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COPYRIGHT
Copyright 2014 Ravello Systems. Do not copy without permission.
Contact Information
Ravello Systems Inc.
1121 San Antonio Road,B100
Palo Alto, CA 94303
T:+1 650 265 6875
www.ravellosystems.com
Notice
This guide has been carefully compiled. The information in this guide does not constitute a warranty of
performance. Furthermore, Ravello Systems reserves the right to revise this publication and make
changes from time to time in the content thereof, without obligation to notify any person of such
revisions or changes. Ravello Systems assumes no liability for losses incurred as a result of out-of-
date or incorrect information in this guide. The software described in this guide is furnished under a
license agreement and may be used only according to the terms of that agreement.
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ContentsIntroduction ............................................................... 7
Technology ................................................................................................ 7
System Requirements................................................................................ 8
Concepts and Terms.................................................................................. 8
Typical Workflow ...................................................................................... 10
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Share a Disk Image with a User in Another Organization ................... 41
Share a Disk Image on Ravello Repo................................................. 42
View/Edit a Shared Disk Image ............................................................... 44
Applications ............................................................................ 46
Create an Application............................................................................... 47
Publish an Application.............................................................................. 48
Auto-Stop Applications............................................................................. 50
Stop All Instance VMs .............................................................................. 50
Start All Instance VMs.............................................................................. 50
Restart All Instance VMs .......................................................................... 51
Edit Application Design ............................................................................ 51
View Application VM Details .................................................................... 51
Summary Tab ..................................................................................... 52
General Tab ....................................................................................... 52
System Tab ........................................................................................ 52
Disks Tab ........................................................................................... 53
Network Tab ....................................................................................... 53
Services Tab ...................................................................................... 54
Manage Application VMs ......................................................................... 55
Start a VM .......................................................................................... 55
Stop a VM ........................................................................................... 55
Restart a VM ...................................................................................... 55
Recover a VM ..................................................................................... 56
Start and Stop Application VMs in Stages .......................................... 56
Open the VM Console.............................................................................. 57
Delete an Application ............................................................................... 58
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Manage IP Filters ............................................................................... 64
View DHCP Server Properties ............................................................ 65
View DNS Properties .......................................................................... 65
View Router Properties....................................................................... 66
Configure SNAT ................................................................................. 66
Blueprints ................................................................................ 67
Create a Blueprint .................................................................................... 68
View a Blueprint ....................................................................................... 69
Delete a Blueprint .................................................................................... 70
Share a Blueprint ..................................................................................... 70
Share a Blueprint with a User in Another Organization ...................... 70
Share a Blueprint on Ravello Repo .................................................... 71
View/Edit a Shared Blueprint ................................................................... 74
Additional Functionality......................................................... 75
Key Pair Assignment................................................................................ 75
Generate a Key Pair ........................................................................... 75
Import a Key Pair ................................................................................ 77
Using SSH key pairs to connect to VMs .................................................. 78
Use SSH key pairs to connect to VMs with Linux/Mac ....................... 78
Use SSH key pairs to connect to VMs with Windows ......................... 78
Add Proxy Settings for Image Upload (Windows environments) .............. 80
Sharing Library Items ............................................................................... 81
Ephemeral Access ................................................................................... 81
Creating Ephemeral Access Tokens .................................................. 82
Managing Tokens ............................................................................... 83
Adding Resources to an Existing Token ............................................. 84
Changing the Token Validity ............................................................... 84
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Upgrade Your Account............................................................................. 91
Set Up Your Public Profile ....................................................................... 92
View the System Log ............................................................................... 93
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Introduction
Ravellos software-as-a-service offering enables you to seamlessly use any leading
public cloud to develop and test your existing on-premises applications.
With Ravello, enterprises can easily, without making any changes, create replicas of
their on-premises, multi-tier VMware or KVM based applications in any public cloud
AWS, Rackspace or HP for development and testing. You can create blueprints of
multi-tier applications and spin up as many instances as you need for testing, without
having to build out massive on-premises test capacity that sits idle most of the time.
Technology
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Rapidly prototype new applications based on the enterprises specific VMs
and application building blocks.
Manage the entire application infrastructure as code and version it in the
enterprise standard source control.
System Requirements
Amazon
HP
Note: Additional clouds will be supported in future releases.
Familiarity with the use of these terms in the Ravello Service will assist you in
working with our product:
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Application: Any set of virtual machines, network and storage devices and
their configuration that you want to make available to users. In Ravello, an
application also refers to an instance of an application that can be published
or that is already running on the cloud. Multiple instances (or copies) of the
same application can run at the same time.
Blueprint: A blueprint is a self-contained set of definitions that describe your
application, and which can be used to create instances and deploy them on
the cloud. A blueprint comprises a snapshot of an application instance and is
created from an application design. The same blueprint can be used multiple
times, however it cannot be edited.
Key Pairs: When working with generic or public VM templates, you can
connect to VMs using predefined SSH key pairs. Key pairs are managed on
the Library > Key Pairs page, however you can also add or import key pairs
on-the-fly while creating a new application that is based on a public VM.
