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Chapter 2. Hosts

The Hosts page under Compute → Infrastructure displays the hosts discovered in your enterprise environment.

Note

Any applied filters will be in effect here.

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After adding or sorting your hosts, click on one to examine it more closely and see its virtual machines, SmartProxy settings, and properties.

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  1. Top left quadrant: Number of virtual machines on this host
  2. Bottom left quadrant: Virtual machine software
  3. Top right quadrant: Power state of host
  4. Bottom right quadrant: Authentication status
IconDescription

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Validated: Valid authentication credentials have been added.

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Invalid: Authentication credentials are invalid

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Unknown: Authentication status is unknown or no credentials have been entered.

2.1. Filtering Hosts

The Host Filter accordion is provided to easily navigate through the hosts. Use the ones provided or create your own. In addition, you can set a default filter.

2.1.1. Setting a Default Host Filter

Set the default filter for viewing your hosts.

  1. From the Filters accordion on the left, click on the filter to use.
  2. Click Set Default at the top of the filters list.

The default filter is set and marked by a green star next to its name.

2.1.2. Creating a Host Filter

Create a filter for viewing your hosts.

  1. Navigate to Compute → Infrastructure → Hosts.
  2. Click 2125 (Advanced Search) to open the expression editor.
  3. Use the expression editor to choose the appropriate options for your criteria.
  4. Click Save.

  5. Type in a name for the search expression in Save this search as.

    Note

    This title depends on the type of resource you are searching.

  6. Click Save.

The filter is saved and displays in the My Filters area of the Filter accordion.

2.2. Performing SmartState Analysis on Hosts

Perform a SmartState analysis on a host to collect additional information about it, such as patches, CPU, and memory.

Note
  • SmartState analysis on hosts is processed by the Provider Operations role. It is enabled by default.
  • For ESX or ESXi hypervisors, consider the following: ESX hosts utilize a service console for host management and can be accessed using SSH. ESXi hosts lack a service console and therefore SSH cannot be used to obtain information sets for patches, services, Linux packages, user groups, SSH Config, and FS Files.
  • root or administrator credentials are required to get patch information.
  1. Navigate to Compute → Infrastructure → Hosts.
  2. Check the hosts to analyze.
  3. Click 1847 (Configuration), and then 1942 (Perform SmartState Analysis).
  4. Click OK.

2.3. Comparing Hosts

Red Hat CloudForms allows you to compare hosts and check operating systems, host software and version information, and hardware.

  1. Navigate to Compute → Infrastructure → Hosts.
  2. Check the hosts to compare.
  3. Click 1847 (Configuration), and then 2148 (Compare selected Hosts). The comparison displays in a default expanded view, which lists a limited set of properties.
  4. To remove a host from the comparison, click 1861 (Remove this Host from the comparison) at the bottom of the column.
  5. To go to a compressed view, click 2024 (Compressed View). To return to an expanded view, click 2023 (Expanded View).

  6. To limit the mode of the view, there are two buttons in the taskbar.

    • Click 2022 (Details Mode) to see all details for an attribute.
    • Click 2025 (Exists Mode) to limit the view to if an attribute exists compared to the base or not. This only applies to attributes that can have a Boolean property. For example, a user account exists or does not exist, or a piece of hardware that does or does not exist.
  7. To change the base host that compare to the other hosts, click its label at the top of its column.
  8. To go to the summary screen for a host, click its virtual thumbnail or icon.

2.3.1. Host Comparison Sections

SectionDescription

Host Properties

Use this section to see basic information of the host, such as hostname, product, build number, hardware, and network adapters.

Security

Use this to see users and groups for the host, and firewall rules.

Configuration

Use this to see the operating system, applications, services, patches, vSwitches, vLANS, and advanced settings.

My Company Tags

Use this to see all tags.

2.3.2. Using the Host Comparison Sections

The following procedure describes how to use the host comparison sections.

  1. On the left of a comparison screen, select the categories of properties to display.
  2. Click the plus sign next to the sections name to expand it.

  3. The following descriptions pertain to the Expanded View 2023 . Either the value of a property or an icon representing the property displays depending on the properties type.

    • A property displayed in the same color as the base means that the compared host matches the base for that property.
    • A property displayed in a different color from the base means that the compared host does not match the base for that property.

  4. If you are in the Compressed View 2024 , the values of the properties do not display. All items are described by the icons shown below.

    • A 2150 (checkmark) means the compared host matches the base for that property. Hover over it and the value of the property displays.
    • A 2151 (x) means the compared host does not match the base for that property. Hover over it and the value of the property displays.
  5. Click the plus sign next to the section name to collapse it.

