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Getting Started Guide
Version 3.7
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Spotlight on Windows
Getting Started Guide
Updated July, 2006
Contents
Chapter 1 Introduction 1
How this guide is organized 2
Special conventions used in this guide 3
Viewing this guide in PDF format 4
Need more information? 5
Index 53
1
Introduction
This chapter describes how to use this guide. It also explains how to contact
Quest Software and to get technical support.
Example Description
The Search button Bold type is used for the literal names of interface objects
The File command you use to perform actions (for example, toolbar button
names, menu names, icon names, dialog box options, and
dialog box titles).
File | Save
The pipe symbol (|) is used to indicate a menu path. In this
example, choose File, and then choose Save from the File
menu.
Press ENTER The names of keyboard keys appear in small capital letters.
Press ALT + F1 A plus sign (+) between key names indicates that keys are
to be pressed in combination. For example, ALT+F1 means
to hold down the ALT key while pressing the F1 key.
Press the DOWN Direction keys are referred to by the direction of the arrow
ARROW key on the key top (LEFT, RIGHT, UP or DOWN). The term
“arrow keys” describes these keys collectively.
4 Spotlight on Windows Getting Started Guide
Email info@quest.com
Spotlight support
Whenever you have a question about Spotlight, click Support Bundle or
Contact Support on the Help menu. This creates a file called
spotlightsupport.zip in your Spotlight directory. This file contains a
snapshot of your Spotlight installation. Send this file and your request for
assistance to Quest Software. (support@quest.com.)
Features of Spotlight
Spotlight is designed for ease of installation and use, and offers a range of
tools for problem diagnosis.
Easy installation
Spotlight on Windows has a quick and simple installation program.
Corrective suggestions
When Spotlight detects a condition that appears to be a potential problem, it
not only informs you about it, but advises you what you could look at to
diagnose the problem further and suggests actions you can take to correct
the situation.
Spotlight concepts
Spotlight uses metrics, thresholds, and severities to determine the
performance statistics of a system. Icons, flows, and labels graphically
display this information in the main application window (the Spotlight
home page).
Metrics
A metric is a measurable value resulting from a request made against the
target machine. This query runs each time the main application window is
refreshed.
The query provides a performance statistic about the system, and returns a
value to Spotlight.
Thresholds
Each metric is divided into thresholds. Some metrics may have only one
threshold, while others can have many. A threshold is simply a range of
values that can be returned by the metric. A threshold cannot belong to
more than one metric.
Severities
Each threshold is associated with a severity. The severity determines what
action Spotlight is to take when the value returned by a metric falls into the
range controlled by a threshold. For example, you may set a severity to
display a color, flash the color, emit a sound, or perform an action.
Alarms are attached to severities.
Chapter 2 – Welcome to Spotlight on Windows 11
In the above example, the query (% of users connected) is run against the
database, and any values returned can fall into one of three ranges (called
thresholds). If the query returned the value 20%, the value would fall into
the range covered by Threshold 1.
In this example, Threshold 1 is attached to Severity 2. You can choose via
the Spotlight Console Options window to set the colors of the severity (for
example, Severity 2 might be set to display in green). The component that
the metric belongs to then changes to green whenever that threshold is
exceeded.
3
Installing and Starting Spotlight
Minimum Hardware
• 500 MHz Pentium III PC
• 60 megabytes of local disk space
• Monitor capable of supporting a resolution of 800x600 or higher
• 256 megabytes of RAM (minimum); 512 megabytes (recommended).
• CD-ROM drive or Internet connection
• Mouse
• Printer (optional)
• Soundcard and speakers (optional)
Additional Comments
Colors Spotlight is designed to run on a desktop area of 800 by 600 pixels
or larger. It is best viewed on a desktop area of 1024 by 768 pixels. You
should also set the display to use, as a minimum, the 64K-color palette
(65536 colors).
CD-ROM If you are installing Spotlight from compact disc, the CD-ROM
drive should be attached to the PC on which Spotlight is to be installed. A
drive mapped to a network device could be used if a local CD-ROM is not
available.
Sounds Spotlight can use sound to alert you when a threshold is reached.
You must have a soundcard and speakers installed on your PC for this
feature to work.
Chapter 3 – Installing and starting Spotlight 15
Minimum Software
• Windows 2000, or Windows XP
• Microsoft Internet Explorer version 4 or above
Installing Spotlight
This procedure explains how to install Spotlight from the CD-ROM. Before
attempting to install and run Spotlight, ensure that you have your license
key and site available.
Close all other applications before loading the installation CD into your PC.
You can cancel the installation at any time by pressing the Esc key or by
clicking the Cancel button.
To install Spotlight
1 Insert the Spotlight CD into your CD-ROM drive.
Location Purpose
Location Purpose
Connection profiles
Spotlight uses connection profiles to store information that individual
Spotlight connections use to connect to a target server or system.
Starting Spotlight
To start Spotlight
1 On the Windows taskbar, click Start.
2 Select Programs | Quest Software | Spotlight | Spotlight
Chapter 3 – Installing and starting Spotlight 19
Uninstalling Spotlight
The Spotlight on Windows Uninstall Wizard assists you with removing the
application and all associated files from your PC, if required.