Similarly, you can access key pair functionality from the General tab of the
Details pane when a public VM is selected (for applications or blueprints).
Publishing: Publishing is the process of deploying the application in a cloud
environment. Publishing the application instance creates multiple virtual
machines in the cloud and defines the network overlay, or if changes are
made to the instance design, implements those changes on a running
instance.
Ravello Repo: A portal where Ravello users can share their blueprints, VMs,
and disk images with others.
Service: The interface on the virtual machine that exposes a service on a
specific port and provides an entry point for accessing the
applications/software that are installed on the virtual machine.
Sharing: A process whereby Ravello users can share library items
(blueprints, VM images, or disk images) with users in other organizations or
on the Ravello Repo portal. Sharing enables others to view and create copies
of an item. Those copies can then be edited to suit the needs of other
organizations. If you make changes to the shared item in your library, they are
automatically reflected in the version that is visible to other users. (If users
make changes to their own copies of the item, these changes do not affect
the item in your library in any way.)
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Virtual machine image: A virtual machine image represents the definition of
a virtual machine and hard disks, designed to run on a virtualization platform.
Typical Workflow
In this version, you can create and publish an application instance according to the
following suggested workflow:
Install the Upload Image 1 (Optional) Install the Ravello Upload Image Tool
Tool 2 (Optional) Upload your virtual machine (VM)
images from VMware vCenter
3 Create an application using an image provided
Upload virtual machines by Ravello or using an uploaded image
images (optional)
4 Design the application
5 Publish the application instance in a public cloud
Create an application
instance In addition, Ravello enables you to start, stop, and
restart your applications, as well as update your
them, and save the application design as a blueprint.
Design the application You can also create and publish an application
instance based on a blueprint, and view, start and restart
specific VMs in a published application.
Publish application
instances
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Ravello User Interface
The Ravello user interface can be accessed using a standard web browser.
To access Ravello, browse to the Ravello web page and enter your login credentials.
Navigation Pane
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Title Bar
The following links appear at the top of the application at all times:
Upgrade: Enables you to upgrade and register your account at Ravello. For
details, see Upgrade Your Account.
Ravello Repo: Displays the Ravello Repo portal, where you can share VMs
and disk images with other Ravello users.
Help & Support: Opens the Ravello Systems Support page.
Logged on account: Displays the name of the logged on user. Click to
access the following options:
Change Password: Enables you to change your password.
Log out: Enables you to securely exit the application.
Details Pane
The properties of a selected component are displayed in the Details pane on the
right side of the user interface. Depending on the component type, the properties
may be displayed in a series of tabs.
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Applications Module
You can design, deploy and manage your applications from the Applications page.
The Applications page lists the applications instances created, and indicates the
aggregated status of their VMs. From this page you can create application instances
and manage existing ones. For details, see Applications.
Tip: You can filter the list in any tab by entering a partial or full string in the Filter
field.
Click an application name to display its properties. The name of the application
appears at the top of the page as shown in this example: .
Library Module
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Elastic IP Addresses: This is the central repository of reusable Elastic IP
addresses. An Elastic IP is a static IP address assigned to a VM. For details,
see Configure Elastic IP Addressing.
Key Pairs: This is the central repository of reusable Key Pairs. Key Pairs are
the secured and recommended way to access a VM without the use of a
password. For details, see Key Pair Assignment.
To open a library, select Library from the navigation pane and then select the
specific library.
Virtual Machines
Ravello service is provided with a set of predefined Virtual Machine (VM) images. In
addition, you can import VMs into the service using the VM Import Tool. The
imported VMs are managed on the Library > VMs page and are used to create
application instances.
You can import VM images as a separate action or you can import them in the
course of creating an application instance.
Before you can import your own machine images, you need to download and install
the VM Import Tool.
Extract and upload VMs from vCenter or directly from your ESX server.
Upload VMs from an OVF file or pre-exported Ravello Export file from your
laptop or desktop.
Upload a single disk image (ISO, VMDK, QCOW) or create a new VM by
uploading existing disk files
The VM Import Tool tool can be used in two ways:
From within the Ravello user interface (UI VM Import Tool)
From the CLI, which allows you to import your VMs offline and automate the
import process.
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Install the GUI VM Import Tool
To install the VM Import Tool in the UI:
1 On the Library > Disk Images page, click Import Disk Image. If the Import Tool
has not yet been installed, the following webpage is displayed.
For a Linux operating system, download and extract the installation file,
ravello_linux.tar.gz. This creates the Ravello folder. Run the
Ravello\installer.sh file to install the utility. If a dependency is
missing, follow the on-screen instructions to install the missing
dependency.
1 On the Library > Disk Images page, click Import Disk Image. If the Import Tool
has not yet been installed, the Download VM Import Tool window is displayed.
2 In the Download VM Import Tool window, select Windows from the OS list.
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3 Select Download CLI VM Import Tool.
