Introduction to the VAST Management System

The VAST Management System (VMS) serves as the central administrative interface for your VAST Cluster. It provides a comprehensive platform for configuration management, analytics collection and visualization, cluster monitoring, and alerting. This lab guide will help you navigate through the VMS interface and understand its key components in a read-only environment.

Step-by-Step Guide

VAST Management System (VMS) Lab Guide

Prerequisites

Before beginning this lab, please ensure you have a Cosmos Community account, as it’s needed to proceed and access the lab environment.

Access the GUI

Access The VAST Data Lab Environment

Go to this URL vastdata.thecosmoslabs.com or click the button below:

Access VAST Lab

Make sure you’re logged in with your Cosmos community account.

VAST Data lab environment login page

Click “Launch Lab Environment”. You might need to allow popups for the site, so if nothing happens, make sure you do so.

VAST Management System (VMS) Lab Guide

Upon entering the lab environment, click to accept the end user agreement.

At the login screen use the credentials provided.

VAST Management System (VMS) Lab Guide

Exploring the VAST Management System

You will start off in the Dashboard section of the VAST Management System GUI. This section provides an overview of the system’s health and performance.

The left-hand navigation will open other sections in the GUI. For a full list of sections, click here.

Note that we’re operating in read-only mode, so we’ll focus on observing rather than modifying.

VAST Management System (VMS) Lab Guide

1. Navigating the VMS Interface

The VMS interface is organized into logical sections accessible via the side navigation panel. Let’s explore each section:

  1. Locate the side navigation panel on the left side of the screen

  2. Observe the hierarchical organization of management functions

  3. We will go through each of the following main sections to understand their purpose: A. Dashboard: Provides an overview of cluster health and performance B. Analytics: Offers detailed metrics and performance data C. Element Store: Manages data storage components and configurations

Note:

In a production environment, VMS can be accessed through:

  • Web interface via HTTPS

  • Command-line interface (CLI)

  • REST API for programmatic access

VAST Management System (VMS) Lab Guide
Navigating the VMS interface

2. Exploring the Dashboard

The Dashboard provides a high-level overview of your VAST Cluster’s status and performance.

  1. Navigate to the Dashboard section by clicking on it in the side panel

  2. Observe the key metrics displayed: A. Cluster health indicators B. Storage capacity and utilization, including the Data Reduction metric C. Performance metrics (bandwidth, IOPS, latency) D. Recent alerts and notifications E. Hover over different graphical elements to see additional details

Note how the dashboard organizes information to provide at-a-glance status of your entire cluster.

VAST Management System (VMS) Lab Guide
The VMS dashboard

3. Analyzing System Performance

The Analytics section allows you to dive deeper into system performance metrics.

  1. Navigate to the Analytics section from the side panel

  2. Explore some of the available performance metrics: A. Click on “Analytics” B. To your right, scroll through the large selection of detailed IOPS, bandwidth, and latency metrics C. Pick any of the available metrics, and observe how data is presented in time-series graphs D. Note the “Defined Time” filtering option to focus on specific time periods

  3. Identify how you can customize views to focus on specific aspects of system performance

  4. Explore how historical data is presented and can be used for trend analysis

VAST Management System (VMS) Lab Guide
Analytics screen

4. Understanding the Element Store

The Element Store section provides insights into the logical organization and access policies of data within the VAST system.

  1. Navigate to the Element Store section

  2. Observe the elements displayed in this section: A. Data organization structures (Views) B. Storage policies and configurations (View Policies and QoS Policies) C. Logical data management elements (Quotas and Tenants) D. Data lifecycle management (Lifecycle Rules)

  3. Click on different elements to explore their properties and relationships

  4. Note how Element Store helps you understand the logical and access structure of your VAST system

VAST Management System (VMS) Lab Guide
The Element Store

Key Takeaways

  1. Understand the multiple ways to access the VAST Management System and how it serves as the administrative interface for your VAST Cluster.

  2. Be familiar with the main sections of the VMS interface accessible through the side navigation panel, including their organization and purpose.

  3. Recognize how the Dashboard provides a comprehensive overview of cluster health, performance, and status at a glance.

  4. Appreciate how the Analytics section enables detailed performance monitoring and historical trend analysis to optimize your storage environment.

  5. Understand how the Element Store represents the logical organization of data within the VAST system, allowing you to see how data is structured and managed.

  6. Be able to navigate through the VMS interface efficiently to locate specific information about your VAST Cluster’s configuration and performance