Provided by: openafs-client_1.8.10-2.1ubuntu3.4_amd64 
NAME
scout - Monitors the File Server process
SYNOPSIS
scout [initcmd] -server <servers to monitor>+
[-basename <base server name>]
[-frequency <poll frequency, in seconds>] [-host]
[-attention <specify attention (highlighting) level>+]
[-columnwidths <number of characters>+]
[-debug <turn debugging output on to the named file>]
[-version] [-help]
scout [i] -s <servers to monitor>+
[-b <base server name>] [-f <poll frequency, in seconds>]
[-ho] [-a <specify attention (highlighting) level>+]
[-c <number of characters+>]
[-d <turn debugging output on to the named file>] [-version] [-he]
DESCRIPTION
The scout command displays statistics gathered from the File Server process running on each machine
specified with the -server argument. "OUTPUT" explains the meaning of the statistics and describes how
they appear in the command shell, which is preferably a window managed by a window manager program.
CAUTIONS
The scout program must be able to access the curses graphics package, which it uses to display
statistics. Most UNIX distributions include curses as a standard utility.
Both dumb terminals and windowing systems that emulate terminals can display the scout program's
statistics. The display makes use of reverse video and cursor addressing, so the display environment must
support those features for it to look its best (most windowing systems do, most dumb terminals do not).
Also, set the TERM environment variable to the correct terminal type, or one with characteristics similar
to the actual ones. For machines running the AIX operating system, the recommended setting for TERM is
"vt100", as long as the terminal is similar to that. For other operating systems, the wider range of
acceptable values includes "xterm", "xterms", "vt100", "vt200", and "wyse85".
OPTIONS
initcmd
Accommodates the command's use of the AFS command parser, and is optional.
-server <servers to monitor>+
Specifies each file server machine running a File Server process to monitor. Provide each machine's
fully qualified hostname unless the -basename argument is used. In that case, specify only the unique
initial part of each machine name, omitting the domain name suffix (the basename) common to all the
names. It is also acceptable to use the shortest abbreviated form of a host name that distinguishes
it from other machines, but successful resolution depends on the availability of a name resolution
service (such as the Domain Name Service or a local host table) at the time the command is issued.
-basename <base server name>
Specifies the basename (domain name) suffix common to all of the file server machine names specified
with the -server argument, and is automatically appended to them. This argument is normally the name
of the cell to which the machines belong. Do not include the period that separates this suffix from
the distinguishing part of each file server machine name, but do include any periods that occur
within the suffix itself. For example, in the Example Corporation cell, the proper value is
"example.com" rather than ".example.com".
-frequency <poll frequency>
Indicates how often to probe the File Server processes. Specify a number of seconds greater than 0
(zero). The default is 60 seconds.
-host
Displays the name of the machine that is running the scout program, in the banner line of the display
screen.
-attention <attention level>+
Defines a list of entries, each of which pairs a statistic and a threshold value. When the value of
the statistic exceeds the indicated threshold value, it is highlighted (in reverse video) in the
display. List the pairs in any order. The acceptable values are the following:
conn <connections>
Indicates the number of open connections to client processes at which to highlight the statistic.
The statistic returns to regular display when the value goes back below the threshold. There is
no default threshold.
An example of an acceptable value is conn 300.
disk <blocks_free>
Indicates the number of remaining free kilobyte blocks at which to highlight the statistic. The
statistic returns to regular display when the value again exceeds the threshold. There is no
default threshold.
An example of an acceptable value is disk 5000.
disk <percent_full>%
Indicates the percentage of disk usage at which to highlight the statistic. The statistic returns
to regular display when the value goes back below the threshold. The default threshold is 95%.
Acceptable values are the integers in the range from 0 to 99, followed by the percent sign ("%")
to distinguish this type of value from the one described just previously.
An example is disk 90%.
fetch <fetch RPCs>
Indicates the cumulative number of fetch RPCs from client processes at which to highlight the
statistic. The statistic does not return to regular display until the File Server process
restarts, at which time the value returns to zero. There is no default threshold.
Example of a legal value: fetch 6000000
store <store RPCs>
Indicates the cumulative number of store RPCs from client processes at which to highlight the
statistic. The statistic does not return to regular display until the File Server process
restarts, at which time the value returns to zero. There is no default threshold.
Example of an acceptable value: store 200000
ws <active client machines>
Indicates the number of client machines with active open connections at which to highlight the
statistic. An active connection is defined as one over which the File Server and client have
communicated in the last 15 minutes. The statistic returns to regular display when the value goes
back below the threshold. There is no default threshold.
