National College of Ireland

Project Submission Sheet – 2013/2014

School of Computing

Student Name: Gaurav Lakhani and Jitendra Kumar Sharma ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Student ID: X14111284 and x01315057………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Programme: M.Sc Cloud Computing……………………………………………………………

Year: 2014………………………

Module: INFRASTRUCTURE MANAGEMENT ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Lecturer: VIKAS SAHNI………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Submission Due Date: 14-Dec-

2014………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Project Title: HYBRID CLOUD INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECT REPORT 2 ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Word Count:1,956………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

I hereby certify that the information contained in this (my submission) is information pertaining to research I conducted for this project. All information other than my own contribution will be fully referenced and listed in the relevant bibliography section at the rear of the project.ALL internet material must be referenced in the bibliography section. Students are encouraged to use the Harvard Referencing Standard supplied by the Library. To use other author's written or electronic work is illegal (plagiarism) and may result in disciplinary action. Students may be required to undergo a viva (oral examination) if there is suspicion about the validity of their submitted work.

Signature: GAURAV LAKHANI………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Date: 14-DEC-2014………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

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1. Please attach a completed copy of this sheet to each project (including multiple copies).2. You must ensure that you retain a HARD COPY of ALL projects, both for your own reference and in case a project is lost or mislaid. It is not sufficient to keep a copy on computer. Please do not bind projects or place in covers unless specifically requested.3. Assignments that are submitted to the Programme Coordinator office must be placed into the assignment box located outside the office.

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Hybrid Cloud between VMware and Amazon Web Services

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Module: Infrastructure Management Team: Jitendra Kumar Sharma (x01315057) Gaurav Lakhani (x14111284)Blog: http://configurecloud.blogspot.ie/

Contents:

1. Introduction2. Steps to integrate AWS with VMware Private Cloud3. Prerequisites4. Steps to create a Domain User5. Steps to download and import AWS connector6. Steps to configure AWS connector7. Steps to provision instances in AWS

7.1 Steps to provision instances on premises 7.2 Steps to provision instances in AWS from vCenter Server

8. Dynamic Characteristics of the hybrid Cloud 8.1 Scaling down the instances 8.2 Networking in hybrid Cloud 8.3 Monitoring of hybrid Cloud

9. References

1) Introduction

Our previous report was based on first part of our project where we focused on configuring the private cloud for our hybrid infrastructure. We have used VMware vSphere suite to configure our private cloud. This private cloud is integrated with a domain controller as domain user will be used for authentication while integrating our private cloud with AWS. AWS is a business unit within amazon.com which specializes in providing cloud services. Amazon EC2 provides a scalable computing capacity which is much economic than building a private cloud infrastructure. VMware vSphere consists of software including a hypervisor (ESXi), a management server called vCenter server and a vSphere client. First of all we implemented the VMware private cloud on VMware workstation by replicating a real private cloud environment. VMware private cloud is configured in 5 stages:

1) Active Directory Installation and Domain Creation2) VMware vSphere (ESXi) installation3) vCenter server installation4) vSphere client installation 5) Provisioning, Scheduling and accessing in private cloud

After configuring the private cloud, we moved on to configure the public cloud. Due to AWS API’s rich features we chose AWS as our public cloud platform. To integrate AWS with the VMware private cloud we set an IAM user (Identity and Access Management) and a VPC (Virtual Private Cloud). Steps for the same have been mentioned in our previous report. After doing all the basic settings on the AWS management portal we created and provisioned a new instance on the public cloud. In this report we will focus on the hybrid cloud infrastructure, integrating AWS and VMware private cloud, discuss in detail the Provisioning and network features of our implementation and hybrid cloud characteristics like scalability, monitoring and automation.

2) Steps to integrate AWS with VMware private cloud

We will connect VMware Private Cloud with AWS using AWS tool called 'AWS Connector for VMware vCenter which integrate AWS management portal within the private cloud management server called vCenter server. It acts as a mediator between private cloud and AWS and takes care of all the authentication and instructions for AWS that is processed from within the VMware private cloud. AWS Connector is available as a virtual appliance in 'OVA' format. This can be directly imported as OVF template in vSphere environment. A general layout of our hybrid cloud is as below:

3) Prerequisites

In order to integrate AWS with vCenter server, we need an IAM user setup in AWS, a domain user with no rights on vCenter server and AWS Connector. We have already set up an IAM user 'jeet' in AWS and steps to download the keys are as mentioned below.

