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Simple OpenStack deployment with Kickstack
Kick Start
If you have tried a manual OpenStack installation before, you will have noticed that some configuration steps are identical among the various OpenStack components; that is, you perform the same operations several times. If this makes you think of automation, you are right on track, and Kickstack provides an approach to solving this problem: Based on Puppet, it offers meaningful and efficient administration of OpenStack clouds.
Cloud computing installations in particular must be able to scale massively horizontally – the perfect use case for classic system automation. So, if you want to know how to set up your own OpenStack cloud within 20 minutes, you have come to the right place.
OpenStack Automation
Regular ADMIN readers might recall reading an article a few months ago that explained how OpenStack components work [1]. The article demonstrated one thing: Installing OpenStack is no trivial matter if you want to do it manually. Various services need to be distributed to their own servers if you do not want an all-in-one setup. The problem is compounded by the many commands in the scope of the OpenStack setup that are not very intuitive and make little sense at first glance. Those who have not worked with technologies such as Open vSwitch will find it difficult to understand many of the commands in the installation of OpenStack Neutron.
Kickstack is an additional layer that resides between the admin and OpenStack, using Puppet modules that have existed for some time for all core components of OpenStack, while Kickstack takes on the automation tasks. Although normal Puppet modules can also install the OpenStack services in an automated process, it requires painstaking configuration of various Puppet parameters, so time benefits are mostly non-existent, especially compared with a manual installation.
Kickstack tidies
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