Multiple view composition

BVQ version 5.0 introduces major changes to the user interface to simplify the use of connected information in one window and move to a use case driven perspective.

BVQ docking capabilities, available since version 3.4, made it easy to assemble multiple topology- and performance-views into one window composition. Unfortunately these individual views didn't share any information, weren't recallable for repetitive use and the view-controls were wasting valuable space.

BVQ now extended the docking capabilities to:

• Save and restore layout composition as favorite
• Reload analytic performance views based on the current selection of the active view in a window
• Add information to a window or view to describe and explain their use
• Concentrate a views to the information. User input elements are moved to separate control panels.

Window vs. view

With the new introduced concept of windows it is important to distinguish between a view and a window as well as the different usability concepts.

Use case driven views

The new window concept enables the move to a more use case or problem centric view. Windows are able to show a collection of relevant charts, metrics, tables and treemaps important to analyze problems at a glance.

Fully recallable window

Now you are able to store a fully customized window including multiple views with their own configurations and arrangements. Therefor a "Window Favorite" has been introduced. It shows up similar to a folder in the favorite chooser from where you can open it completely as a window, or open one of its subordinated views.

Fully recallable table views

You are now able to save and recall a customized table layout from a favorite. This relates to all elementary properties of a table view section like:

• Table mode: Tree or sort & filter
• Auto compact and Scrollbar setting
• Column content (attributes)
• Column ordering

• Column width

• Column filter
• Column sorting sequence

Self explanatory favorites

To explain the usage and intention of a single view or complete window, additional information can be added to each corresponding favorite. With that, high level usage skills can be documented directly inside BVQ and become an integral part of it. The information is structured in:

• Icon with configurable color and shape
• Name
• Summary (80 Chars)
• Description (Multiple ASCII formatted lines)
• Clickable web link (typically pointing to a page in a knowledge base system like a wiki)

The information are available via tooltip in the favorite chooser and the view or window title bar. You can enter own information or follow the web link in the new "Info" properties dialog.

Integrated expertise

We included a massive part of our professional expertise in a new set of system favorites. 31 main favorites including 53 subordinated result in 84 new favorites total. These are pre-configured for typical in field use cases in the areas of:

• System, performance and resource overview
• Capacity management and optimization
• Configuration checks regarding best practices
• High availability and disaster recovery configuration analysis
• Provisioning support
• SAN problem resolution

The new favorites use all the new features of this version, like multi views, analytic favorites, persistent table views. They are  enriched with professional use case oriented documentation, that explains how to use them, what you will see in the visualization and what to take care for to optimize your installation or to find and resolve problems.

They are really helpful to max out the full power of BVQ with a single click - simplified usage for an expert but especially helpful for a novice user. We will continuously enhance, extend and restructure these favorites from version to version.

Latency filter

Typically, when a bulk of objects with their latency trend lines is shown in a single chart, you will see a lot of latency peaks. Most of them are caused by a very low IO rates and therefore are not relevant compared to the ones having high latencies combined with a reasonable number of IOs.

The new latency filter allows to concentrate the chart on relevant latency peaks. It will hide latency peaks where the IO rate (divider) correlated to the latency is lower then the specified threshold.

You can configure any filter threshold the section "Other" of the charts properties panel.

Comprestimator output visualization

Since version 7.6, the SVC code can include an output of the integrated Comprestimator utility. BVQ is now able to visualize the estimations in the object detail view or as a  coloring in the treemap. This unlocks a powerful feature to find suitable candidate volumes for compression or thin saving settings directly inside the BVQ GUI. Additionally it is easy to compare current vs estimated saving.

To use this feature you have to met the following prerequisites:

• A cluster with SVC code version 7.6 or newer
• Run the svc commands analyzevdisk or analyzevdiskbysystem at a recent point in time.

Flat design and ultra high resolution support

In the course of making the BVQ GUI high resolution aware and moving to the window interface, we adapted the look and feel to a cleaner flat design. All icons have been revised and exchanged with an appropriate new vector based icon. Furthermore we improved the coloring strategy for the table to keep text and coloring more readable. Colorings are now visualized with a colored flat icon beside of the corresponding value.