active measures that are currently in process and the date-time stamp for the last measure processed. If an error occurs it will be displayed in the dialog (see fig 7.3 below). Error messages are of a technical nature, thus formatted for a support level person and not intended for the user.

Fig 7.3

8. TaskbarIndicator

DesktopProfile provides a desktop module that reports measured service levels to the desktop 'systray'. The TaskbarIndicator icon in the systray uses red/ yellow/green color coding to signal the current reported service level.

The purpose of TaksbarIndicator is to report the threshold of important service level metrics such as application response time so the user can be informed in real-time. TaskbarIndicator can be easily configured at the desktop by the user to report whatever metrics are desired. If there are many metrics being reported through the TaskbarIndicator icon, the color coding always reports the highest level being recorded. For example if all the measures are green except one yellow and one red, then the icon will be red.

8.1 TaskbarIndicator Installation

A setup installation program for TaskbarIndicator (TaskbarIndicator.exe) is provided with DesktopProfile and can be found in the DesktopProfile install root directory. This setup installation program must be copied to the desktop systems where it is to be installed. The process to do this is as follows:

1. Open the DesktopProfile root install directory.
2. Copy the TaskbarIndicator.exe file (see Fig 8.1 below) to the desktop system required for the monitoring.

3. Double click (left button) the TaskbarIndicator.exe file and follow the on screen instructions which simply consists of selecting the install directory name.

Fig 8.1

8.2 TaskbarIndicator Installation

When the installation is complete TaskbarIndicator is available from the standard Windows Start button. Select TaskbarIndicator from the installed program group. Once started, the TaskbarIndicator icon () will appear in the systray normally found on the right hand side of the windows start menu status bar (see fig 8.2 below).

fig 8.2

TaskbarIndicator is now running but requires further configuration to select the service level metrics from DesktopProfile that are required for reporting to the workstation.

To stop TaskbarIndicator, click on the icon in the systray (see fig 8.2) and then click the close button in the dialog that appears. See fig 8.3 below as an example.

8.3 Configuring TaskbarIndicator

A DesktopProfile Server engine must be running for the configuration to function correctly.

Clicking with either the left or right buttons on the TaskbarIndicator icon in the Windows Start menu systray (see fig 8.2 above) will display the configuration dialog (see fig 8.3 below). The configuration has two tabs, namely "Configuration" and "Results". The configuration tab must be selected.

Fig 8.3

There are two components to the TaskbarIndicator configuration dialog. Server Configuration selects the DesktopProfile server and Metric Configuration selects the metrics for reporting.

Field	Value
Server Address	Enter the domain name or IP address of a valid DesktopProfile server. The server must be running.
Tests	Select the test name that is collecting the desired metrics. Note: You may configure TaskbarIndicator to report any number of metrics from any number of tests.
Hosts	Select a host domain name or IP address that the test is collecting data from.
Metrics	Select a metric from the list of collected metrics available.

Once a metric has been selected for a specific test and host, click the 'Add' button to add that metric to the TaskbarIndicator selection list. All metrics listed in the selection list are reported. This selection process is repeated until all the reporting metrics are selected.

Click 'OK' to close the view.

Note: Clicking the 'Close' button terminates the program, clicking the 'Cancel' button abandons any changes made in this editing session.

8.4 TaskbarIndicator Reporting

A DesktopProfile Server engine must be running for the configuration to function correctly. TaskbarIndicator reports its current status by changing the color of the icon in the systray (see fig 8.4 below).

Fig 8.4

Clicking with either the left or right buttons on the DesktopProfile icon in the windows start menu systray (see Fig 8.2 above) will display the configuration/results dialog (see Fig 8.4-1 below). The configuration has two tabs, namely "Configuration" and "Results". The Results tab must be selected.

Fig 8.4-1

The Results panel lists a color coded line for each metric, host and value.  TaskbarIndicator is only meant as a barometer reporting mechanism, this is the only report provided.

Note: If a service is red but the value is Not Available  ("N/A" as shown in the example above), the red is indicating the severity of the last valid reading.

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