Working with Method Performance Charts and Graphs

Using the WebLogic Diagnostic Framework Console Extension

Working with Method Performance Charts and Graphs

Method performance charts and graphs plot method performance information that is based upon the real-time and historical views of method performance that can be captured through the WLDF instrumentation capabilities.
The following sections describe how to work with method performance charts and graphs:

Making Instrumentation Data Available for Method Performance Charts
Selecting a Server
Creating Method Performance Charts and Graphs
Displaying Requests and Methods in the Requests Tab
Displaying Details About Requests
Displaying Details About Instrumentation Events
Displaying Details about Requests and Methods in the Requests Tab
Selecting a Time Interval for Obtaining Request Data
Displaying Details About Method Performance Charts

For general information about working with metrics charts and graphs and with method performance charts and graphs, see Working with All Charts and Graphs.

Making Instrumentation Data Available for Method Performance Charts

You must configure WLDF instrumentation outside of the WLDF Console Extension to make instrumentation data available for creating method performance charts and graphs. The following criteria must be met:
A WLDF system resource must be created and targeted to the server. Create the system resource by creating a weblogic-diagnostics.xml descriptor. You can do that using the WebLogic Server Administration Console, using the WebLogic Scripting Tool (WLST), or by creating it directly in an editor.
Instrumentation in the targeted WLDF system resource must be enabled.
Application instrumentation must be enabled with a META-INF/weblogic-diagnostics.xml descriptor in the application
Application instrumentation descriptors must use TraceElapsedTimeAction diagnostic actions attached to "Around" type diagnostic monitors. For example, a descriptor could contain the following:
<instrumentation>

  <enabled>true</enabled>

    <wldf-instrumentation-monitor>

      <name>Connector_Around_Inbound</name>

      <action>TraceElapsedTimeAction</action>

    </wldf-instrumentation-monitor>

</instrumentation>
See “Diagnostic Monitor Library” in Configuring and Using the WebLogic Diagnostic Framework for a list of “Around” type monitors.
See “Configuring Instrumentation” in Configuring and Using the WebLogic Diagnostic Framework for more information about how to accomplish these tasks outside of the WLDF Console Extension.
If instrumentation is not configured and enabled for the selected server, no data will appear in the WLDF Console Extension Requests tab.

Selecting a Server

The Requests tab displays instrumented methods available for a single server at a time. The Server drop-down list displays all the servers in the domain. To select a different server:

Select the server from the Server drop-down list.
Click the Reload button. The metrics for the selected server are displayed. If, however, the selected server is not running (is currently shut down), the drop-down list reverts back to the previously selected server.

Creating Method Performance Charts and Graphs

To create and modify charts and graphs based on instrumented methods, you drag methods from the Requests tab to the View panel to create or modify a method performance chart. Each graph shows the elapsed invocation times of the selected method over time. Figure 8-1 Requests Tree and a Method Performance Chart

Displaying Requests and Methods in the Requests Tab

The Requests tab shows information about requests that flow through instrumented code. When such requests execute instrumented methods, instrumentation events are generated at the start and end of the methods.
The Requests tab includes a tree of method calls for identified requests. At the top level, the tree shows all identified requests from the specified server within a specified interval, as shown in Figure 8-2. Figure 8-2 Requests Listed in the Requests Tab

Requests are identified by:

A unique request ID
The name of the application
Information about the top level method executed by the request
The execution time of the request is shown by a horizontal bar, whose length is proportional to the relative weight of the node with respect to all its siblings at the same level in the method invocation tree.

Expanding a request node shows its top level instrumented method, as shown in Figure 8-3. Within the call tree, if a method calls other instrumented methods, they are shown as its children. A method node in the call tree shows the instrumented class and method name. Figure 8-3 Expanded Request Node in the Requests Tab

Displaying Details About Requests

To display details about a request listed in the Requests tree, click the string that identifies the request, not the (Expand) or (Collapse) buttons. The information is displayed in the panel below the tree, as shown in Figure 8-4. Figure 8-4 Details About a Request

The attributes listed in this panel are described in Table 8-1.
Table 8-1 Request Values Displayed in Request Panel
Attribute Description
Class Name A Java class containing a method that handled this request.
Method The method that handled this request.
Count The number of times this method handled this request.
Total Time (ms) The total time taken by this method to handle this request, in milliseconds.
Average Time (ms) The average time taken by this method to handle this request, in milliseconds.
Scope The scope of the class containing the instrumented code.
Module The application module containing this class.
Signature The signature of the method.

