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N1 Grid Service Provisioning System 5.0 System Administration Guide

Chapter 7 Managing Objects

You can organize objects within the N1 Grid Service Provisioning System software in several ways. Folders, categories, and labels are different mechanisms that allow you to manage your components, plans, and comparisons.

In addition to providing a structure to manage components, plans, and comparisons, the provisioning system provides simple tools to help you search for objects throughout the system. This chapter discusses the following topics.

About Showing and Hiding Objects

Over time, objects may become obsolete or no longer require active management. To reduce the visual clutter, you can hide objects so that they are not shown in tables or displayed by CLI commands. This feature allows you to keep objects active in the system without needing to view them.

Objects that can be hidden include the following.

When you hide objects, you can still view them on the object's main page by selecting the show hidden option. For example, if you want to view hidden hosts, you can go to the Hosts page and click Show Hidden Hosts. Hidden hosts will display in a different row color.

About Finding Objects

You can find objects within the provisioning system in a number of ways.

Finding an Object From the Object's Table

You can search for an object from the top row of the appropriate object table. Searches performed are case-insensitive. A search to find all objects that start with a 'c' may return both “component” and “Component”.

Example 7–1 Finding a Component with the Object Table

If you are looking for a component that is a system#file component type, but you don't know what folder the component might be in, you can perform the following steps.

  1. Go to the Components page.

  2. Select In Flat View above the Components table.

    By selecting In Flat View, you see all components that match your criteria in the current folder and in all nested folders.

    Note –

    If you don't have any idea which folder the component might be in, perform this task from the top level folder (/).

  3. From the Type column, select system#file.

    Note –

    If you know any other details about the component, you can enter the information in the appropriate field to narrow the search results.

  4. Click Find.

Finding an Object Using Filters

You can use filters to simplify your view of objects. You can use filters on the following objects.

See About Categories.

Finding a Host Using Host Searches

While host searches are typically used for generating a list of hosts for use in a host set, you can also use host searches to find a particular host.

For information on how to create a host search, How to Create or Edit Host Searches.

About Categories

You can use categories to group objects that span multiple folders. As you organize your work space, you might notice that several applications rely on a single component. Rather than create multiple copies of the component or group multiple applications in one folder, you can create an easy-to-manage solution with categories.

Category Characteristics

ProcedureHow to Create a Category

This procedure describes how to create a category by using the browser interface. You can also create categories by using the following command.

Steps

  1. In the navigation menu under the Administrative section, click Categories.

  2. In the top row of the categories table, type the name of the new category and a description.

  3. Click Create.

ProcedureHow to Associate a Category With an Object

You can associate categories with components, plans, and comparisons in several ways.

This procedure describes how to associate a category with a component, plan, or comparison by using the browser interface. You can also associate categories by using the following commands.

Before You Begin

To apply a category to a component or plan, you must have write permissions on the folder that contains the component or plan. For example, if you plan to apply a category to a component, you must have write permissions on the folder that contains the component.

To apply a category to a comparison, you must have write permissions on the comparison.

Steps

  1. View the Details page of the component, plan, or comparison that you plan to associate with a category.

  2. In the Category row, click Apply Categories.

    A window is displayed listing the existing categories. If the component or plan belongs to a category, that category's checkbox is selected.

  3. Associate the object with the category.

    • If the category exists, check the category and click Apply Categories.

    • If you need to associate the object with a new category, perform the following steps.

      1. Type the new category name and description and click Create.

      2. When the category's name displays in the table, click Save.

        Note –

        If you do not click Save before you apply categories or enter another category name, the first category name is deleted.

      3. If the object is associated with other categories, indicate whether you want the new category to be added to the list of categories or to replace the existing list of associated categories.

  4. Click Apply Categories.

    The window closes. You can now select the desired category from the pull-down category menu and view all objects that are listed in the category.

ProcedureHow to View Categories

Step

    In the navigation menu under the Administrative section, click Categories.

    The browser interface displays the Categories page.

ProcedureHow to Filter Objects by Category

After you have categories set up and objects assigned to different categories, you can easily filter across folders.

This procedure describes how to sort objects by category by using the browser interface. You can also sort objects by using the following commands.

Step

    From the Components, Plans, or Comparisons view, select the category you need to view from the Show Category menu.

    The browser interface will display the list of components or plans that are in the category that you selected.

    Note –

    The list of objects is not heterogeneous. You can toggle between Plan and Component views by selecting one or the other from the Show menu.

ProcedureHow to Remove a Category From an Object

This procedure describes how remove a category with a component, plan, or comparison by using the browser interface. You can also remove categories by using the following commands.

Before You Begin

To remove a category from an object, you must have write permissions on the object or the folder that contains the object. For example, if you plan to remove a category from a component, you must have write permissions on the folder that contains component.

Steps

  1. View the Details page of the object from which you plan to remove a category.

  2. In the Category row, click Apply Categories.

    An Apply Categories to Selected Objects window is displayed listing the categories. If the component or plan belongs to a category, that category's checkbox is selected.

  3. Deselect the category that you want to remove.

  4. Click Apply Categories.

    The window closes. The object is no longer associated with the category.

About Labels

Labels allow you to mark components in a way that is meaningful to you. For example, rather than rely on a component's version number, which does not correlate to the product release for which the component is used, you can label a component to indicate which product release a component correlates to.

Label Characteristics

ProcedureHow to Add, Edit, or Remove a Label

This procedure describes how to modify a component's label by using the browser interface. You can also modify labels by using the following command.

Note –

When you add, edit, or remove a component's label, the version number of the component increases.

Before You Begin

To add, edit, or remove a label, you must have write permissions on the folder that contains the component you plan to modify.

Steps

  1. Go to the Details page of the component to which you plan to add a label.

  2. Click Edit.

  3. In the Label text field, enter the new or modified label.

    Note –

    If you plan to remove the component's label, erase the current label and leave the text field empty.

  4. Click Check In.

    The browser interface displays a confirmation page.

  5. Select component's new version number.

    You can choose to check the component in as the next major or minor version.

  6. Click Continue to Check In.

    The browser interface displays the Components page with the updated component label.

ProcedureHow to View a Label

Step

    Go to the Details page of the component with the label you want to view.

    The label name will be display next to the field labeled Label.