OpenStack Heat¶

Resource Types¶

Heat creates a stack with a combination of resources. The following resource types are the most common items to start or connect each other, we may see often how they are deployed and interact.

• Nova Server (VM instance)
• Floating IP addresses
• Volumes (Storage)
• Security Groups
• Key Pair

There are 70 resource types in total. See more at: http://docs.openstack.org/hot-reference/content/openstack-resource-types.html

These are OpenStack Heat Resource types which are identified with the OS:: prefix. For example, if you’d like to start a VM instance, use the OS::Nova::Server resource type.

There are also Amazon CloudFormation compatible resource types.

Resource Types (Amazon compatible)¶

These resource types are exchangeable between Amazon (AWS) and OpenStack. Let’s review a few types.

• AWS::EC2::Instance: EC2 Instance <-> Nova Server
• AWS::EC2::SecurityGroup: EC2 Security Group <-> OpenStack Security Group
• AWS::EC2::Volume: AWS Elastic Block Store volume <-> OpenStack Cinder Volume

Currently, 25 resource types are compatible with AWS, AWS supports 88 resource types on Amazon Cloud though.

For more information,

• find supported AWS resource types on OpenStack: http://docs.openstack.org/hot-reference/content/cloudformation-compatible-resource-types.html
• see a full list of AWS resource types: http://docs.aws.amazon.com/AWSCloudFormation/latest/UserGuide/aws-template-resource-type-ref.html

Template in YAML¶

OpenStack Heat templates are written in a YAML file format which is easy to read and write. The following template is an example of a launching a VM server with Ubuntu 14.04 image and 1 vCPU and 2GB memories (m1.small flavor).

heat_template_version: 2013-05-23

description: Simple template to deploy a single compute instance on FutureSystems

resources:
  my_instance:
    type: OS::Nova::Server
    properties:
      key_name: albert-india-key
      image: futuresystems/ubuntu-14.04
      flavor: m1.small

Heat template starts with a heat_template_version key to indicate supported features and resource types. The following values are supported:

• 2013-05-23: supports features until the Icehouse release.
• 2014-10-16: supports features until the Juno release.
• 2015-04-30: supports features until the Kilo release.

Horizon on FutureSystems¶

The Horizon on FutureSystems is at: https://openstack-j.india.futuresystems.org/horizon/project/

For more details of Horizon: OpenStack Web Dashboard (Horizon)

Heat Client Tool¶

If you’d like to use Heat Client Tool (heat CLI), you simply run the following commands on india.futuresystems.org:

module load openstack
source $HOME/.cloudmesh/clouds/india/juno/openrc.sh

module load openstack enables Heat CLI on your shell.

Stack List¶

You can see running stacks with the following command:

$ heat stack-list
+----+------------+--------------+---------------+
| id | stack_name | stack_status | creation_time |
+----+------------+--------------+---------------+
+----+------------+--------------+---------------+

A stack is cloud resources that you use with your selected Heat Template. If you deployed 5 VM instances with 2 floating IP addresses and 1 security group, all of these resources fall into a single stack on OpenStack.

Stack Creation¶

You need a template first. Save a sample template above in a YAML file, e.g. openstack_heat_ex1.yaml It will create a new VM instance with a Ubuntu 14.04 image, albert-india-key SSH keypair and a m1.small flavor. You have to REPLACE albert-india-key with your registered keyname.

If you are ready to create a new stack, run the following command:

heat stack-create --template-file openstack_heat_ex1.yaml heat-tutorial-$OS_USERNAME

• You started a stack with a parameter for a template file --template-file.
• heat-tutorial-$OS_USERNAME is your stack name, you can use other names.

