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N1 Grid Service Provisioning System 5.0 System Administration Guide

About Host Searches

A host search is a query that is run on hosts in the provisioning system. Host searches yield a list of hosts that match criteria that you specify in your host-search query. You can use host searches to create lists of hosts that have the same host type or are configured with the same subnet masks.

Host Searches are objects with names and attributes. Therefore, when you create a host search, you assign it a name, a description, search parameters, and then save it. Because host searches are objects and saved, you can invoke them whenever you need to determine which hosts match the criteria described in the host search.

Invoking host searches provides you with current information about host configurations.

Hosts searches can be defined to search for any attribute on a host including host name, description, host type, and any user defined attribute associated with the host type. Additionally, hosts can be searched for by their operating systems and version.

By defining a host set (a group of hosts) to include the list of hosts that are returned by a specific host search, you can dynamically generate a list of hosts for use as targets based on the host configurations at runtime.

Note –

For more information on host sets, see About Host Sets.

Creating and Editing Host Searches

You might want to create or edit a host search in the following situations.

ProcedureHow to Create or Edit Host Searches

You can generate a dynamic list of hosts according to specified criteria. You might want to edit a host search when your criteria changes.

This procedure describes how to create or edit host searches by using the browser interface. You can also create or edit host searches by using the following commands.

For a detailed description of these commands, see Chapter 7, hdb: CLI Commands for Managing Hosts, in N1 Grid Service Provisioning System 5.0 Command-Line Interface Reference Manual.

Before You Begin

To create or edit a host search, you must belong to a user group that has Create, Edit, Delete permission on hosts.

Steps

  1. Go to the Host Searches page.

    For more information about navigating to the Host Searches page, see How to View Host Searches.

  2. Create a host search or display the Details page for an existing host search.

    • If you are creating a host search, in the top row of the Host Searches table, type a name and a brief description for the new host search and click Create.

    • If you are editing an existing host search, find the row listing the desired host search and click Details.

      A Details page for the host search is displayed. This page displays the search criteria for the host search.

  3. Add an attribute value as a search criterion.

    1. Use the menu in the attribute column to select an attribute to be added to the search.

      This menu will list any attributes you have defined as part of host types, as well as standard attributes.

    2. Use the menu in the Comparison column to select either Equals or Contains.

    3. In the Value column of the table, type the value of the attribute that you plan to search against.

      The search value can include the wildcard patterns . and *.

    4. In the Action column of the table, click Add to add this attribute-comparison-value criterion to the search.

      You can add as many of these criteria as you like.

  4. Indicate whether the search should look only for physical hosts, only for virtual hosts, or for both.

  5. Indicate whether the search should be limited to hosts running a specific provisioning system application: the Master Server, a Local Distributor, or a Remote Agent.

  6. (Optional) To view the list of hosts that match the criteria you have defined so far, click Refresh Listing.

  7. When you have defined your host search, click Save.

    The Host Searches page lists the new or modified host search.

ProcedureHow to View Host Searches

This procedure describes how to view host searches by using the browser interface. You can also view host searches by using the following commands.

For a detailed description of these commands, see Chapter 7, hdb: CLI Commands for Managing Hosts, in N1 Grid Service Provisioning System 5.0 Command-Line Interface Reference Manual.

Steps

  1. From the navigation menu, choose Host Setup.

    The Host Setup page is displayed.

  2. In the Host Setup page, click Host Searches.

    The browser interface displays the Host Searches page. By default, this page lists all the unhidden host searches.

  3. (Optional) To include the hidden host searches, select Show Hidden Host Searches in the upper right corner of the page.

  4. (Optional) To view the details of a specific host search, click Details in the row listing the host set that you want to view.

    The Details page is displayed for the host search that you selected.

ProcedureHow to Delete Host Searches

Caution – Caution –

Deleting a host search is permanent and cannot be undone. Deleting a host search might also be time consuming.

This procedure describes how to delete host searches by using the browser interface. You can also delete host searches by using the following command.

For a detailed description of this command, see Chapter 7, hdb: CLI Commands for Managing Hosts, in N1 Grid Service Provisioning System 5.0 Command-Line Interface Reference Manual.

Before You Begin

If a host search was created by a plug-in, you must delete the plug-in to delete the host search.

To delete a host search, you must belong to a user group that has Create, Edit, Delete permission on hosts.

Steps

  1. Go to the Details page of the host search that you plan to delete.

    For more information about navigating to the Host Searches page, see How to View Host Searches.

  2. At the bottom of the Details page, click Delete.

    You are asked to confirm the deletion of the host search.

  3. Confirm that you want to delete the host search by clicking Continue to Delete.

    After the host search is deleted, the browser interface displays an updated Host Searches page.