Log in to AWS Console on http://aws.amazon.com/>>Click on Identity and Access management>>Under IAM Resources, click on Users>>select your user>>at the bottom of the page, under Access Credentials click Manage Access Keys>>Click Create Access Key>>Click download Credentials>>Save it on your Desktop.

4) Steps to Create a Domain user

We need a domain user with no rights on vCenter Server that will be integrated in AWS connector. Steps to create domain user:

Go to your domain controller>>Click on Start>>Administrative Tools>>Active Directory users and computers>>Right click on 'Users' in the 'Active directory Users and Computers' window>>Fill in user details and login name>>Next>>Setup and confirm a password for your user and Next>>Finish

Now as we have the access keys for our AWS IAM user and a domain user, next we will download and import AWS connector in our VMware vSphere private cloud infrastructure.

5) Steps to download and import AWS connector

AWS Connector is available as virtual appliance and can be downloaded from http://aws.amazon.com/ec2/vcenter-portal/.

Once AWS connector has been downloaded and saved on the hard drive, we will import in it our private cloud.

Login to vCenter server >>On the Menu bar >>click File>>Deploy OVF Template>>Browse and select AWS connector OVA file saved on the hard drive>>Next>>'Yes' to acknowledge the warning>>Next>>Choose name and location to deploy AWS connector>>Thin Provisioned hard drive>>Next>>Next>>Finish

AWS connector will be deployed and appear as a virtual machine in vCenter server inventory.

Select the AWS connector from the list and click to power on. Note down the Management Website address displayed in the connector console. We will login to AWS connector using this management website to configure it.

Once this AWS connector has been imported and deployed within vCenter server, We need to login to AWS Connector Management website to configure it to authenticate it with AWS and allow vCenter users to create instances on AWS from within the vCenter server. Various steps involved to configure AWS connector are as listed below:

6) Steps to configure AWS connector

Open Firefox on vCenter server and browse to AWS connector Management website https://192/168.0.19.This is the address we noted from the connector console in our last screenshot.

Login with your vCenter server credentials>>it will ask to choose a new password, enter a new password and Next.

We are logged in to AWS Connector for vCenter and now need to register this connector with AWS. Click on 'Register the Connector' link on right side of the screen under 'Actions'.

On the next screen, it will ask to select the setup type. However before we choose the setup type, we need to download 'AMP connector key' that will be needed to continue with the setup. The AMP-Connector key is used to establish trust between the management portal and the on-premises AWS Connector. It can downloaded from https://amp.aws.amazon.com/VCPlugin.html#setup by clicking on AWS Management portal for vCenter' link on the Connector registration page. Login to the page with your AWS login details, create a new AMP connector key, download and save it on your hard drive.

Now we will continue with the setup process. As we have already downloaded the configuration file, instead of entering the configuration manually, choose 'upload the configuration file'>>Click Browse>>Locate the AMP configuration file>>Next>>Enter vCenter credentials>>Enter the domain user we created before with no vCenter server rights>>Enter the AWS IAM user's access and secret access key that we downloaded before for the IAM user jeet>>Select Use the same IAM user for VM migration>>Next>>Register

This will authenticate AWS connector with AWS Management portal and integrate it within vCenter server. Next we need to provision virtual machines on our public cloud.

7) Steps to provision instances in AWS

As we have integrated the AWS in our private cloud, we can manage all the instances on premise as well as AWS from within the vCenter server. The various steps involved are as follows:

7.1) Steps to provision instances on premises

Login to vCenter server with the domain service account 'jeet' that we registered with AWS connector>>highlight any of the hypervisor listed on the left hand panel on which to create instance>>right click>>create virtual machine>>click Typical>>Chose a name for virtual machine>>select inventory location>>Chose the data store for placing VM files>>Next>>Select the operating system for the instance>>select version>>Chose the network>>Next>>Select disk size>>Thin Provision>>Finish

7.2) Steps to Provision instances in AWS from vCenter server

There are two ways we can provision instances on AWS from our infrastructure. First is using a VMware virtual machine template and other is using AMI template. Launching an instance using VMware template involves conversion of its hard drive from .vmdk format to AMI image and then migrating it to AWS. This is out of our scope so we tried the other method.

The various steps involved to launch an instance on AWS are as mentioned below:

Login to vCenter Server>>On Top in address bar click Inventory>>Scroll down to AWS management portal>>click to open>>It will open AWS management portal with list of all available zones. For the first time we need to create a new environment where we can assign our VPC and subnets for the instances we will create>>Highlight any of the available zones>>Right click and select >>New Environment>>Enter Name for your environment>>choose a region>>assign it the VPC we created before in first report>>and Assign a subnet.

