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ServerTemplates:The Next Generation

Tim Miller, Sr. Director, ServerTemplatesCary Penniman, Sr. Software Engineer

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Agenda• ServerTemplate Overview• What is a Compatibility Release• 12H1 The Next Generation• New Feature Details• Resources  • Questions

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What are ServerTemplates• Blueprints for configuring a server

• Modular, reproducible and easy to modify• Dynamically configured at boot• Consists of base image, layer in needed

applications & configurations• Contains run-time automation

• Used in three ways• Run out of the box• Used as a starting point and then

customized• Best-in-Class Reference Design

• ISVs• Templates not yet in the Marketplace• Company unique ServerTemplate requirements

% of Active Servers

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What is a Compatibility Release• Details

• Tested together• Easily identifiable • Common base images• Frozen repositories

• 11H1• Released in March 2011• AWS only • 16 templates• Over 100 scripts

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12H1 The Next Generation• Multi-Cloud

• Same template runs on AWS, Cloudstack, Eucalyptus, Rackspace and OpenStack. Many more to come!!

• Supported OS including CentOS, Ubuntu and RedHat• Based on RightLink 5.8

• Enterprise Strength• Tag based routing of remote scripts, no more private SSH keys on your

servers• Storage Toolbox • Built-in support for the Chef configuration language • External Source Control Management (ex GIT, SVN)

• Shout Out to our Microsoft Software Templates• IIS, SQL Server HA & Active Directory 

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New Feature Details

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New Features: Machine Tags• Tags are a useful way of attaching useful metadata to Servers• Tool support to add, remove and query server tags• Three main parts: namespace, predicate and value• Syntax: namespace:predicate=value• Example:

• loadbalancer:lb=www  • (a load balancer server for the 'www' vhost)

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New Features: Remote Script Invocation• Invoked by one server, run on another• Uses tags for routing• Removes need for private SSH key material on Servers• Scoped to the current deployment• Example:

• rs_run_right_script --name "LB Attach App Server" --recipient_tags "loadbalancer:lb=www" --json ~/my_info.json

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New Features: Storage Toolbox• It's all about persistence!• Primary Backup

• Uses local cloud persistence• Volumes snapshots preferred (i.e. EBS, Volumes)• Improved performance with LVM support

• Secondary Backup• Uses remote cloud for redundancy• Useful in case of local cloud outage• LVM snapshot uploads to a Remote Object Store (i.e. S3, CloudFiles) 

• Built on our battle tested EBS Toolset

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New Features: Storage Toolbox (cont.)

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New Features: Built-in Chef Support• System Configuration Language • High Level, modular components• Idempotent (potential for)• External Source Control Management• Easier to customize (modules, pull requests)• Large pool of reusable content, community• Chef Language != Chef Platform

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New Features: Built-in Chef Support• Don't Panic!

• Not a forced migration• RightScripts are alive and kicking and ServerTemplates can by hybrid

• Good, but getting better!• Current UI features under development• Full Chef not supported (yet): missing databags• RightScale uses inputs and tags instead

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Resources• Find ServerTemplates in the MultiCloud Marketplace• Access Cookbooks in our public GIT repository

• https://github.com/rightscale/cookbooks_public• Access documentation (machine tags, remote script)

• http://support.rightscale.com/12-Guides/RightLink/RightLink_Command_Line_Utilities

• Coming Soon: RightScale Chef Training Class• Provide feedback

• http://feedback.rightscale.com/