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Getting-Started

Overview

This guide explains how to launch a single instance with pre-installed OpenStack client using the Horizon Dashboard. The kickstart instance contains all necessary tools to get started with the OpenStack client.

Goal

  • Launch a jumphost/kickstart instance via Horizon Dashboard
  • Automated installation of the OpenStack client in the new instance

Prerequisites

  • You need to have the login data for the OpenStack Cloud API (username and passphrase)
  • Knowledge how to use a terminal/SSH and SSH-keys

Import SSH keys

Launch Stack

  • Log in to the Horizon Dashboard using the username and password (API credentials) that were provided by us.

Login

  • To launch the example stack using the dashboard go to "Project" → "Orchestration" → "Stacks".

horizon-orchestration-stacks

  • Click the button "Launch Stack"
  • Select "URL" as "Template Source"
  • Copy the URL of the example code file https://raw.githubusercontent.com/syseleven/heat-examples/master/kickstart/kickstart.yaml
  • Paste the copied URL into the field "Template URL"
  • Select "File" as "Environment Source"

horizon-orchestration-stacks-launch-url-file

  • Click "Next"
  • Write a name for this stack into the field "Stack Name"
  • Write the name of your SSH key that you uploaded to the Horizon Dashboard - see Import SSH key(s)
  • Click on "Launch"

horizon-orchestration-stacks-launch-stackname-kickstart

  • Verify that the stack status is "Create In Progress" or "Create Complete"

horizon-orchestration-stacks-launch-complete-kickstart

  • Go to "Compute" → "Instances" to retrieve the floating IP that is required to access the instance via SSH and copy the floating IP of the kickstart server

horizon-compute-instances-kickstart-fip

  • Open a terminal of your choice and log in to the instance via SSH with the username syseleven

ssh syseleven@<floating-ip> -i ~/.ssh/<private-ssh-key>

  • You should now be logged in your instance via SSH

ssh-login-syseleven-success-kickstart

Conclusion

You launched an OpenStack instance using a simple IaC (Infrastructure as Code) heat example template.
This instance can be used as "jumphost" to work with the OpenStack client CLI. All required tools are pre-installed already.
The instance is available via SSH and ready to be used for further tasks.