Our environment has been created successfully and is ready to host a instance. However before we launch an instance we need to create a template which we will use to launch it.Click and expand the Availability zone in which new environment has been created>>right click your environment>>Click New Template>>Choose OS>>AMI Name>>Instance Type (t1.micro) in our case>>Check the box to associate public ip>>select subnet from the box>>Next>>Create a security group or choose default>>Select your existing key pair or chose 'I do not want a key pair installed on this instance'>>Finish

A new template has been created and will show under the new environment. To launch a instance using it, Right click on the template>>and click Deploy instance>> choose a name for your instance>>select the subnet>>Next and Finish.

A New instance will be created and launched on AWS.

8) Dynamic Characteristics of the Hybrid Cloud

8.1) Scaling Down the instances

Once we are done with the use of our instance, there is no point leaving it running as it will add to the unnecessary cost. We can scale down our infrastructure either by stopping or terminating the running instance. To scale down any instance, highlight the instance listed under your environment in AWS management portal in vCenter server and click 'Stop the instance' or 'Terminate the instance'

8.2) Networking in Hybrid Cloud

The networking in VMware private cloud is configured using virtual switches. These virtual switches have multiple ports which are organized into different port groups to separate the virtual machines traffic from ESXi Management Network.

In case of AWS, all instances run in a private, isolated section of the AWS cloud with direct access to the Internet. Network access control lists and security groups can be used to provide strict control over inbound and outbound network traffic to the instances. A Virtual Private cloud is created on AWS with subnet values and is declared under environments in AWS management portal for vCenter server. All the instances are launched within this VPC.

8.3) Monitoring of the Hybrid cloud

We have used Solar winds Virtualization Manager to monitor our cloud infrastructure. Virtualization manager is available as a virtual appliance and can be download as an OVA file from http://www.solarwinds.com/virtualization-manager.aspx. We can deploy Virtualization Manager as OVF template in same way we deployed AWS connector above. Once it is deployed power on the Virtualization Manager virtual appliance. It will boot and show a web link to manage the application and settings for virtualization manager itself.

Use any browser to open http://192.168.0.41 as shown above. Default username and password is same as 'admin'. Complete the configuration wizard with details of monitoring targets which is our vCenter server and schedules to collect data.

Enter hybrid cloud management server details. This is the login details of the vCenter server.

Enter the details for Target vCenter server and enable schedules

Virtualization manager is installed and ready to use. It will redirect to the hybrid configuration summary page with all the resource details.

For a detailed report click on Dashboard>>All reports. We can also use inbuilt query or use advance search to collect customized data related to configuration and performance of our hybrid cloud.

This concludes second part of our report on Hybrid cloud between VMware vSphere and AWS where in we have tried to list down all the features, steps and configurations related to our infrastructure. Some of the major areas we covered in both the reports are:

1) Comparison and critical analysis of the Various Options2) Architecture of Private Cloud3) Implementation of Private Cloud4) Public Cloud Provisioning5) Gaps identified and Challenges met during the Cloud Setup6) Steps to integrate AWS with VMware Private Cloud7) Steps to create Domain User and configure AWS connector8) Steps to provision instances in AWS9) Dynamic characteristics like networking and scaling up and down10) Monitoring of the Hybrid Cloud

9. References

Amazon Web Services, Inc., (2014). AWS Management Console. [online] Available at: http://aws.amazon.com/console/ [Accessed 9 Dec. 2014].

Amazon Web Services, Inc., (2014). AWS Management Portal for vCenter. [online] Available at: http://aws.amazon.com/ec2/vcenter-portal/ [Accessed 9 Dec. 2014].

Introduction to VMware vSphere. (2014). 1st ed. [ebook] Available at: http://www.vmware.com/pdf/vsphere4/r40/vsp_40_intro_vs.pdf [Accessed 10 Dec. 2014].

Solarwinds.com, (2014). Virtual Machine Monitor & VM Management | SolarWinds. [online] Available at: http://www.solarwinds.com/virtualization-manager.aspx [Accessed 10 Dec. 2014].

Solarwinds.com, (2014). Virtual Machine Monitor & VM Management | SolarWinds. [online] Available at: http://www.solarwinds.com/virtualization-manager.aspx#guided_tour [Accessed 10 Dec. 2014].