[one-users] Simplified VM creation?

[Daniel Molina]

Hi,


On 4 September 2013 13:30, Pentium100 <pentium100 at gmail.com> wrote:

> Hello,
>
> While trying out OpenNebula, I noticed that the VM creation process is
> quite inconvenient if I want different VMs (as opposed to scaleout
> situation).
>
> 1. Create the image (upload a new one or copy some other image), set it as
> persistent (I don't want the VM to disappear if I shut it down).
> 2. Create a template that uses the image.
> 3. Finally create a VM from the template. There will only be one VM using
> that template (because I don't really need two identical VMs).
>
> To create 10 virtual servers (all the same "hardware" but different
> images) I need to repeat steps 1-3 ten times.
>
> It would be nice, if there was a way to simplify this. I can think of 3
> ways to do it:
>
> 1. Skip the creation of a template. Create an image then create a VM based
> on that image.
> 2. Do not define an image while creating a template. Assign the image when
> creating the VM.
>  3. Have some "template" image that gets copied when a VM is created. The
> copy should be persistent.
>
> Is there a way to do it? Non-persistent images behave almost like option
> 3, but accidentally shutting down a VM would mean data loss.
>
> We have quite a few VMs, but they all are used as real servers would be -
> all have different data (no scaleout) and none can be deleted easily.
>

In OpenNebula 4.2 we included a new Sunstone cloud view [1] that fits in
your use case. You create base templates and create a set of images. Then a
user just have to select a template and an image, both are merged and a new
vm is created.

You can also use this functionality in the default Sunstone view, but you
will have to enable it. If this the case just tell and will show you how.

Concerning the persistence of the images, you have 2 options
  a) Persistent image: The information will be saved after a shutdown
action, but you can only use it in one vm
  b) Non persistent image: The information will be lost after a shutdown,
but you can use other actions that will not finalized the instance. For
example you can use the undeploy action [2] , it's like a shutdown but the
instance id, ip, disks.. are kept. You can deploy the vm again using the
resume action

 Hope this helps

[1] http://opennebula.org/documentation:rel4.2:cloud_view
[2]
http://opennebula.org/documentation:rel4.2:vm_guide_2#pausing_vm_instances


> --
> Join us at OpenNebulaConf2013 <http://opennebulaconf.com/> in Berlin,
> 24-26 September, 2013
> --
> Daniel Molina
> Project Engineer
> OpenNebula - The Open Source Solution for Data Center Virtualization
> www.OpenNebula.org | dmolina at opennebula.org | @OpenNebula
>
>
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