Bug 1854164 - Unclear error message when adding more RAM than available on host.
Summary: Unclear error message when adding more RAM than available on host.
Keywords:
Status: CLOSED WONTFIX
Alias: None
Product: ovirt-engine
Classification: oVirt
Component: General
Version: 4.4.0
Hardware: x86_64
OS: Linux
unspecified
low
Target Milestone: ---
: ---
Assignee: bugs@ovirt.org
QA Contact: Nikolai Sednev
URL:
Whiteboard:
Depends On:
Blocks:
TreeView+ depends on / blocked
 
Reported: 2020-07-06 15:43 UTC by Nikolai Sednev
Modified: 2021-11-12 10:05 UTC (History)
3 users (show)

Fixed In Version:
Clone Of:
Environment:
Last Closed: 2020-07-07 15:20:08 UTC
oVirt Team: Virt
Embargoed:


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System ID Private Priority Status Summary Last Updated
Red Hat Issue Tracker RHV-43971 0 None None None 2021-11-12 10:05:08 UTC

Description Nikolai Sednev 2020-07-06 15:43:59 UTC
Description of problem:
Taking this from https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=1820140#c7 , when on hosted-engine environment customer tries to add more RAM than available on host, to HE-VM using memory-hotplug, he receives unclear and confusing error message "
Operation Canceled
Error while executing action: 

HostedEngine:
Cannot edit VM. Memory size (32768MB) cannot exceed the minimal memory size of Hosted Engine hosts (31985MB)."

In HE-environment might be some ha-hosts with less RAM than on the others, but the issue here is that customer is trying to add more RAM than available on current ha-host and he sees this error, which isn't much clear.

What is minimal memory size of Hosted Engine hosts (31985MB)? Where does this value comes from? 

Version-Release number of selected component (if applicable):
Software Version:4.4.1.7-0.3.el8ev.
ovirt-hosted-engine-ha-2.4.4-1.el8ev.noarch
ovirt-hosted-engine-setup-2.4.5-1.el8ev.noarch
Linux 4.18.0-193.12.1.el8_2.x86_64 #1 SMP Thu Jul 2 15:48:14 UTC 2020 x86_64 x86_64 x86_64 GNU/Linux
Red Hat Enterprise Linux release 8.2 (Ootpa)

How reproducible:
100%

Steps to Reproduce:
1.Deploy HE over 2 ha-hosts with different ammount of RAM.
2.Try adding more RAM, than available on ha-host running the engine, to HE-VM using memory-hotplug.

Actual results:
Error message is unclear.

Expected results:
Error should be more specific and informative.

Comment 1 Arik 2020-07-07 08:45:30 UTC
(In reply to Nikolai Sednev from comment #0)
> Expected results:
> Error should be more specific and informative.

How would you suggest to improve it?

Comment 2 Steven Rosenberg 2020-07-07 08:48:24 UTC
The message seems fine, the solution can be adding say tool tips and / or guided help in order to provide more detailed information.

Comment 3 Nikolai Sednev 2020-07-07 08:54:27 UTC
(In reply to Arik from comment #1)
> (In reply to Nikolai Sednev from comment #0)
> > Expected results:
> > Error should be more specific and informative.
> 
> How would you suggest to improve it?

I would suggest to check on which host the VM is actively running and then:
1.If customer is trying to add more RAM than available on host, then to print something like "You're not allowed to add more memory to HE-VM, than available on host."
2.If customer is trying to add more memory than the slowest host in cluster can support, then print something like "You're not allowed to add more than (amount of RAM on slowest host in cluster) to be able to run HE-VM on all ha-hoists in cluster".

There are two cases and they have to be handled separately and messages should be clear.

Comment 4 Arik 2020-07-07 09:28:32 UTC
We wouldn't want to have two different cases when (2) includes (1) - if you set the memory to be higher than the physical memory of the host the HE VM runs on, you necessarily exceeded the physical memory of the minimal HE host.
I see your point about second message though - you prefer to be provided with the motivation for the check rather than what the check actually does.
In this case though the motivation, in my opinion, it quite clear and it's better to be more explicit about what caused the failure.

Comment 5 Nikolai Sednev 2020-07-07 14:28:06 UTC
(In reply to Arik from comment #4)
> We wouldn't want to have two different cases when (2) includes (1) - if you
> set the memory to be higher than the physical memory of the host the HE VM
> runs on, you necessarily exceeded the physical memory of the minimal HE host.
> I see your point about second message though - you prefer to be provided
> with the motivation for the check rather than what the check actually does.
> In this case though the motivation, in my opinion, it quite clear and it's
> better to be more explicit about what caused the failure.

People who don't know how the code works inside, won't understand current error. IMHO we should refine the message and supply some documentation or pop-up explanation message.

Comment 6 Arik 2020-07-07 15:20:08 UTC
I wouldn't be so definite about it - people can understand that without knowing how it's implemented.
With no alternative that clearly improves it, keeping it as is.


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