Configuration Topology Viewer

The Configuration Topology Viewer provides a visual layout of a target's relationships with other targets.

This section covers the following topics:

• About Configuration Topology Viewer

• Examples of Using Topology

• Viewing a Configuration Topology

• Determining System Component Structure

• Determining General Status of Target's Configuration Health

• Getting Configuration Health/Compliance Score of a Target

• Analyzing a Problem and Viewing a Specific Issue in Detail

• About Dependency Analysis

• About Impact Analysis

• Creating a Custom Topology View

• Deleting a Custom Topology View

• Excluding Relationships from a Custom Topology View

• Including Relationships to a Target in a Custom Topology View

• Creating a Relationship to a Target

• Deleting a Relationship from a Target

• Controlling the Appearance of Information on a Configuration Topology Graph

About Configuration Topology Viewer

The Configuration Topology Viewer provides a visual layout of a target's relationships with other targets. To access the Configuration Topology Viewer from a target's home page, select Configuration, then select Topology in the dynamic target menu. A topology graph appears for the current target. Using the viewer, you can:

• Determine the source of a target's health problems, that is, detect which targets might be causing the failure. For example, a database is down because its host is down.

• Analyze the impact of a target on other targets. For example, the payroll and finance applications will be impacted if the database goes down.

• Determine the system's structure by viewing the members of a system and their interrelationships.

• Add additional relationships between targets. These relationships will be reflected in other Cloud Control tools.

• Customize your configuration topology views to focus on the targets for which you have responsibility.

• Share custom topology views that you have created with other Cloud Control users.

Examples of Using Topology

The following are examples of when to use the topology feature:

• Determine a system's component structure (see Determining System Component Structure)

• Analyze dependencies in relationships (see About Dependency Analysis)

• Analyze the impact of relationships (see About Impact Analysis)

Viewing a Configuration Topology

The Configuration Topology Viewer provides a visual layout of a target's relationships with other targets.

In the situations where the topology you are viewing is larger than your browser window, you can adjust the view by:

• Clicking the small arrow icon in the bottom right corner of the window to bring up a navigator, which allows you to select which portion of the topology is in view.

• Decreasing the size of the nodes in the display using the zoom control in the top left of the display.

Perform the following steps:

1. Access the Configuration Topology Viewer.

   From the Targets menu on the Cloud Control home page, select All Targets. In the table, click the appropriate target. On the resulting page, select Configuration then select Topology from the dynamic target menu.

2. From the View list, select any of the following:

   • Uses

     This view helps you determine the targets that the selected target depends on. If a target is having problems, this view can be useful in helping you determine whether its problems have been caused by another target it depends on.

   • Used By

     This view shows you the targets that depend on the selected target. This can be useful, for example, if you are planning on shutting down the target and need to know what other targets will be affected

   • System Members

     This view shows the members of the system (available only for targets that are systems).

   • Custom views that have been defined and shared by end users (custom views must be explicitly shared before they are available to others).

   The Uses, Used By, and System Members views are topology views provided by Oracle. They cannot be modified.

3. The following operations are available on the Topology page:

   • Create a custom topology view (see Creating a Custom Topology View)

   • Delete a custom topology view (see Deleting a Custom Topology View)

   • Exclude relationships from a custom topology view (see Excluding Relationships from a Custom Topology View)

   • Include relationships to a target in a custom topology view (see Including Relationships to a Target in a Custom Topology View)

Determining System Component Structure

To determine which components (targets and target components) comprise your IT system and their interrelationships, use the Configuration Topology Viewer.

Perform the following steps:

1. Access the Configuration Topology Viewer.
2. In the View menu, select System Members (available only if the target is a system). The view displays the relationships between the targets. The target type controls the default view that is shown.

To see the specific relationship between two targets, hover over the link between them and the relationship name will pop up.

Note the following:

• The topology feature is available any time you are in the context of a target: select Configuration from the target type menu, then select Topology.

• Not all target types have configuration data. For these target types, the Configuration menu and topology graphs are not available.

Determining General Status of Target's Configuration Health

Topology enables you to view system health by displaying relationships among system entities, structure of a target, and target components, thus enabling you to analyze configuration health and status of the configuration.

Perform the following steps:

1. Access the Configuration Topology Viewer.
2. In the Uses view on the Configuration Topology Viewer page, icons indicate whether the target is down. You can choose a particular view, for example, Uses or Used By. In addition, icons indicate whether targets have associated incidents.