Displaying Details About Instrumentation Events

To display details about the instrumentation event associated with a method invocation, click the method invocation node. The information is displayed in the panel below the call tree, as shown in Table 8-2. Figure 8-5 Details About an Event

The attributes listed in this panel are described in Table 8-2.
Table 8-2 Event Values Displayed in Request Panel
Attribute Description
Record ID Unique identifier to identify this record in the log.
Timestamp Date when this event was generated.
Context ID Diagnostic context information to correlate messages coming from a specific request or application.
Transaction ID The identifier for the transaction that initiated this diagnostic event. Present only for messages logged in the context of a transaction.
User The user ID under which this diagnostic event was executed.
Type Type of diagnostic action triggered by this diagnostic event.
Domain Domain in which this event was generated.
Server The name of the WebLogic Server instance on which this event was generated.
Scope Server or application scope in which this diagnostic event was generated.
Module Diagnostic module through which this diagnostic event was generated.
Monitor Diagnostic monitor that triggered this diagnostic event.
File Name Name of the Java file containing the instrumented method that generated this diagnostic event.
Line Number Line in the source file where instrumented code exists.
Class Name Name of the Java class containing the instrumented method.
Method Name Name of the instrumented method that generated this diagnostic event.
Method signature The signature of the method that generated this diagnostic event.
Payload The payload.
Context Payload The diagnostic context payload associated with diagnostic event.
Dyes The diagnostic dyes associated with the method that initiated this event.

Displaying Details about Requests and Methods in the Requests Tab

You can display details about the requests and method calls by placing the mouse pointer over items in the tree of requests and methods displayed in the Requests tab:

Point to a request node to display the request ID, start time, and elapsed time.
Point to a method invocation node to display the method elapsed time, percentage with respect to the parent method, and application name.

For more information about displaying these kinds of details, see Displaying Tooltips for Controls, Views, Graphs, and Charts.

Selecting a Time Interval for Obtaining Request Data

You can create a graph based on events executed during a specified time interval, as described in the following table:

To specify a predefined interval that ends in the present From the Interval drop down list, select one of the following:

Last 5 minutes to display events data for the previous five minutes
Last 15 minutes to display events data for the previous fifteen minutes
Last 30 minutes to display events data for the previous 30 minutes
Last 1 hour to display events data for the previous hour

To specify a custom interval that ends in the present

From the Interval drop down list, select Last dd hh mm. The Duration (DD HH MM) text entry field appears.
Enter a value for the interval, in the format DD HH MM, where
- DD is the number of previous days
- HH is the number of previous hours
- MM is the number of previous minutes

To specify a custom interval that may not end in the present:

From the Interval drop down list, select Custom. A set of fields for entering the duration appears.
Click the Start drop down control to display a calendar. Select a start date.
Specify a starting hour and minute by replacing HH MM in the text entry box with the starting hour and minutes.
Enter a duration by replacing DD HH MM in the Duration text entry box with the desired days, hours, and minutes.

Displaying Details About Method Performance Charts

You can display details about method performance charts and graphs displayed in the View panel:

Point to a data point in a graph to display the time the data point was plotted and its value when it was plotted, in nanoseconds.
Point to a chart's scroll bar to display the beginning date and time and ending date and time for the visible interval. This tooltip also reports if the interval is the current interval.
Point to a chart's legend to display the following for each entry in the legend:

Class name containing the instrumented method
Scope of the instrumented method
Signature of the instrumented method

For information about displaying these details, see Displaying Tooltips for Controls, Views, Graphs, and Charts.

Attribute	Description
Class Name	A Java class containing a method that handled this request.
Method	The method that handled this request.
Count	The number of times this method handled this request.
Total Time (ms)	The total time taken by this method to handle this request, in milliseconds.
Average Time (ms)	The average time taken by this method to handle this request, in milliseconds.
Scope	The scope of the class containing the instrumented code.
Module	The application module containing this class.
Signature	The signature of the method.

Attribute	Description
Record ID	Unique identifier to identify this record in the log.
Timestamp	Date when this event was generated.
Context ID	Diagnostic context information to correlate messages coming from a specific request or application.
Transaction ID	The identifier for the transaction that initiated this diagnostic event. Present only for messages logged in the context of a transaction.
User	The user ID under which this diagnostic event was executed.
Type	Type of diagnostic action triggered by this diagnostic event.
Domain	Domain in which this event was generated.
Server	The name of the WebLogic Server instance on which this event was generated.
Scope	Server or application scope in which this diagnostic event was generated.
Module	Diagnostic module through which this diagnostic event was generated.
Monitor	Diagnostic monitor that triggered this diagnostic event.
File Name	Name of the Java file containing the instrumented method that generated this diagnostic event.
Line Number	Line in the source file where instrumented code exists.
Class Name	Name of the Java class containing the instrumented method.
Method Name	Name of the instrumented method that generated this diagnostic event.
Method signature	The signature of the method that generated this diagnostic event.
Payload	The payload.
Context Payload	The diagnostic context payload associated with diagnostic event.
Dyes	The diagnostic dyes associated with the method that initiated this event.