The Storage Administrator is the Java-based graphical user interface (GUI) for LSM. The Storage Administrator displays a hierarchical view of LSM objects and their relationships. You use the Storage Administrator to view and manage LSM objects on a local or remote (client) system.
This appendix describes how to track Storage Administrator activities,
how to use the Storage Administrator, and how to customize the Storage Administrator
GUI.
See
Chapter 9
for more information on using the
Storage Administrator to complete a particular task for an LSM object.
A.1 Tracking Storage Administrator Activities
Three log files keep track of the Storage Administrator:
A command log tracks Storage Administrator tasks
An access log tracks Storage Administrator log ins
A server log collects LSM startup information and error messages
By default, a log maintenance shell script called
/usr/lib/java/applications/lsmsa/logMaintenance
runs once a week to save and compress each log file.
Compressed
files are saved as
<logfilename>.gz.X, where
X
is the version number.
Each week the previous week's saved file
suffix is increased by one and a new
<logfilename>.gz.1
is created.
Files are saved for ten weeks.
Files that have the suffix
.11
are deleted.
You can change the suffix number in the
root crontab
file.
A.1.1 Command Log File
The command log file contains a description of each Storage Administrator
task and information such as the user who performed the task, the task status,
the start and finish times, and the commands used to perform the task.
For
failed tasks, the command log includes relevant error messages.
By default,
the command log is located in
/var/lsmsa/logs/command.
The following output shows a sample command log entry for a successful volume creation:
Create Volume Description: Create Volume User: root Started: Tue Mar 09 12:07:22 PDT 1999 Finished: Tue Mar 09 12:07:24 PDT 1999 State: Successful Executed Commands: /usr/sbin/volassist -g rootdg make vol04 4m layout=striped stripeunit=128 ncolumn=2
The following output shows a sample command log entry for a failed volume creation:
Create Volume FAILED! Description: Create VolumeUser: root Started: Tue Mar 09 12:07:50 PDT 1999 Finished: Tue Mar 09 12:07:51 PDT 1999 State: Failed Executed Commands: /usr/sbin/volassist -g rootdg make vol05 8g layout=striped stripeunit=12 ncolumn=2 Failed Command: /usr/sbin/volassist -g rootdg make vol05 8g layout=striped stripeunit=128 ncolumn=2 Error Message: lsmsa:volassist: ERROR: Cannot allocate space for 16777216 block volume
You can monitor access to the Storage Administrator by reviewing the
contents of the access log file.
By default, the access log file is located
in
/var/lsmsa/logs/access.
The following output shows a sample access log file entry:
Mon Apr 05 12:07:22 PDT 1999: user rssn login succeeded Mon Apr 05 12:22:24 PDT 1999; user jehg login failed with error *User password invalid*
Entries for failed access may be logged multiple times due to a security
requirement.
A.1.3 Server Log File
The server log tracks LSM startup information and server errors.
By
default, the server log file is
located in /var/lsmsa/logs/server.log.
The following output shows sample server log file entries:
Starting Compaq Storage Administrator RMI Registry Starting Compaq Storage Administrator Command Server Starting Compaq Storage Administrator Server Fri Mar 12 11:22:21 PST 1999 security enabled rebinding .... rebound //maya.zso.dec.com:2410/vrts.remote.vrtsServer
Storage Administrator displays dialog boxes in which you provide information
as shown in
Figure A-1.
Dialog boxes can contain selectable
buttons or fields in which you enter information.
Some dialog box fields contain
default values that you can change.
Items that are not applicable are grayed
out.
Figure A-1: Sample Dialog Box
To use a dialog box, select the appropriate items or enter the appropriate information in a field, then click on one of the following buttons to initiate or cancel the task:
Ok - performs the current task and closes the dialog box.
Apply - performs the current task and continues to display the dialog box.
Cancel - closes the dialog box and cancels the current task. If you have already chosen Apply, use this button to close the dialog box. Doing so does not cancel the Apply request.
Reset - clears the information in dialog box fields.
Help - displays the Help.
A.2.1 Specifying Objects in Dialog Boxes
Most Storage Administrator dialog boxes contain one or more object name fields. If you select an object before you select the task, the resulting dialog box usually includes the selected object name. If the object name field is empty, you can specify an object using one the following methods:
Enter the object name.
In some cases, you can specify multiple objects (separated by a space) in a single field.
Click on the Browse button next to the object name field, and then select the object from the resulting browse dialog box. Most browse dialog boxes display an Object Tree and Object Table. To select an object in a browse dialog box, click on an object group in the Object Tree, then click on the object in the Object Table.
Note
When you select an object for an action, the object name appears in the dialog box. This does not mean that the action you have chosen for that object is valid. If you try to complete an invalid operation on an object, an error message is displayed.
