Describing Resources and Attributes

Purpose

The describe command displays information about Exascale resources and their attributes.

Syntax

describe { resource-spec | --all } [ --detail ]

Command Options

The options for the describe command are:

resource-spec: Directs the command to display information about specific Exascale resources and their attributes as follows:
- The resource-spec value is not case-sensitive.
  
  Consequently, the following commands are functionally equivalent:
```
@> describe vaults
```
```
@> describe VAULTS
```
```
@> describe vAUltS
```
- You can specify resource names in singular or plural form.
  
  Consequently, the following commands are functionally equivalent:
```
@> describe vault
```
```
@> describe vaults
```
- If you specify a complete resource name (in singular or plural form), the output contains all attributes of the specified resource.
- If you specify a resource name with a wildcard (*), the output contains all resources that match the pattern.
  
  For example, the following command describes all resources starting with the letter 'v' (vaults, volumes, and so on):
```
@> describe v*
```
- If you specify an attribute name (using the notation: <resource>.<attribute>), the output describes the specified attribute.
  
  For example:
```
@> describe vaults.name
```
- If you specify an attribute name with a wildcard (*), the output contains all attributes that match the pattern.
  
  For example, the following command describes all attributes starting with 'n' in all resources starting with 'v':
```
@> describe v*.n*
```
- If resource-spec begins with 'mk', the output contains only the attributes that are initializable during resource creation (initializable != false).
  
  For example, the following command describes all attributes that are initializable during file creation:
```
@> describe mkfiles
```
  You can further refine the output using the following options:
  - --mandatory: Describes only the mandatory attributes that must be initialized during resource creation (initializable = Mandatory). For example:
```
@> describe mkfiles --mandatory
```
  - --optional: Describes only the optional attributes that may be initialized during resource creation (initializable = Optional).
```
@> describe mkfiles --optional
```
- If resource-spec begins with 'ch', the output contains only the attributes that are modifiable for an existing resource (modifiable = true).
  
  For example, the following command describes the attributes that may be modified for existing files:
```
@> describe chfiles
```
--all: Directs the command to display information for all Exascale resources.
--detail: Optionally formats the command output so that values are displayed on separate lines, instead of using the default tabular output.