---
name: "nws_sensor"
section: "1"
platform: "linux"
package: "nws"
version: "2.13-6.1"
release: "Debian 5.0 (Lenny)"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/nws_sensor"
---

# nws\_sensor(1)

sensor for the Network Weather Service

## NAME

nws\_sensor - sensor for the Network Weather Service

## SYNOPSIS

**nws\_sensor** \[-c yes/no\]\[-a addresses\]\[-n name\]\[-N host\]\[-M host\]\[-e file\]\[-l file\]\[-i file\]\[-p port\]\[-v level\]\[-fV\]\[-x port\]\[-m yes/no\]\[-A yes/no\]\[-S yes/no\]\[-P password\]\[-j clique\]\[-F\]

## DESCRIPTION

This manual page explains the  **nws\_sensor** program. The **[nws\_sensor(1)](/nws_sensor/1.md)** is part of the Network Weather Service. A  **nws\_sensor** can monitor CPU activity, available memory, network bandwidth and network latency. We recommand that the  **nws\_sensor** be registered with a **[nws\_nameserver(1)](/nws_nameserver/1.md)** and that measurements be recorded by a  **[nws\_memory(1)](/nws_memory/1.md)**

A **nws\_sensor** starts measuring CPU activity only when initialized. The network bandwidth and latentcy measurements apply to a **clique** , which is composed of multiple **nws\_sensors.** See  **start\_activity(1)** for details on how to configure a clique. Available memory measurements are initiated by **start\_activity(1)** as well.

## OPTIONS

- **-c** *yes/no*

  Specifies whether or not the sensor should immediately begin monitoring CPU availability for nice 0 processes (the cpuMonitor skill). Default is yes.

- **-A** *yes/no*

  Starts the availability monitor right away. Default is no.

- **-S** *yes/no*

  Starts the start monitor right away. Default is no.

- **-m** *yes/no*

  Specifies whether or not the sensor should immediately begin monitoring free memory (the memoryMonitor skill). Default is no.

- **-j cliquename**

  Try to join the running clique  *cliquename* which is registered with our nameserver. The clique leader needs to be reachable. If *-F* is specified, a clique is created if it doesn't exists already with the nameserver.

- **-F**

  used in conjunction with  *-j* force the start of a clique.

- **-a** *addresses*

  Specified a comma separated list of addresses (IPs or name) that the sensor will consider be aliases for the localhost. Used for multihomed machine when DNS doesn't return all the IPs associated with a name. These addresses will be the first one in the private address list of the sensor.

- **-n** *name*

  Use *name* as hostname. Useful the resolver aren't correctly configured and gethostname doesn't return a resonable value.

- **-f**

  Don't fork to run an experiment. If you specify no-forking the sensor may become less responsive since it may spend sometime doing experiments instead of responding to messages.

- **-x port**

  Use  *port* during network experiment when needed. Usually this is needed when the buffer requested is of a different sizes than the default and a new port is required to conduct the experiment: if behind a firewall you can specify this option and instruct the firewall to open  *port.*

- **-e file**

  Save the error messages to  *file.*

- **-l file**

  Save the log messages to  *file.*

- **-i file**

  Write pid to *file*

- **-M nws\_memory**

  Specifies the  **[nws\_memory(1)](/nws_memory/1.md)** that the sensor should use to store its measurements. This overrides any default value from the environment or ~/.nwsrc.

- **-N** *nws\_nameserver*

  Register this nws\_sensor with *nws\_nameserver*

- **-V**

  Prints the version.

- **-P password**

  User will need *password* to control this sensor.

- **-p** *port*

  Listen to port instead of the default for the nws\_sensos (8060).

- **-v** *level*

  Set the verbosity in case of error. Value of  *level* can be 0 to 5 where 5 is the more verbose.

## BUGS

If the machine is behind a firewall (with or without NAT), the  **nws\_sensor** may get confused when talking with other part of the NWS.

Bugs list is at  http://nws.cs.ucsb.edu. ⟨http://nws.cs.ucsb.edu⟩

## AUTHOR

NWS is an original idea of Rich Wolski (rich@cs.ucsb.edu) who wrote the orignal **nws\_sensor.**

Neil Spring, Jim Hayes (jhayes@cs.ucsd.edu) and Martin Swany maintained and enhanced it.

Graziano Obertelli (graziano@cs.ucsb.edu) currently maintains NWS and wrote this man page.

## SEE ALSO

**[nws\_memory(1)](/nws_memory/1.md),** **[nws\_search(1)](/nws_search/1.md),** **[nws\_nameserver(1)](/nws_nameserver/1.md),** **[nws\_extract(1)](/nws_extract/1.md)**