This comparison is viewable in multiple ways. Export the data or create a report from your comparison for analysis using external tools.

2.3.3. Creating a Host Comparison Report

Create a quick report to compare clusters in CSV, TXT, or PDF formats.

  1. Create the comparison to analyze.
  2. Click 2107 (Download).

  3. Click the output button for the type of report.

    • Click 2133 (Download comparison report in TXT format) for a text file.
    • Click 2133 (Download comparison report in CSV format) for a comma-separated file.
    • Click 2134 (Download comparison report in PDF format) for a PDF file.

2.4. Refreshing Multiple Hosts

Manually refresh a host for its properties and related infrastructure components.

  1. Navigate to Compute → Infrastructure → Hosts.
  2. Check the hosts to refresh.
  3. Click 1847 (Configuration), and then 2003 (Refresh Relationships and Power States).
  4. Click OK.

When a host is refreshed and a new virtual machine is discovered on that host, Red Hat CloudForms checks to see if the virtual machine is already registered with another host. If this is the case, the host that the virtual machine is associated with switches to the new host. If the SmartProxy is monitoring a provider, this happens automatically. If not, the next refresh of the host addresses this.

2.5. Discovering Multiple Hosts

If not using a provider, use Red Hat CloudForms’s Discovery to find hosts in your environment within a range of IP addresses.

  1. Navigate to Compute → Infrastructure → Hosts.
  2. Click 1847 (Configuration), then click 1942 (Discover items).
  3. Check the types of hosts to discover: ESX or IPMI.

  4. Type in a range of IP Addresses.

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  5. Click Start.

Red Hat CloudForms searches for the supported hosts. When available, the new hosts display. They are named by hostname and IP address. To make them identifiable, edit the basic information for each host.

2.6. Adding a Single Host

To analyze a host for more detailed information, add it to the VMDB first. If the host has not been found during Host Discovery or Provider Refresh, and the host’s IP address is known, use the Add a New Host button.

  1. Navigate to Compute → Infrastructure → Hosts.
  2. Click 1847 (Configuration), then click 1862 (Add a New item).

  3. Type the Name, Host Name, and IP Address of the host to add. Name is how the device is labeled in the console. Select the type of operating system from the Host Platform dropdown. If the Host has been found during Discovery or Refresh and the host’s operating system has been identified, the Host Platform selector remains disabled. If adding an IPMI server for provisioning, add in the IP address of that host.

    Important

    The Host Name must use a unique fully qualified domain name.

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  4. In the Credentials box, the Default tab provides fields to type a user name with elevated security credentials and the user’s password. If using domain credentials, the format for User ID is in the format of [domainname]\[username]. On ESX hosts, if the SSH login is disabled for the Default user, type in a user with remote login access on the Remote Login tab.

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  5. Click Validate to check the credentials.
  6. Click Save.

2.7. Editing Hosts

If multiple hosts have the same settings or credentials, edit them at the same time.

  1. Navigate to Compute → Infrastructure → Hosts.
  2. Click 1847 (Configuration).
  3. Check the Hosts to edit.
  4. Click 1851 (Edit Selected items).

  5. Use Credentials to provide login credentials required for this host.

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    • On the Default tab, type a user name with elevated security credentials and the users password. If you are using domain credentials, the format for User ID must be in the format of [domainname]\[username].
    • On ESX hosts, if SSH login is disabled for the Default user, type in a user with remote login access on the Remote Login tab. If this is not supplied, Default credentials will be used.

    • Use Web Services to supply credentials for any web service calls made directly to the host system. If this is not supplied, Default credentials are used.

      Note

      Login credentials are required for performing SmartState Analysis on the host’s virtual machines and templates.

      For each type of credential used, the following information is required:

    • Use User ID to specify a login ID.
    • Use Password to specify the password for the User ID.
    • Use Verify Password to confirm the password.
  6. Test the credentials by using the Select Host to validate against drop down and click Validate.
  7. Click Save.

2.8. Viewing a Host

You can click on a specific host to review it. The screen shows a host virtual thumbnail, a host taskbar, a host accordion, and a host summary.

Host Management Screen

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  1. Host Taskbar: Use the host taskbar to take actions on the selected host
  2. Host Summary: Use the host summary to see the properties of a host, drill down to a host’s information, and view its installed virtual machines
  3. Host Summary Views: Choose between graphical or text view of the provider summary
  4. Host PDF: Generates host summary in PDF format
  5. Host Accordion: See details about Properties, Relationships, Security and Configuration for the selected host

2.9. Tagging Multiple Hosts

To categorize hosts together, apply tags to multiple hosts at the same time.

