5.2 Using Feedback to Manage VMs

The VM Client is integrated with the Orchestrate Server and the Development Client to provide details from any Orchestrate jobs that are started by actions you take in the VM Client. This provisioning log integration enables you to see the current status on jobs that are running and to review the status of jobs that are finished. The information is provided in three levels: actions taken, provisioning logs, and job logs. You do not need to open the Development Client to discover the status of jobs started in the VM Client.

The In-Progress Icon icon is displayed in Status columns when a VM is in a progress state. The Status column can be viewed in the Virtual Machines view and in the VMs sections of the Summary tabs for host servers and templates.

Other actions cannot be performed on a VM when it is in a progress state (the In-Progress Icon icon) because Orchestrate jobs are run sequentially per VM.

If you double-click a VM that is in a progress state, its Event Log tab is immediately displayed.

All logging information is dynamically updated so that you do not need to refresh or return to a view to see event changes.

Even if you log in and log out of the VM Client, all logs are maintained and continue to progress so that you can still monitor an action after logging back in to the VM Client.

You can view the progress of any action, including error information, using the following features:

5.2.1 Progress View

The Progress View displays the progress of all VM actions initiated by any VM operator. To use the Progress View:

  1. The Progress View section is displayed by default; if it is not being displayed, do one of the following:

    • In the VM Client, click View > Show Progress View.

    • In the VM Client, double-click Show/Hide Progress View in the lower right corner of the VM Client window.

    The following view is displayed:

    VM Client Window Showing Progress View

  2. For another view of the progress bar with other information, mouse-over the Information Icon icon in the Status column for the Inventory item:

    For more information, see Section 5.2.3, Progress Bar in a Tool Tip.

  3. To view information specific to a progress task, mouse-over the name in the Status column of the Progress View section:

    For more information, see Section 5.2.5, Event Logs.

5.2.2 Progress Bar for Details Views

If you start an action on a VM from within a details view, a progress bar is displayed in the upper right of the VM Client window. To view it:

  1. To get a VM in an action state, in the host server’s Summary tab, right-click a VM and select an action.

  2. To view a progress bar on the host server’s details tab view, mouse over the VM:

    VM Client Window Showing VM’s Details from a Mouse-Over

  3. In the Virtual Machines view, double-click the VM.

    This changes the to details view to of the VM and displays the progress bar and progress description in the upper right of the VM Client window:

    VM Client Window Showing the Progress Bar in the Upper Right

    The progress bar shows the percentage completed. It only displays for a selected VM that has an action in progress.

  4. To view the log information, do one of the following:

    • Single-click the text to the left of the progress bar:

      Text to Single-Click Identified with Yellow Circle

    • Double-click the progress bar:

      Progress Bar to Double-Click Identified with Yellow Circle

    This opens the Event Log dialog box:

    Event Log Dialog Box Superimposed Over the VM Client Window

    You can click any Information Icon icons that are displayed for more detailed log information.

5.2.3 Progress Bar in a Tool Tip

There are two places where you can use the mouse-over function to view progress information:

  • You can view the progress of an action by mousing over its In-Progress Icon icon in the Status column of the Virtual Machines view, or the Status column of the Summary tabs for host servers and templates:

    The VM Client window with tool tip for a VM in an In-Progress State that shows information for the action, including a progress bar.

  • You can view the status log of the action by mousing over the entry in the Status column in the Progress View:

    The VM Client window with the Progress View open and a tool tip showing log information for the action.

5.2.4 Event Log Tab

You can view the progress of all actions for a VM by viewing its Event Log tab:

  1. In the VM Client, click Virtual Machines to display the VMs, then do one of the following to open its details views:

    • Double-click the VM, then click the Event Log tab.

    • Right-click the VM, select Show Details, then click the Event Log tab.

    The following view is displayed:

    The VM Client window with the details tabs for a selected VM displayed.

  2. To view the information in a different order, click any column to sort by that column.

    Click the column again to reverse the sorting order.

  3. To quickly locate specific information, click anywhere in the list, then begin typing a search string.

    This opens the locator pop-up and selects the first match. You can modify the string to refine the search, and you can use the up-arrow and down-arrow to move from match to match.

  4. To view more detailed information for an entry, double-click its In-Progress Icon icon.

    For more information, see Section 5.2.5, Event Logs.

5.2.5 Event Logs

You can view the progress of an action by accessing its individual event logs:

  1. In the VM Client, do one of the following to open the Progress View section:

    • In the VM Client, click View > Show Progress View.

    • In the VM Client, double-click Show/Hide Progress View in the lower right corner of the VM Client window.

    The following view is opened:

    The VM Client window with the Progress View opened within it.

  2. In the Progress View section, do one of the following:

    • Double-click the entry that is displayed in the Status column.

    • Right-click the entry that is displayed in the Status column and select Show Log.

    The following dialog box is displayed:

    Event Log Dialog Box

    These events are logged dynamically in the Event Log dialog box. Events with the In-Progress Icon icon provide further detail (see Step 5).

    You can also view this dialog box for VMs that are in an unknown state (the Unknown Icon icon).

  3. To view the information in a different order, click any column to sort by that column.

    Click the column again to reverse the sorting order.

  4. To quickly locate specific information, click anywhere in the list, then begin typing a search string.

    This opens the locator pop-up and selects the first match. You can modify the string to refine the search, and you can use the up-arrow and down-arrow to move from match to match.

  5. For further job details on an event, double-click its In-Progress Icon icon:

    Event Log Details Dialog Box

    These details are logged dynamically in the Event Log Details dialog box.

    Only the Event Log entries that have further job information available have the In-Progress Icon icon in the Additional Information column.

    You can have multiple Event Log Details dialog boxes open simultaneously to monitor multiple tasks for the same VM or for multiple VMs.

    The Event Log Details dialog box provides the same information as the Job Details dialog box in the Development Client.

5.2.6 Error Log

To use the Error Log section:

  1. In the VM Client, click View > Show Error Log to display the Error Log section:

    The VM Client Window with the Error Log section opened within it.

  2. To view further information on an error, double-click the error to display its Event Details dialog box:

    Event Details Dialog Box