A.2.2 Specifying Object Sizes in Dialog Boxes
The following table shows the object sizes that you can enter to specify for an input field or a display size:
| For: | Enter: |
| Sectors | s |
| Kilobytes | k |
| Megabytes | m |
| Gigabytes | g |
By default, sectors are used for input fields if you do not specify
an input size or if you did not change the default value by customizing the
GUI as described in
Section A.3.4.
By default, sizes are displayed
in kilobytes unless you specify otherwise.
A.3 Viewing Objects and Object Properties
There are several windows and dialog boxes that you can use to display
information about and perform LSM operations.
A.3.1 Main Window
The Object Tree and the Object Table track your LSM configuration. The Storage Administrator constantly monitors objects on the system and makes appropriate changes to the displays. You can view objects in the Object Tree and Object Table in the following ways:
Click on the plus sign (+) or minus sign (-) next to an object to expand or collapse its hierarchy.
Click on the object type in the Object Tree. All objects that belong to the selected object appear in the Object Table.
For example, to display all volumes in the
rootdg
disk group, expand the Disk Groups node (by clicking +), expand the
rootdg
node, and click on the Volumes group under
rootdg.
Only volumes in the
rootdg
disk group appear
in the Object Table.
To display the components of an object in the Object Table, double-click on the object. All objects that belong to that object appear in the Object Table. If the object does not contain other objects, the Properties dialog box appears.
For example, to display the volumes in a disk group listed in the Object Table, double-click on the disk group name, then double-click on Volumes. All volumes in the disk group appear in the Object Table.
It may be useful to view a copy of the Object Table to look at different objects, for example, disks and volumes. From the Window menu choose Copy Object Table. A dynamic copy of the Object Table appears in a separate window. The contents of the new Object Table window continues to update.
A.3.2 Volume Layout Details Window
To display the Volume Layout Details window for a volume, highlight the volume in the Main window Object Table and choose Show Layout from the Selected menu.
The Volume Layout Details window displays a graphical view of the selected
volume's layout, components, and properties, as shown in
Figure A-2.
Figure A-2: Sample Volume Layout Window
You can select objects or perform tasks on objects in the window. The Volume Layout Details window is not dynamic, so the objects displayed in the window are not automatically updated when the volume properties change. Choose Update from the View menu to refresh the display. To change the volume displayed, choose Open from the View menu and specify another volume in the OpenVolume dialog box.
The View menu changes the display of the Volume Layout Details window. To hide the detailed information within each object, choose Compress Display from the View menu. Click on an object to show its details in the compressed display.
To highlight objects that are related to or part of a specific object, choose Projection on Selection from the View menu, then click on an object. To highlight any subdisks on the same disk as a specific subdisk, choose Subdisk Projection from the View menu, then click on a subdisk.
Right-clicking on an object to display context-sensitive pop-up menus.
A.3.3 Object Properties Dialog Boxes
To view the properties of an object, click on the object in the Object Table and then choose Properties from the Selected menu. If the object contains no other objects, double-click on the object to display its Properties dialog box.
The Object Properties dialog box displays detailed information specific
to the selected object as shown in
Figure A-3.
Figure A-3: Sample Volume Properties Dialog Box
You can change some properties through this box. A set of tabbed pages provides information about the object and related objects. The tab labels and page contents vary, depending on the type of object selected. Click on the Help button for a detailed description of the Properties dialog box fields.
To change items in the Properties dialog box, make the changes, then click on the Ok button. This changes the settings for all properties tabs in the Properties dialog box.
To update the contents of the Properties dialog box to reflect current
properties for the object, click on the Refresh button.
If you select a different
object while a Properties dialog box is open, the contents of the dialog box
does not change to reflect the new object selected.
You must choose Properties
again and open another dialog box.
A.3.4 User Preferences Dialog Box
You can change the way items appear in the Storage Administrator Main window and other windows. The Preferences dialog box contains a set of tabbed pages that display preference options for a particular aspect of Storage Administrator as shown, in Figure A-4. You can customize settings for a single Storage Administrator session or save the settings for future sessions.
To display the Preferences dialog box, from the Options menu, choose
Preferences or click the Preferences button on the toolbar.
Figure A-4: Sample Preferences Dialog Box
To change preference settings, make the appropriate selections in the dialog box, then click on the Ok button. This changes the settings for all tabs in the Preferences dialog box. To reset the values for all tabs to the previous settings, click on the Reset button before you click on the Ok button.
When you change preference settings, an asterisk appears on the tabbed page that contains changes. This icon disappears when you click on the Ok, Apply, or Reset button. When you click on the Apply or Reset button, an asterisk also appears in the Help bar status area.
Unless you save your preferences, changes only apply to the current session. To save your settings, choose Save Preferences from the Options menu and click on the Save button in the toolbar or click the asterisk in the Help bar status area. To reload your previously saved preferences, choose Load Preferences from the Options menu.
