1.3 Software Components

1.3 Software Components
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1.3.1 Oracle Virtual Compute Appliance Dashboard

The Oracle Virtual Compute Appliance provides its own web-based graphical user interface that can be used to perform a variety of administrative tasks specific to the appliance. The Oracle Virtual Compute Appliance Dashboard is a WebLogic application that is available via the active management node. It is installed on top of the Oracle WebLogic Server 11g that is packaged with Oracle VM Manager, as described in Section 1.3.3, “Oracle VM Manager”.

Use the Dashboard to perform the following tasks:

Appliance system monitoring and component identification
Monitoring and identifying physical network connections
Initial configuration of management node networking data
Resetting of the global password for Oracle Virtual Compute Appliance configuration components

The Oracle Virtual Compute Appliance Dashboard is described in detail in Chapter 2, Monitoring and Managing Oracle Virtual Compute Appliance.

1.3.2 Password Manager (Wallet)

All components of Oracle Virtual Compute Appliance have administrator accounts with a default password. After applying your data center network settings through the Oracle Virtual Compute Appliance Dashboard, it is recommended that you modify the default appliance password. The Network Setup tab allows you to set a new password. It is applied to all system configuration components, except for Oracle WebLogic Server.

Caution

The Oracle WebLogic Server password cannot be set from the Dashboard. Please change the password in the Oracle WebLogic Server Administration Console. Make sure it matches the password configured in the Wallet. Otherwise the Oracle Virtual Compute Appliance will not be able to connect to Oracle WebLogic Server. For details, see Section 6.9, “Changing Oracle WebLogic Server Passwords”.

Passwords for all accounts on all components are stored in a global Wallet, secured with 512-bit encryption. The password update functionality in the Dashboard is restricted to the Dashboard UI itself, Oracle VM Manager, the root user account on both management nodes, and the ovs user account of the Oracle VM mySQL database. It is possible to change the password for other accounts and components by setting the password manually and updating the Wallet entry from the command line of the master management node. For details, see Section 6.10, “Replacing Default Passwords Manually”.

1.3.3 Oracle VM Manager

All virtual machine management tasks are performed within Oracle VM Manager, a WebLogic application that is installed on each of the management nodes and which provides a web-based management user interface and a command line interface that allows you to manage your Oracle VM infrastructure within the Oracle Virtual Compute Appliance.

Oracle VM Manager is comprised of the following software components:

Oracle VM Manager application: provided as an Oracle WebLogic Server domain and container.
Oracle WebLogic Server 11g: including Application Development Framework (ADF) Release 11g, used to host and run the Oracle VM Manager application
MySQL 5.5 Enterprise Edition Server: for the exclusive use of the Oracle VM Manager application as a management repository and installed on the Database file system hosted on the ZFS storage appliance.

Administration of virtual machines is performed using the Oracle VM Manager web user interface, as described in Chapter 3, Managing the Oracle VM Virtual Infrastructure. While it is possible to use the command line interface provided with Oracle VM Manager, this is considered an advanced activity that should only be performed with a thorough understanding of the limitations of Oracle VM Manager running in the context of an Oracle Virtual Compute Appliance.

1.3.4 Operating Systems

Hardware components of the Oracle Virtual Compute Appliance run their own operating systems:

Management Nodes: Oracle Linux 6 with UEK2
Compute Nodes: Oracle Linux 5 with UEK2
Oracle ZFS Storage Appliance ZS3-ES: Oracle Solaris 11

All other components run a particular revision of their respective firmware. All operating software has been selected and developed to work together as part of the Oracle Virtual Compute Appliance. When an update is released, the appropriate versions of all software components are bundled. When a new software release is activated, all component operating software is updated accordingly. You should not attempt to update individual components unless Oracle explicitly instructs you to.

1.3.5 Databases

The Oracle Virtual Compute Appliance uses a number of databases to track system states, handle configuration and provisioning, and for Oracle VM Manager. All databases are stored on the ZFS storage appliance, and are exported via an NFS file system. The databases are accessible to each management node to ensure high availability.

The following table provides a listing of each of the different databases used by the Oracle Virtual Compute Appliance.

