Gearbox

Via Web Interface

You can also create an application through the OpenShift Online web interface. Just click on Applications , select an app you want – I tried the WordPress 4 blog engine – and fill in the configuration data that the app of your choice might ask from you. Please note that, if you select auto-scaling from the drop-down menu, you must make sure your app is aware of a scaling mechanism. Some types of applications might fail if they are not configured for such a scenario (Figure 8).

Figure 8: Configuring an OpenShift app for WordPress 4 from the web GUI.

When you finish the configuration information, click on Create Application . If your first app from the previous example is still running, you will see a small +2 and a gear symbol on the bottom of this site. This symbol means you have two more gears available. After some waiting, OpenShift will show you a window with some information – if you chose WordPress, you'll receive the database's root password, DB name, and a URL to use to reach the application (Figures 9 and 10). The rest of the page explains how to set up a valid Git repository for your needs.

Figure 9: A new WordPress blog is up and running, says OpenShift …

Figure 10: … and a quick check shows: Yes, the WordPress setup wizard is available at the URL promised.

Conclusion

OpenShift has had time to mature. After almost five years, the OpenShift project is at the brink of version 3, which will bring interesting new features. Red Hat's gearbox is a fast and easy-to-learn tool for web developers. Auto-scaling and easy web-based or command-line management tools make OpenShift a very interesting cloud toolbox. If you're in websites, or if you just need a quick blog or database server, try OpenShift. For those who want to learn more than this article can offer, I recommend the free, helpful, and introductory O'Reilly ebook Getting Started with OpenShift [12].