A Namespace is a group of resources that consists of datastores, networks (application network), and external storage (local and cloud storage) created by a Provider Administrator. It is a logical grouping or subset of the resources that can be used for provisioning a database.

Namespaces View

As a Provider Administrator, you can see the following columns:

Column Name Description
Namespace Name The name of the Namespace.
Environment The environment associated with the Namespace.
Status The status or current state of the Namespace. Status can be Init, Online, or Warning.
Associated Organizations The number of organizations associated with the Namespace.
Number of Databases The number of databases created by using the Namespace.
Last Modified The time and date of last modification of the Namespace.
Action The UI to delete the Namespace.

If you click a Namespace in the Namespaces view, you can get more information about the Namespace through the following tabs:

  • The Details tab, which provides information about the various resources of a Namespace and allows you to edit the resources. The Details tab also provides information about:
    • VM Datastore: Lists the number of databases created, irrespective of their status, using the VM Datastores of the Namespace.
    • Application Network: Lists the number of databases created, irrespective of their status, using the Application Networks of the Namespace.
    • Active Local Storage: Lists the number of databases created that have enabled backups and are using the Active Local Storages of the Namespace. Replica databases and databases with errors are not included.
    • Cloud Local Storage: Lists the number of databases created that have enabled backups and are using the Cloud Local Storages of the Namespace. Replica databases and databases with errors are not included.
  • The Alerts tab, which provides information about the health of the Namespace and enables you to filter alerts on the basis of Datastore, Cloud Storage, and Local Storage. If any storage has reached 90% of it capacity or is not reachable by the Agent VM, the Namespace Health Status turns to Critical.
  • The Database Metrics tab, which provides information about the top 10 databases that use the Namespace, in the order of CPU and memory consumption . You can also filter the metrics on the basis of a selected organization, database, or the customised range of time configured by you for the metrics.
  • The Datastore Metrics tab, which provides information about the Datastore Usage By Database Instances and Datastore Free Space of the Namespace. You can also filter the metrics on the basis of a Datastore or the customised range of time configured by you for the metrics.
  • The Organizations tab, which provides information about organizations and databases associated with the Namespace, and enables you to filter on the basis of organization name, status of the organization with respect to the Namespace, and number of databases associated with the Namespace. This tab also allows you to add or remove association of organizations to the Namespace and edit resources of the Namespace.

Databases and Namespace

Apart from provisioning Replica databases, all other database operations, such as backup, restore, recover, PITR, and so on, use the same Namespace as the database VM on which these operations are performed. While creating Replica databases in an organization, you can select from the list of Namespaces that is associated with the organization and vCenter that has the Primary database node.

If you navigate to Databases in the left navigation pane, you can see the Namespace associated with a particular database in the Namespace column of the Databases view.

If you navigate to Namespaces in the left navigation pane, you can see the number of databases created using a particular Namespace in the Number of Databases column of the Namespaces view.

Limitations of a Provider Admin on Database Operations

If the Namespace with which a database is created is not associated with the Provider organization, only the following operations can be performed on the database by the Provider Administrator:

The moment you click a UI to perform any action other than the ones mentioned in the above list, you get a pop-up warning message. The message tells you that you cannot perform the action because the Namespace used to create the database is not associated with the Provider organization.

Creating a Namespace

VMware Data Services Manager allows only a Provider Administrator to create Namespaces. When you create a Namespace, you may or may not associate it with an organization or multiple organizations. However, when you create a database, you need to select a Namespace for the databasee from the list of Namespaces that are associated with the organization of the database.

When you create a Namespace, it is in the Online status.

Procedure

Perform the following steps to create a Namespace:

  1. Select Namespaces from the left navigation pane.

    This action displays the Namespaces view, a table that lists the Namespaces that are part of the Provider organization.

  2. Click CREATE NAMESPACE in the top right corner of the Namespaces view.

  3. On the Name and Description tab of the Create Namespace dialog box, enter the Name and Description (optional) of the Namespace, and then click NEXT.

  4. On the Environment tab of the Create Namespace dialog box, select the Environment for the Namespace, and then click NEXT.