Table 1.2 Oracle Virtual Compute Appliance Databases

Item	Description
Oracle Virtual Compute Appliance Node Database	Contains information on every compute node and management node in the rack, including the state used to drive the provisioning of compute nodes and data required to handle software updates. Type: BerkeleyDB Location: `MGMT_ROOT/db/node` on the ZFS, accessible via `/nfs/shared_storage/db/node` on each management node
Oracle Fabric Interconnect Database	Contains IP and host name data for the Oracle Fabric Interconnect F1-15 Director Switches. Type: BerkeleyDB Location: `MGMT_ROOT/db/infrastructure` on the ZFS, accessible via `/nfs/shared_storage/db/infrastructure` on each management node
Oracle Virtual Compute Appliance Netbundle Database	Predefines Ethernet and bond device names for all possible networks that can be configured throughout the system, and which are allocated dynamically. Type: BerkeleyDB Location: `MGMT_ROOT/db/netbundle` on the ZFS, accessible via `/nfs/shared_storage/db/netbundle` on each management node
Oracle Switch ES1-24 Ports Database	Defines the factory-configured map of Oracle Switch ES1-24 ports to the rack unit or element to which that port is connected. It is used to map Oracle Switch ES1-24 ports to machine names. Type: BerkeleyDB Location: `MGMT_ROOT/db/opus_ports` on the ZFS, accessible via `/nfs/shared_storage/db/opus_ports` on each management node
Oracle Virtual Compute Appliance DHCP Database	Contains information on the assignment of DHCP addresses to newly detected compute nodes. Type: BerkeleyDB Location: `MGMT_ROOT/db/dhcp` on the ZFS, accessible via `/nfs/shared_storage/db/dhcp` on each management node
Oracle Virtual Compute Appliance Mini Database	A multi-purpose database used to map compute node hardware profiles to onboard disk size information. It also contains valid hardware configurations that servers must comply with in order to be accepted as an Oracle Virtual Compute Appliance component. Type: BerkeleyDB Location: `MGMT_ROOT/db/mini_db` on the ZFS, accessible via `/nfs/shared_storage/db/mini_db` on each management node
Oracle Virtual Compute Appliance Setup Database	Contains the data set by the Oracle Virtual Compute Appliance Dashboard setup facility. The data in this database is automatically applied by both the active and standby management nodes when a change is detected. Type: BerkeleyDB Location: `MGMT_ROOT/db/setup` on the ZFS, accessible via `/nfs/shared_storage/db/setup` on each management node
Oracle Virtual Compute Appliance Task Database	Contains state data for all of the asynchronous tasks that have been dispatched within the Oracle Virtual Compute Appliance. Type: BerkeleyDB Location: `MGMT_ROOT/db/task` on the ZFS, accessible via `/nfs/shared_storage/db/task` on each management node
Oracle Virtual Compute Appliance Update Database	Used to track the two-node coordinated management node update process. Type: BerkeleyDB Location: `MGMT_ROOT/db/update` on the ZFS, accessible via `/nfs/shared_storage/db/update` on each management node
Oracle VM Manager Database	Used on each management node as the management database for Oracle VM Manager. It contains all configuration details of the Oracle VM environment (including servers, pools, storage and networking), as well as the virtualized systems hosted by the environment. Type: MySQL Database Location: `MGMT_ROOT/ovmm_mysql/data/` on the ZFS, accessible via `/nfs/shared_storage/ovmm_mysql/data/` on each management node

1.3.6 Oracle Virtual Compute Appliance Management Software

The Oracle Virtual Compute Appliance includes software that is designed for the provisioning, management and maintenance of all of the components within the appliance.

Important

This software is not designed for human interaction. All configuration and management tasks must be performed using the Oracle Virtual Compute Appliance Dashboard. Do not attempt to run any of these processes directly without explicit instruction from an Oracle Support representative. Attempting to do so may render your appliance unusable.

This software largely consists of a number of Python applications that run on the active management node. These applications are found in /usr/sbin on each management node and are listed as follows:

ovca-backup: the script responsible for performing backups of the appliance configuration as described in Section 1.6, “Oracle Virtual Compute Appliance Backup”
ovca-check-master: a script that verifies which of the two management nodes currently has the master role
ovca-config: a configuration script to define additional settings not available in the Oracle Virtual Compute Appliance Dashboard, as described in Section 1.3.7, “Oracle Virtual Compute Appliance Configuration Script”
ovca-daemon: the core provisioning and management daemon for the Oracle Virtual Compute Appliance
ovca-dhcpd: a helper script to assist the DHCP daemon with the registration of compute nodes
ovca-diag: a tool to collect diagnostic information from your Oracle Virtual Compute Appliance, as described in Section 1.3.8, “Oracle Virtual Compute Appliance Diagnostics Tool”
ovca-factory-init: the appliance initialization script used to set the appliance to its factory configuration
ovca-helper: a support script used to perform particular configuration tasks and to assist with appliance configuration
ovca-node-db: a script used to maintain and update the Oracle Virtual Compute Appliance Node Database described in Section 1.3.5, “Databases”
ovca-redirect: a script to redirect HTTP or HTTPS requests to the Oracle Virtual Compute Appliance Dashboard described in Section 1.3.1, “Oracle Virtual Compute Appliance Dashboard”
ovca-remote-rpc: a script that allows other components to communicate with the various management scripts available on the management node
ovca-rpc: a script that allows the Oracle Virtual Compute Appliance Dashboard to communicate directly with the underlying management scripts running on the management node
ovca-update-password: a script that controls password updates for each different component in the appliance
ovca-updater: the script that allows you to download updated software for the Oracle Virtual Compute Appliance. It also allows you to activate the update, as described in Section 1.7, “Oracle Virtual Compute Appliance Software Update”

