LocalDirector User Interface Overview

The LocalDirector User Interface is a graphical user interface-based application that administrators use to control one or more LocalDirectors, LocalDirector configurations, and custom server farms for which LocalDirector provides traffic management. With the LocalDirector User Interface, you can build, deploy, and monitor server farm configurations through a graphical interface.

To use this guide, you should be familiar with the concepts of LocalDirector; for example, virtual servers and real servers. This guide does not describe these concepts. Refer to the Cisco LocalDirector Installation and Configuration Guide for these details.

This guide describes:

System requirements and installation procedures for the LocalDirector User Interface
Startup and general layout of the main LocalDirector User Interface window
Primary configuration instructions for LocalDirector
Server farm configuration
Monitoring setup and usage for LocalDirectors and server farms

The screenshots for this manual were generated on a Windows NT system. If you use the LocalDirector User Interface on a different platform, your interface may look different. Despite any visual differences, all platforms share the same functionality.

LocalDirector User Interface Architecture

A LocalDirector User Interface configuration consists of:

One or more LocalDirectors.

Zero or more server farms (virtual servers and real servers, grouped by type).

LocalDirector User Interface server, which is the host system where the LocalDirector User Interface software resides. This host may be connected to LocalDirector via a serial or Telnet connection.
LocalDirector User Interface client, which runs the browser-based LocalDirector User Interface. This client may be located on the same host as the LocalDirector User Interface server, or on a remote system.

Figure 1-1 illustrates the LocalDirector User Interface architecture.

Figure 1-1: LocalDirector User Interface Architecture

From a client, you access the LocalDirector User Interface server through a Web browser such as Netscape Communicator. The server and client may or may not be on the same host. The browser downloads and runs the LocalDirector User Interface as a Java applet on the client. The LocalDirector User Interface runs inside the browser using a Java plug-in. If the Java plug-in is not already installed in the browser, it will be when you first access the LocalDirector User Interface. Administrators submit configuration commands through the LocalDirector User Interface client.

The LocalDirector User Interface server connects to LocalDirectors via either a serial or a Telnet connection. A serial cable connection is necessary when you first configure LocalDirector to work with the LocalDirector User Interface server. You can configure LocalDirector for a Telnet connection once the initial serial connections have been established and LocalDirector has been configured to accept Telnet connections. Refer to the Cisco LocalDirector Installation and Configuration Guide for details about Telnet connections.

User-configured probes monitor the health of a Web server managed by LocalDirector. Probe status information is reported to the LocalDirector User Interface client, where it is displayed in several ways. The LocalDirector User Interface also sends probe status information to LocalDirector, to enable traffic to be routed around failures automatically.

Main LocalDirector User Interface Window

The main LocalDirector User Interface window has five areas that display the configuration and status of LocalDirectors and their server farms. Figure 1-2 illustrates the display areas of the main LocalDirector User Interface window.

Figure 1-2: Main LocalDirector User Interface Window

The main display areas in the main LocalDirector User Interface window are:

Tree view---Shows a graphical representation of the relationship between real servers and virtual servers. It also displays any probes established for the real servers.
Server Details area---Shows real server and virtual server properties. If a real server is selected, the Reals panel displays the real server properties, and the Virtuals panel displays the properties for all the virtual servers to which that real server is bound. If a virtual server is selected, the Reals panel shows the properties of all the real servers under that virtual server and the Virtuals panel displays the properties of the virtual server. If a service group (Web or Any) is selected, the properties for all the real servers and virtual servers under that service group are displayed.
Probe Status area---Area that shows the probe status. If a virtual server is selected, the real servers display across the top of the table and the probes are listed down the left side. Each cell shows the status of a probe for the corresponding real server. If a real server is selected, the table shows the status of each probe on that real server.
LocalDirector view---Shows all LocalDirectors currently connected to the LocalDirector User Interface server. As LocalDirectors are connected to the system, they are added to this area. Unattached LocalDirectors appear in the view with question marks superimposed over their icon.
Message area---Displays alerts or problems that occur in the system. Users can use this area to acknowledge these problems, or generate a new message.

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