To uninstall Spotlight
1 On the Windows taskbar, click Start.
2 Select Settings | Control Panel
3 Select Add/Remove Programs
4 Select Spotlight and click Remove.
5 Click Yes on the confirmation message to proceed with the
uninstallation.
4
The Spotlight main window
A standard Spotlight main window (the home page) contains some or all of
the following visual elements.
Connection identifier
Items in the Connections list alert you to any bottlenecks that may be occurring
in the systems by changing color. Items in the Connections list take on the color
of the most urgent severity now active on the systems being analyzed.
Click this
button... To...
Open a Spotlight connection to a system.
Click this
button... To...
Refresh the current window. This is equivalent to choosing
Refresh from the View menu.
View the alarm log for the current connection. This is equivalent
to choosing Alarm Log from the View menu.
Displays context-sensitive online help for Spotlight. For more
information, see To view context-sensitive help.
Panel
Dataflow
Button
Container
Gauge
Queue
Spinner
Performing calibrations
When you open a new Spotlight connection for the first time, Spotlight will
calibrate the normal operating conditions for that connection. During
calibration, Spotlight assesses the process flows on your PC and
automatically configures the Spotlight interface accordingly.
To re-calibrate a connection at any other time, choose:
File | Calibration | Start
Spotlight alarms
Spotlight alerts you to problems with your database by issuing an alarm. An
alarm normally involves one of the following actions:
• changing the color of the component that is experiencing the problem
• flashing the component
• sounding an alarm.
Chapter 4 – The Spotlight Main Window 29
For a full list of the alarms that may be displayed while you are using
Spotlight on Windows, and the action you can take, see the online help. The
online help also gives recommendations for each alarm on how to resolve
the problem, and where to look to diagnose it further.
To enable a sound for a particular alarm, you must first set a rule for the
alarm. You may select a particular .wav file to use as the alarm sound in the
following steps
1 From the View menu, select Options and Alarm Log.
30 Spotlight on Windows Getting Started Guide
Spotlight drilldowns
Spotlight on Windows makes it possible for you to view your system at
different levels of detail.
At its highest level, which is the main application window (see page 22),
Spotlight displays a visual representation of the status of the major
components in the current system. The detail at this level is designed to help
you locate and identify bottlenecks quickly.
When you have isolated a problem, you can display a detailed breakdown,
called a “drilldown”, of the underlying statistics by clicking on the
component showing the problem.
Information Grids
Drilldowns may contain large information grids that provide information
about the screen element in the main window.
Information Charts
There are also four charts in the example on page 31. They show
information on processor use, memory use, reads and writes, and page
faults.
To zoom in on a chart
1 Position the mouse pointer in the top left-hand corner of the chart.
2 Hold down the left mouse button and drag diagonally from left to right,
then release the mouse button.
Click the Unzoom Charts icon in the top right-hand corner of the
screen.
Chapter 4 – The Spotlight Main Window 33
To view help
Right-click a component and select What’s This? from the pop-up menu
— or —
Click on the toolbar, point the cursor to the component you want
help on, and click once.
You can also press F1 to open the Quest Help Viewer and access
the online help file.
5
Using Spotlight on Windows
Ensure that the system is accessible to client applications. Use the appropriate
connectivity software to establish a connection between your computer and the
system if a connection does not already exist.
Field Description
Select Connection Choose Spotlight on Windows from the drop-down
Type menu if it has not already been selected.
New Connection Choose a short and meaningful name for the new
Name connection.
Field Description
Local machine Select this option if the machine you want to diagnose is
the one you are now using. When you choose Local
machine, most other options in the Properties window are
disabled.
Chapter 5 – Using Spotlight on Windows 37
Field Description
Domain The name of the domain that the specified user belongs to.
If no user name is entered in the User field, this field should
also be left blank.
Address The IP address, hostname, or URL of the system you want
to connect to.
User A valid user account on the target system.
Note:
Spotlight on Windows needs to use an account with the
privileges required to retrieve server information, query the
registry, and access WMI and performance monitor
objects. An account with administrative rights to the target
machine allows this.
Password The password required to connect the specified user to the
target system.
Save password Select this option to re-use the password whenever you add
details a new connection to the target machine.
K and Process flows and graphs The current level of activity. As the rate of
L data transfer increases, so does the speed of
the flow. If the statistic represented by the
flow moves into another threshold, the flow
may change color. The combination of
movement and color makes it easy to spot
congested areas.
Disk alarms As the logical disk is filling up, and also when
disk activity exceeds a threshold.
Event Log Recent event log items that have occurred on the
target machine.
- or -
Make sure the Remote Registry service is running on the Windows 2000
machine to which you are connecting.
Invalid authorization Either the authorization string or the site message has not
string or site message. been entered correctly.
Choose one of the following methods to give Spotlight the privileges it needs
to access the registry:
• Connect to the remote machine via a user account that has the
appropriate privileges. An account with administrative rights to the
target machine will allow this.
• Use the Registry Security Wizard supplied with Spotlight on Windows.
The Registry Security Wizard creates a group account that grants its
members remote access to the registry of the database machine.
A
Installing the SNMP Service
1 Open the Control Panel and then double-click the Network icon.
2 Click the Services tab.
3 Click Add, select SNMP Service from the list of services and click OK.
4 When the service is installed, close the Network window and restart
Windows when prompted.
Index