9.2 Viewing the Virtual Bridge Configuration in the Orchestration Console

You can visually expose a vBridge Grid object in the Explorer tree by selecting a Network object to expand it, then selecting the vBridge you want to view in the Info/Groups page.

The page that opens under the Info/Groups tab includes fields where you can configure the general information and attributes (facts) of the vBridge.

NOTE:Whenever you make changes to vBridge object facts, the write icon is superimposed on the object’s icon, signifying that the object has been altered. If you want to save the changes you have made, you need to click the Save button on the Orchestration Console toolbar.

9.2.1 Virtual Bridge Info/Groups Tab

The page that opens under the Info/Groups tab includes two collapsible sections where you can configure the general information and attributes of the vBridge.

Virtual Bridge Info Panel

The Info panel on the Info/Groups page includes the following information:

Show Inherited Fact Values Check Box

Select this check box to show facts with overridden values supplied through attached and inherited policies. Such fact values are read only (non-editable).

Network Information

The Network Information panel on the Info/Groups page for the vBridge Grid object includes the following fields:

NOTE:Tooltip text is available when you mouse over any of these fields.

Description: Enter a description of the vBridge Grid object.

In the Fact Editor, this fact is listed as vmhost.resource:

<fact name="vbridge.description" value="" type="String" />

Vbridge Enabled: This check box is selected by default. When it is selected (it has a value of true), the vBridge is enabled and Virtual NICs can be attached to it.

In the Fact Editor, this fact is listed as vbridge.enabled:

<fact name="vbridge.enabled" value="true" type="Boolean" />

Healthy: This check box is selected by default. When it is selected (it has a value of true), the virtual bridge is designated as being in good health. You can set the health of the object by selecting or deselecting the health check box. Changing the value in this way has an immediate effect unless the value is overridden by an attached policy (this follows the normal rules of policy inheritance). For more information, see Section A.0, Grid Object Health Monitoring.

In the Fact Editor, this is fact is listed as vbridge.health:

<fact name="vbridge.health" value="true" type="Boolean" />

Attached Virtual NICs: This list box lists the Virtual NICs that are attached to this vBridge.

In the Fact Editor, this fact is listed as an array:

<fact name="vbridge.vnics">
  <array type="String">
  </array>
</fact>

The list includes vNICs from currently running VMs only. When a VM is not running, the Orchestration Server does not consider its vNICS as “currently attached.” This is because vNICs are configured to associate with Network objects, and the attached vBridge might change, depending on which host the VM has been provisioned. The list can also change dynamically if the VM is migrated to another host (and that host’s vBridge) on the same network.

Virtual Bridge Groups Panel

This section of the Info/Groups page lists the groups of vBridge objects (called “Networks”) in the grid to which this vBridge is associated. Click Choose to open the Network Selection dialog box. In this dialog box, you can choose which networks to display in the Explorer tree by selecting a group and then clicking Add or Remove to move it to or from the Source Networks list.

9.2.2 Virtual Bridge Policies Tab

The Policies tab opens a page that contains a policy viewer for each of the policies associated with a Grid object. Click Choose to associate an existing policy with a vBridge.

NOTE:You can edit a policy by right-clicking a policy icon, selecting Edit Policy, and clicking the Save button.

9.2.3 Virtual Bridge Health Debugger Tab

The Health Debugger is a common Admin view in the Orchestration Console for most Grid objects. For information about this tool, see Section A.3, Health Debugger.

9.2.4 Virtual Bridge Constraints/Facts Tab

The Constraints/Facts tab opens a page that shows all of the effective constraints and facts for a Grid object. Each Grid object has an associated set of facts and constraints that define its properties. In essence, by building, deploying, and running jobs on the Orchestration Server, you can individually change the functionality of any system resources by managing an object’s facts and constraints. The Orchestration Server assigns default values to each of the component facts. Facts with no mode can be changed at any time by the administrator. Facts with mode r/o have read-only values, which can be viewed by using the edit pencil button, but changes cannot be made.