Lightbits CLI Overview
Lightbits has developed a Command Line Interface (CLI) called “lbcli” that you can use to configure and manage the Lightbits platform. This section includes several examples of how to use common Lightbits CLI management commands. See the Lightbits API User Manual for a complete list of all commands and their specific command syntax.
lbcli Command Syntax
The lbcli command syntax includes the following parameters.
lbcli [command] [type] [options] [flags]lbctl CLI Utility Command Syntax
| Parameter name | Description |
|---|---|
| Command | Specifies the operation performed on one or more resources. See the Key Resources section below for more. |
| Type | Sets the resource type that the command will address. See the Key Resources section below for a description of each resource that can be used. An example command syntax for creating a volume is as follows: lbcli create volume</code> |
| Options | Options that can be given with a command and type. For example, the option is to give the new volume 4 GB of maximum capacity. lbcli create volume --name vol1 --size=4gib |
| Flags | For example, the -o flag for selecting the output format (e.g., json, yaml). lbcli create volume --name vol1 --size=4gib <code>--output-format=yaml</code> |
lbcli Command Summary
The lbcli CLI utility uses commands to refer to the uppermost management level tasks that can be performed by lbcli. Commands such as create and delete are used for creating and deleting resources. Therefore, a resource type must be specified to use these commands. Other commands may require other sub-commands and parameters.
lbcli Common Commands
| Command | Description |
|---|---|
| add | Used to add nvmeDevice. |
| create | Creates a resource such as a volume. |
| delete | Deletes a resource such as a volume. |
| get | Retrieves information about a single resource such as a node or a volume. |
| list | Retrieves information about a list of resources such as nvme-devices, nodes, or volumes. |
| help | Displays help content about any command. |
| version | Retrieves lbcli version information. |
For a list of all of the lbcli commands, see the Lightbits API User Manual.
Key Resources
Some of the common resources that can be modified using lbctl are defined here.
Resources
| Resource | Description |
|---|---|
| Node | A Node is the collection of physical hardware that makes up a single Lightbits storage controller. This includes the CPU, memory, NIC, and storage devices themselves. A typical server running the Lightbits software contains either one or two storage controller nodes. |
| Volume | A block storage address space - allocated by the Lightbits system and accessible as an NVMe storage device on an application server. |
| NVMe Device | The physical NVMe SSD that is used within a server running the Lightbits system. This resource is used if operations need to be performed on physical SSDs on the server. For example, installing a new NVMe SSD into an empty SSD slot in the server hardware enclosure. |
| Events | List and/or Get Lightbits Cluster administrative Events. This includes but is not limited to node/cluster availability (offline/online), NVMe failures, rebalance status, capacity warnings, etc. |
Using the lbcli Commands
To use the lbcli CLI utility, you must access the Linux operating system command line on a server that is running Lightbits. You can access the Linux server via a direct connection to the physical server or remotely via Secure Shell (ssh) to the server.
- See the Lightbits API User Manual for a complete list of all lbcli commands.
- Some output may be only partially displayed for illustrative purposes only. Your output details will most likely be different in many cases, depending on your specific configuration.