From 19fcec84d8d7d21e796c7624e521b60d28ee21ed Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Daniel Baumann Date: Sun, 7 Apr 2024 20:45:59 +0200 Subject: Adding upstream version 16.2.11+ds. Signed-off-by: Daniel Baumann --- doc/dev/dashboard/ui_goals.rst | 78 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 1 file changed, 78 insertions(+) create mode 100644 doc/dev/dashboard/ui_goals.rst (limited to 'doc/dev/dashboard') diff --git a/doc/dev/dashboard/ui_goals.rst b/doc/dev/dashboard/ui_goals.rst new file mode 100644 index 000000000..4e68ec1f5 --- /dev/null +++ b/doc/dev/dashboard/ui_goals.rst @@ -0,0 +1,78 @@ +=========================== +Ceph Dashboard Design Goals +=========================== + +.. note:: This document is intended to provide a focal point for discussing the overall design + principles for mgr/dashboard + +Introduction +============ + +Most distributed storage architectures are inherently complex and can present a management challenge +to Operations teams who are typically stretched across multiple product and platform disciplines. In +general terms, the complexity of any solution can have a direct bearing on the operational costs +incurred to manage it. The answer is simple...make it simple :) + +This document is intended to highlight Ceph Dashboard design goals which may help to + +* reduce complexity +* increase productivity +* improve time-to-value +* increase observability + + +Understanding the Persona of the Target User +============================================ + +Ceph has historically been administered from the CLI. The CLI has always and will always offer the +richest, most flexible way to install and manage a Ceph cluster. Administrators who require and +demand this level of control are unlikely to adopt a UI for anything more than a technical curiosity. + +The relevance of the UI is therefore more critical for a new SysAdmin, where it can help technology +adoption and reduce the operational friction that is normally experienced when implementing a new +solution. + +Understanding the target user persona is therefore a fundamental first step in design. Attempting to +design a UI that meets the requirements of a 'seasoned' Ceph Administrator or Developer, and a +relatively new SysAdmin is unlikely to satisfy either user group. + +Design Principles +================= + +Key Principles +______________ + + +#. **Clarity and consistency**. The UI should ensure the data shown is unambiguous and consistent across + different views +#. **Data timeliness**. Data displayed in the UI must be timely. State information **must** be reasonably + recent for it to be relevant and acted upon with confidence. In addition, the age of the data should + be shown as age (e.g. 20s ago) rather than UTC timestamps to make it more immediately consumable by + the Administrator. +#. **Automate through workflows**. If the admin has to follow a 'recipe' to perform a task, the goal of + the dashboard UI should be to implement the flow. +#. **Provide a natural next step**. The UI **is** the *expert system*, so instead of expecting the user + to know where they go next, the UI should lead them. This means linking components together to + establish a flow and deeper integration between the alertmanager implementation and the dashboard + elements enabling an Admin to efficiently step from alert to affected component. +#. **Platform visibility**. The platform (OS and hardware configuration) is a fundamental component of the + solution, so providing platform level insights can help deliver a more holistic view of the Ceph cluster. +#. **Jargon Busting**. Jargon is an unavoidable component of most systems. However, a good system will + include inline help to support new and infrequent users of the UI. + + +Common Pitfalls +_______________ + +* Don't re-implement CLI commands in the UI. The sysadmin will likely use the CLI primitives in scripts + to automate tasks, so by simply adding a CLI feature we miss the workflow and add complexity, which + potentially 'bloats' the UI. +* Don't think like a developer...try and adopt the mindset of an Administrator, who only works with the + Ceph cluster part-time - this is the reality for today's Operations teams. + + +Focus On User Experience +======================== +Ultimately, the goal must be to move away from pushing complexity onto the GUI user through multi-step +workflows like iSCSI configuration or setting specific cluster flags in defined sequences. Simplicity +should be the goal for the UI...let's leave the complexity to the CLI. -- cgit v1.2.3