Monitoring a UNIX Server

DBAs managing Oracle databases on UNIX servers sometimes need the ability to monitor their UNIX boxes. Although some versions of UNIX provide a monitor you that can run on the server itself, this typically requires a graphical UNIX terminal or running an X-Windows server on your PC. However, some DBAs would prefer to monitor their UNIX servers from their PC without the overhead of X-Windows. Thus TOAD offers its Unix Monitor screen shown in Figure 6.68 and located on the main menu at DBAOS UtilitiesUNIX Monitor. It works for the following UNIX variants: Linux, Solaris, HPUX, AIX, and Tru64. This screen functions by making rexec calls to the database server. So you may need to create a ".rhosts" file on the UNIX server in the account you log in as. Moreover, some UNIX variants require that the init daemon start rexec with the " -c " option (that is, rexecd “c ), which eliminates reverse name resolution on the server. Thus getting this screen to work may take a little server-side effort depending on your UNIX variant. So ask your UNIX system administrator for help if you run into problems.

Figure 6.68. TOAD UNIX Monitor screen.