VxVM User's Guide

Description of the Visual Administrator

Chapter 2

Introduction

The following topics are discussed in this chapter:

• Purpose of The Visual Administrator

• Visual Administrator Icons
  • Busy Icons

• Using the Mouse With the Visual Administrator

• Views
  • Types of Views

• Menus

• Forms
  • Fields

  • Buttons

  • Error Messages

• Warning Boxes

• Help
  • Using Help

• Color and Bitmap Patterns

• Styles of Operation
  • Select-Operate

  • Drag and Drop

• Basic Versus Advanced Operations

• Quick Reference to Views Menus and Forms
  • Views Menus

  • Views Forms

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Note: An understanding of Volume Manager objects will help you use the Visual Administrator. Refer to Chapter 1, "Description of the Volume Manager," for more information.

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Purpose of The Visual Administrator

The Visual Administrator interface is relatively intuitive and easy to use. Windows, menus, forms, and icons are provided to help you. The Visual Administrator is one of several interfaces to the Volume Manager. Volume Manager objects created by one interface are fully inter-operable and compatible with those created by the other interfaces.

Visual Administrator Icons

Volumes are usually composed of plexes (mirrors), which are composed of subdisks. Volume icons therefore typically contain associated plex icons which, in turn, contain associated subdisk icons. While both volume and plex icons can appear alone and with no associated components, they are not useful in this form.

The Visual Administrator uses the following icons to represent Volume Manager objects.

Physical Disk Icon

Figure 27 Physical Disk Icon

Partition Icon

Figure 28 Partition Icon

VM Disk Icon

Figure 29 VM Disk Icons

Subdisk Icon

Figure 30 Subdisk Icon

Log subdisks (used to log disk activity for Dirty Region Logging or RAID-5 logs) have icons with double borders to distinguish them from regular subdisk icons.

Figure 31 Log Subdisk Icon

Plex Icon

Figure 32 Plex Icon

Striped and concatenated plexes differ visually in that a striped plex has gaps between its subdisks, while the subdisks of a concatenated plex are joined. Figure 33 illustrates the difference between concatenated (vol01-01) and striped (vol02-01) plexes.

Figure 33 Concatenated and Striped Plex Icons

In its simplest form, a striped plex has one subdisk per stripe column. However, multiple subdisks can exist per stripe column.

Figure 34 illustrates a striped plex with one subdisk in the top stripe column and multiple subdisks in the middle and bottom columns. The bottom column contains a gap where a subdisk has been removed; this gap can be filled with one or more subdisks.

Figure 34 Striped Plex with Multiple Subdisks per Column

Volume Icon

Figure 35 Volume Icon

Mirrored volumes contain two or more plex icons. The following is a mirrored volume with one striped plex (vol01-01) and one concatenated plex
(vol01-02).

Figure 36 Mirrored Volume Icon

A RAID-5 volume contains a single RAID-5 plex icon and may contain one or more log plex icons. The following is a RAID-5 volume with one RAID-5 plex (vol01-01) and one log plex (vol01-02). RAID-5 volumes are labeled
RAID-5 instead of V.

Figure 37 RAID-5 Volume Icon

Busy Icons

Figure 38 illustrates a plex icon that is temporarily greyed out.

Figure 38 Busy Icon

Using the Mouse With the Visual Administrator

Table 1 describes terms associated with the use of the mouse.

Table 1 Terms Associated with Use of Mouse

Term	Definition
Click	Press and release the mouse button in a single, smooth motion.
Double-click	Click the mouse button twice in rapid succession.
Press and Hold	Press and continue to hold down the mouse button.
Point	Move the tip of the pointer onto an item on the screen.
Drag and Drop	Press and continue to hold down the mouse button while moving the mouse and pointer (to drag an object). Release the button when the pointer reaches its destination (to drop the object).
Select	Click the mouse button while the pointer is directly over the item to be selected (such as an icon).

Throughout this guide, the mouse buttons are referred to as the LEFT, MIDDLE, and RIGHT buttons. Table 2 describes the default mouse buttons and their locations, which vary according to the number of buttons on the mouse.

Table 2 Default Mouse Buttons

Virtual Mouse Button	3-Button Access	2-Button Access
LEFT	LEFT	LEFT
MIDDLE	MIDDLE	Ctrl-LEFT
RIGHT	RIGHT	RIGHT
Shift-LEFT	Shift-LEFT	Shift-LEFT
Shift-MIDDLE	Shift-MIDDLE	Ctrl-RIGHT
Shift-RIGHT	Shift-RIGHT	Shift-RIGHT

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Note: This guide assumes you are using a 3-button, right-handed mouse. Button 1 is the LEFT button and Button 3 is the RIGHT button. It is possible to remap mouse buttons (using the xmodmap command, for instance). Refer to your X Window System documentation for details.

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Views

From a view window, you can do any of the following:

• Close the window or exit the Visual Administrator completely through the File menu.

• Perform file system, volume, and disk operations through the Basic-Ops menu.

