VMs Dashboard Overview | Multi-Cloud Virtual Machine Management Interface | Nife

The VMs Dashboard provides a comprehensive interface for managing all your virtual machine instances across AWS, Google Cloud Platform (GCP), and Microsoft Azure in one unified location.

Dashboard Features#

Complete Instance Management#

The VMs Dashboard allows you to:

  • View all VMs: See all your virtual machine instances across different cloud providers
  • Monitor Status: Real-time instance status including running, stopped, and paused states
  • Control Instances: Start, stop, restart, and configure VM instances
  • Delete Instances: Remove VM instances when no longer needed
  • Access Details: View comprehensive information about each instance
  • Export Data: Export VM inventory as CSV or JSON

Multi-Cloud Integration#

Work seamlessly with:

  • AWS EC2: Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud instances
  • GCP Compute Engine: Google Cloud virtual machine instances
  • Azure Virtual Machines: Microsoft Azure VM deployments
  • Monolith Instances: Docker-based monolith deployments

Dashboard Layout#

Page Header#

The top of the VMs Dashboard displays:

Title and Description

  • "Virtual Machines" title with description of unified control
  • Total VM count badge

Key Metrics

  • Running: Number of active VM instances
  • Stopped: Number of stopped instances
  • Providers: Count of cloud providers in use
  • Zones: Number of deployment zones/regions

Quick Action Buttons#

Refresh Button

  • Click to reload VM instance data
  • Shows loading spinner while refreshing
  • Updates status and metrics in real-time

Filter Toggle Button

  • Click to show/hide filter panel
  • Highlighted when filters are active
  • Lets you filter by search, status, and provider

View Mode Toggle

  • Switch between Card View and Table View
  • Cards: Visual overview of each instance
  • Table: Detailed information in columns

Create VM Button

  • Primary action button
  • Opens create VM interface
  • Links to VM creation workflow

Additional Actions#

Located in the overflow menu:

  • Export as CSV: Download instance list as spreadsheet
  • Export as JSON: Download instance data in JSON format

Monolith Instances Section#

If you have Docker-based monolith deployments, they appear in a dedicated section:

Monolith Cards

  • Instance name and IP address
  • User information
  • Creation date
  • Manage button to access monolith configuration

Each monolith displays:

  • 🐳 Docker icon indicator
  • Instance name
  • IP address for access
  • Associated user
  • Creation timestamp
  • Manage button for configuration

Filter Panel#

When filters are enabled, you can refine your VM list:

Search Box

  • Search by instance name or organization name
  • Real-time filtering as you type
  • Shows matching results instantly

Status Filter

  • All Status: Show all instances regardless of state
  • Running: Show only active instances
  • Stopped: Show only powered-off instances
  • Paused: Show only temporarily paused instances

Type Filter

  • All Types: Show all cloud provider instances
  • AWS: Show only Amazon EC2 instances
  • GCP: Show only Google Compute instances
  • Azure: Show only Microsoft Azure instances

VM Instance Cards#

Each VM instance displays as an interactive card with:

Card Header#

  • Instance Icon: Visual indicator of cloud provider (AWS ☁️, GCP 🟠, Azure 🔵)
  • Instance Name: The name you assigned to the VM
  • Provider Info: Cloud provider type and zone/region
  • Organization: Which organization owns the instance
  • Status Badge: Current state with visual indicator

Status Indicators#

  • Running (Green): Instance is active and operational
  • Stopped (Gray): Instance is powered off
  • Paused (Yellow): Instance is temporarily paused
  • Terminated (Red): Instance has been deleted or terminated

Quick Action Buttons#

Available buttons on each card:

Settings Button (⚙️)

  • Opens instance configuration
  • Allows you to modify settings

Restart Button (↻)

  • Restarts the running instance
  • Useful after configuration changes

Play/Pause Button

  • Shows Play (▶️) if instance is stopped - click to start
  • Shows Pause (⏸️) if instance is running - click to stop
  • Toggles instance power state

Delete Button (🗑️)

  • Removes the instance permanently
  • Opens confirmation dialog
  • Cannot be undone - ensure backup first

Expand Icon (→)

  • Opens detailed instance panel
  • Shows full instance information

Card Content#

Instance Information

  • Instance ID (with 🆔 icon)
  • Zone/Region (with 📍 icon)
  • Cloud Provider (with ☁️ icon)
  • Created By user (with 👤 icon)

Recent Activity

  • Latest instance activities
  • Activity messages with timestamps
  • Up to 2 most recent activities shown

Additional Actions

  • Console: Access instance browser console
  • SSH: Connect via SSH terminal
  • Snapshots: Manage instance backups and snapshots
  • Monitoring: View performance metrics and health

Detail Panel#

Click on any VM card to open the detail panel:

Right-side Panel displays:

  • Complete instance configuration
  • Resource allocation details
  • Storage and volume information
  • Network settings
  • Recent activity log
  • Performance metrics
  • Advanced configuration options

Close Panel

  • Click the X button to close
  • Click outside the panel
  • Press Escape key

Empty States#

No VMs Created#

When you have no VM instances:

  • Helpful message: "No virtual machines yet"
  • Description: "Create your first VM instance to get started"
  • Quick action: "Create VM" button

No Results from Filters#

When filters return no matches:

  • Message: "No VMs found"
  • Suggestion: "Try adjusting your search or filter criteria"
  • Clear filters to see all instances

Loading States#

While data is loading:

  • Skeleton placeholders show loading progress
  • Header information displays first
  • Filter panel loads next
  • VM cards appear as data arrives

Error Handling#

If there's an issue loading VMs:

  • Error message displays with details
  • "Retry" button to reload data
  • Contact support option if problem persists

Data Refresh#

Auto-Refresh#

  • Dashboard automatically refreshes every 30 seconds
  • Updates status and metrics silently
  • Shows latest information without manual intervention

Manual Refresh#

  • Click the Refresh button in the header
  • Displays loading spinner while updating
  • Updates all VM data and metrics

Keyboard Shortcuts#

  • Escape: Close detail panel
  • Click outside panel: Close detail panel
  • Ctrl/Cmd + F: Focus search field

Status Monitoring#

Color Coding#

  • Green: Running instances are healthy and active
  • Gray: Stopped instances are powered off
  • Yellow: Paused instances are temporarily inactive
  • Red: Terminated instances have been deleted

Pulsing Indicator#

  • Running instances show a pulsing dot in the status badge
  • Visual indicator of active status
  • Helps quickly identify running instances

Performance Tips#

  1. Use Filters: Filter by status or provider to focus on what you need
  2. Search: Use search to quickly find specific instances
  3. View Mode: Switch to table view for dense information display
  4. Refresh: Click refresh to ensure you have latest data
  5. Export: Export data for reporting and backup

Metrics at a Glance#

The dashboard header shows key metrics:

  • Total VMs: All instances across all providers
  • Running: Active instances ready for use
  • Stopped: Powered-off instances
  • Providers: Different cloud platforms in use
  • Zones: Geographic regions/zones in use

Multi-Provider Management#

Work across multiple cloud providers seamlessly:

AWS Instances

  • ☁️ Icon indicates AWS
  • Show AWS region (e.g., us-east-1)
  • AWS-specific operations available

GCP Instances

  • 🟠 Icon indicates GCP
  • Show GCP zone (e.g., us-central1-a)
  • GCP-specific operations available

Azure Instances

  • 🔵 Icon indicates Azure
  • Show Azure region name
  • Azure-specific operations available

Next Steps#