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Chapter 1. Clusters

Clusters provide high availability and load balancing for a group of hosts. The Clusters page under Compute → Infrastructure displays the clusters discovered in your enterprise environment.

Note

Any filter applied will be in effect here.

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Use the Clusters Taskbar to manage the analysis and tagging of your clusters. These buttons manage multiple clusters at one time. To manage one cluster, click on that cluster in the main area of the screen.

1.1. Performing SmartState Analysis on Clusters

Analyze a cluster to gather historical data to compare with previous points in time.

  1. Navigate to Compute → Infrastructure → Clusters.
  2. Check the clusters to analyze.
  3. Click 1847 (Configuration), and then 1942 (Perform SmartState Analysis).
  4. Click OK.

The SmartState Analysis begins and returns the current data.

1.2. Comparing Clusters

Red Hat CloudForms provides features to compare properties of clusters.

  1. Navigate to Compute → Infrastructure → Clusters.
  2. Check the clusters to compare.

  3. Click 1847 (Configuration), and then 2148 (Compare Selected items). The comparison displays in a default expanded view and lists a limited set of properties.

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  4. To delete a cluster from the comparison, click 1861 (Remove this Cluster from the Comparison).
  5. To go to a compressed view, click 2024 (Compressed View). To return to an expanded view, click 2023 (Expanded View).
  6. To change the base cluster that all other clusters compare to, click its label at the top of its column.
  7. To go to the cluster summary screen, click its virtual thumbnail or icon.

  8. There are three buttons in the taskbar to limit the type of views:

    • Click 2178 (All attributes) to see all attributes.
    • Click 2204 (Attributes with different values) to see only the attributes that are different across clusters.
    • Click 2148 (Attributes with the same values) to see only the attributes that are the same across clusters.

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

    • Click 2022 (Details Mode) to see all details for an attribute.
    • Click 2025 (Exists Mode) to only see 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.

This creates a comparison between clusters. Export this data or create a report from your comparison for analysis using external tools.

1.2.1. Creating a Cluster Comparison Report

Create a quick report of 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.

1.3. Viewing a Cluster

You can click on a specific cluster to view its details. The screen provides you with a cluster taskbar, a cluster accordion, and a cluster summary.

Cluster Management Screen

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  1. Cluster Taskbar: Choose between Configuration, Policy and Monitoring options for the selected cluster
  2. Cluster Summary: See cluster summary such as Relationships, Totals for Hosts, Totals for VMs
  3. Cluster Summary Views: Choose between graphical or text view of the cluster summary
  4. Cluster Summary PDF: Generates cluster summary in PDF format
  5. Cluster Accordion: See details about Properties, Relationships, Storage Relationships for the selected cluster

1.4. Tagging Clusters

Use tags to categorize clusters.

  1. Navigate to Compute → Infrastructure → Clusters.
  2. Check the Clusters to tag.

  3. Click 1941 (Policy), and then 1851 (Edit Tags).

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  4. Select a customer tag from the first dropdown, and then a value for the tag.
  5. Select more tags or click Save to save your changes.

1.5. Viewing Capacity and Utilization Charts for a Cluster

View capacity and utilization for a cluster.

  1. Navigate to Compute → Infrastructure → Clusters.
  2. Click the cluster to view Capacity and Utilization data.

  3. Click 1994 (Monitoring), and then 1994 (Utilization) or from the accordion menu, click Properties → Capacity & Utilization.

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  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 Capacity & Utilization charts display

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.

1.6. Viewing Cluster Timeline

Use the cluster timeline to see a graphical depiction of operational and configuration events over time.

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

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

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    • Use the Interval dropdown to select hourly or daily data points.
    • Use Date to type the date for the timeline to display.
    • If you select to view a daily timeline, use Show to set how many days back to go. The maximum history is 31 days.
    • The three Event Group dropdowns allow the selection of different groups of events to display. Each has its own color.
    • From the Level dropdown, select a Summary event if needed, 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, the timeline only displays the Power On event.
  5. To see more detail on an item in the timeline, click on it. A balloon appears with a clickable link to the resource.

1.7. Detecting Drift on Clusters

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

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

Detect drift on clusters:

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

  8. Click the plus sign next to the section 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 there has been a change since the last analysis.
    • A 2150 (Same as previous) means there has been no change since the last analysis.
    • Click 1861 (Remove from drift) at the bottom of a column to remove a specific analysis. The drift is then recalculated and the new results display.
  9. Click 2023 (Expanded View) to see the expanded view. Click 2024 (Compressed View)] to compress the information.
  10. Click the minus sign next to the section name to collapse it.

  11. To limit the type of views, there are three buttons in the taskbar.

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

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

1.8. Creating a Drift Report for Clusters

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

  1. Create a drift of a cluster.
  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.

1.9. Removing Clusters

If a cluster has been decommissioned or requires troubleshooting, it might require removal from the VMDB.

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

The clusters are deleted. Any virtual machines or hosts associated with these clusters remain, but are no longer associated with them.