Overview of SunVTS 2.0

1

This chapter gives an overview of SunVTS 2.0 and describes its client/server architecture. This chapter also explains some of the main uses of SunVTS.

Table 1-1 is an alphabetical list of major SunVTS 2.0 features, commands, and options. Besides defining these features, this table also provides pointers to other sections in this book where you can find more information about a given topic.

SunVTS 2.0, Sun's online validation test suite, tests and validates Sun^(TM) hardware by verifying the configuration and functionality of most hardware controllers, devices, and platforms.

Also available in SunVTS is the selectable device mapping feature. In Physical mapping, tests are grouped according to the physical location of the devices that are tested. In Logical mapping, tests are grouped according to the functionalities the tested devices perform.

Combined with the modifiable test instances and processor affinity features, SunVTS can be tailored to run on various type of machines ranging from desktops to servers at the runtime.

SunVTS is an online diagnostics tool and system exerciser that can be used to simulate the worst case scenario to pinpoint any potential problems. Use it to validate a system during development, production, receiving inspection, trouble shooting, and periodical maintenance or monitoring. Since the SunVTS tests cover a wide range of products and peripherals, proper test options need to be selected to make it most effective. Although SunVTS pre-sets the testing

options in both Connectivity and Online modes, it is quite flexible in Offline mode. Refer to the SunVTS 2.0 Test Reference Guide to select the proper options before running any tests. The selected options can always be saved in an Option file and recalled at later test sessions.

The SunVTS tests rely on system calls and driver interfaces for testing. As a result, fault isolation capability is limited by these tasks. Error messages point to the fault location.

Test Modes

Under SunVTS, tests can be run in three test modes:

Connectivity mode - a low stress, quick testing of the availability/connectivity of the tested device is run.
Online mode - a more thorough but non-intrusive test is invoked, which does not affect other applications running at the same time.
Offline mode - this test assumes that there are no other applications running and that it can use whatever system resources are required to do thorough testing.

Some tests may not support all three modes, in which case the tests are disabled (grayed out) from being selected.

User Interfaces

The SunVTS user interface can be launched directly from the Solstice^(TM) SyMON^(TM) system monitoring tool to make online diagnostics more accessible. Refer to the SyMON documentation for more information.

You can also use the ETI-based TTY interface or the command line interface to operate SunVTS from the Solaris command line.

SunVTS can be used with these interfaces:

Window Interface - the SunVTS user interface runs in both OPEN LOOK and Common Desktop Environment (CDE) environments. See Chapter 3, "User Interfaces".

TTY Interface - you can run SunVTS from a terminal, a shelltool, or a modem attached to a serial port using the TTY interface. See Chapter 3, "User Interfaces".

SunVTS Architecture

The SunVTS architecture is divided into three components: the SunVTS kernel, the user interface, and the hardware tests. An overview of each component follows.

SunVTS kernel
The main functions of the SunVTS kernel are:
· Probes and saves the test system's hardware configuration upon start-up
· Logs messages reported from tests
· Maintains the status of all running tests
· Monitors the status requests or control commands from a user interface or other applications
· Schedules the tests that are enabled by the user
· Runs as a background process (daemon)
User interface
A separate process from the SunVTS kernel. The SunVTS user interfaces communicate with the SunVTS kernel through an application programming interface (API). The SunVTS API lets a user interface, send, and receive commands from the SunVTS kernel. Normally, the user interface is running on a different machine than the one being tested.
Hardware tests
Each hardware device supported by Sun can be validated by a corresponding hardware test. Each test is a separate process from the SunVTS kernel process. The hardware tests send the status and messages to the SunVTS kernel through interprocess communication (IPC) protocols. Tests are run on the machine that has the SunVTS kernel.The SunVTS kernel automatically probes the system kernel for installed hardware devices. Those devices are then displayed on the SunVTS control panel with the appropriate tests and test options. This provides a quick check of your hardware setup.