4 In the popup dialog box, select Save File and click OK. The install file is
downloaded.
5 Open the Downloads folder, and extract the zip file into a folder with the same
name.
6 Open the Windows command prompt, then navigate to the unzipped folder.
7 Run the .exe file to perform the installation.
Note: If a problem occurs, follow the instructions contained in the README file to
install the CLI using a python script.
1 On the Library > Disk Images page, click Import Disk Image. If the Import Tool
has not yet been installed, the Download VM Import Tool window is displayed.
2 In the Download VM Import Tool window, select Linux or Mac from the OS list.
3 Select Download CLI VM Import Tool.
4 In the popup dialog box, select Save File and click OK. The installation file is
downloaded.
5 Open the terminal.
6 Open the Downloads folder, and extract the zip file into a folder with the same
name.
7 Run the command: ./install.sh
Import VM Images
The first stage in preparing an application for deployment is to import your VMs.
Extract and Upload VMs from vCenter or vSphere directly from ESX server
Upload a VM from a File
Create a VM by Uploading Existing Disk Files
Upload a Single Disk Image
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Import VMs using the CLI
Imported VMs are automatically added to the Ravello VM Library with an initial status
of Pending verification. An imported VM or disk image cant be used in an
application before its configuration is verified. See Verify Imported VMs.
Note: Before you can import VMs using the Ravello VM Import Tool, you need to
install it.
1 On the Library > Disk Images page, click Import Disk Image.
2 When prompted, enter the password you use to log on to Ravello. The Ravello
VM Import Tool main page opens, listing the VMs already imported and their
status.
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3 Click Upload to import additional VMs.
4 Select Extract and upload directly from vCenter or vSphere, and click Next.
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5 Enter the vCenter or an ESX IP address or host name, together with the
necessary login credentials, and then click Next.
Note: If you do not know the credentials, contact your System Administrator for
assistance.
Note: The top level of the hierarchy displayed varies according to whether you
connect to a vCenter or a an ESX server.
6 On the Select a VM page, drill down to locate and select the VM to extract.
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7 (Optional) If you prefer to extract the VM now but upload it later, select Export
only and click Choose folder to specify the location where you want to save the
extracted VM.
Note: You can upload the VM later by selecting Upload a VM from OVF file or
Ravello Export file in the Ravello VM Import Tool.
8 Click Upload.
The VM is added on the VM Import Tool main page. The progress of the upload
process is indicated for each VM.
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3 Click Upload to import additional VMs.
4 Select Upload a VM from OVF file or Ravello Export file, and click Next.
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5 Select the file to upload and click Upload.
The VM is added on the VM Import Tool main page. The progress of the upload
process is indicated for each VM.
1 On the Library > Disk Images page, click Import Disk Image.
2 When prompted, enter the password you use to log on to Ravello. The Ravello
VM Import Tool main page opens, listing the VMs already imported and their
status.
3 Click Upload to import additional VMs.
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4 Select Create a new VM by uploading existing data files, and click Next.
6 Select the file to upload and click to move it to the Selected Files list. Repeat
for additional files as required.
7 In the VM name field, assign a name to the new VM.
8 Click Upload.
The VM is added on the VM Import Tool main page. The progress of the upload
process is indicated for each VM.
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Upload a Single Disk Image
You can upload a single disk image in ISO, VMDK, or QCOW format.
1 On the Library > Disk Images page, click Import Disk Image.
2 When prompted, enter the password you use to log on to Ravello. The Ravello
VM Import Tool main page opens, listing the VMs already imported and their
status.
3 Click Upload to import additional VMs.
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6 Select the file to upload and click Upload.
The VM is added on the VM Import Tool main page. The progress of the upload
process is indicated for each VM.
7 When prompted, enter the password you use to log on to Ravello.
8 In the Browse for VM template file dialog box, select the virtual image machine
data file (.vmx), and then click OK.
Parameter Description
Parameter Description
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11 If MAC address information is not included in the VMX file, enter it manually in
the Networks tab (it should match the MAC address of your NIC).
Define the NIC name, its MAC address, and device type.
(Optional) If it is the first NIC defined for the VM and you want to enable
inbound access, click Add external service. For details on configuring
an elastic IP address, see Configure Elastic IP Addressing.
(Optional) Click the Advanced link to configure additional IP addresses
and the network connection mode (Access or Trunk).
13 (Optional) Define the supported and required service interfaces in the Services
tab. The service interfaces indicate how the VM is used, and which IP addresses
and ports it exposes. You can also define external services, meaning that they
can be accessed from outside your network.
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14 (Optional) If the VM configuration management properties were not
preconfigured, and Chef configuration management is enabled for the VM, you
can configure the Chef settings in the General tab. For details, see Configuration
Management.
15 Click Upload. The import process starts and a progress bar indicates its status.
The image is added to the list of images in the Library page. When the upload
process is complete, the image status changes to Done.
While the import process is in progress, you can only delete the VM being
imported.
1 On the Library >VMs page, select the VM image. The VM properties are
displayed in a series of tabs in the Details pane.
