4.4  Customizing the Navigation Tree

The first time you run the web interface using your profile, only one entry appears in the navigation tree: the node name for the Default Group. Ordinarily, this is the machine that you logged into.

You can customize the navigation tree display by creating new groups, adding nodes to groups, and selecting log files.

After you submit changes to the navigation tree, SEA refreshes the display. The refresh process may take a few seconds.

4.4.1  Groups

From the navigation tree, you can create new groups and remove existing groups.

4.4.1.1  Adding Groups

To add new groups follow these steps:

  1. Click the "System Event Analyzer" link at the top of the navigation tree.
The "Group Maintenance For System Event Analyzer" screen appears in the display frame (Figure 4–7). The Add Groups tab is already selected.
Figure 4–7 Add Group
figures/group_add.gif
The location and placement options determine where you would like the new group to appear in the navigation tree relative to existing groups. By default, new groups are added after the selected group.
  1. Select an existing group from the list.
  2. Select a placement option from the radio buttons.
  3. Enter the name for the new group in the text field. Be sure to follow these rules for naming groups:
  1. Click the Add New Group button.
The new group appears in the navigation tree.

4.4.1.2  Removing Groups

Removing a group removes all the nodes and files contained in the group as well as all of the lower level groups nested under it.

To remove existing groups, follow these steps:

  1. Click the System Event Analyzer link at the top to the navigation tree.
  2. Select the Remove Groups tab at the bottom of the "Group Maintenance..." screen (Figure 4–8).
Figure 4–8 Remove Group
figures/group_remove.gif
  1. Select the group name or names you want to remove from the list.
To select multiple groups, press CTRL and click on each group. If the groups are consecutive, press SHIFT and click on the first and last group names.
  1. Click the Remove Selected Group(s) button.
The groups disappear from the navigation tree.

4.4.2  Nodes

Expanding a group in the navigation tree displays the nodes contained in that group. Nodes can be expanded by clicking on the expansion symbol next to their name to reveal the log file types included in that node. You can add and remove nodes from the groups in the navigation tree.

4.4.2.1  Adding Nodes

Any computer where the Director is running can be added to your web interface navigation tree as a node. To add additional nodes follow these steps:

  1. Select the group you want to add nodes to from the navigation tree.
The "Node Maintenance" screen appears in the display frame (Figure 4–9). The Add Nodes tab is already selected.
Figure 4–9 Add Node
figures/node_add.gif
The location and placement options determine where you would like the new node to appear in the navigation tree relative to existing nodes. By default, new nodes are added after the selected node.
If no nodes currently exist for the group, skip steps 2 and 3.
  1. Select an existing node from the list.
  2. Select a placement option from the radio buttons.
  3. Enter the name for the new node in text field. Be sure to follow these rules:
  1. Click the Add New Node button.
The new node appears under its group in the navigation tree.

4.4.2.2  Removing Nodes

Removing a node removes all the additional binary event log files contained in the node from the navigation tree.

To remove existing nodes, follow these steps:

  1. Select the group you want to remove nodes from in the navigation tree.
  2. Select the Remove Nodes tab at the bottom of the screen (Figure 4–10).
Figure 4–10 Remove Node
figures/node_remove.gif
  1. Select the node name or names from the list.
To select multiple nodes, press CTRL and click on each node. If the nodes are consecutive, press SHIFT and click on the first and last node names.
  1. Click the Remove Selected Node(s) button.
The nodes disappear from the navigation tree. If the selected node is contained in multiple groups, removing it from one group will not affect its presence in other groups.

4.4.2.3  Activating Nodes

Nodes are either active or inactive and by default when you connect to a node or load a profile that connects to other nodes, all the nodes are active. A node is only classified as inactive if SEA cannot connect to it. Inactive nodes appear in the navigation tree with a red "X" through their icon.

If a node is inactive, you can try to connect to it manually. To connect to a inactive node, follow these steps:

  1. Click the expansion icon for the node.
The only available option is "Activate this node" (Figure 4–11).
Figure 4–11 Activate Node
figures/activate_node.gif
  1. Click the "Activate this node" link.
If the Director on the remote node is accessible, a message appears in the display frame (Figure 4–12) and the navigation tree is updated to show the new status.
Figure 4–12 Activating Node Message
figures/yes_active.gif
If the Director is not accessible, a message appears in the display frame (Figure 4–13) and the navigation tree is not changed.
Figure 4–13 Unable to Activate Node Message
figures/no_active.gif

4.4.3  Categories

Categories are an optional feature that is disabled by default. If you want to use categories, you must enable the feature using the User Settings tab on the Settings screen (see Section 4.8).

