---
name: "pmdasystemtap"
section: "1"
platform: "linux"
package: "pcp"
version: "3.9.10"
release: "Debian 8 (Jessie)"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/pmdasystemtap"
---

# pmdasystemtap(1)

Systemtap performance metrics domain agent (PMDA)

## NAME

pmdasystemtap - Systemtap performance metrics domain agent (PMDA)

## DESCRIPTION

**pmdasystemtap** is a Performance Metrics Domain Agent (PMDA) which exports metric values from the Linux Systemtap dynamic tracing toolkit.

This implementation uses the [*stap*(1)](/stap/1.md) tool, which is a front-end to the Systemtap toolkit.

## INSTALLATION

In order to access performance data exported by Systemtap from with PCP, it is necessary to perform two configuration steps:

- 1\.

  Configure Systemtap probes, and verify them with [*stap*(1)](/stap/1.md). These should be produced in a format that is easily parsed, and then stored in the `$PCP_PMDAS_DIR`/systemtap/probes.stp file.

- 2\.

  Configure **pmdasystemtap** to extract the values from the text produced by stap.  Two example probes are implemented in the default systemtap PMDA script - readdir and sync traces (see `$PCP_PMDAS_DIR`/systemtap/pmdasystemtap.pl for details).

```
        # cd $PCP_PMDAS_DIR/systemtap
        # [ edit probes.stp, test /usr/bin/stap probes.stp ]
        # [ edit pmdasystemtap.pl ]
```

Once this is setup, you can access the names and values for the systemtap performance metrics by doing the following as root:

```
        # cd $PCP_PMDAS_DIR/systemtap
        # ./Install
```

If you want to undo the installation, do the following as root:

```
        # cd $PCP_PMDAS_DIR/systemtap
        # ./Remove
```

**pmdasystemtap** is launched by [*pmcd*(1)](/pmcd/1.md) and should never be executed directly.  The Install and Remove scripts notify [*pmcd*(1)](/pmcd/1.md) when the agent is installed or removed.

## FILES

- $PCP\_PMDAS\_DIR/systemtap/probes.stp

  probe configuration file for [*stap*(1)](/stap/1.md), run by **pmdasystemtap**

- $PCP\_PMDAS\_DIR/systemtap/Install

  installation script for the **pmdasystemtap** agent

- $PCP\_PMDAS\_DIR/systemtap/Remove

  undo installation script for the **pmdasystemtap** agent

- $PCP\_LOG\_DIR/pmcd/systemtap.log

  default log file for error messages from **pmdasystemtap**

## SEE ALSO

[*pmcd*(1)](/pmcd/1.md) and [*stap*(1)](/stap/1.md).