2 Review the VM properties in each of the tabs and click Save. The status of the
VM in the Library changes from Pending verification to Ready.
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View VM Image Properties
You can view additional details on a specific VM image on the Library > VMs page.
When you select a VM image in the list, its expanded properties are displayed in
read-only format.
Select the VM image in the Library page. The VM properties are displayed in
a series of tabs in the Details pane.
Edit VM Images
You can edit the general properties of an image, for example, when less memory or
computing power is required for testing purposes.
1 On the Library > VMs page, select the image you want to edit. The VM properties
are displayed in a series of tabs in the details pane.
2 Enter or edit the VM properties and click Save.
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To configure elastic IP addressing:
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Upload ISO Files
You can upload an ISO file with the GUI or CLI import tool. The ISO file can then be
used to set up a CD-ROM image.
1 Make sure that the most updated GUI import tool is installed on your machine.
Note: To download the tool, click Download VM Import Tool on the Library
page.
2 Select Library > Disk Images.
By default, this page lists all of your disk images (i.e., My Images list).
3 Click Import Disk Image. If needed, allow the loading of insecure content by
your browser.
4 When prompted, enter your Ravello password.
5 In the Browse for VM Template File dialog box, browse to and select the ISO file.
6 Click the Import/Read button.
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Upload an ISO file with the CLI import tool
To upload an ISO file from the CLI:
1 Make sure that the most updated CLI import tool is installed on your machine.
Note: To download the tool, click Download VM Import Tool on the Library
page.
2 Run the following command:
ravello import-disk -u user@domain.com ~/disk.iso
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Use an ISO file as a CD ROM in your Ravello application
To use an ISO file as a CD-ROM:
1 On the application canvas, drag the VM onto the workspace (or use any
unpublished VM).
2 In the Details pane, select Disks.
3 Click Add, then select Add CD-ROM. A blank entry is added to the Disks list.
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4 Click Browse. The Disk Images page is displayed.
You can delete images that are no longer required. The deleted images will no
longer be available to add to application instances.
Note: Deleting an image from the Library does not affect any application instances or
blueprints already created using that image.
1 On the Library > VMs page, select the image you want to delete, then click
Delete.
2 When prompted for confirmation, click Yes.
Save VM to Library
You can save a VM that is included in your application design to the library for future
use. The saved VM is based on a snapshot and will have the same properties as the
currently selected VM.
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To add a VM to your VM library:
1 In the Application design workspace, select the VM and click More > Save to
Library.
If the VM is running, the following Save to Library dialog box is displayed.
3 Enter a name for the VM and click OK. The VM is added to the library.
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Configuration Management
The Chef Server configuration tool can help you to more efficiently configure your
VMs.
Note: Chef configuration management can only be applied to vanilla VMs that
support cloudinit,
Chef settings in the VM are automatically retained by any blueprint created from it,
and by any applications created from those blueprints.
3 From the Chef Server dropdown list, select the server or click to add a Chef
server.
4 Leave the default environment setting, or change as needed.
5 Click Save.
6 On the Application page, on the Canvas tab or VMs tab to display the VM
properties in the details pane.
7 In the General tab, under Configuration Management, set these settings:
Select Cloud Init is installed on this VM to configure the management
feature.
Select Using Chef to enable Chef configuration management.
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In the Run List field, enter the roles and recipes to run when the VM starts
the
In the User Data Script field, enter the script to run during the Cloud Init
process when the VM starts.
The Node Name is automatically assigned when the VM is published. The name
is in the format <applicationname>.<vmname>, where any special characters in
the source names are replaced by hyphens (-).
Share a VM
Sharing a VM enables others to view and create copies of the VM, which can then
be edited to suit the needs of other organizations. If you make changes to the shared
VM in your library, they are automatically reflected in the version that is visible to
other users. (If users make changes to their own copies of the item, these changes
do not affect the VM in your library in any way.)
You can share VMs with users in other organizations or on the Ravello Repo portal.
Note: Sharing permissions must be defined in the users permissions group. If you
are not authorized to share VMs, contact your system administrator.
Important: Make sure that the VM does not contain any confidential or proprietary
information before sharing it.
Note: To allow a user from your own organization to view and use a library item, they
must be assigned to permissions groups where the viewing of shared items is
enabled. Contact your Ravello administrator for additional details.
Important: Make sure that the VM does not contain any confidential or proprietary
information before sharing it.
1 In the Library > VMs page, select the VM you want to share, then do one of the
following:
Click Share > Manage sharing, and click Another Organization in the
Manage VM Sharing dialog box.
Click Share > Share with Other Users.
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The following dialog box is displayed.
1 In the Library > VMs page, select the VM you want to share, then do one of the
following:
Click Share > Manage sharing, and click Ravello Repo in the Manage
VM Sharing dialog box.
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Click Share > Share Publicly on Ravello Repo.
The following dialog box is displayed.