• Perform volume, plex, subdisk, disk group, and disk operations through the Advanced-Ops menu.

• Display visual or numerical statistics for a Volume Manager object's performance through the Analyze menu.

• Display visual information about the properties and associations between icons through the Projection menu.

• Set user preferences through the Options menu.

• Perform assorted operations on icons through the Icon menu.

• Open a help facility window through the Help menu.

Once the Visual Administrator is started, the Visual Administrator main window appears. This window provides a view button area (the views subwindow) containing a button for every view on the system. Views are accessed by clicking the LEFT mouse button on the appropriate view button in the views subwindow.

Each disk group (a collection of disks that share a common configuration) is represented by the Visual Administrator as a view window instead of an icon. The VM disks, volumes, and other objects belonging to a particular disk group are all displayed within that disk group's view.

Figure 39 illustrates the Visual Administrator main window.

Figure 39 Visual Administrator Main Window

Types of Views

Default Views

• View of rootdg -- Displays all objects that have been assigned to the default disk group, rootdg (including Volume Manager disks, volumes, and associated objects). If additional disk groups are created, the Visual Administrator creates views for them. Disk group views can be used for most operations.

• View of Disks -- Displays all physical disks on the system.
  The View of Disks displays icons for each physical disk. Each disk that has been initialized for Volume Manager use has a device entry on the system. This view is an iconic representation of the physical storage subsystem. This view is used for disk and disk group operations only.

• View of Volumes -- Displays all volumes (as well as plexes and associated subdisks) on the system. The View of Volumes displays all Volume Manager volumes, regardless of disk group. Plexes and any associated subdisks are also displayed here. Although this view can be used for various operations, it is preferable to use a disk group view for volume operations.

• View of World -- Displays all objects on the system (including physical disks, volumes, and associated objects). The View of World displays all Volume Manager disks, volumes, and plexes, regardless of disk group. This view essentially combines both the Disks and Volumes views. It also contains any unassociated plexes, which do not appear in most other views. Although this view can be used for various operations, it is generally preferable to use a disk group view or the Disks view for disk operations.

Figure 40 View of rootdg

User-created Views

User-created views differ from default views in that they contain copies of icons from default views. Operations performed on these icon copies are reflected in the default views that display the affected icon(s).

User-created views can be created using the Views pull-down menu from the Visual Administrator main window. Once created, icons can be added to a new view window by copying them over from existing views via the Icon menu, or by dragging them into the desired view.

For detailed information on creating, renaming, or removing views, refer to Table 7, Table 8, and the section"Remove View Form."

Menus

Each Visual Administrator window contains a title bar that identifies the window and the machine on which the Visual Administrator session is running. Below the title bar is a menu bar that provides access to the menus available with that window.

Pull-down menus on the menu bar can be accessed using either the mouse or the keyboard, as follows:

• Mouse -- Place the pointer on the appropriate menu name in the menu bar and then click the LEFT mouse button.

• Keyboard -- Press Alt-key or Meta-key, where key is the mnemonic (underlined character) associated with the menu name.

Figure 41 Title and Menu Bars

Once you access a pull-down menu, you may select any available option in that menu. Unavailable options are displayed in greyed-out text. Some menu selections lead to cascading sub-menus; some lead to forms that can be completed and then applied; some simply execute a specific operation immediately.

The menus available in the menu bar vary according to the type of window being displayed. The following menus are, however, common to most Visual Administrator windows:

• File -- Typically gives you the option of closing the window or exiting the Visual Administrator completely.

• Options -- Provides various options that allow you to specify preferences for how the Visual Administrator should operate.

• Help -- Provides information relating to the current window, its menus, and related topics.

Forms

There are two basic types of forms:

• General forms tend to appear during operations or setup requests and usually accept or require your input. General forms are usually accessed via certain menu selections.

• Properties forms display detailed information about a specific object's current characteristics, some of which can be modified directly through the properties form. Properties forms are accessed by placing the pointer on the chosen icon and then clicking the RIGHT button (unless the icon is undergoing analysis, in which case Shift - RIGHT must be used instead).

Fields

Form fields can be altered or completed in various ways, depending on the type of field. Some require text to be typed in; others make use of assorted buttons that can be toggled or selected.

Any form fields that are not currently applicable or available are greyed out.

Buttons

• Apply -- Accept the information on this form, check for errors, and continue with an operation. Pressing the Return key is the equivalent of selecting Apply with a form. For a properties form, the Visual Administrator issues the appropriate commands to make the changes.

• Reset -- Fill in the fields of the form with its default values. If the form is a properties form, the Visual Administrator uses the values that were present when the form first popped up.

• Cancel -- Ignore all changes made on the form and close it. If the form was brought up as part of an operation, that operation is also canceled.

• Help -- Pop up the Help window with information about this form.

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Note: On some displays, certain forms may be too long to fit entirely on the screen and the buttons and fields at the bottom of the form may not be visible. If this is the case, use the window manager's move window function (Alt-F7 by default) to move the form so that you can see the desired buttons or fields.

