After the I-Fabric has been built and the N1 Provisioning Server software installed, you are ready to begin farm management tasks. Generally, as part of system acceptance, you also create global and account software images before you begin to build farms. For instructions on creating software images, refer to Creating and Managing Images in N1 Provisioning Server 3.1, Blades Edition, System Administration Guide.
Farm management lifecycle involves the following major tasks:
Creating Control Center accounts
Designing and configuring farms
Activating farms
Setting up farm monitors and alarms
Managing changes in farm states
Managing end-user accounts
In some I-Fabric implementations, end users design and configure farms, create monitors and alarms, and manage end-user accounts. In other I-Fabric implementations, administrators perform all farm management tasks.
This guide assumes that administrators perform all farm management tasks. However, this guide identifies those areas where end users can request administrative support.
The Control Center supports various levels of access privileges. These access privileges enable end users, as well as administrators, to perform certain farm management tasks. In I-Fabric implementations that do not enable end users to interact with the Control Center, administrators perform all tasks.
Table 2–1 lists the various high-level tasks that need to be performed during each of the farm lifecycle states.
Administrators who are responsible for all farm management tasks perform all tasks listed in this table.
User or Account Manager Tasks |
Administrator Tasks |
Lifecycle State |
---|---|---|
New farm created but not yet submitted |
None |
Design |
The user submits the farm for approval and activation |
Manually validate the submitted farm. |
Activation |
|
Use the Administration screen to unblock the request, if the farm is valid. |
|
|
Set the contract parameters in the Control Center Administration screen. |
|
|
Turn over active farms to the users. |
|
Migrate application and data |
Work with users and assist in migration. |
Active |
Create server images |
Create global images, see Creating and Managing Images in N1 Provisioning Server 3.1, Blades Edition, System Administration Guide. |
|
Change or flex farms |
Changing farms is an automated process if the resources are within the set contract type limits. If a farm is not bound by a contract, the request must be unblocked. |
|
Submit a redesigned farm as new |
Same task as when the new farm was submitted. |
|
Request that all farm elements (excluding storage) be returned to the free pool. |
Unblock the standby request through the Administration screen. |
Standby |
Request reactivation |
Unblock the reactivate request through the Administration screen. |
|
Request deactivation |
Unblock the Deactivate request through the Administration screen. |
Inactive |
Delete the farm |
|
Deleted |