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3 Click Review/edit Library VM Documentation to update the documentation
section of the VM and provide useful information to other Ravello users. The
documentation provided is important to improving the usability of shared items.
After updating the documentation, click Next.
Note: The documentation section is written in a markdown editor.
If there is no documentation attached to the VM when you click Next, you are
prompted to add it now.
4 If you have not already done so, read the Terms of Service and Additional Terms
of Service, then select I accept.
5 Click Share. The VM is shared on the Ravello Repo portal.
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View/Edit a Shared VM
You can view any VM that has been shared with you and make a copy for your own
use. You can then modify the VM to meet the specific needs of your organization.
2 To make an editable copy for your own use, click Actions > Copy to My VMs.
3 Enter a new name for the VM and click Copy. The VM is added to your My VMs
list.
Sharing a disk image enables others to view and create copies of the Disk Image,
which can then be edited to suit the needs of other organizations. If you make
changes to the shared disk image in your library, they are automatically reflected in
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the version that is visible to other users. (If users make changes to their own copies
of the item, these changes do not affect the disk image in your library in any way.)
You can share disk images with users in other organizations or on the Ravello Repo
portal.
Note: Sharing permissions must be defined in the users permissions group. If you
are not authorized to share disk images, contact your system administrator.
Note: To allow a user from your own organization to view and use a library item, they
must be assigned to permissions groups where the viewing of shared items is
enabled. Contact your Ravello administrator for additional details.
Important: Make sure that the disk image does not contain any confidential or
proprietary information before sharing it.
1 In the Library > Disk Images page, select the Disk Image you want to share, then
do one of the following:
Click Share > Manage sharing, and click Another Organization in the
Manage Disk Image Sharing dialog box.
Click Share > Share with Other Users.
The following dialog box is displayed.
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2 (Optional) Click Review/edit disk image documentation to update the
description of the disk image that will be visible to others.
3 In the Share with Users field, enter the email address of the user with whom you
want to share your disk image.
4 If you have not already done so, read the Terms of Service and Additional Terms
of Service, then select I accept.
5 Click Share.
1 In the Library > Disk Images page, select the disk image you want to share, then
do one of the following:
Click Share > Manage sharing, and click Ravello Repo in the Manage
Disk Image Sharing dialog box.
Click Share > Share Publicly on Ravello Repo.
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The following dialog box is displayed.
2 In the Step 1: Short description field, enter a brief description of the disk image
(maximum 160 characters).This description will appear on the front page of
Ravello Repo. Then click Next.
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3 Click Review/edit Disk Image Documentation to update the documentation
section of the disk image and provide useful information to the other Ravello
users. The documentation provided is important to improving the usability of
shared items. After updating the documentation, click Next.
Note: The documentation section is written in a markdown editor.
If there is no documentation attached to the disk image when you click Next, you
are prompted to add it now.
If you do not wish to do so, click Continue Anyway.
The following dialog box is displayed.
4 Verify that the disk image does not contain any confidential or proprietary
information before sharing it, then click Share. The disk image is shared on the
Ravello Repo portal.
You can view any disk image that has been shared with you and make a copy for
your own use. You can then modify the disk image to meet the specific needs of your
organization.
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2 To make an editable copy for your own use, click Actions > Copy to My Disk
Images.
3 Enter a new name for the disk image and click Copy. The disk image is added to
your My Disk Images list.
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Applications
Applications are managed from Applications page.
The Applications page lists the application instances created in Ravello and running
on the cloud, together with the status of their virtual machines.
Parameter Description
Draft
Running
Stopped
Error
Creation Date The date and time when the instance was created.
Owner The username of the Ravello user who created the instance.
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You can view additional details on a specific instance, including the status of each
VM, by selecting it in the list. For more information, see View Application VM Details.
Create an Application
Start All Instance VMs
Stop All Instance VMs
Restart All Instance VMs
Delete an Application Instance
Create an Application
You can create a new application instance from scratch or based on an existing
blueprint.
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2 In the Name field, enter a name for the instance.
3 (Optional) In the Description field, enter a brief description.
4 Select From blueprint, then select the base blueprint from the dropdown list (If
you selected Create Application from the blueprint design workspace, the
blueprint is selected for you by default.)
5 If you are creating an application based on a public VM, select an existing key
pair from the Key Pair dropdown list or click to add a new key pair. For
details on generating and importing key pairs, see Key Pair Assignment.
6 In the Publish application section, select Publish later if you do not want to
publish the instance now or select Auto-publish upon creation.
7 Click OK. The application instance canvas opens in a new tab automatically.
Publish an Application
When you are satisfied with the application design, you are ready to publish it.
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Ravello enables you choose a publishing option based on cost optimization or
performance optimization. You can view the specific pricing based on your selections
prior to publishing the application.
To publish an application:
1 In the Application design tab, click Publish. The Publish Application dialog box is
displayed.
2 In the Optimize for area, select Cost or Performance. (The option label appears
in orange when selected.)
3 If you select Performance, select the relevant cloud provider and geographic
region.
