Collected Information Details
The following topic provides additional details about where the files are stored locally when you choose to save the information collected locally and when you send the information collected using the System Configuration Collector. The topic also describes the types of information collected by the System Configuration Collector.
Local Directory Structure for Saved Information
Windchill maintains a top-level directory structure under which the information saved from the System Configuration Collector is stored. The static file path is as follows:
<Windchill>/utilities/SystemConfigurationCollector/saved/
where <Windchill> is the Windchill installation directory path.
For each technical support call or directory that you specify when you collect site information, additional subdirectories are created using the following structure:
<top-level_path>/<call_or_dir>/<type>/<date_time>
where:
• <top-level_path> is the static path that is defined previously. You cannot change this top-level path.
• <call_or_dir> is the one of the following:
◦ If you entered a call number (which is the number that PTC Technical Support assigned to your call when it was opened), then the directory created is C followed by the number. For example, assume the call number assigned to your technical support call is 1234567, then the directory created is C1234567.
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The call directory created for saved information is only used until the files stored in the directory are packaged up and sent to PTC Technical Support. After the files are sent, the call directory and its contents are deleted.
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◦ If you entered a directory name instead of a call number, then the directory name you entered becomes the directory under which the collected information is stored.
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This directory remains after the initial activities of collecting system information completes. You can then review the content of the information collected and remove sensitive data before sending it. After sending the information, the directory is deleted.
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• <type> is one of the types of information maintained by the collector. See #SysConfigCollectorGatherDetails/SysCfigCollectorSaveTypes.
• <date_time> is the date and time when the information was saved. The format of this directory name is yyMMddHHmmss. For example, if the information was saved on July 10, 2010 at 5 seconds past 2:35 PM, then the directory name created is 100710143505.
Local Directory Structure for Sent Information
When you select the Collect, save, and send option when collecting system information or when you click the Send to PTC Technical Support button on the Send Saved System Information tab, the set of ZIP files sent to PTC Technical Support are also stored locally by default. When this default is used, Windchill maintains a top-level directory under which the information sent when running the System Configuration Collector is stored locally. The default top-level directory path is as follows:
<Windchill>/utilities/SystemConfigurationCollector/sent/
where <Windchill> is the Windchill installation directory path.
For each technical support call that you specify when you send collected site information, additional subdirectories are created using the following structure:
<top-level_path>/C<call>
where:
• <top-level_path> is the top-level path that was described earlier.
• <call> is the call number (which is the number that PTC Technical Support assigned to your call when it was opened). The directory created is C followed by the call number. For example, assume the call number assigned to your technical support call is 1333777, then the directory created is C1333777.
You can change whether the ZIP files are stored locally and change the top-level directory path for where the ZIP files are stored by setting the Windchill properties that are described in Options for Where System Information Is Sent.
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After the ZIP files are sent and a copy of the ZIP files are saved in the sent directory, the local directory structure where the individual files were originally save is deleted.
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Collecting Information Across a Cluster
If your system is a Windchill cluster, some plugins automatically collect relevant information from all nodes in the cluster. For example, the Windchill Logs plugin collects the log files that are stored in the logs directory on each node. Other plugins use only one node in a cluster to collect information. For example, the Database Information plugin executes from only one node to collect information about the database. The corresponding files are saved on the node from which the information is collected.
The plugins determine where to execute; you do not select the nodes on which each plugin executes. After completing the collection operation, you can check the saved directories on each node to determine what files were saved. Additionally, the messages displayed on the Collection Status window indicate the node from which each plugin has executed. When a plugin executes on multiple nodes, multiple messages are displayed on the Collection Status window.
The directory structure used when saving the files on a cluster is the same structure that is described earlier in this topic. For example, assume there are two nodes from which data has been collected in the issue15 subdirectory on July 10, 2010 at 5 seconds past 2:35 PM. To find the log files that were collected, search for the 100710143505 subdirectory under <Windchill>/utilities/SystemConfigurationCollector/saved/issue15 on each node.
Types of Information Collected
The types of information gathered are determined by the plugins that are run. The plugins can collect information in the following subdirectories, where each subdirectory represents a type of information:
PTC_Logs
Holds all Windchill log files that are collected.
PTC_Properties
Holds all Windchill property files that are collected.
Utilities
Holds the files that are collected when utilities are run from plugins. Examples of the utilities called by out-of-the-box plugins are:
◦ The utility that collects Windchill MBean dumps
◦ The utility that collects Windchill Directory Server MBean dumps
◦ The utility for gathering database information
Third_Party
Holds the files that plugins collect from third-party products.
Examples of files from third-party products that are collected by out-of-the-box plugins are:
◦ Files from the Apache conf and log directories
WinDU
Holds the output files that are collected from WinDU plugins.
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WinDU log files are stored under PCT_Logs and not under this directory.
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Miscellaneous
Holds the files that are collected that are not categorized as the other types that are defined.
Examples of files that are stored under this directory include the following:
◦ Upgrade files
◦ Migration-related files
◦ Files related to customization
When creating new plugins, you can specify this type if none of the other types seem appropriate. For details on creating a new plugin, see Creating a System Configuration Collector Plugin.
When output from a plugin collects many files or collects files in which the file structure is important, the plugin creates a ZIP file to hold all files and the ZIP file is then saved.
Many collector categories have plugins that collect information for only a subset of the types that are available. To view all files saved for a specific technical support call or issue that you are investigating, navigate to the top-level path for the System Configuration Collector and select the directory created for the saved files.
If you are working in a clustered environment, you must look for files on each node in the cluster. The JVM ID and host name are included after the Windchill Properties plugin executed using: phrase that displays in the System Configuration Collector Collection Status window when each plugin runs.