---
name: "pmseries_import"
section: "1"
platform: "linux"
package: "pcp"
version: "7.2.2-2"
release: "Arch Linux 2026-11-01"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/pmseries_import"
---

# pmseries\_import(1)

import PCP archive files for historical time series querying

## NAME

**pmseries\_import** - import PCP archive files for historical time series querying

## SYNOPSIS

**$PCP\_BINADM\_DIR/pmseries\_import** \[**-h**\] \[**--archives** *path*\] \[**--json** *file*\] \[**--import-timeout** *time*\] \[**--noop**\] \[**--poll-interval** *delta*\] \[**-p** *port*\] \[**-Z** *TZ*\]

## DESCRIPTION

**pmseries\_import** monitors a given *path* for PCP archives, and automatically loads the contents into a key server (such as Valkey or Redis). This is then suitable for fast time series querying using the [**pmseries**(1)](/pmseries/1.md) language, as provided by the command line tool and PCP REST API services of [**pmproxy**(1)](/pmproxy/1.md).

**pmseries\_import** uses a simple polling technique, checking the archives directory for new archive files every 10 seconds.

This utility is most commonly used within a container providing an automated Grafana dashboard setup for arbitrary PCP archives. This approach provides an environment containing a [**systemd**(1)](/systemd/1.md) server to enable this archive monitoring utility, pre-configured **grafana-server**(1), [**valkey-server**(1)](/valkey-server/1.md), and [**pmproxy**(1)](/pmproxy/1.md) REST API services.

## OPTIONS

- **--archives**=*path*

  Specifies an alternate *path* to poll for new PCP archives. Default value is */archives*.

- **--jsonfile**=*file*

  Specifies an alternate JSON format *file* to update whenever the time window boundaries are seen to have changed. This file must contain JSON content, including a JSON map named "time" with "start" and "end" fields where string timestamps will be written. The default value is */usr/local/var/lib/grafana/dashboards/pcp-archive-analysis.json*.

- **-h**, **--help**

  Display command usage message and exit.

- **--import-timeout**=*timeout*

  Specify a number of seconds to allow for any individual archive import to complete, via the **pmseries** load command for that archive. The default *timeout* value is *600* seconds (5 minutes).

- **--noop**

  Skips all write operations (for debugging or testing purposes), reporting only diagnostic messages instead.

- **--poll-interval**=*delta*

  The frequency with which the archive directory will be scanned. Default *delta* is once every 10 seconds.

- **-p** *port*, **--port**=*port*

  An optional *port* on which **pmseries** should connect to the key server. The default port is 6379.

- **-Z** *TZ*, **--timezone**=*TZ*

  An optional *TZ* value indicating the timezone to which **pmseries** should convert all archive timestamps when sending values to the key server.

## SEE ALSO

**grafana-server**(1), [**systemd**(1)](/systemd/1.md), [**valkey-server**(1)](/valkey-server/1.md), [**pmproxy**(1)](/pmproxy/1.md) and [**pmseries**(1)](/pmseries/1.md).