SunVTS has a shared object library that contains test-specific probing routines. At runtime, the SunVTS kernel dynamically links in and calls these probing routines to initialize its data structure with test-specific information. New tests can be added into the SunVTS environment without re-compiling the SunVTS source code.

Figure 1-1 is a diagram of the SunVTS architecture.

Figure 1-1

List of SunVTS Features

Table 1-1 lists and describes SunVTS features. You can find more information about a specific feature by going to the page number listed.

Table 1-1

Feature	Description	Page No.
Advanced Options	Provides a way to lock test or group options from being reset by global option settings	*page 54, 84*
Auto Start	Runs SunVTS when first started	*page 54*
Connectivity Test Mode	Specifies very low stress testing of the available devices	*page 78*
Connect to	Displays the Connect to(Machine) window, where you can connect to another machine on the network that is running the SunVTS kernel, or reconnect to the SunVTS kernel	*page 50*
Console Panel	Displays the error messages from the SunVTS kernel and the hardware tests	*page 41*
Core File	Sends messages to a Core file that is associated with the test	*page 54*
Custom Tests	Contains a set of custom-developed tests	*page 100*
Display	Displays the hardware configuration of the associated test selected	*page 60*
Elapsed Time	Displays how long (in the format of hh:mm:ss) SunVTS has been testing your system	*page 38*
Email Address	Specifies the email address where status mailings will be sent	*page 54*
Errors	Indicates the number of times a test, or a test within a test group, has exited with an error	*page 38*
Graphics	Contains the tests that validate the system's graphics adapters; select this button to display group system options, where you can set the group system options for the tests in this group	*page 87*
Group Concurrency	Sets this option to the number of tests you want to run at the same time in the same group	*page 54*
Group Lock	Protects changes in the Set Options window for this test group	*page 54*
Group Override	Overrides any locked test options in the test group in favor of the options displayed in the Set Options window	*page 54*
Intervention	Enables or disables running tests that require user intervention; these tests require the user to either install loopback connectors or to intervene while the test validates the hardware	*page 54*

Table 1-1

Feature	Description	Page No.
Log Files	Displays the Log Files window where you can display, print, or remove the SunVTS log files; these log files contain the messages created by the SunVTS kernel, tests, and the operating system (UNIX)	*page 62*
Logical Mapping	Groups tests according to the tested device's function	*page 77*
Log Period	States the time, in minutes, between testing status email messages	*page 54*
Max Errors	States the maximum number of errors a test encounters before stopping (0=infinity)	*page 54*
Max Passes	Specifies the maximum number of passes a test can run	*page 54*
Max System Errors	States the maximum number of system errors that can occur before the SunVTS stops all tests (a value of 0 makes the SunVTS kernel continue testing regardless of errors)	*page 54*
Max Time	Specifies the maximum number of minutes that SunVTS continues testing; a value of 0 makes the SunVTS kernel run the selected tests until you click the Stop button	*page 54*
Memory	Contains the tests that validate the system's subsystem; select this button to display group system options, where you can set the group system options for all the tests in this group	*page 82*
Network	Contains the tests that validate the system's network adapters; select this button to display group system options, where you can set the group system options for all the tests in this group	*page 19*
Notify	Instructs SunVTS how to announce testing status	*page 31*
Number of Instances	Specifies the number of instances to run each scalable test	*page 54*
Offline Test Mode	All system resources are available for testing in this mode; specifies testing at a higher level of stress	*page 79*
Online Test Mode	Specifies a thorough but non-intrusive test mode	*page 79*
Option Files	Displays the Option Files Window, where you can load, store, and remove option files; option files contain all the system and test options of a specific test session; once saved, these options can be loaded during a later test session	*page 59*
OtherDevices	Contains the tests that validate the devices that are *not* part of the Graphics, SCSI-Devices, Processes, Network, Memory, Comm.Ports groups; select this button to display a group system options window, where you can set the group system options for all the tests in this group	*page 59*

