Management for the Oracle VM environment is provided by Oracle VM Manager, a transaction-based framework that also includes an integrated database, a web-based management user interface and a command line interface. Because Oracle VM can continue to function normally even during periods of downtime for the Oracle VM Manager, high-availability and redundancy are not generally required for Oracle VM Manager.
Oracle VM Manager is a multi-user application with multiple interfaces. It is best practice for multiple users to not make configuration changes concurrently. However, it is possible for two users to simultaneously configure an object in the environment. When this occurs, Oracle VM Manager takes the first change that enters the queue, locks the object, and then applies the new configuration. The second configuration change on the object fails because it is based on stale information. Oracle VM Manager then returns an error message to the user who submitted the second configuration change. The user must refresh the object and resubmit the change, if necessary.
The architecture of Oracle VM Manager is composed of various inter-related components. The fundamental components are the Oracle VM Manager application itself and the Oracle VM Manager database.
The Oracle VM Manager core application is a Java-based Oracle WebLogic application that is usually installed on a dedicated system.
The Oracle VM Manager core application lets you configure, monitor and manage the Oracle VM environment through direct communication with the Oracle VM Agent on each Oracle VM Server in the environment. The Oracle VM Manager core application also stores all configuration information and event data within the Oracle VM Manager database.
The Oracle VM Manager core application provides an API that allows other components to interface with it. As of Oracle VM Release 3.3.1, this API is implemented as a Web Services API that provides a REST interface to the Oracle VM Manager. The Oracle VM Manager Web Interface and Oracle VM Manager Command Line Interface both use this API to interact directly with the Oracle VM Manager core application.
The Web Services API exposed by the Oracle VM Manager core application makes it possible to programmatically set up and manage an Oracle VM environment. For more information, see Oracle VM Web Services API Developer's Guide.
The Oracle VM Manager database stores configuration information and event data. The actual database management server is a MySQL Enterprise database that is bundled with the Oracle VM Manager installer.
The MySQL database is set up using bundled database software included and licensed for use with Oracle VM Manager. The database management server is installed on the same system as the Oracle VM Manager core application and is intended only for use by this application. Particular configuration parameters specific to the requirements of Oracle VM Manager are applied to this installation.
Details on the installation of the database are covered in the Oracle VM Installation and Upgrade Guide, while database backups are explained in more detail in Oracle VM Administrator's Guide.
The Oracle VM Manager Web Interface is a web-based application built on top of Oracle WebLogic and Application Development Framework (ADF). The Oracle VM Manager Web Interface is installed on the same system and shares the same Oracle WebLogic Server domain as the Oracle VM Manager core application, but is a separate application. By default, the graphical user interface is accessed over HTTPS on the TCP port 7002.
The Oracle VM Manager Web Interface, its configuration and usage are described in detail in the Oracle VM Manager User's Guide.
The Oracle VM Manager Command Line Interface is a Java-based daemon that runs on the system where Oracle VM Manager is installed. Access to the CLI is provided via an SSH connection available on a customizable TCP port, set to TCP 10000 by default. Any SSH client can be used to access the CLI, which provides its own shell and supports SSH key-based authentication.
The Oracle VM Manager Command Line Interface enables administrators to manage the entire Oracle VM environment from the shell, and facilitates programmatic setup and control of an environment through the use of simple shell or Expect scripts. Every action that is available via the Oracle VM Manager Web Interface is also available via the CLI.
As an independent component of the Oracle VM Manager suite of applications, the Oracle VM Manager Command Line Interface can be disabled if it is not required within an environment.
Full usage of the Oracle VM Manager Command Line Interface, including syntax and examples, is covered in the Oracle VM Manager Command Line Interface User's Guide.
The Oracle VM Utilities are a collection of command line scripts that allow you to perform basic management tasks in an Oracle VM environment. Some of the management tasks you can perform with the Oracle VM Utilities include the following:
Sending messages to virtual machines from Oracle VM Manager to control and configure those virtual machines.
Configuring hard partitioning, or CPU pining. For more information, see Section 7.16, “Setting Hard Partitioning for Virtual Machine CPUs”.
Collecting metrics on an instance of Oracle VM Server that hosts a particular virtual machine.
As of Oracle VM Release 3.4, most of the Oracle VM Utilities are either obsolete with native features in Oracle VM or deprecated by the Oracle VM Manager Command Line Interface. You can find out more about the Oracle VM Utilities, including how to download and install, in the Oracle VM Administrator's Guide. See Using the Oracle VM Utilities.