Getting Configuration Health/Compliance Score of a Target

To determine the configuration health and compliance score of a target, perform the following steps:

1. Access the Configuration Topology Viewer.
2. Zoom in on the target that has problems. Problems are represented by icons indicating a problem target status, and icons indicating target incidents. The target you selected in the All Targets page will always be highlighted.
3. When you click a target, properties for the target are available in the Configuration tab in the Properties section. The Configuration tab shows information about target compliance, configuration changes in the past week, and recommended patches. Links from these values lead to more detailed reports.

   If incidents are reported in the Incident Summary tab, resolve the reported events and incidents. Compliance information is available through the Configuration tab. If the target is not compliant, resolve the issue. Also if patches are missing, apply them.

4. Repeat the process of analyzing the various targets until all targets are functioning properly.

Analyzing a Problem and Viewing a Specific Issue in Detail

When you drill-down in topology graphs, you can have a detailed view of the specific issue that could be the cause of the problem.

Perform the following steps:

1. Access the Configuration Topology Viewer.

   From the Targets menu on the Cloud Control home page, select All Targets. In the table, click the appropriate target. On the resulting page, select Configuration then select Topology from the dynamic target menu.

   To view target data, place the mouse over the node and continue to move the mouse to >>. The popup containing data appears. For additional information, select Properties located at the right. The links associated with the data lead to the detail pages.

2. View configuration history changes.

   From the dynamic target menu, select Configuration, then select History. On the Configuration History page, determine whether there has been a history change in the last 24 hours. If so, view those changes in detail for that particular target.

   Another way to access Configuration Changes from a node is to select the node, click on Properties, click the Configuration tab, and click the value associated with Configuration Changes.

3. View compliance violations, incidents, and unauthorized changes available from Properties.
4. View critical or warning incidents generated for a particular target: select Properties, then select Incidents.
5. Determine whether there are patch recommendations.

   On the Topology page, select a node. Select Properties then select Configuration. Click the value associated with Patch Advisory.

About Dependency Analysis

Dependency analysis, also known as root cause analysis, traverses the relationships top to bottom to see if there is cause of a problem due to an issue with an asset on which the item is dependent.

To find the source of a target's health problem, perform the following steps:

1. Access the Configuration Topology Viewer.

2. In the View list, select Uses. This shows a topology of the targets that the selected target depends on.

   Paths to the target or targets potentially causing the problem are colored.

   If your target is not up, paths to the target or targets that may be causing the problem are colored. Red links lead from your target to targets that are down, and yellow links lead to targets whose status is not known.

   By default the topology includes all depths of the tree, including the dependency relationships between those targets.

About Impact Analysis

Impact analysis traverses the relationships from the bottom to the top of the tree to see if a problem will occur if changes are made to the element (target or system) in which I'm interested. It answers the question: What items are dependent on my element that would be effected should I do something to my element. For example, if I shut down a listener, what databases would be affected?

Perform the following steps:

1. Access the Configuration Topology Viewer.

2. On the Topology page, analyze the Used By view. The topology will show the targets that depend on the selected target.

Creating a Custom Topology View

Create a custom topology view to include only those targets of interest, perhaps for a specific task or report. From a custom view, you can also augment the relationship data provided by Cloud Control.

Perform the following steps:

1. Access the Configuration Topology Viewer.
2. From the Customize menu, select Create Custom View.... Provide the name and description for the topology and select one of the Initial Contents:

   • Copy Current View to create a topology view similar to the one you are viewing.

   • Create Empty View to create a topology view that starts with the root node.

   Also, choose one of the following expose options:

   • Expose the custom view for all targets of the current target type. For example, if you are creating at a topology view for a database target, the new view will be available for all database targets.

   • Expose the custom view for the current target only.

   To share the view, click Share this custom view with other users.

   Click OK.

3. Reduce the unwanted information in the topology by highlighting the target and selecting Hide Relationships... in the Customize menu.

   You can also display relationships that are not being displayed by selecting a target. From the Customize menu, select Target, then select Show More Relationships to Target Type....

   Privileged users can also choose to share their custom views with other users. To share a custom view, select the checkbox labeled Share this custom view with other users.

4. Click OK.

Deleting a Custom Topology View

When a custom topology view is no longer of use, delete it so it no longer clutters the View list. Note: System owned views cannot be deleted.

Perform the following steps:

1. Access the Configuration Topology Viewer.
2. From the View list, select the topology view you want to delete.
3. From the Customize menu, select Delete Custom View...
4. Click Delete Custom View in the confirmation popup.