  1. Navigate to Compute → Infrastructure → Hosts.
  2. Check the hosts to tag.
  3. Click 1941 (Policy), and then 1851 (Edit Tags).

  4. Select a customer tag from the first dropdown, and then a value for the tag.

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  5. Select more tags or click Save to save your changes.

2.10. Removing Hosts

If a host is decommissioned or requires troubleshooting, it might require removal from the VMDB.

  1. Navigate to Compute → Infrastructure → Hosts.
  2. Check the hosts to remove.
  3. Click 1847 (Configuration), and then 1861 (Remove items from the VMDB).
  4. Click OK.

The hosts are removed. The virtual machines remain in the VMDB, but are no longer associated with their respective hosts.

2.11. Scaling Down Compute Hosts

Through Red Hat CloudForms, you can perform a Compute scale down on a Red Hat OpenStack infrastructure provider. This process involves decreasing its Compute nodes used by an OpenStack infrastructure provider. Doing so involves putting a Compute node into maintenance mode and removing it from the provider afterwards. Once a node is in maintenance mode, it can be repurposed (for examle, re-provision it as a Controller node), repaired, or decommissioned altogether.

Before scaling down, evacuate or migrate any instances hosted on the node you are removing. For instructions on either procedure, see Section 13.20, “Migrating a Live Instance” or Section 13.21, “Evacuating an Instance”.

After migrating or evacuating instances from the node, set the node to maintenance mode. To do so:

  1. Navigate to Compute → Infrastructure → Hosts.
  2. Click the OpenStack compute node to be removed from the provider.

  3. Click 1847 (Configuration), and then 1851 (Toggle Maintenance Mode).

    Note

    This option can only be used with OpenStack providers with at least two Compute nodes.

Repeat this procedure for every node you want to remove from the cloud provider.

After setting a Compute node to maintenance mode, you can scale down its provider:

  1. Navigate to Compute → Infrastructure → Providers.
  2. Click the provider to be scaled down.
  3. Click 1847 (Configuration), and then 1851 (Scale Down).
  4. From the Scale Infrastructure Provider Down section, check the nodes to be removed from the provider. You can only do this for nodes where Maintenance is set to true.
  5. Click Scale Down.

2.12. Refreshing Relationships and Power States for a Host

Refresh the relationships and power states of the items associated with your hosts from the Host Taskbar.

Note

root or administrator credentials are required to get patch information.

  1. Navigate to Compute → Infrastructure → Hosts.
  2. Click on the host to refresh.
  3. Click 1847 (Configuration), and then 2003 (Refresh Relationships and Power States) on the Host Taskbar.

Red Hat CloudForms determines the state (running, stopped, or paused) of all virtual machines registered to the host.

2.13. Viewing Capacity and Utilization Charts for a Host

View Capacity & Utilization data for hosts that are part of a cluster.

Note

Your Red Hat CloudForms server requires network visibility to the provider assigned the Server Role of Capacity & Utilization Collector to enable this feature.

  1. Navigate to Compute → Infrastructure → Hosts.
  2. Click the Host to view capacity data.
  3. Click 1994 (Monitoring), and then 1994 (Utilization) or from the Host accordion, click Properties → Capacity & Utilization.

  4. From Interval, select to view hourly or daily data points and the dates to view data. Use Group by to group the lines by SmartTags. Use Time Profiles to select a time range for the data.

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The charts are displayed for CPU, memory, disk, network, and running virtual machines.

Note

Daily charts only include full days of data. If a day does not include all the 24 data points for a day, the data does not show for that day.

For information about data optimization including utilization trend reports, see Chapter 6, Data Optimization.

2.14. Viewing the Host Timeline

View the timeline of events for the virtual machines registered to a host.

  1. Navigate to Compute → Infrastructure → Hosts.
  2. Click the host to view the timeline.
  3. Click 1994 (Monitoring), and then 1995 (Timelines) or from the host accordion, click Properties → Timelines.

  4. From Options, customize the period of time to display and the types of events to see.

    • Use Show to select types of events to show on the timeline.
    • Use the Interval dropdown to select hourly or daily data points.
    • Use Date to type the date the timeline displays.
    • If you select to view a daily timeline, use Show to set how many days back to go. The maximum history is 31 days. If selecting Hourly, select the interval to see.
    • From the Level dropdown, select either a Summary event or a Detail list of events. For example, the detail level of a Power On event might include the power on request, the starting event, and the actual Power On event. If you select Summary, only the Power On event appears in the timeline.
    • The three Event Group dropdowns allow selection of different groups of events to display. Each group has its own color.
  5. To see more detail on an item in the timeline, click on it. A balloon appears with a clickable link to the resource.