Categories provide a method for grouping the log files listed under the Other Logs folder. If you use categories, SEA provides another layer of folders under the Other Logs folder. This feature may be useful if you monitor numerous log files.

4.4.3.1  Adding Categories

Once you have enabled the categories feature, you can add categories to the navigation tree. To add categories, follow these steps:

  1. Select the Other Logs folder for the node you want to have new categories.
The Category Maintenance screen appears in the display frame (Figure 4–14). The Add Categories tab is already selected.
Figure 4–14 Add Category
figures/category_add.gif
The location and placement options determine where you would like the new category to appear in the navigation tree relative to existing categories. By default, new categories are added after the selected category.
If no categories currently exist for the group, skip steps 2 and 3.
  1. Select an existing category from the list.
  2. Select a placement option from the radio buttons.
  3. Enter the name for the new category in the text field. Be sure to follow these rules for naming categories:
  1. Click the Add New Category button.
The new category appears in the navigation tree.

4.4.3.2  Removing Categories

Removing a category removes all the binary event log files contained in the category from the navigation tree.

To remove existing categories, follow these steps:

  1. Select the Other Logs folder for the node you want to remove categories from in the navigation tree.
  2. Select the Remove Category tab at the bottom of the screen (Figure 4–15).
Figure 4–15 Remove Category
figures/category_remove.gif
  1. Select the category name or names you want to remove from the list.
To select multiple categories, press CTRL and click on each category. If the categories are consecutive, press SHIFT and click on the first and last category names.
  1. Click the Remove Selected Categories button.
The categories disappear from the navigation tree. If a log file is contained in multiple categories, removing it from one of the categories will not affect its presence in the others.

4.4.4  Log Files

Each node contains binary event log files. Log files are separated into two different types: the binary system event log and all other binary event logs.

4.4.4.1  System Log

The system log is the binary event log file where system events are written. You cannot change this log file. Click the expansion symbol to view the analysis options for the system log in the navigation tree.

See Sections 4.1.2 and 4.5 for more information on analysis.

4.4.4.2  Other Logs

The Other Logs folder in the navigation tree contains entries for binary event log files other than the system event log. These can include the example binary log files included with SEA, or any other binary event log file located on the node. Initially, there are no sub-entries under Other Logs in the navigation tree.

If you are using categories, the Other Logs entry contains the categories you have created and the category folders contain entries for binary event log files.

In order to add saved log files to the navigation tree, they must be viewable in the Add Log Files list. For a file to be viewable, it must meet both of these criteria:

The best place to store log files (as well as other user data) is in one of the userdata subdirectories:

svctools\specific\ca\userdata
svctools\common\ca\userdata

Files stored in these subdirectories are automatically backed up and saved if you uninstall, reinstall, or upgrade WEBES. For more information on storing user data, see the WEBES Installation Guide.

If you want to store files elsewhere, you can configure WEBES by adding a comma separated list of file paths to the CA.WUI.OLDirs key in the DESTA registry. For more information, see section 7.7.2.

You can also enable a text entry field for specific users. The text field allows users to add log files to the Other Logs list by entering the path and filename of an event log located anywhere in the file system. For more information, see section 7.7.3.

Adding Other Logs

Follow these steps to add other log files:

  1. Open the Other Logs screen in the display frame.
If you are using categories, click on the category name for the node. Otherwise, click on the Other Logs link for the node.
The Other Logs screen opens in the display frame (Figure 4–16). The Add Files tab is already selected.
Figure 4–16 Add Log Files Tab

Click for Larger Image
  1. Select the desired binary event log files:
  1. (Optional) If enabled, enter the path and filename in the text field (see section 7.7.3 for more information).
  2. Click the Add button.
The binary event log file is added to the navigation tree under the Other Logs entry or appropriate category for the node.

Removing Other Logs

To remove binary event log files from the navigation tree, follow these steps:

  1. Open the Other Logs screen in the display frame.
If you are using categories, click on the category name for the node. Otherwise, click on the Other Logs link for the node.
  1. Select the Remove Files tab from the bottom of the screen (Figure 4–17).
Figure 4–17 Remove Log File Tab
figures/logs_remove.gif
  1. Select the log file name you want to remove from the list.
To select multiple files, press CTRL and click on each file name. If the files are consecutive, press SHIFT and click on the first and last file names.
  1. Click the Remove Selected Log File(s) button.
The navigation tree is refreshed to reflect your changes.