Excluding Relationships from a Custom Topology View

After you create a topology view, you may want to remove some of the targets displayed in the custom view. Note that you cannot modify the topology views provided by Oracle: Uses, Used By, and System Members.

Perform the following steps:

1. Access the Configuration Topology Viewer.
2. From the View list, select the topology view you want to change then select the target.

   Note: System created views cannot be modified.

3. From the Customize menu, select Hide Relationships....
4. The list of relationships that are displayed in the graph are listed in the Hide Relationships page. You can multi-select the relationships to exclude from the graph. Click OK.

Including Relationships to a Target in a Custom Topology View

After you create a topology view, you may find it necessary to include more relationships in the custom view. This will add targets to your custom view if they are related to the currently displayed targets using relationships you include.

Perform the following steps:

1. Access the Configuration Topology Viewer.
2. From the View list, select the custom topology view you own or have the privileges to change. System views such as Uses, Used By, and System Members cannot be modified.
3. Highlight a target from which to expand the topology. From the Customize menu, select Target, then select Show More Relationships to Target Type....
4. The resulting dialog shows a list of the relationships that the selected target type can participate in. Select the relationships of interest, and click OK. Any targets that are related to the selected target type using the selected relationships will be added to the topology view.

Creating a Relationship to a Target

In cases where you find that Cloud Control has incomplete information about your systems, you can create relationships between targets.

Note: Once new relationships are created, any topology showing the specified relationships and containing the targets will automatically show the new relationships.

Perform the following steps:

1. Access the Configuration Topology Viewer.
2. From the View list, select the topology view you want to change then select the target.
3. Select a target in the topology to be one end of the relationship.
4. On the Create Custom View page, provide a name and description, choose the initial contents, and determine how this custom view should be exposed. Click OK.
5. From the Customize menu, select Target, then select Create Relationship to Target....
6. On the Create Relationship to Target page, select the related target and the relationship between targets. Only relationships that the target type can participate in are shown in the list. Not all target types can be related to each other.

   Note:

   Created relationships are independent of the view. You can see and use created relationships in other areas of Cloud Control, such as System templates, topology views, and configuration comparisons. Deleting a custom view will not delete the new relationship.
7. On the Confirmation page, click Create.

The related target will be added to the view.

Deleting a Relationship from a Target

If you have created a relationship between two targets, you may decide that the relationship no longer exists. Reflect this change by deleting extraneous relationships where appropriate. Note that once relationships are removed, they no longer show in any topology views.

Perform the following steps:

1. Access the Configuration Topology Viewer.
2. From the View list, select a custom view.
3. Select the link to the relationship you want to delete. You can either right click the node to view the context menu that allows you to delete the relationship or, from the Customize menu, select Relationship, then select Delete Relationship....
4. On the Confirmation page, click Delete.

Relationships are used in various places in Cloud Control, such as System templates, topology views, configuration comparisons, and so on. Deleting a relationship from this topology can impact these other areas.

If you create a relationship, you can later delete it by using the Delete Relationship... menu item.

Controlling the Appearance of Information on a Configuration Topology Graph

To control the way the targets are displayed in a custom topology, you can customize the tier in which a target type is shown, and you can group target types together.

The tier in which a target type is shown will affect its vertical or horizontal placement in the topology, depending on whether the layout is left-right or top-down.

To customize the appearance, perform the following steps:

1. Access the Configuration Topology Viewer.

2. Create or select an existing custom view.

3. To control highlighted paths to targets that are down, toggle the "Highlight 'Down' Root Cause" menu item.

   When this menu item is selected and the root target is down, paths from the root node to other down targets are highlighted. By visually following the highlighted paths, you may determine which targets are causing the root target's down status.

   Note:

   When this option is selected, you will not be able to group nodes together.

4. To manipulate tiers:

   1. On the Customize menu, select Select Tiers.

   2. Select either Specify Tiers or Use Default Tiers. If you choose to specify tiers, drag target types to their desired tier.

5. To turn the coloring of the links on and off, on the Customize menu, select Highlight "Down" Root Cause.

6. To group targets:

   1. Select a link that represents one or more associations between the source and destination target types.

   2. On the Customize menu, select Relationship, then select Group Targets...(Another way to select group targets is to right mouse click a link and select Group Targets.)

      All matching associations are placed into group boxes.

Note:

Grouping targets is not possible when "Highlight 'Down' Root Cause' is selected.