2.15. Host Virtual Summary

Clicking on a specific host shows the Host’s Virtual Thumbnail and an operating system-sensitive screen of host information, called the Host Summary. Where applicable, click on a subcategory of the Host Summary to see more detail on that section.

A Refresh provides some basic information on the Host. To get more detail, enter credentials for the host and perform a SmartState Analysis.

The Summary divides into the following categories.

  • Properties include information such as base operating system, hostname, IP addresses, devices attached to the system, and storage adapters. Some categories can be clicked on for additional detail. For example, click Network to view the network adapters connected to the host.

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  • Relationships include information on the provider, cluster, datastores, resource pools, and installed virtual machines.

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  • Security shows the number of users, groups, patches installed, and firewall rules on the host. Click on any of these items to see further details.

    Note

    Run a SmartState Analysis on the host to retrieve this information.

  • Storage Relationships shows the relationship the host has to LUNs, volumes, and file shares. The Storage Inventory Role must be enabled in the zone for these items to be populated.

  • Configuration shows the number of packages and services installed. Click on any of these items to see more details.

    Note

    Run a SmartState Analysis on the host to retrieve this information.

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  • Smart Management shows all tags assigned to this host.
  • Authentication Status shows all the types of credentials entered for this host and the whether those credentials are valid.

2.16. Viewing Host Device Information

Access information on the hardware devices including processor, CPU type and speed, and memory for each host.

  1. Navigate to Compute → Infrastructure → Hosts.
  2. Click the host to view the network information.
  3. From the host accordion, click Properties → Devices.

2.17. Viewing Host Network Information

Access information on networking including switches, network interfaces, and local area networks for each host.

  1. Navigate to Compute → Infrastructure → Hosts.
  2. Click the host to view the network information.
  3. From the host accordion, click Properties → Network.

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2.18. Viewing Storage Adapters

Access information on the storage adapters including storage type for each host.

  1. Navigate to Compute → Infrastructure → Hosts.
  2. Click the host to view the network information.
  3. From the host accordion, click Properties → Storage Adapters.

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2.19. Detecting Drift on Hosts

Over time, the configuration of a host might change. Drift is the comparison of a host to itself at different points in time. The host requires analysis at least twice to collect information. Detecting drift provides you the following benefits:

  • See the difference between the last known state of a host and its current state.
  • Review the configuration changes that happen to a particular host between multiple points in time.
  • Capture the configuration drifts for a single host across a time period.

Detect drift on hosts:

  1. Navigate to Compute → Infrastructure → Hosts.
  2. Click on the host to view drift.
  3. Click Relationships in the host accordion.
  4. Click Drift History.
  5. Check the analyses to compare.
  6. Click 1946 (Drift) at the top of the screen. The results display.
  7. Check the Comparison sections on the left to view in your comparison.
  8. Click Apply.

  9. Click the plus sign next to the sections name to expand it.

    • An item displayed on red text shows a change from the base analysis. An item displayed in black text shows no change from the base analysis.
    • A 2177 (Changed from previous) shows a change since the last analysis.
    • A 2150 (Same as previous) means no change since the last analysis.
    • Click 1861 (Remove from drift) at the bottom of a column to remove a specific analysis. The drift recalculates and the new results display.
  10. Click 2023 (Expanded View) to see the expanded view. Click 2024 (Compressed View) to compress the information.
  11. Click the minus sign next to the sections name to collapse it.

  12. To limit the type of views, you have three buttons in the taskbar:

    • Click 2178 (All attributes) to see all attributes of the sections you selected.
    • Click 2204 (Attributes with different values) to see only the attributes that are different across the drifts.
    • Click 2148 (Attributes with the same values) to see only the attributes that are the same across drifts.

The drift comparison displays. Download the data or create a report from your drift for analysis using external tools.

2.20. Creating a Drift Report for Hosts

Use the drift report feature to export information about your host’s drift.

  1. Create the comparison to analyze.
  2. Click 2107 (Download).

  3. Click the output button for the type of report you want.

    • Click 2133 (Download drift report in TXT format) for a text file.
    • Click 2133 (Download drift report in CSV format) for a comma-separated file.
    • Click 2134 (Download drift report in PDF format) for a PDF file.