C H A P T E R  1

SunVTS Overview

This chapter covers:


1.1 What Is SunVTS?

SunVTS is Sun Validation test suite. SunVTS is a comprehensive diagnostic tool that tests and validates Sun hardware by verifying the connectivity and functionality of most hardware controllers and devices on Sun platforms.



Note - SunVTS is only supported on the Sun SPARCtrademark platforms running the Solaris operating environment.



SunVTS can be tailored to run on various types of machines ranging from desktops to servers with modifiable test instances and processor affinity features.

SunVTS supports testing in both 32-bit and 64-bit Solaris operating environments; automatically determines the operating environment (32-bit or 64-bit); and initiates the appropriate tests.

Use SunVTS to validate a system during development, production, receiving inspection, troubleshooting, periodic maintenance, and system or subsystem stressing.

SunVTS has a sophisticated graphical user interface (UI) that provides test configuration and status monitoring. The user interface can be run on one system to display the SunVTS testing of another system on the network. SunVTS also provides a TTY-mode interface for situations in which running a graphical UI is not possible.


1.2 SunVTS Features

1.2.1 New Features for SunVTS 5.1

The SunVTS 5.1 software is compatible with Solaris 8 2/02, Solaris 9, and Solaris 9 9/02 operating environments. Two new test modes (Online and Exclusive) were added for this release of SunVTS; refer to SunVTS Test Modes for descriptions of each. Also, creating and editing a generic configuration option file is now supported and is described in Appendix C. Additionally, online help is now available by selecting Help/Online Help from the main CDE Diagnostic window or the TTY UI.

1.2.2 Test Categories

SunVTS comprises many individual tests for testing a wide range of Sun products and peripherals.

Use SunVTS to test one device or multiple devices. Some of the test categories are:

You need to select the proper test modes and options to maximize the effectiveness of SunVTS. This book covers the overall test configuration modes and options of the application. For information regarding the configuration of individual tests, refer to the SunVTS Test Reference Manual.

1.2.3 SunVTS User Interfaces

You can run SunVTS from the following user interfaces:



Note - As of SunVTS 5.0, the SunVTS OPEN LOOK user interface is no longer supported.



FIGURE 1-1 SunVTS CDE Main Window

Screenshot of SunVTS CDE main window.

1.2.4 SunVTS Test Modes

Based on how you configure SunVTS, the test session runs in one of the following test modes:

1.2.5 Security

SunVTS has two security mechanisms that you choose to implement when you install SunVTS:

The SunVTS installation process prompts you to specify which security mechanism you want to use. You must use one or the other, and the SEAM security implementation is the default if you press the Return key through the installation questions.


1.3 SunVTS Architecture

The SunVTS architecture is divided into three components: the SunVTS kernel, the user interface, and the collection of hardware tests. FIGURE 1-2 is a block diagram representing the SunVTS architecture.

FIGURE 1-2 SunVTS Architecture

Block diagram of the SunVTS architecture.

1.3.1 SunVTS Kernel

The following activities are scheduled and monitored by the kernel:

There are two versions of the SunVTS kernel:

1.3.2 SunVTS User Interface

The SunVTS user interface is separate from the SunVTS kernel. The user interface communicates with the SunVTS kernel through an application programming interface (API). This gives SunVTS the ability to run the appropriate interface (CDE, or TTY) based on the environment of the system. It also allows the user interface to run on a system other than the system under test.

1.3.3 SunVTS Hardware Tests

Many separate tests make up the collection of tests in the SunVTS application. Each test is a separate process from the SunVTS kernel.

When SunVTS is started, the SunVTS kernel automatically probes the system kernel to determine the installed hardware devices and displays the testable devices in the SunVTS UI. This provides a quick check of your hardware configuration, and only those tests applicable to your system are displayed.

During testing, the hardware tests send the test status and messages to the SunVTS kernel through interprocess communication (IPC) protocols. The kernel passes the status to the user interface and logs the messages.

The SunVTS kernel and most tests support 32-bit and 64-bit Solaris operating environments.