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- CHAPTER 1
Overview of SunVTS 2.1
- This chapter describes SunVTS 2.1, the available test modes, user interfaces, its architecture, and explains some of the main uses of SunVTS.
-
TABLE 1-1 lists and describes SunVTS 2.1 features, commands, and options. This table also provides pointers to other sections in this book where you can find more information about a given topic.
- SunVTS 2.1 is Sun's online validation test suite, which tests and validates Sun(TM) hardware by verifying the configuration and functionality of most hardware controllers, devices, and platforms.
- SunVTS has a selectable device mapping feature. When Physical mapping is selected, tests are grouped according to the physical location of the devices that are tested. When Logical mapping is selected, tests are grouped according to the functionaliities the tested devices perform.
- Combined with the modifiable test instances and processor affinity features, SunVTS can be tailored to run on various types of machines ranging from desktops to servers.
- SunVTS can be used to simulate a scenario and pinpoint potential problems. Use SunVTS to validate a system during development, production, receiving inspection, troubleshooting, and periodic maintenance or monitoring. Since the SunVTS tests cover a wide range of products and peripherals, proper test options need to be selected to maximize its effectiveness. While the available test options are pre-set for some test modes, the functional test mode provides the most flexibility.
- Refer to the SunVTS 2.1 Test Reference Manual to select the proper test options before running any tests. The options selected 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.
FIGURE 1-1
Test Modes
- You can run tests in different modes:
-
- A test may not support all of the test modes. In this case, the test is disabled and the test name displayed on the SunVTS test selection panel appears lighter, indicating that the test is unavailable for the selected test mode.
User Interfaces
- You can run SunVTS from the following user interfaces:
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- Window Interfaces--choose either CDE or OPEN LOOK environments. You can now run SunVTS with the Common Desktop Environment (CDE). When you start SunVTS using the vtsui command, the SunVTS CDE main window displays (FIGURE 3-1).
- TTY Interface--the command line interface used to operate SunVTS from the Solaris command line. You can run SunVTS from a terminal, a shelltool, or a modem attached to a serial port using the TTY interface.
- Solstice(TM) SyMON(TM)--a system monitoring tool that makes online diagnostics more accessible.
- For more information about these user interfaces, see Chapter 3, "User Interfaces" or refer to the Solstice SyMON documentation.
SunVTS Architecture
- The SunVTS architecture is divided into three components: the SunVTS kernel, the user interface, and the hardware tests.
SunVTS Kernel
- The following activities are scheduled and monitored by the kernel:
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- 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)
SunVTS User Interface
- The SunVTS user interface is a separate process from the SunVTS kernel. The command vtsui invokes the default CDE GUI. To run SunVTS in the OPEN LOOK environment, use the command vtsui.ol. The user interface communicates with the SunVTS kernel through an application programming interface (API). The SunVTS API enables the user interface send and receive commands from the SunVTS kernel. Normally, the user interface runs on a different machine than the one being tested.
SunVTS Hardware tests
- You can validate each hardware device supported by Sun using a corresponding hardware test. Each test is a separate process from the SunVTS kernel. The hardware tests send the status and messages to the SunVTS kernel through interprocess communication (IPC) protocols. The SunVTS kernel automatically probes the system kernel to determine the 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. You can add new tests into the SunVTS environment without re-compiling the SunVTS source code.
-
FIGURE 1-2 is a diagram of the SunVTS architecture.
FIGURE 1-2
SunVTS Features
-
TABLE 1-1 lists and describes SunVTS features. You can find more information about a specific feature by going to the cited page number.
-
TABLE 1-1
| Feature | Description | For More Info... |
|
| Advanced Options | Locks test or group options, preventing them
from being reset by global option settings | page 84, 112 |
| Auto Start | Runs SunVTS when first started | TABLE 3-2 and page 60 |
| Connection Test Mode | Specifies very low stress testing of the available devices | page 106 |
| Connect to | Displays the Connect to (Machine) window, where you can connect to another machine on a network that is running the SunVTS kernel, or reconnect to the SunVTS kernel | page 65, 80 |
| Console Panel | Displays the error messages from the SunVTS
kernel and the hardware tests | page 71, 94, 95 |
| Core File Option | Sends messages to a Core file that is associated with the test | TABLE 3-2 and page 97 |
| Custom Tests | Contains a set of custom-developed tests | page 125 |
| Display | Displays the hardware configuration of the associated test selected | page 61, 63, 89 |
| Elapsed Time | Displays how long (in the format hh:mm:ss) SunVTS has been testing your system | page 67, 73 |
| Email Address | Specifies the email address where status mailings will be sent | page 46 |
| Errors | Indicates the number of times a test, or a test
within a test group, has exited with an error | page 63, 120, 123 |
| Functional Test Mode | All system resources are available for testing in this mode; specifies testing at a higher level of stress than Connection Test Mode | page 21, 107, 113 |
| Functional Test Mode via SyMON | Specifies a thorough but non-intrusive test mode | page 107 |
-
TABLE 1-1
| Feature | Description | For More Info... |
|
| Graphics Test Group | Validates 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 52, 92 |
| Group Concurrency | Sets this option to the number of tests you want to run at the same time in the same group | page 113 |
| Group Lock | Protects changes in the Set Options window for this test group | TABLE 3-2 and page 60, 111 |
| Group Override | Overrides any locked test options in the test group in favor of the options displayed in the Set Options window | page 111 |
Intervene or
Intervention | Enables or disables running tests that require user
intervention; these tests require you to either