4 In the Set Application Auto-Stop area, configure how long the application runs
before it is automatically stopped or select Never to let it run indefinitely. (The
default setting is 2 hours.)
5 (Optional) Click Advanced and select Start all VMs automatically.
6 (Optional) Click Detailed Pricing to view the publishing cost for the selected type
of optimization, cloud provider, and region.
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7 Click Publish. When the publish process is complete, the application instance is
started.
Note: The publish process might take a few minutes.
Auto-Stop Applications
The auto-stop feature enables you to configure long the application is run before it is
automatically stopped. This eliminates the need to manually stop those applications
that you know are required for a limited time.
The balance of time remaining until the application is automatically stopped appears
in the Auto Stop in column on the Applications page.
If an application instance is not required for the time being, you can temporarily stop
the instance virtual machines. Stopping an instance does not remove its
configuration; the instance retains all of its settings.
1 On the Applications page, select the instance you want to stop, then click Stop.
2 When prompted for confirmation, click Stop. The instance is stopped.
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1 On the Applications page, select the instance you want to start, then click
Start.
2 When prompted for confirmation, click Start. The instance is started.
You can restart only an instance that has all of its VMs in Started status. Restarting
the instance restarts all of its VMs.
1 On the Applications page, select the instance you want to start, then click
Restart.
2 When prompted for confirmation, click Restart. The instance is started.
You can view and edit an application design, for example, if you need to add another
application server or open or reconfigure a service.
1 On the Applications page, click the application instance name. The Canvas tab
is displayed.
2 Edit the application instance design as required. (For details, see Design
Canvas).
3 Click Publish to publish the application for the first time or click Update to apply
the changes to a published application, as applicable.
Note: The update changes process does not republish the entire instance, only the
relevant changes. In some cases, a published machine will be rebooted as part of
the process.
When you click an application instance name on the Applications page, its Canvas
tab is displayed by default.
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To view information on its virtual machines in a table, select the VMs tab. The VMs
included in the application instance are listed. Select a VM to view its properties in
the Details pane (on the right side of the screen).
Summary Tab
When a VM is selected on the Application page, the Summary tab indicates the
name of the VM, its CPU, memory, total storage space, and network connections. To
edit the values of a parameter, click the corresponding link.
General Tab
When a VM is selected on the Application page, the following details are displayed
on the General tab.
Option Description
General Properties
Name The name of the virtual machine.
Description A brief description of the virtual machine.
Created The date/time when the virtual machine was created.
Hostnames The name of the host server.
Key Pair The key pair assigned to the VM. Key pair assignment is
applicable for VMs created based on generic of public VM
templates.
Configuration Management
Cloud Init is installed Enables implementation of the Chef configuration
on this VM management feature.
Application Configuration
User Data Script The roles and recipes to run when the VM starts.
System Tab
When a VM is selected on the Application page, the following details are displayed
on the System tab.
Option Description
System Properties
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Option Description
# CPUs The number of CPUs on the virtual machine.
Mem Size The size of the virtual machine memory.
Platform The virtual machine platform:
ESX: First generation ESXi virtual hardware, PCI based
V2-ESX: Second generation ESXi virtual hardware, PCI-
express based
Default: Common settings for KVM (QEMU/libvirt) virtual
hardware
Other: Custom platform definitions
Disks Tab
When a VM is selected on the Application page, the following details are displayed
on the Disks tab.
Option Description
Disk The name of the disk.
Disk Size The size of the disk.
Controller The disk controller type (for example, IDI or PVSCSI).
Boot The boot status. If you do not want to book from the disk,
select Skip CD boot.
CD The name of the CD-ROM image.
Image The name of the image to be used to create the CD-ROM
image.
Controller The image controller type.
Network Tab
When a VM is selected on the Application page, the following details are displayed
on the Network tab.
Option Description
Name The name of the network connection.
MAC The MAC address of the network connection.
Auto MAC The MAC address is automatically assigned by the Ravello
service.
Device Type The type of network connection.
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Option Description
IP Configuration The type of IP address for the network configuration (DHCP
or Static).
Reserved IP The IP address reserved for the network connection.
External Access
Inbound Enables inbound access to virtual machine through the NIC.
Outbound Enables the virtual machine to access external resource
through the NIC.
Advanced
Mode The network connection mode (Access or Trunk).
VLAN Tag The VLAN tag of the network interface.
Additional IP Addresses
Static IP address The static IP address of the network interface.
Netmask The netmask of the static IP address.
Gateway The gateway address. (This should be a fake IP address in
the same range as the main address.)
Services Tab
The service interfaces indicate how the VM is used, and which IP addresses and
ports it exposes. When a VM is selected on the Application page, the following
details are displayed on the Services tab.
Option Description
Supplied Services
Name The name of the supplied service.
Connection type The type of connection used.
Protocol The protocol used by the service interface.
Port The port used by the service interface.
Advanced > Enables source NAT, which replaces the source IP address
Enable SNAT with a local IP address.
Required Services
Name The name of the required service.
Connection type The type of connection used.