Many of these applications use a specific Oracle Virtual Compute Appliance library that is installed in /usr/lib/python2.6/site-packages/ovca/ on each management node.

1.3.7 Oracle Virtual Compute Appliance Configuration Script

The Oracle Virtual Compute Appliance includes a configuration script that can be run to configure additional settings that are not catered for within the Oracle Virtual Compute Appliance Dashboard. This script is located in /usr/sbin/ on each management node, and is named ovca-config.

The script allows you to configure proxy settings that allow the management nodes access to web-based or FTP-based resources on the Internet via a proxy server configured within your environment. See Section 6.1, “Adding Proxy Settings for Oracle Virtual Compute Appliance Updates” for more information.

The script also allows you to configure the log level, log path, log file size and number of log files for the Oracle Virtual Compute Appliance. These settings can be used to help troubleshoot problems and to assist with data gathering for support queries. See Section 6.2, “Setting the Oracle Virtual Compute Appliance Logging Parameters” for more information.

1.3.8 Oracle Virtual Compute Appliance Diagnostics Tool

The Oracle Virtual Compute Appliance includes a tool that can be run to collect diagnostic data: logs and other types of files that can help to troubleshoot hardware and software problems. This tool is located in /usr/sbin/ on each management and compute node, and is named ovca-diag. The data it retrieves, depends on the selected command line arguments:

ovca-diag
When you enter this command, without any additional arguments, the tool retrieves a basic set of files that provide insights into the current health status of the Oracle Virtual Compute Appliance. You can run this command on all management and compute nodes. All collected data is stored in /tmp, compressed into a single tarball (ovcadiag_<node-hostname>_<ID>_<date>_<time>.tar.bz2).
ovca-diag version
When you enter this command, version information for the current Oracle Virtual Compute Appliance software stack is displayed. The version argument cannot be combined with any other argument.
ovca-diag ilom
When you enter this command, diagnostic data is retrieved, by means of ipmitool, through the ILOM of each component in the rack. The data set includes details about the host's operating system, processes, health status, hardware and software configuration, as well as a number of files specific to the Oracle Virtual Compute Appliance configuration. You can run this command on all management and compute nodes. All collected data is stored in /tmp, compressed into a single tarball (ovcadiag_<node-hostname>_<ID>_<date>_<time>.tar.bz2).
ovca-diag vmpinfo
Caution
When using the vmpinfo argument, the command must be run from the master management node.
When you enter this command, the Oracle VM diagnostic data collection mechanism is activated. The vmpinfo3 script collects logs and configuration details from the Oracle VM Manager, and logs and sosreport information from each Oracle VM Server or compute node. All collected data is stored in /tmp, compressed into two tarballs: ovcadiag_<node-hostname>_<ID>_<date>_<time>.tar.bz2 and vmpinfo3-<version>-<date>-<time>.tar.gz.
To collect diagnostic information for a subset of the Oracle VM Servers in the environment, you run the command with an additional servers parameter: ovca-diag vmpinfo servers='ovcacn07r1,ovcacn08r1,ovcacn09r1'

Diagnostic collection with ovca-diag is possible from the command line of any node in the system. Only the master management node allows you to use all of the command line arguments. Although vmpinfo is not available on the compute nodes, running ovca-diag directly on the compute can help retrieve important diagnostic information regarding Oracle VM Server that cannot be captured with vmpinfo. Running ovca-diag from different locations can be particularly helpful in debugging InfiniBand fabric issues.

The ovca-diag tool is typically run by multiple users with different roles. System administrators or field service engineers may use it as part of their standard operating procedures, or Oracle Support teams may request that the tool be run in a specific manner as part of an effort to diagnose and resolve reported hardware or software issues. For additional information and instructions, also refer to the section “Data Collection for Service and Support” in the Oracle Virtual Compute Appliance Release Notes.

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