Running Containers¶

Important

This guide uses a virtual Edge Cluster and LXC as virtualization technology, but it also applies to metal Edge Clusters running either LXC or Firecraker. Finally it is also possible to run container applications in a VM form, see here for more details.

OpenNebula comes out-of-the-box with integrations with various container Marketplaces like Docker Hub, Turnkey Linux and Linux Containers. We are going to use the nginx container from Docker Hub to try out our brand new cloud.

Warning

We are going to use the virtual AWS Edge Cluster deployed in the Operations Basics guide in order to achieve this. We are going to assume the naming schema “aws-cluster” (which is the default if you haven’t changed it).

Step 1. Download the container image from Docker Hub¶

Log in to Sunstone as oneadmin. Go to the Storage --> Apps tab and search for “nginx”. Make sure you select the nginx from the “Docker Hub” Marketplace. Then, click on the icon with the cloud and the down arrow inside (two positions to the right from the green “+”).

nginx_marketplace

Now you need to select a datastore. Taking into account we are only going to run this application in the OpenNebula cluster created in “Operations Basics”, select the aws-cluster-Images Datastore.

aws_cluster_images_datastore_nginx

The appliance will be ready when the image in Storage --> Images (called “nginx”) switches to READY from its LOCKED state. This image contains the docker image that we are going to launch using LXC (instead of Docker).

Step 2. Specify the nginx start command¶

The LXC container needs to know how to invoke the process in the docker app. In this case, it is done simply by calling the “nginx” command. You can specify this in the Start Script section of the VM Template representing the nginx container. Proceed to the Templates --> VM tab and select the nginx VM Template (that should be one of two available, along with the default CentOS 7 pulled from the Marketplace by miniONE). Click on update, proceed to the Context subtab and write “nginx” in the Start Script field.

nginx_start_script

Step 3. Instantiate the container¶

With the nginx VM Template selected in the Templates --> VMs tab, click on Instantiate.

Feel free to modify the capacity. A required step is to click on Network and select the aws-cluster-public network.

select_aws_cluster_public_network_nginx

Now proceed to Instances --> VMs and wait for the only VM there to get into RUNNING state.

Note

Even though Sunstone shows the VNC console button, VNC access to Containers or VMs running in Edge Clusters has been deemed insecure and as such OpenNebula filters this traffic. This means that the VNC access won’t work for VMs running in Edge Clusters.

Step 4. Connect to nginx¶

Select the public IP of the VM, which is highlighted in bold. You should only have one bold IP in that VM.

get_public_ip_nginx

Simply enter that IP in a new tab in your browser and you’ll be greeted by the following (sober) nginx welcome page. That’s it, you have a working OpenNebula cloud. Congrats!

nginx_install_page

Step 5. Building a Multi-Container Service¶

Now we are going to build a Multi-Container Service based on two docker images: Wordpress and MariaDB. MariaDB will be used as a database for the Wordpress deployment.

First of all you have to download from the Marketplace the docker images related to Wordpress and MariaDB as explained in the previous steps.

Go to the Storage --> Apps tab, and search for Wordpress. Select it and click on the icon with the cloud and the down arrow inside (two positions to the right from the green “+”). Make sure you select the Wordpress image from the “Docker Hub” Marketplace.

wordpress_marketplace

Now you need to select a datastore. Taking into account we are only going to run this application in the OpenNebula cluster created in “Operations Basics”, select the aws-cluster-Image Datastore.

aws_cluster_images_datastore_wordpress

The appliance will be ready when the image in Storage --> Images (called “wordpress”) switches to READY from its LOCKED state.

You need to modify the Wordpress VM template. Proceed to the Templates --> VMs tab and select the Wordpress VM template. Click on update, proceed to the Network tab and select the aws-cluster-public network.

wordpress_public_network

Then proceed to the Context tab and add the following script in the Start Script section; the script will be executed during the booting process of the VM. You need also to tick the Add OneGate token option.

wordpress_start_script

You need to repeat the same operations for the MariaDB image. Go to the Storage --> Apps tab and search for MariaDB. Select it and click on the icon with the cloud and the down arrow inside (two positions to the right from the green “+”).

mariadb_marketplace

Now you need to select a datastore. Taking into account we are only going to run this application in the OpenNebula cluster created in “Operations Basics”, select the aws-cluster-Image Datastore.

aws_cluster_images_datastore_mariadb

The appliance will be ready when the image in Storage --> Images (called “mariadb”) switches to READY from its LOCKED state.

You need to modify the Wordpress VM template. Proceed to the Templates --> VMs tab and select the Wordpress VM template. Click on update, proceed to the Network tab and select the aws-cluster-public network.

mariadb_public_network

Then proceed to the Context tab and add the following script in the Start Script section; the script will be executed during the booting process of the VM. You need also to tick the Add OneGate token option.

mariadb_start_script

Now you can proceed to the creation of the OneFlow service. Go to the Templates --> Services tab and click on the green button with + sign and then on Create from the drop-down menu.

Write “wordpress” as the name of the service and in the section Advanced service parameters tick the option Wait for VMs to report that they are READY via OneGate to consider them running

wordpress_service_template_create

Then, you need to add two roles to the service: one role for DB and one for Wordpress. Go to the Roles section of the template, write db in the Role name input text and select the MariaDB VM template previously created.

mariadb_oneflow_role

Then click on the + sign close to Roles to create a new role. Write wordpress in the Role name input text and select the Wordpress VM template previously created. In this case, also tick the option for the dependency with the parent DB role; this means that the Wordpress role will be deployed after the DB role is READY.

wordpress_oneflow_role

Once you have finished, click the green Create button.

Now go to the Instances --> Services tab, click on the green + sign and create a new service selecting the oneflow service template named Wordpress.

wordpress_service_instantiate

Once the VM related to the two roles is in RUNNING state, you can connect to the Public IP of Wordpress (select the public IP of the Wordpress VM that is highlighted in bold).

wordpress_service_running

wordpress_public_ip

Simply enter that IP in a new tab in your browser and you’ll be greeted by the famous five-minute WordPress installation process! That’s it, you have deployed your first OpenNebula service. Congrats!

wordpress_installation