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Error Messages

Warning Boxes

Figure 42 Warning Box

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Note: If you use a virtual window manager, and you place any Visual Administrator window in a window other than the one containing the Visual Administrator main window, your Visual Administrator session may freeze for no apparent reason. Your session may be frozen because a warning box in another virtual window requires you to click on the continue button. Until you dismiss the warning box, your Visual Administrator session will remain frozen. It is therefore recommended that you keep all Visual Administrator windows associated with your current session on the same virtual screen. If you have closed the main window to an icon, you will run into the same problem.

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Help

Using Help

• clicking the LEFT mouse button on the Help menu in a window's menu bar

• clicking the LEFT mouse button on the Help option in a menu

• clicking the LEFT mouse button on the Help button at the bottom of a form

At the bottom of each Help window is a SEE ALSO area. This area lists similar or related Help topics and operates like hypertext documentation links. To access any of the listed Help topics, simply click the LEFT button on the appropriate word(s) in the SEE ALSO list; a new Help screen containing information on the selected topic replaces the previous help text.

The Help facility keeps track of the order in which Help topics are visited. You can therefore return to a previous topic. Selecting Previous from the menu bar displays the preceding topic. Selecting Next displays the succeeding topic.

The Help menu in the menu bar of the Help window itself provides access to the following:

• General Help -- Accesses Help text that includes general information on the Visual Administrator Help facility and how it is used.

• Help Index -- Accesses a complete listing of the available Help topics, arranged in logical groupings. Once a topic is identified from this list, that topic can be directly accessed from the SEE ALSO section of this Help window, which lists all topics alphabetically. Clicking LEFT directly over the topic name in the SEE ALSO section causes that topic to appear in the Help window.

Figure 43 Help Window

Color and Bitmap Patterns

• the state of an icon

• the activity level of an icon

• relationships between icons

• failure of an operation

Table 4 gives the values for the default colors and bitmap patterns associated with Visual Administrator icons under different conditions.

Table 4 Default Colors and Patterns

Situation	Color	Bitmap Pattern
selected icon	green	grey3
disabled icon	grey	stripe4
alarmed icon	red	grey1
free subdisk icon	yellow	root_weave
projection	yellow	root_weave
analysis: low	green	cross_weave
analysis: medium	yellow	root_weave
analysis: high	red	wide_weave

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Note: This guide assumes that the default colors or bitmaps are being used. However, colors or bitmaps (as well as other interface preferences) can be redefined in your .Xdefaults file. Refer to Appendix A for information on resetting these defaults.

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1. blocked

2. error

3. selected

4. projected

5. analyzed

6. enabled

Styles of Operation

• Select-Operate -- An icon representing a Volume Manager object is selected, and then the desired operation is performed on that object via menus and/or forms.

• Drag and Drop -- An object is manipulated by dragging its icon and then dropping it elsewhere (such as on another object in a view window).

Select-Operate

1. Select an icon representing a Volume Manager object by positioning the pointer over the icon and clicking the LEFT button (when selecting a single icon) or MIDDLE button (when selecting multiple icons).

2. From the Visual Administrator pull-down menus, choose and activate the operation to be performed on the selected icon(s).

Drag and Drop

1. Drag an icon by placing the pointer on it, pressing and continuing to hold down the LEFT mouse button, and moving the mouse until the outline of the icon is superimposed on its destination.

2. Drop an icon by releasing the LEFT mouse button when the icon reaches its drop location.

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Note: When dropping an icon onto another icon, the dragged icon must be positioned so that the pointer is directly over an unobscured portion of the icon on which it is to be dropped.

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Note: Not all operations are allowed by the Volume Manager at all times. For example, you cannot dissociate the last plex of a started volume.

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Basic Versus Advanced Operations

The basic and advanced operations menus provide two distinct approaches to volume management:

• Basic -- The basic approach typically uses the Volume Manager's vxassist utility, which takes information about what you want to accomplish and automatically performs the necessary underlying tasks. This approach requires only minimal input, but does permit more detailed specifications. Basic operations are accessed via the Basic-Ops menu.

• Advanced -- The advanced approach typically uses the Volume Manager command set, which consists of a number of fairly complicated commands that often require you to specify detailed input. The Volume Manager commands use a "building block" approach that requires you to have a detailed knowledge of the underlying Volume Manager structure and components to manually perform the sequences of commands necessary to accomplish a certain task. Advanced operations are accessed via the Advanced-Ops menu.

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Note: When creating and manipulating volumes, first select which approach to use and then proceed with that approach only. The basic and advanced approaches cannot be combined to perform a single volume operation. Use the basic approach whenever possible.

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Quick Reference to Views Menus and Forms

Views Menus

Views Forms

Create View Form

Rename View Form

Remove View Form

Select one or more views for removal by highlighting the desired view name(s) with the LEFT button. If a view is mistakenly selected, the LEFT button can be used again to clear that view name. Removal is activated by clicking LEFT on the Apply button once, then confirming the removal by selecting Apply again (this ensures that a view is not accidentally removed).