Example of an acceptable value: ws 65
-columnwidths <number of characters>+
Specifies the number of characters to display in each column of the scout statistics display region.
Specify one to six numbers separated by spaces to set the number of characters to be displayed in
each column. The values specify the widths of the columns in the same order the columns are
displayed from left to right. Use 0 as a placeholder to specify a default column width.
-debug <debugging trace file>
Specifies the pathname of the file into which to write a debugging trace. Partial pathnames are
interpreted relative to the current working directory.
-help
Prints the online help for this command. All other valid options are ignored.
-version
Prints the program version and then exits. All other valid options are ignored.
OUTPUT
The scout program can display statistics either in a dedicated window or on a plain screen if a windowing
environment is not available. For best results, the window or screen needs the ability to print in
reverse video.
The scout screen has three main parts: the banner line, the statistics display region and the
message/probe line.
The Banner Line
By default, the string "Scout" appears in the banner line at the top of the window or screen. Two
optional arguments place additional information in the banner line:
• The -host flag displays the name of the machine where the scout program is running. As mentioned
previously, this is useful when running the scout program on several machines but displaying the
results on a single machine.
For example, when the -host flag is included and the scout program is running on the machine
"client1.example.com", the banner line reads as follows:
[client1.example.com] Scout
• The -basename argument displays the indicated basename on the banner line. For example, including the
argument "-basename example.com" argument results in the following banner line:
Scout for example.com
The Statistics Display Region
In this region, which occupies the majority of the window, the scout process displays the statistics
gathered for each File Server process. Each process appears on its own line.
The region is divided into six columns, labeled as indicated and displaying the following information:
Conn
The first column displays the number of RPC connections open between the File Server process and
client machines. This number equals or exceeds the number in the "Ws" column (see the fourth entry
below), because each user on the machine can have several separate connections open at once, and one
client machine can handle several users.
Fetch
The second column displays the number of fetch-type RPCs (fetch data, fetch access list, and fetch
status) that client machines have made to the File Server process since the latter started. This
number is reset to zero each time the File Server process restarts.
Store
The third column displays the number of store-type RPCs (store data, store access list, and store
status) that client machines have made to the File Server process since the latter started. This
number is reset to zero each time the File Server process restarts.
Ws The fourth column displays the number of client machines ("Ws" stands for workstations) that have
communicated with the File Server process within the last 15 minutes. Such machines are termed
active). This number is likely to be smaller than the number in the first ("Conn") column because a
single client machine can have several connections open to one File Server.
server name
The fifth, unlabeled, column displays the name of the file server machine on which the File Server
process is running. Names of 12 characters or less are displayed in full; longer names are truncated
and an asterisk ("*") appears as the last character in the name. Using the -basename argument is a
good way to avoid truncation, but only if all machine names end in a common string.
Disk attn
The sixth column displays the number of available kilobyte blocks on each AFS disk partition on the
file server machine.
The display for each partition has the following form:
x:<free_blocks>
where "x" indicates the partition name. For example, "a:8949" specifies that the /vicepa partition
has 8,949 1-KB blocks free. Available space can be displayed for up to 26 partitions. If the window
is not wide enough for all partition entries to appear on a single line, the scout process
automatically creates multiple lines, stacking the partition entries into sub-columns within the
sixth column.
The label on the "Disk attn" column indicates the threshold value at which entries in the column
become highlighted. By default, the label is
Disk attn: > 95% used
because by default the scout program highlights the entry for any partition that is over 95% full.
For all columns except the fifth (file server machine name), the optional -attention argument sets the
value at which entries in the column are highlighted to indicate that a certain value has been exceeded.
Only values in the fifth and "Disk attn" columns ever become highlighted by default.
If the scout program is unable to access or otherwise obtain information about a partition, it generates
a message similar to the following example:
Could not get information on server fs1.example.com partition /vicepa
The Message/Probe Line
The bottom line of the scout screen indicates how many times the scout program has probed the File Server
processes for statistics. The statistics gathered in the latest probe appear in the statistics display
region. The -frequency argument overrides the default probe frequency of 60 seconds.
EXAMPLES
See the chapter on monitoring tools in the OpenAFS Administration Guide, which illustrates the displays
that result from different combinations of options.
PRIVILEGE REQUIRED
None
SEE ALSO
afsmonitor(1), fstrace(8)
COPYRIGHT
IBM Corporation 2000. <http://www.ibm.com/> All Rights Reserved.
This documentation is covered by the IBM Public License Version 1.0. It was converted from HTML to POD
by software written by Chas Williams and Russ Allbery, based on work by Alf Wachsmann and Elizabeth
Cassell.
OpenAFS 2025-05-19 SCOUT(1)