--- name: "pmfind_check" section: "1" platform: "linux" package: "pcp" version: "7.2.2-2" release: "Arch Linux 2026-11-01" platforms: ["linux"] url: "https://new.carta.tech/pmfind_check" --- # pmfind\_check(1) administration of Performance Co-Pilot discovery ## NAME **pmfind\_check** - administration of Performance Co-Pilot discovery ## SYNOPSIS **$PCP\_BINADM\_DIR/pmfind\_check** \[**-CNV?**\] \[**-l** *logfile*\] ## DESCRIPTION This shell script is used to integrate the Performance Co-Pilot (see [**PCPIntro**(1)](/PCPIntro/1.md)) collector service discovery mechanisms with [**pmie**(1)](/pmie/1.md) and [**pmlogger**(1)](/pmlogger/1.md) service administration, such that multiple collector hosts can be monitored from a single centralized host. It is important to note that the **pmfind** service is tightly integrated with the **pmie** and **pmlogger** services, and these must also be enabled if the services are to be started for each collector system that **pmfind** discovers. **pmfind\_check** is designed to be enabled via a service management daemon such as [**systemd**(1)](/systemd/1.md) on Linux. It is run from a system timer (either by **systemd** or by **cron** on other systems). Once per timer interval **pmfind** attempts discovery of PCP collector systems. For each unique system found **pmfind\_check** creates **pmie\_check** and **pmlogger\_check** control file entries, such that these latter process can manage one **pmie** and **pmlogger** service for each discovered collector system. When run through **systemd** these processes will be launched immediately because **systemd** monitors the service control files for changes. With **systemd** one may also initiate an immediate service discovery with **pmfind** and **pmfind\_check** by modifying the *$PCP\_SYSCONF\_DIR/pmfind* directory in any way. When run from **cron** the next (also timer-based) invocation of **pmie\_check** or **pmlogger\_check** will start and manage the associated **pmie** and **pmlogger** processes. The control file entries created by **pmfind\_check** follow the convention of individual files for each collector host. The files are named using the (unique) source identifier that **pmfind** calculates. This identifier is a hash calculated based on (non-optional) context labels available from every collector host, and is the same source identifier reported and used by [**pminfo**(1)](/pminfo/1.md) and [**pmseries**(1)](/pmseries/1.md). ## OPTIONS The available command line options are: - **-C**, **--containers** This option causes **pmfind\_check** to query each discovered collector system for running containers as well, which will then be individually monitored. - **-l** *file*, **--logfile**=*file* In order to ensure that mail is not unintentionally sent when these scripts are run from [**cron**(8)](/cron/8.md) diagnostics are always sent to log files. By default, this file is **$PCP\_LOG\_DIR/pmfind/pmfind\_check.log** but this can be changed using the **-l** option. If this log *file* already exists when the script starts, it will be renamed with a *.prev* suffix (overwriting any log file saved earlier) before diagnostics are generated to the new log file. - **-N**, **--showme** This option enables a \`\`show me'' mode, where the programs actions are echoed, but not executed, in the style of \`\`make -n''. Using **-N** in conjunction with **-V** maximizes the diagnostic capabilities for debugging. - **-V**, **--verbose** The output from the **cron** execution of the scripts may be extended using the **-V** option to the scripts which will enable verbose tracing of their activity. By default the scripts generate no output unless some error or warning condition is encountered. Using **-N** in conjunction with **-V** maximizes the diagnostic capabilities for debugging. - **-?**, **--help** Display usage message and exit. ## CONFIGURATION The command line options passed to **pmie** and **pmlogger** can be customized via the *$PCP\_SYSCONFIG\_DIR/pmfind* configuration file. Refer to the **pmie\_check** and **pmlogger\_check** manual pages for details of the control file format generated by **pmfind\_check**. By default, each collector system **pmie** logfile will be created in **$PCP\_LOG\_DIR/pmie/***source* and **pmlogger** archives will be created below **$PCP\_ARCHIVE\_DIR/***source.* This is consistent with the way [**pmie**(1)](/pmie/1.md) and [**pmlogger**(1)](/pmlogger/1.md) maintain their activity logs and archive files. Typical [**crontab**(5)](/crontab/5.md) entries for periodic execution of **pmfind\_check** are given in **$PCP\_SYSCONF\_DIR/pmfind/crontab** (unless installed by default in */etc/cron.d* already) and shown below. ``` # every minute, discover remote PCP services * * * * * $PCP_BINADM_DIR/pmfind_check ``` When using [**systemd**(1)](/systemd/1.md) on Linux, no **crontab** entries are needed as the timer and path mechanisms provided by **systemd** are used instead. ## FILES - *$PCP\_PMIECONTROL\_PATH.d* PCP inference engine control files for each discovered metric source, typically one per host or container.\ **Warning**: this files herein must not be writable by any user other than root. - *$PCP\_PMLOGGERCONTROL\_PATH.d* PCP logger control files for each discovered metric source, typically one per host or container.\ **Warning**: this files herein must not be writable by any user other than root. - *$PCP\_SYSCONFIG\_DIR/pmfind* default **pmie** and **pmlogger** command line arguments, and other parameters passed to **pmfind**. - *$PCP\_SYSCONF\_DIR/pmfind/crontab* sample crontab for automated script execution by root - exists only if the platform does not support the */etc/cron.d* mechanism. ## PCP ENVIRONMENT Environment variables with the prefix **PCP\_** are used to parameterize the file and directory names used by PCP. On each installation, the file */etc/pcp.conf* contains the local values for these variables. The **$PCP\_CONF** variable may be used to specify an alternative configuration file, as described in [**pcp.conf**(5)](/pcp.conf/5.md). ## SEE ALSO [**PCPIntro**(1)](/PCPIntro/1.md), [**pmcd**(1)](/pmcd/1.md), [**pmfind**(1)](/pmfind/1.md), [**pmie**(1)](/pmie/1.md), [**pmie\_check**(1)](/pmie_check/1.md), [**pminfo**(1)](/pminfo/1.md), [**pmlogger**(1)](/pmlogger/1.md), [**pmlogger\_check**(1)](/pmlogger_check/1.md), [**pmseries**(1)](/pmseries/1.md), [**systemd**(1)](/systemd/1.md), [**crontab**(5)](/crontab/5.md), and [**cron**(8)](/cron/8.md).