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Deploy and Launch Virtual Machines in OpenStack

This document provides steps to create, deploy, and launch a virtual machine instance in OpenStack. It outlines allocating a floating IP to the project to allow external access, creating an image using the Cirros test image, and launching an instance based on that image. It also describes associating a floating IP with the instance and accessing it remotely via SSH after confirming network connectivity.

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Yuvaraj e
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19 views

Deploy and Launch Virtual Machines in OpenStack

This document provides steps to create, deploy, and launch a virtual machine instance in OpenStack. It outlines allocating a floating IP to the project to allow external access, creating an image using the Cirros test image, and launching an instance based on that image. It also describes associating a floating IP with the instance and accessing it remotely via SSH after confirming network connectivity.

Uploaded by

Yuvaraj e
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Create, Deploy and Launch Virtual

Machines in OpenStack
In this guide we will learn how to create images and launch an instance of an image
(virtual machine) in OpenStack and how to gain control over an instance via SSH.

Step 1: Allocate Floating IP to OpenStack


1. Before you deploy an OpenStack image, first you need to assure that all pieces are
in place and we’ll start by allocating floating IP.

Floating IP allows external access from outside networks or internet to an Openstack


virtual machine. In order to create floating IPs for your project, login with
your user credentials and go to Project -> Compute -> Access & Security -
> Floating IPs tab and click on Allocate IP to The Project.

Choose external Pool and hit on Allocate IP button and the IP address should appear
in dashboard. It’s a good idea to allocate a Floating IP for each instance you run.

good idea to allocate a Floating IP for each instance you run.

Allocate Floating IP to Project in OpenStack


Allocate Floating IP to External Pool

Confirmation of Adding Floating IP

Step 2: Create an OpenStack Image


2. OpenStack images are just virtual machines already created by third-parties. You
can create your own customized images on your machine by installing an Linux OS in
a virtual machine using a virtualization tool, such
as KVM, VirtualBox, VMware or Hyper-V.

Once you have installed the OS, just convert the file to raw and upload it to your
OpenStack cloud infrastructure.
To deploy official images provided by major Linux distributions use the following
links to download the latest packaged images:

1. CentOS 7 – http://cloud.centos.org/centos/7/images/
2. CentOS 6 – http://cloud.centos.org/centos/6/images/
3. Fedora
23 – https://download.fedoraproject.org/pub/fedora/linux/releases/23/
Cloud/
4. Ubuntu – http://cloud-images.ubuntu.com/
5. Debian – http://cdimage.debian.org/cdimage/openstack/current/
6. Windows Server 2012 R2 – https://cloudbase.it/windows-cloud-
images/#download
Official images additionally contain the cloud-init package which is responsible with
SSH key pair and user data injection.

On this guide we’ll deploy a test image, for demonstration purposes, based on a
lightweight Cirros cloud image which can be obtained by visiting the following
link http://download.cirros-cloud.net/0.3.4/.

The image file can be used directly from the HTTP link or downloaded locally on
your machine and uploaded to OpenStack cloud.

To create an image, go OpenStack web panel and navigate to Project -> Compute -
> Images and hit on Create Image button. On the image prompt use the following
settings and hit on Create Image when done.

Name: tecmint-test

Description: Cirros test image

Image Source: Image Location #Use Image File if you’ve downloaded the file
locally on your hard disk

Image Location: http://download.cirros-cloud.net/0.3.4/cirros-0.3.4-i386-disk.img

Format: QCOWW2 – QEMU Emulator

Architecture: leave blank

Minimum Disk: leave blank


Minimum RAM: leave blank

Image Location: checked

Public: unchecked

Protected: unchecked

Create Images in OpenStack


Add OpenStack Image Details

OpenStack Images

Step 3: Launch an Image Instance in OpenStack


3. Once you’ve created an image you’re good to go. Now you can run the virtual
machine based on the image created earlier in your cloud environment.

Move to Project -> Instances and hit on Launch Instance button and a new window
will appear.
Launch Image Instance in Openstack
4. On the first screen add a name for your instance, leave the Availability Zone to
nova, use one instance count and hit on Next button to continue.

Choose a descriptive Instance Name for your instance because this name will be used
to form the virtual machine hostname.

Add Hostname to OpenStack Instance


5. Next, select Image as a Boot Source, add the Cirros test image created earlier by
hitting the + button and hit Next to proceed further.
Select OpenStack Instance Boot Source

Add Cirros Text Image


6. Allocate the virtual machine resources by adding a flavor best suited for your needs
and click on Next to move on.
Add Resources to OpenStack Instance
7. Finally, add one of the OpenStack available networks to your instance using
the + button and hit on Launch Instance to start the virtual machine.

Add Network to OpenStack Instance


8. Once the instance has been started, hit on the right arrow from Create
Snapshot menu button and choose Associate Floating IP.

Select one of the floating IP created earlier and hit on Associate button in order to
make the instance reachable from your internal LAN.
Add Associate Floating IP to OpenStack Instance

Manage Floating IP Associations


9. To test the network connectivity for your active virtual machine issue
a ping command against the instance floating IP address from a remote computer in
your LAN.
Check Network of Virtual Machine in OpenStack
10. In case there’s no issue with your instance and the ping command succeeds you
can remotely login via SSH on your instance.

Use the instance View Log utility to obtain Cirros default credentials as illustrated on
the below screenshots.

Instance View Log Utility


Instance Login Credentials
11. By default, no DNS name servers will be allocated from the internal network
DHCP server for your virtual machine. This problem leads to domain connectivity
issues from instance counterpart.

To solve this issue, first stop the instance and go to Project -> Network -
> Networks and edit the proper subnet by hitting the Subnet Details button.

Add the required DNS name servers, save the configuration, start and connect to the
instance console to test if the new configuration has been applied by pinging a domain
name. Use the following screenshots as a guide.

Shutdown Instance
Modify Instance Network Subnet

Add DNS Servers to Instance


Check Instance Network Connectivity
In case you have limited physical resources in your infrastructure and some of your
instances refuse to start, edit the following line from nova configuration file and
restart the machine in order to apply changes.

# vi /etc/nova/nova.conf

Change the following line to look like this:

ram_allocation_ratio=3.0
Configure Physical Resources in Nova Configuration

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