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Manage Application VMs
You can start, stop, restart, and recover one or more of the virtual machines in the
selected instance.
Start a VM
You can start a stopped VM.
To start a VM:
1 In the VMs tab, select the VM you want to start and click Start. Alternatively, in
the published instance design, select the virtual machine object and click Start
VM.
2 When prompted for confirmation, click Start. The VM is started.
Stop a VM
You can temporarily stop a VM.
To stop a VM:
1 In the VMs tab, select the VM you want to stop and click Stop. Alternatively, in
the published instance design, select the virtual machine object and click Stop.
2 When prompted for confirmation, click Stop. The VM is stopped.
Restart a VM
You can restart only a VM that has Started as its status.
To restart a VM:
1 In the VMs tab, select the VM you want to restart and click Restart. Alternatively,
in the published instance design, select the virtual machine object and click
Restart.
2 When prompted for confirmation, click Restart. The VM is restarted.
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Recover a VM
Recovering a VM can be useful when unknown issues occur, for example, problems
with cloud providers (such as a machine that is inexplicably terminated).
To recover a VM:
1 In the VMs tab or in the published instance design, select the VM you want to
recover and click More > Recover. The VM Recovery dialog box is displayed.
2 Select one of the following options:
Repair: Repairs and restarts the VM with its current settings.
Republish: The VM will revert to the most recent snapshot. All content on the
VM will be replaced. You must select I understand the risk in order to enable
this option.
1 In the Settings tab, under Start/Stop Stages, click See Full List.
The Settings > Startup and Shutdown Stages page is displayed.
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Repeat to create additional stages, as required.
The stages are listed in the table. The following example shows that two stages
have been defined for this application, with a 10 minute delay configured between
the first stage and the next stage. No VMs have been assigned to either stage.
The application has three unstaged VMs.
3 To assign a VM to a stage:
Click Unstaged VMs Pool to view the list of VMs not yet assigned to a
stage.
Select the VM, then select the stage you want to assign it to from the Move
to > dropdown menu.
Repeat for additional VMs as required. (Each VM can be assigned to only
one stage.)
4 In the Shutdown area (at the bottom of the page), select one of these options to
define the shutdown order:
All at Once, regardless of stages.
Reverse Startup Order, the first stage started is the last stage shut down.
5 Click Save.
If a virtual machine is running, you can access the machine console using VNC.
In the VMs tab or in the published instance design, select the VM you want to
connect to and click Console to open the console.
The Ravello VNC page opens in the web browser.
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Delete an Application
To delete an application:
1 On the Applications page, select the application you want to delete, then click
Delete.
2 When prompted for confirmation, click Yes. The application is deleted.
Design Canvas
The Ravello Canvas enables you to create and edit your application instance
designs.
When you open an application or blueprint, a Canvas tab is added to the Application
page. The name of the page reflects the name of the application instance or
blueprint currently displayed, for example, Application: MyApp23.
These options and indicators appear in the top row of the Canvas tab.
Option Description
Opens a menu of available VMs. You can select from the list
Add VMs or import a VM to include in your application.
Save as Blueprint Saves a draft or published application instance design as a
blueprint, which can then be used for additional instance
creation in the future.
Publish/ Update Publishes the application instance to the cloud. When a
published instance is selected, the Update option publishes
any unpublished changes made in the VM.
Auto stop in The time remaining until the application will be stopped. If an
application has been stopped by the Auto-Stop feature,
Stopped appears.
Published in The cloud provider and location where the application is
published, if applicable.
Application status The current status of the application (Not Published, Stopped,
Running).
Cloud errors Indicates the number of cloud errors for this application, if
applicable. Click the link to view a list of affected VMs.
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The toolbar at the bottom of the Canvas tab includes the following options:
Option Description
Save status Indicates whether the current design has been saved or is in the
process of saving.
Zoom In Zooms in on the view (increases magnification).
VM Library
The VM Library (Library > VMs) lists all of the virtual machine images that have been
loaded into the service and are available to include in your design.
If the image you require does not appear in the list, you can click Import VM to add it
to the library, making it available for use.
Design Objects
The key design objects that can be included in your application instance design are
virtual machine image objects, service interface objects, connections, and groups.
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The design objects are represented by the following icons:
Icon Description
Add a Group
Depending on the complexity of your application design, you might want to organize
your design objects into groups.
1 On the Canvas tab, click and drag the Group option onto the canvas.
2 (Optional) Change the name of the group object in the Group Properties in the
details pane.
Tip: You can drag and drop the object to any location on the workspace.
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Add a Virtual Machine Image
You can add a virtual machine to the design, as a separate object, or you can add it
to a group object.
In the design tab, drag an image name from the VM Library onto the
workspace. If you want it to be part of a group, drag it directly onto the group
object (the group object outline turns blue when selected).
Tip: When you select a virtual machine image on the workspace, its details
appear in the details pane, where you can edit the image properties for this
design only. The source image in the library is not modified.