install loopback connectors or to intervene while
the test validates the hardware | page 108 |
| Log Files Option | 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 66, 119, 122 |
| Log Period | States the time (in minutes) between testing status email messages | TABLE 3-2 |
| Logical Mapping | Groups tests according to the tested device's function | page 68, 91, 105 |
| Max Errors | States the maximum number of errors a test
encounters before stopping (0=infinity) | TABLE 3-2 and
TABLE 4-2 |
| Max Passes | Specifies the maximum number of passes a test
can run | TABLE 3-2 and
TABLE 4-2 |
| Max System Errors | States the maximum number of system errors that
can occur before SunVTS stops all tests (a value of
0 makes the SunVTS kernel continue testing
regardless of errors) | TABLE 3-2 and
TABLE 4-2 |
| 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 | TABLE 3-2 and
TABLE 4-2 |
| Memory Tests | Validates the system's subsystem; select this button to display group system options, where you can set group system options for all tests in this group | page 48, 93 |
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TABLE 1-1
| Feature | Description | For More Info... |
|
| Network Tests | Validates the system's network adapters; select this button to display group system options, where you can set group system options for all tests in this group | page 40, 66 |
| Notify Option | Instructs SunVTS how to announce testing status | TABLE 3-2 |
| Number of Instances | Specifies the number of instances to run each
scalable test | TABLE 3-2 and
TABLE 4-2 |
| 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, you can load these options at a later test session | TABLE 3-3 and page 60 |
| OtherDevices | Validates 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 group system options for all tests in this group | TABLE 4-2 |
| Processor Affinity | Lets you specify the processor on which you want to run the tests; only available on multiprocessor systems | TABLE 3-2 and page 113 |
| Passes | States the number of times a test (or test group) completes one pass | TABLE 3-2 and page 118 |
| 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 75 |
| Physical Mapping | Groups tests according to their physical location | page 105 |
| Print | Prints the hardware configuration of a test system when accessed from the Sys Config sub-menu | page 62, 102 |
| Processor(s) | Validates the system's Processes; select this button to display a group system options window, where you can set group system options for all tests in this group | TABLE 3-2 and page 112 |
| Quit | Terminates the User Interface, the SunVTS kernel, or both | page 67, 79, 117 |
| RePlay | Replays a recorded testing session | TABLE 4-4 and page 123 |
| Reprobe System | Reprobes the test system devices; use this option when you add or remove devices from a system | page 81 |
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TABLE 1-1
| Feature | Description | For More Info... |
|
| Reset | Resets the information on the System Status and
Test Status panels | page 78 |
| Resume | Resumes a paused testing session | page 78 |
| Run On Error | Continues testing until the default error count of
three is reached | TABLE 3-4 and
TABLE 4-1 |
| Scalability | Increases test scale to fully stress single and multiprocessor systems; you can modify scalable tests to run multiple instances (or copies) of them on a device simultaneously | page 112 |
| Schedule Option | Specifies when SunVTS runs enabled tests | TABLE 3-4 |
| 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 81, 99 |
| Send Email | Sends test status messages via email | TABLE 3-2 and
TABLE 4-2 |
| Set Options | Sets the SunVTS kernel, test group, and test
system options | TABLE 3-2 and
TABLE 4-2 |
| Single Pass | Runs only one pass of each selected test | TABLE 3-2 and
TABLE 4-2 |
| Start | Starts the testing session | page 77 |
| Start with Record | Starts and records a testing session | page 77 |
| Stop | Stops a testing session | page 77 |
| Stress | Increases test performance; only available for
some tests | TABLE 3-2 and
TABLE 4-2 |
| Suspend | Pauses a testing session; once selected, this button changes to Resume | page 79 |
| System Concurrency | Runs a set number of tests at the same time in the
entire system; overrides the Group Concurrency
option | TABLE 3-2 and
TABLE 4-2 |
| Sys Config Menu | Displays the test system's hardware configuration, prints the test system's configuration, and reprobes the test system's devices | page 61 |
| System Override | Supersedes the group and test options in favor of
the options in the Set Options window | TABLE 3-2 and
TABLE 4-2 |
-
TABLE 1-1
| Feature | Description | For More Info... |
|
| System Passes | States the number of times all enabled tests are completed | page 118 |
| System Status | Displays the status of the testing session, which can be idle, testing, stopping, recording, suspended, or replay | page 118 |
| System Map | Selects the desired system device mapping (physical or logical) | page 118 |
| Terminate Kernel Only | Quits the SunVTS kernel and not the user interface | page 79 |
| Terminate User Interface and Kernel | Quits the SunVTS kernel and the user interface | page 79 |
Terminate User
Interface Only | Quits the user interface and leaves the SunVTS
kernel running in the background | page 79 |
| Test Execution Option | 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 | TABLE 3-2 and
TABLE 4-2 |
| Test Lock | Protects the specific test options from being
changed by the group or Set Options windows | TABLE 3-2 and
TABLE 4-2 |
| Test Mode | Selects the SunVTS testing modes (Connectivity,
Online, Offline) | TABLE 3-2 and
TABLE 4-2 |
| 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 | TABLE 3-2 and
TABLE 4-2 |
| Test Set | Selects the default set of hardware tests, no tests,
or all tests | page 68 |
| Test Status Buttons | Changes the Test Status panel listing; use the buttons to page forward and backward on the Test Status panel and go to the vicinity of a specific test, or display only the tests that produce errors | page 73 |
| Thresholds Option | Sets the maximum number of system passes,
errors, and time; specifies when test execution
should be stopped | TABLE 3-2 and
TABLE 4-2 |
-
TABLE 1-1
| Feature | Description | For More Info... |
|
| 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 67, 78 |
| Trace Test | Traces system calls and signals for selected tests as described in the truss(1) manpage | page 82, 83 |
| Verbose | Displays verbose messages in the SunVTS console window | page 57, 94 |
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