Table 1-1

Feature	Description	Page No.
Processor Affinity	Lets you specify the processor on which you want to run the tests; only available on multiprocessor systems	*page 54, page 97*
Passes	States the number of times a test, or test group, completes one pass	*page 38*
Performance Meter	Monitors the system performance, such as the percentage of CPU being used, the jobs being swapped per second, and the errors per second on receiving packets	*page 45*
Physical Mapping	Groups tests according to their physical location	*page 77*
Print	Prints the hardware configuration of a test system when accessed from the Sys Config sub-menu	*page 60*
Processor(s)	Contains the tests that validate the system's Processes; select this button to display a group system options window, where you can set the group system options for all the tests in this group	*page 54*
Quit	Terminates the User Interface, the SunVTS kernel, or both	*page 23*
RePlay	Replays a recorded testing session	*page 88*
Reprobe System	Reprobes the test system devices; use this option when you add or remove devices from a system	*page 43*
Reset	Resets the information on the System Status and Test Status panels	*page 48*
Resume	Resumes a paused testing session	*page 49*
Run On Error	Continues testing until the default error count of three is reached	*page 54*
Scalability	Increases test scale to fully stress single and multiprocessor systems; scalable tests can be modified so that multiple instances (or copies) of them can be run on a device simultaneously	*page 85*
Scheduling	Specifies when SunVTS runs enabled tests	*page 54*
SCSI-Devices	Contains the tests that validate the system's SCSI-Devices; select this button to display a group system options window, where you can set the group system options for all the tests in this group	*page 54*
Send Email	Sends test status messages via email	*page 54*
Set Options	Sets the SunVTS kernel, test group, and test system options	*page 54*
Single Pass	Runs only one pass of each selected test	*page 54*
Start	Starts the testing session	*page 14*
Start with Record	Starts and records a testing session	*page 84*

Table 1-1

Feature	Description	Page No.
Stop	Stops a testing session	*page 48*
Stress	Increases test performance; only available for some tests	*page 54*
Suspend	Pauses a testing session; once selected, this button changes to Resume	*page 48*
System Concurrency	Runs a set number of tests at the same time in the entire system; overrides the `Group Concurrency` option	*page 54*
Sys Config Menu	Displays the test system's hardware configuration, prints the test system's configuration, and reprobes the test system's devices	*page 60*
System Override	Supersedes the group and test options in favor of the options in the Set Options window	*page 54*
System Passes	States the number of times all enabled tests are completed	*page 38*
System Status	Displays the status of the testing session, which can be idle, testing, stopping, recording, suspended, or replay	*page 38*
System Map	Selects the desired system device mapping (physical or logical)	*page 63*
Terminate Kernel Only	Quits the SunVTS kernel and not the user interface	*page 23*
Terminate User Interface & Kernel	Quits the SunVTS kernel *and* the user interface	*page 23*
Terminate User Interface Only	Quits the user interface and leaves the SunVTS kernel running in the background	*page 23*
Test Execution	Displays the system or group option window for a system or specific group of tests; the options on this window only affect the specified group of tests	*page 54*
Test Lock	Protects the specific test options from being changed by the group or Set Options windows	*page 54*
Test Mode	Selects the SunVTS testing modes (connectivity, online, offline)	*page 54*
Test Options	Displays the test options of the selected test; these options are different from the system options; for more information about a specific test option, refer to the *SunVTS Test Reference Manual*	*page 54*
Test Set	Selects the default set of hardware tests, no tests, or all tests	*page 60*
Test Status Icons	Changes the Test Status panel listing; use the icons to page forward and backward on the Test Status panel, goes to the vicinity of a specific test, or displays only the tests that produce errors.	*page 43*
Thresholds	Sets the maximum number of system passes, errors, and time; specifies when test execution should be stopped	*page 54*

Table 1-1

Feature	Description	Page No.
Total Errors	Displays the total number of fatal errors produced by the tests; these errors do not include the verbose messages and system call messages	*page 91*
Trace Test	Traces system calls and signals for selected tests as described in `truss`(1)	*page 51*
Verbose	Displays verbose messages in the SunVTS console window	*page 54*