Synnefo » ./kamaki

Creating Servers (Virtual Machines)

===================================

A `server` (also known as `virtual machine`), is created based on a registered

`image` and a preconfigured hardware setup (also known as `flavor`).

Create a virtual server

-----------------------

List available flavors

.. code-block:: console

    [kamaki]: flavor list -l

    1 C1R128D1drbd

        SNF:disk_template: drbd

        disk:              1

        id:                1

        links:

                href: https://example.com/cyclades/compute/v2.0/flavors/1

                rel:  bookmark

                . . . . . . .

                href: https://example.com/cyclades/compute/v2.0/flavors/1

                rel:  self

        name:              C1R128D1drbd

        ram:               128

        vcpus:             1

    2 C1R128D1plain

        SNF:disk_template: plain

        disk:              1

        id:                2

        links:

                href: https://example.com/cyclades/compute/v2.0/flavors/2

                rel:  bookmark

                . . . . . . .

                href: https://example.com/cyclades/compute/v2.0/flavors/2

                rel:  self

        name:             C1R128D1plain

        ram:              128

        vcpus:            1

    [kamaki]:

List available images

.. code-block:: console

    [kamaki]: image compute list

    f1r57-1m4g3-1d Debian Base Alpha

    53c0nd-1m4g3-1d Beta Debian Base

    [kamaki]:

Let's pick the `C1R128D1drbd` (id: 1) flavor and the `Debian Base Alpha` (id:

f1r57-1m4g3-1d) image to create a new virtual server called 'My First Server'

.. code-block:: console

    [kamaki]: server create 'My First Server' 1 f1r57-1m4g3-1d

    accessIPv4:

    accessIPv6:

    addresses:

    adminPass:       Y0uW0nt5eeMeAg4in

    attachments:

    config_drive:

    created:         2013-06-19T12:34:47.362078+00:00

    diagnostics:

    flavor:

            id:    1

    hostId:

    id:              141

    image:

            id:    f1r57-1m4g3-1d

    key_name:        None

    metadata:

                   os:    debian

                   users: root

    name:            My First Server

    progress:        0

    security_groups:

                      name: default

    status:          BUILD

    suspended:       False

    tenant_id:       s0m3-u53r-1d

    updated:         2013-06-19T12:34:48.512867+00:00

    user_id:         s0m3-u53r-1d

    [kamaki]:

.. note:: The adminPass field is not stored anywhere, therefore users would

    rather write it down and change it the first time they use the virtual server

Wait for the virtual server with id 141 to build (optional)

.. code-block:: console

    [kamaki]: server wait 141

    <bar showing build progress, until 100%>

    Server 141 is now in ACTIVE mode

    [kamaki]:

Destroy the virtual server (wait is still optional)

.. code-block:: console

    [kamaki]: server delete 141

    [kamaki]: server wait 141 ACTIVE

    <bar showing destruction progress, until 100%>

    Server 141 is now in DELETED mode

    [kamaki]:

Inject ssh keys to a debian server

----------------------------------

Assume that the servers build from the image `Debian Base Alpha` accept ssh

connections. We need to build servers that can log us as root without a

password. This can be achieved if the `/root/.ssh/authorized_keys` file exists

and contains the public key of the current user.

Assume that the public key file of the current user is located at

`/home/someuser/.ssh/id_rsa.pub` . We need a method of injecting this file as

`/root/.ssh/authorized_keys` while creating the virtual server.

Luckily, Synnefo fully supports the OpenStack suggestion for file injections on

virtual servers and kamaki allows it by using the **-p** argument (p stands for

`PERSONALITY` and is the term used in the

`respective OpenStack <http://docs.openstack.org/api/openstack-compute/2/content/CreateServers.html>`_ description).

The syntax of the -p argument is something called "the personlity string"::

    -p <local file path>[,<remote path>[,<remote owner>[,<remote group>[,<mode>]]]]

    e.g.,

    -p /home/someuser/.ssh/id_rsa.pub,/root/.ssh/authorized_keys,root,root,0777

.. note:: In case of omitting an optional part of the personality string, the

    default behavior depends on the remote server, e.g., for a debian image we

    expect the file to have root ownership, if the ownership is not specified.

Create a virtual server while injecting current user public key to root account

.. code-block:: console

    [kamaki]: server

    [server]: create 'NoPassword Server' 1 f1r57-1m4g3-1d -p /home/someuser/.ssh/id_rsa.pub,/root/.ssh/authorized_keys

    accessIPv4:

    accessIPv6:

    addresses:

    adminPass:       Th1s1s4U5elessTh1ngN0w

    attachments:

    config_drive:

    created:         2013-06-19T12:34:47.362078+00:00

    diagnostics:

    flavor:

            id:    1

    hostId:

    id:              142

    image:

            id:     f1r57-1m4g3-1d

    key_name:        None

    metadata:

                    os:    debian

                    users: root

    name:           No Password Server

    progress:        0

    security_groups:

                    name: default

    status:          BUILD

    suspended:       False

    tenant_id:       s0m3-u53r-1d

    updated:         2013-06-19T12:34:48.512867+00:00

    user_id:         s0m3-u53r-1d

    [server]:

When the virtual server is ready, get the virtual servers external IP from the web UI. Let's assume the

IP is 123.456.78.90 .

.. code-block:: console

    [server]: /exit

    $ ssh 123.456.78.90

    Linux remote-virtual server-4241 2.6.32-5-amd64 #1 SMP XXXX x86_64

    The programs included with the Debian GNU/Linux system are free software;

    the exact distribution terms for each program are described in the

    individual files in /usr/share/doc/*/copyright.

    Debian GNU/Linux comes with ABSOLUTELY NO WARRANTY, to the extent

    permitted by applicable law.

    root@remote-virtual server-4241:~# ls -l .ssh/

    total 4

    -rw-r--r-- 1 root root 399 Jun 19 12:34 authorized_keys

    root@remote-virtual server-4241:~#

You can now log to your remote virtual server as root, without a password. Well done!

.. note:: There is no reason to limit injections to ssh keys. Users with an

    adequate understanding of the remote OS are encouraged to prepare and

    inject all kinds of useful files, e.g., **lists of package sources**,

    **default user profiles**, **device mount configurations**, etc.