The Storage Administrator saves user preferences in the
user's_home_directory/.lsmsa/SApreference.prf
file on the system
where the client is running.
If the auto-save preference is set, Storage Administrator
saves all preference settings when you exit the Storage Administrator session.
A.3.4.1 General Preferences
The General tab window sets the preferences for:
Select Text in Field on Enter
Sets user input to replace mode. This highlights existing text in a field and replaces that text with the new text.
Show Confirmation Dialogs
Shows or hides confirmation dialog boxes for tasks that may have serious consequences (such as data loss). Confirmation dialogs require you to confirm that a task be performed. Confirmation dialogs typically appear for tasks that remove objects. If you hide confirmation dialogs, most tasks are performed immediately and without any confirmation.
Auto-Save Preferences on Exit
Saves all current user preferences when you exit the Storage Administrator.
Flush Images
Draws images slightly slower than usual to prevent the X server from growing. This is recommended if you plan to run the Storage Administrator for long periods of time.
Dynamic Splitter
Redraws the contents of the window panes while the splitter is being moved to resize the panes.
Default Display Unit
Sets the default size unit for areas that display object sizes. If Best Choice is set, the Storage Administrator uses an appropriate size unit.
Summary Decimal Precision
Sets the decimal point precision for object sizes displayed in the Object Table and other areas that display summaries.
Task Decimal Precision
Sets the decimal point precision for object sizes displayed in task-related dialog boxes and areas that display numerical information.
A.3.4.2 Main Window Preferences
The Main Window tab window sets the preferences for:
Show Status Bar
Show/hide the status bar (at the bottom of the Main window). The Status bar displays alert icons when failures or errors occur.
Show Command Launcher
Shows or hides the Command Launcher. The Command Launcher displays a list of selectable tasks. You can show and hide the Command Launcher by checking and unchecking the Command Launcher box on the Window menu of the Main window.
Dock Command Launcher
Attaches or detaches the Command Launcher and the Main window.
Docked Command Launcher Height
Sets the height of the Command Launcher portion of the Main window.
The Font tab window sets the font size, family, and style for:
User Font
Sets the font for user input and objects displayed in the Object Tree and Object Table.
System Font
Sets the font for the Storage Administrator labels, menus, and buttons.
Object Table Heading Font
Sets the font for Object Table headings.
Object Table Heading Highlight Font
Sets the font for the highlighted Object Table headings for sorting purposes.
Toolbar Font
Sets the font for the toolbar buttons.
Graphical Display Font
Sets the font for objects in the Volume Layout Details window.
The Color tab window sets color preferences. Change colors by clicking on a color in the color wheel or by sliding the Red, Green, Blue, and Brightness sliders.
Colors can be set for:
Background Color
Sets the background color for all the Storage Administrator windows.
Foreground Color
Sets the color for foreground text in the Storage Administrator windows.
Tree/Table Color
Sets the background color for the Object Tree and Object Table.
Connecting Line Color
Sets the color for the lines that connect items in the Object Tree.
Selection Color
Sets the color for selected items.
Selection Foreground Color
Sets the color for foreground text in selected items.
Link Color
Sets the color for links (such as the links to tasks in the Command Launcher).
Projection Color
Sets the color for the lines that show object relationships in the Volume Layout Details window.
The Geometry tab window sets the width and height (in pixels) for:
Main window
Object Search window
Alert Monitor window
Task Request Monitor window
Volume Layout Details window
Command Launcher window
Object Table Copy window
If you resize one of these windows, the new size is reflected in the
Geometry preference for that window.
A.3.4.6 Object Tree/Object Table Preferences
The Tree/Table tab sets Object Tree and Object Table preferences for:
Display Full Path
Displays path information in the Object Tree and Object Table.
Auto Scroll Table
When an object is added or changed, scrolls through the objects until the new or changed object is visible in the Object Table.
Splitter Position
Moves the splitter to adjust the relative sizes of the Object Tree and Object Table panes.
Selector Tree/Table Width
Sets the width (in pixels) of the Object Tree and Object Table for Browse dialog boxes that contain an Object Tree and a Object Table.
Selector Table Width
Sets the width (in pixels) of the Object Table for Browse dialog boxes that only contain an Object Table.
Visible Selector Rows
Sets the number of rows displayed in the Object Tree and Object Table in Browse dialog boxes.
The Toolbar tab window sets preferences for:
Show Toolbar
Shows or hides the toolbar.
Position
Places the docked toolbar at the top, bottom, or side of the Main window.
Presentation
Displays graphics, labels, or both on the buttons in the toolbar.
A.3.4.8 Layout Details Preferences
The Layout Details window sets Volume Layout Details window preferences for:
Compress Display
Compresses the graphical display of objects so that details are hidden.