  5. On the Database Backup Storages tab of the Create Namespace dialog box, set the following, and then click CONNECT:

    • One or more Local Storage
    • One or more Cloud Storage,
    • A Local Storage as Default
    • A Cloud Storage as Default

    Note: The default Local Storage and default Cloud Storage of a Namespace cannot be the same.

  6. Click ACCEPT or DECLINE on the thumbprint(s) of the local and cloud repositories of database backups if you are configuring it for the first time.

  7. If you click ACCEPT, you can SAVE or UPDATE to apply the settings. If you click DECLINE, you can update the properties again, and then perform Steps 5 and 6.

  8. After the configured Local and Cloud Storages are connected to the Namespace, click NEXT.

  9. On the VM Datastores tab of the Create Namespace dialog box, select one or more VM Datastores for the Namespace, select one VM Datastore as Default, and then click NEXT.

  10. On the Application Networks tab of the Create Namespace dialog box, select one or more Application Networks for the Namespace, select one Application Network as Default, and then click NEXT.

  11. (Optional) On the Organization Association tab of the Create Namespace dialog box, select one or more organizations to be associated with the Namespace, and then click CREATE.

Note: When organizations share infrastructure, there is no CPU, network, or storage isolation between their workloads.

Modifying a Namespace

After you have created a Namespace, you may need to add, update, or remove the associated datastores, networks, external storages, and organizations associated with it. Therefore, VMware Data Services Manager allows a Provider Administrator to edit or modify Namespaces.

If you change the default Local Storage, Cloud Storage, VM Datastore, or Application Network for a Namespace, the new databases created after the change use the new defaults. The old databases continue to use the old defaults until you migrate the backups of such databases manually to some other external storage. For more information on how to manually migrate existing backups of a databases to a new storage, see Migrating Existing Database Backups to New Storages and Networks.

Procedure

Perform the following steps to edit or modify a Namespace:

Note: You cannot change the environment associated with the Namespace after the creation of the Namespace.

  1. Select Namespaces from the left navigation pane.

    This action displays the Namespaces view, a table that lists the Namespaces that are part of the Provider organization.

  2. Identify the Namespace you want to modify, and then click that Namespace in the table.

    This action displays the Details tab.

  3. In the Basic Information section of the Details tab, click EDIT or click ADD ORGANIZATION in the Organizations tab.

    This action displays the Edit Namespace dialog box.

  4. In the Edit Namespace dialog box, navigate to the Name and Description, Database Backup Storages, VM Dtastores, Application Networks, or Organization Association tab, to modify the resources of the Namespace and associated organizations, as required, and then click UPDATE.

Note:
  • You cannot remove a resource from a Namespace if the resource is associated with a database
  • You can also modify the Namespaces associated to an Organization from the Organization pane.

    • Unpublishing and Publishing a Namespace

    When a Namespace is created and associated with an organization, the Namespace is published for that organization. The databases can use published Namespaces only. If a Namespace is unpublished from an organization, you can no longer use the Namespace to create new databases in that organization. However, a Namespace unpublished from an organization continues to be associated with that organization.

    Note: You get a warning message if you want to perform cloning, restoring, or PITR, replica creation of a database using a Namespace that is unpublished.

    Procedure

    Perform the following steps to unpublish or publish a Namespace from an organization:

    1. Select Namespaces from the left navigation pane.

      The Namespaces view displays the Namespaces that are part of the Provider organization.

    2. Click the Namespace that you want to unpublish or publish, and then click the Organizations tab.

    3. Identify the organization from which you want to unpublish or publish the Namespace, click the three vertical dots in the Action column of that organization, and then click Unpublish or Publish.

    4. Click CONFIRM in the Confirmation dialog box.

    Deleting a Namespace

    If a Namespace is no longer required, you can delete it. VMware Data Services Manager allows a Provider Administrator to delete Namespaces.

    Note: You cannot delete a Namespace if the Namespace is associated with a database.

    Procedure

    Perform the following steps to delete a Namespace:

    1. Select Namespaces from the left navigation pane.

      This action displays the Namespaces view, a table that lists the Namespaces that are part of the Provider organization.

    2. Identify the Namespace you want to delete, click the three vertical dots in the Action column of that Namespace, and then click Delete.

    3. Click CONFIRM in the Confirmation dialog box.

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