The sample output is:

+--------------------------------------+------------+--------------------+----------------------+
| id                                   | stack_name | stack_status       | creation_time        |
+--------------------------------------+------------+--------------------+----------------------+
| a6c98d15-f569-426b-a364-46bcca831049 | heat-tut...| CREATE_IN_PROGRESS | 2015-04-02T06:15:56Z |
+--------------------------------------+------------+--------------------+----------------------+

As you can see your stack is being processed. You can see more details with the following command:

heat stack-show heat-tutorial-$OS_USERNAME

The output looks like:

+----------------------+----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| Property             | Value                                                                      |
+----------------------+----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| capabilities         | []                                                                         |
| creation_time        | 2015-04-02T06:15:56Z                                                       |
| description          | Simple template to deploy a single compute instance on FutureSystems       |
| disable_rollback     | True                                                                       |
| id                   | a6c98d15-f569-426b-a364-46bcca83104                                        |
| links                | http://xxx.futuregrid.org:xxx/v1/.../stacks/../.. (self)                   |
| notification_topics  | []                                                                         |
| parameters           | {                                                                          |
|                      |   "OS::stack_id": "a6c98d15-f569-426b-a364-46bcca83104",                   |
|                      |   "OS::stack_name": "heat-tutorial-albert",                                |
|                      |   "instance_type": "m1.small",                                             |
|                      |   "image_id": "futuresystems/ubuntu-14.04",                                |
|                      |   "key_name": "albert-india-key"                                           |
|                      | }                                                                          |
| parent               | None                                                                       |
| stack_name           | heat-tutorial-albert                                                       |
| stack_owner          | albert                                                                     |
| stack_status         | CREATE_COMPLETE                                                            |
| stack_status_reason  | Stack CREATE completed successfully                                        |
| template_description | Simple template to deploy a single compute instance on FutureSystems       |
| updated_time         | None                                                                       |
+----------------------+----------------------------------------------------------------------------+

Stack List¶

heat stack-list [STACK_NAME]

If you have VM instances in your stack, you can see running instances.

nova list

Stack Deletion¶

heat stack-delete [STACK_NAME]

Samples of Heat Templates¶

You can find examples of the Heat templates.

https://github.com/openstack/heat-templates/blob/master/hot/

Exercise I¶

• Try to create a two VM instances with the following conditions:

  • futuresystems/ubuntu14.04
  • m1.small
  • Port 22, 80, and 443 are open
  • Save your OpenStack Heat template in $USERNAME_heat_ex1.yaml

  Tip

  The following documents will be useful:

  • Heat Orchestration Template (HOT) Specification
  • Heat Orchestration (HOT) Guide
  • OpenStack Researce Types
    • OS::Neutron::SecurityGroup
    • OS::Neutron::Port
  • Sample Heat template

Exercise II¶

• Start a WordPress web service using Heat template on the web. The required conditions are:

  • Use Template for WordPress on Fedora21
  • Make sure to specify your key using the key_name parameter
  • Once you successfully created a WordPress stack, checkout the index page. curl -L http://[IP ADDRESS]/wordpress produces the index page in a text mode.
  • If your web browser opens the page properly, your WordPress is created successfully.

  Tip

  Examine the documentation for the heat subcommands stack-create and stack-show like so:

  $ heat help <subcommand>
  

  replacing <subcommand> as appropriate.

  Tip

  The IP address of your instance is listed as an output value. Make sure to examine your stack to get the location of the instance.

• Submission

  You will need to turn in a typescript of your terminal session. Do so by executing:

  $ script heat_ex2_$OS_USERNAME.typescript
  

  and then proceed with this exercise. Upon completion, make sure to type exit to end the typescripting. The contents of the session will be found in the heat_ex2_$OS_USERNAME.typescript file.

• If you’d like to use Horizon web dashboard, you need to find “Orchestration > Stacks” menu.

  • Make a screenshot of the page at Stacks > Topology
  • Make a screenshot of the page at Stacks > Overview
  • Make a screenshot of the page at Stacks > Resources
  • Make a screenshot of the page at Stacks > Events
  • Submit your screenshots.