[one-users] Transfer manager and Networking

[Ruben S. Montero]

Hi all,	
	We have been quite active in the last months improving OpenNebula in two of 
its weakest points: image management and networking. We've included in these 
areas most of the feedback we've received from OpenNebula users.

	Regarding Image management, we have included a general mechanism to transfer 
and clone images,  this TM is a loosely coupled component, that can be turned 
off, as suggested by Borja (although you must be careful with the names of the 
images). However, following the modular and open philosophy of OpenNebula, the 
TM was design to be easily extended and integrated with third-party 
developments. For example, your caching mechanism is a great example!.  

	The new version of OpenNebula, compiles, let me called this way, "an image 
script", which contains the image requirements for the VM. For example:

CLONE host_src:file  host_dst:file
MKSWAP size dst_file

Then CLONE is a configurable action invoked by the TM driver, we have prepared 
clone actions for NFS, SSH and HTTP copies. It should be easy to configure the 
CLONE action to call your caching mechanism to find out if the image is already 
at host_dst or not. We'd happy to help you with this integration!. In this 
way, you can use your cache mechanism and take advantage of other 
functionality built-in in the TM (like create a swap image for you, we have 
also big plans for TM....)

	About networking, right now it is difficult to track the MAC/IPs and its 
association with physical networks, the current mechanism does not scale  
(dealing with hundreds of VMs is a nightmare). The new VNM module allows you 
to define virtual networks and it leases IP-MAC pairs to VMs, so you do not 
have to keep trac of the addresses in use. In this way is pretty much like an 
embedded DHCP server. Additionally, the leases are built in such a way that 
you can easily obtain the IP form the MAC when booting the VM.  Again you do 
not have to use it, and OpenNebula 1.0 networking will be supported.

A beta release (with documentation) is planned by the end of this month. The 
code is already in the SVN trunk.


Best Regards, and thanks for your interest

Ruben


-- 
+---------------------------------------------------------------+
 Dr. Ruben Santiago Montero
 Associate Professor
 Distributed System Architecture Group (http://dsa-research.org)

 URL:    http://dsa-research.org/doku.php?id=people:ruben
 Weblog: http://blog.dsa-research.org/?author=7
             
 GridWay, http://www.gridway.org
 OpenNEbula, http://www.opennebula.org
+---------------------------------------------------------------+