Classic virtual system pattern views and parts

The Virtual System Patterns pane

When you select a classic virtual system pattern to edit, information about the classic virtual system pattern, such as the topology, is displayed in the Virtual System Patterns pane.

The Pattern Editor pane

Click Edit on the toolbar of the Virtual System Patterns pane to open the Pattern Editor pane for the selected classic virtual system pattern. Use the Pattern Editor pane to select virtual image parts, add-ons, and script packages from the available lists.

Virtual image parts

Selecting Parts on the Pattern Editor displays a list of the parts that you can drop onto the classic virtual system pattern canvas. These parts are determined by the virtual images you are using. For more information about virtual images, see the related links.

Some virtual image parts represent multiple instances. These graphical parts on the editing canvas show the number of instances of the part. You can specify from 1-999 instances.

You can configure the parts either when you deploy the classic virtual system pattern or directly from the part before deployment. To configure the part before deploying it, click the edit properties icon for the part on the editing canvas. For more information about configuring the parts, see the related links.

Script packages

The Scripts option on the Pattern Editor displays a list of the script package parts that you can drop into the virtual image parts. This list can contain script packages associated with the virtual image and additional packages that you have defined for use with the system. Script packages can then be added to the virtual image parts.

Script packages can also contain license agreements that you must accept before you can deploy them in virtual system patterns.

For more information about script packages, see the related links.

Add-ons

The Add-ons option on the Pattern Editor displays a list of the add-on package parts that you can drop into the virtual image parts. Add-ons can then be added to the virtual image parts.

Customized versions of each of these add-on types can also be available if you clone or create new add-ons in the catalog. Add-ons are run before script packages.

For more information about add-ons, see the related links.

Parts on the editing canvas

When you drop the parts onto the canvas in the Pattern window, they interact in specific and predictable ways. Though there are no columns visible and there are no column labels on the canvas, objects fall into general groups. The objects are placed in the following general locations on the canvas:

Managers on the left

The left side of the editing canvas contains parts that act as managers of other parts. For example, this column contains deployment managers and job managers. These managers manage the objects (nodes and connections) in the other two sections. You can add a manager, then add the nodes, and the nodes federate to the manager. Alternatively, you can add the nodes first and then add a single manager, and the nodes federate to the manager. You can have both a deployment manager and a job manager in one classic virtual system pattern.

Nodes in the center

The center area contains managed nodes, for example custom nodes, administrative agents, or standalone nodes. The nodes are automatically federated into the managers in the left column. Administrative agents are registered with the job manager. Standalone servers can be federated to a deployment manager if one is present.

Connections on the right

The right area contains connection parts. For example, the right of the editing canvas can contain IBM® HTTP Server parts that route the traffic for the nodes. The right area can also contain an On demand routers part if you are editing a classic virtual system pattern from an IBM WebSphere® Application Server Hypervisor Edition Intelligent Management Pack virtual image.

Interaction between virtual image parts

Virtual image parts can be defined to interact with other virtual image parts. When the interacting virtual image parts are included in the same classic virtual system pattern, the result is cross configuration. For example, when a custom node (or IBM HTTP Server) and a deployment manager are placed in the same classic virtual system pattern, they are automatically cross configured. The result of this operation is that the custom node is federated to the deployment manager. Similarly, administrative agents (or deployment managers) are registered with a job manager.

Virtual image parts can be cross configured if the classic virtual system pattern editor can determine a unique relationship. If it is unable to do so, no cross configuration occurs. For example, if a custom node is added to a classic virtual system pattern with two deployment managers, no federation takes place. However, if one of the deployment managers is later removed, cross configuration occurs because a unique relationship now exists.

If you have enabled the WebSphere Application Server 7.0.0.17 with Intelligent Management Pack or later image, an on demand router part is available to use in your classic virtual system patterns. If the on demand router part is used in a custom classic virtual system pattern, a deployment manager part that is enabled with Intelligent Management Pack is also required. Without the deployment manager part that is enabled for the Intelligent Management Pack, classic virtual system patterns with an on demand router part are not valid. However, if there is a deployment manager part that is enabled with Intelligent Management Pack, a custom node part that is enabled with Intelligent Management Pack is not required.

You can use the version indicator on the parts to ensure that they are referencing the same version of the virtual image in the catalog. For example, the deployment manager part and the on demand router part must reference a virtual image version that is enabled with Intelligent Management Pack. These two parts reference the same version of the virtual image in the catalog. If the version of a part is incorrect, you can change it when the part is on the editing canvas. Hovering over the part name opens a window with additional information about the virtual image.