Projection on Selection
When an object is selected, highlights objects that are related to or part of that object.
Subdisk Projection
When a subdisk is selected, highlights other subdisks on the same disk.
The Alert Monitor window displays information about failed objects or
objects that experienced other errors, as shown in
Figure A-5.
Each object is displayed with a description of the failure or error.
When
an object fails and an alert occurs, the alert icon appears on the Status
bar of the Main window and also overlays the object's icon in the Object
Table.
Figure A-5: Sample Alert Monitor Window
To display the Alert Monitor window either:
Click the Alert button in the toolbar
Choose Alerts from the Window menu
Click on the Alert icon on the Status bar
To view the properties of an object with an alert, select the object
and choose Object Properties from the Alert menu.
You can also access the
object Properties dialog box by right-clicking and choosing Properties from
the pop-up menu or by double-clicking on the object.
A.3.6 Object Table Copy Window
A copy of the Object Table allows you to view different parts of your
system at the same time.
The windows are dynamic, so updates to the system
are reflected in all windows.
To display the window copy, choose the Table
button from the toolbar or from the Window menu choose Copy Object Table
A.3.7 Search Window
The Search window searches the system for objects that match the specified search criteria. The Search window contains a set of tabbed pages that display search options for a particular type of object, as shown in Figure A-6. You can select the type of objects to search for by clicking on the tab label. The search will only take place on objects of the type you have selected.
To display the Search window, click the Search button in the toolbar
or from the Window menu choose Search.
Figure A-6: Sample Search Dialog Box
Specify the search criteria by choosing the drop-down menu selection then entering your criteria. If you enter criteria in more than one box, the search results only reflects the items that match all of the criteria (Boolean AND).
The table in the bottom half of the Search window displays objects and their properties that match the search criteria. (If you do not see the search results, drag the bottom edge of the window to enlarge the display.) Objects displayed in the Search window are monitored and removed from the window if they no longer meet the current search criteria.
The Search window has menus similar to those in the Main window menu.
The Window menu opens other windows or a copy of the current search-results
table.
The context-sensitive Selected menu accesses tasks or properties for
a object selected in the table.
You can right-click on an object to access
a context-sensitive pop-up menu.
To close the Search window, choose Close
from the Console menu.
A.3.8 Task Request Monitor Window
The Task Request Monitor window shows LSM and other tasks that the Storage Administrator performed in the current session (and any other sessions running on the system) as shown in Figure A-7. Each task is listed with properties such as the user who performed the task, the task status, and the start and finish times. For failed tasks, the Task Properties window includes any relevant error messages.
To display the Task Request Monitor, click on the Task button (in the
toolbar) or from the Window menu choose Tasks.
Figure A-7: Sample Task Request Monitor Window
To remove finished tasks and to close the window, from the Console menu choose Remove Finished Tasks.
To view the low-level commands used to perform a task, choose Properties
from the Tasks menu.
You can copy commands from the Executed Commands field
of the Tasks Properties dialog box to the command line or to a script file.
A.4 Shortcuts and Other Operations
There are shortcuts that let you more efficiently perform operations
with the GUI.
A.4.1 Sort
To sort the objects in a table column, click on the column heading. To reverse the order of the objects, click on the column heading again. The sort order cannot be saved with other user preferences.
You can sort entries in the Object Table, the Command Launcher, the
Search window, and the Task Request Monitor window.
A.4.2 Clearing an Alert
To acknowledge and clear an alert icon displayed on the Status bar,
choose Clear Alert Status from the Options menu.
A.4.3 Keyboard Shortcuts
You can use the following keyboard shortcuts instead of menu commands:
Ctrl-Shift-V
Create a volume.
Ctrl-G
Create a disk group.
Ctrl-F
Create a file system.
Ctrl-Z
Resize an object.
Ctrl-N
Rename an object.
Ctrl-Shift-R
Remove an object.
Ctrl-P
Show the properties of an object.
Ctrl-L
Show the layout of a volume (graphical view)
The following shortcuts only work in the Main window:
Ctrl-R
Open the Task Request Monitor window.
Ctrl-A
Open the Alert Monitor window.
Ctrl-S
Open the Search window.
Ctrl-C
Close the window.
A.4.4 Docking the Toolbar and Command Launcher
To separate the toolbar from the Main window, place the pointer over the toolbar handle (the thin bar next to the toolbar) and drag the toolbar outside the window. You can also use the toolbar handle to move the toolbar to the bottom, side, or top of the Main window.
To separate or attach the Command Launcher and the Main window, choose Preferences from the Options menu. In the Preferences dialog box, choose the Main Window tab and click on Dock Command Launcher. To separate the Command Launcher, click on the Dock Command Launcher again to remove the check.