The Global Console is a collection of consoles:

  • The Notification Log Console presents notifications in tabular format.

    From the Notification Log Console for a selected notification, you can also open the Notification Properties workspace in a browser. The workspace may contain one or more apps that provide detailed information about the notification. Online help in the Companion UI provides complete information about the available apps and features.

  • The Map Console graphically represents your topology in a map format. In the map, icons change color when they are affected by one or more abnormal conditions.

  • The Topology Browser Console represents the topology in a hierarchical format and provides topological information.

  • The Summary View Console represents overviews or summaries of notifications organized by meaningful criteria.

  • The Status Table Console represents the status of underlying infrastructure elements as they affect the collection objects (ServiceOffering, ServiceSubscriber, or any group created by your administrator) specified in the Status Table.

  • The Web Console provides Global Console functionality in a standard web browser.

  • The Domain Manager Administration Console enables administrators to discover topology and manage underlying Domain Managers.

    The VMware Smart Assurance IP Manager Concepts Guide contains information about discovery. Information about polling and thresholds accessed by the Domain Manager Administration Console for specific VMware Smart Assurance applications is provided in their respective user guides.

  • The Global Manager Administration Console enables administrators to configure Global Managers.

    The VMware Smart Assurance Service Assurance Manager Configuration Guide includes information about the Global Manager Administration Console.

  • The Topology Builder Console enables administrators to modify and refine the topology stored in the VMware Smart Assurance repository.

    This console is available if Business Impact Manager is deployed. The VMware Smart Assurance Business Impact Manager User Guide includes information about the Topology Builder Console.

    The following consoles display information from or manage:

  • Global Managers — A Notification Log Console, Map Console, Summary Console, Status Table Console, Global Manager Administration Console, Topology Builder Console for Business Impact Manager, and views.

  • Domain Managers — A Domain Manager Administration Console.

    A Topology Browser Console or view can display information from Global Managers and Domain Managers.

    After you log in, one or more consoles appear, depending upon your user profile. For example, if your user profile is configured for the Notification Log Console and Map Console, then two consoles will appear after you log in. Since Domain Managers do not maintain user profiles, if you log in to a Domain Manager, the Topology Browser Console appears first.

    You can also customize a console for your operational needs, save it, and continue to use it. For example, you can add one or more views to a console.

    The layout of each console, including menu options and toolbar buttons, is briefly described in the subsequent sections. More complete information about individual menu options is provided in subsequent chapters. Menu options and toolbar buttons might be disabled or not appear if you do not have access to those console operations.

    Tool tips are available for each console. A tool tip provides information about console components, notifications, map icons, and summaries. To activate a tool tip, hold the cursor over the object. For example, in the Topology View topology tree, if you hold the cursor over a Global Manager, the tool tip provides the IP address and port number. If the text in an attribute field of the Notification Log is truncated, the full text is displayed in the tool tip.

    The status bar for each console displays status Ready for example, and the following information:

  • For a locally saved console, the directory path and its filename.

  • For a remotely saved console, the Manager or IP address where it is saved, username, and the console name.

    If you logged in using a default user profile, the console name Notification Log appears unless the name has been modified by an administrator.

  • For an unsaved console, the text "Not saved" appears.

    To quickly open menus in the consoles, press Alt + underlined character. For example, to open the File menu, press Alt + F.