Background
Archiving the number of connections a client application makes to the PI Server can be useful when you want to record whether the application in question is respecting the concurrent licensing count.
It can also be useful when you want to monitor an application's connection/disconnection activities, or when you want to record whether the application is behaving as expected or if it is disconnecting gracefully or not.
Note: The following workaround will work for thick clients such as ProcessBook and DataLink but not with thin clients such as RtWebParts, PI WebParts, and iViews. PI Data Services (or RtBaseline Services for RtWebParts) makes a single connection to the PI Network Manager on behalf of all thin client users.
Solution
Since there is no existing performance counter that archives the number of connections made from one application to the PI Server, the following workaround was created.
Workaround
1. Create a batch file called "connect_count.bat" with the following commands, and save it in your ..\PI\adm\ directory:
echo off
Set computer=%1
Set app=%2
Set pi_path=%PISERVER%adm
if "%computer%"==[] (
echo No remote host set, quitting...
goto theEnd
)
if "%app%"==[] (
echo No Applicaiton set, quitting...
goto theEnd
)
if NOT Exist .\Monitor mkdir .\Monitor
%pi_path%\piconfig table pinetmgrstats ostr * sele id=* ends exit > %pi_path%\Monitor\pinetstats.txt
type %pi_path%\Monitor\pinetstats.txt | find /i /n "%app%" | find /i /c "%computer%" > %pi_path%\Monitor\output_%computer%_%app%.txt
:theEnd
This batch file will first generate the file pinetstats.txt containing the output of the PI Network Manager Statistics.
Then from this pinetstats.txt file a second text file is created using a 'find' command to search and count the number of rows with the 'application' name specified.
You can also specify that you want the total connections from a specific client PC.
2. Run the batch file using the following arguments:
connect_count.bat <computer> <application>
Examples:
Ex1: connect_count.bat MyClientPC procbook
Ex2: connect_count.bat 0 procbook
Ex3: connect_count.bat "Local connection" procbook
Using 0 (zero) will default to connections from all sources.
Use "Local connection" to monitor connection count locally on the PI Server (pinetstats.txt does not expose the local PI Server Name).
3. Use various tools to move this data into PI.
Here is an example using VB6 and ACE 1.x:
''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''
''''' IMPORTANT: DO NOT CHANGE THE SUBROUTINE NAME ''''' ''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''
'
' Tag Name/VB Variable Name Correspondence Table
' Tag Name VB Variable Name
'------------------------------------------------------------
' Number_ProcBook_Connection Number_ProcBook_Connection
'
' Add as a reference the "Microsoft Scripting Runtime" to enable file i/o
Public Sub ActualPerformanceEquations()
On Error GoTo Errh_FileReader
Dim fso As New FileSystemObject
Dim CurrentFile As File 'Current file being process
Dim ts As TextStream
Dim Line As String 'Single line from the file
Dim rez As Double
'Run the bat file connect_count.bat
rez = Shell("javascript:void(null);", vbHide)
'Produce the file to read with the number of connections using output__.txt
Set CurrentFile = fso.GetFile("javascript:void(null);")
'Open the file for reading
Set ts = CurrentFile.OpenAsTextStream(ForReading)
'Get the first line and store into string
Line = ts.ReadLine
'Write to the PI tag
Number_ProcBook_Connection.Value = Line
'Close the file
ts.Close
'Clean the variables
Set ts = Nothing
Set CurrentFile = Nothing
Exit_FileReader:
Exit Sub
Errh_FileReader:
'Write a message to the PI server log if there's an error during execution
LogPIACEMessage mlErrors, Err.Number & " - " & Err.Description, mstrRegisteredName
Resume Exit_FileReader
End Sub
You can create this ACE calc as a 1 minute clock-base execution.
Create the output PI tag with compression ON but compdev/excdev set to 0.