If you know that all of the design objects are part of a network that communicates
using DHCP or are on the same subnet with automatic IP address assignment, you
do not need to manually create the connection; Ravello creates the network for you.
1 Select the VM instance on the canvas or on the VMs tab, then select the
Services tab in the VM details pane.
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2 Add the necessary service interfaces as follows:
To add a supplied interface, click + Add in the Supplied Services area. A new
entry open in the Supplied Services list. Configure the service properties as
required.
To add a required interface, click + Add in the Required Services area. A new
entry opens in the Required Services list. Configure the service properties as
required.
1 Select the VM instance on the canvas or on the VMs tab, then select the
Services tab in the VM details pane.
2 Edit the service properties as required and click Save.
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Available Actions for Selected VMs
The following options are available on the Actions bar at the bottom of the details
pane when a virtual machine object is selected:
Stop: Stops the selected VM. For details, see Stop a VM.
Start: Starts the selected VM. For details, see Start a VM.
Restart: Restarts the selected VM. For details, see Restart a VM.
Console: Accesses the machine console using Ravello VNC.
More:
Recover: Recovers the selected VM. For details, see Recover a VM.
Save to Library: Saves the selected VM in the library.
SSH: Uses SSH to connect to the VM. For details, see Using SSH key
pairs to connect to VMs.
Power Off: Powers off the selected VM.
Delete: Deletes the selected VM from the application.
You can view the network architecture for your application or blueprint on the
Network tab of the Application page.
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Manage IP Filters
View DHCP Server Properties
View DNS Properties
View Router Properties
Configure SNAT
Manage IP Filters
You can define and enable an IP filter that allows traffic from authorized source IP
addresses only.
Alternatively, you can disable the IP filter and allow traffic from all IP addresses.
1 In the Network tab of your application design or blueprint, click the IP Filtering
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4 Enter the IP address and subnet mask in the designated fields. (These
parameters are mandatory).
5 Repeat for additional IP addresses, as required.
To display the DNS Server properties, click the DNS Servers icon.
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The DNS properties are displayed in read-only format.
Configure SNAT
Source NAT (SNAT, patent pending) replaces the source IP address with a local IP
address, allowing the user to access a specific port that is open only for the same
subnet.
SNAT is typically used when an application with VMs has several subnets and a VM
doesnt have access to the internet, but you need to access it for management
purposes via RDP or SSH.
To configure SNAT:
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Use of a public IP address is recommended. If you choose port forwarding, use
the forwarded port number (usually port 10,000).
6 In the Services tab, add/edit a service:
Edit the service name.
Select a protocol.
Verify the port.
Select the IP address you use for the service (as in step 4).
Select the External checkbox.
Click Advanced, and then select the Enable SNAT checkbox.
7 Click Save.
Note: Because SNAT opens a back door to the VM, it is highly recommended to
use the VM firewall (Windows or Linux).
SNAT replaces the source IP address with the Ravello router IP address, thereby
allowing you to connect to a port that is closed for access from an address
outside its subnet.
Blueprints
A blueprint is a self-contained set of definitions that describe your application, and
can be used to create instances and deploy them on the cloud. A blueprint is created
from an application design.
You can publish multiple application instances based on the same blueprint. For
example, QA testers use blueprints to create application instances for testing
purposes.
To view the Blueprints list, select Library > Blueprints from the navigation pane.
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By default, this page lists all of your blueprints (i.e., My blueprints list).
An icon appears in the first column indicating whether the blueprint is public ( )
or private ( ).
To view the blueprints that have been shared with you, click Shared with me.
Create a Blueprint
Blueprints are created from application instance designs, either draft designs or
designs with all VMs running.
To create a blueprint:
1 On the Applications page, open the instance based on which you want to create
blueprint.
2 (Optional) On the Canvas tab for that instance, edit the design as required. (For
details, see Design Canvas)
3 Click Save as Blueprint.
If the application is not running, the following dialog box is displayed.
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If the application is running, the following dialog box is displayed.
View a Blueprint
To view a blueprint:
On the Library > Blueprints page, click the blueprint name. The blueprint is
displayed on the Canvas tab in read-only format.
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Delete a Blueprint
To delete a blueprint:
1 On the Library > Blueprints page, select the blueprint you want to delete, then
click Delete.
2 When prompted for confirmation, click Yes. The blueprint is deleted.
Share a Blueprint
Sharing a blueprint enables others to view and create copies of the blueprint, which
can then be edited to suit the needs of other organizations. If you make changes to
the shared blueprint in your library, they are automatically reflected in the version
that is visible to other users. (If users make changes to their own copies of the item,
these changes do not affect the blueprint in your library in any way.)
You can share blueprints with users in other organizations or on the Ravello Repo
portal.
Note: Sharing permissions must be defined in the users permissions group. If you
are not authorized to share blueprints, contact your system administrator.
Note: To allow a user from your own organization to view and use a library item, they
must be assigned to permissions groups where the viewing of shared items is
enabled. Contact your Ravello administrator for additional details.
Important: Make sure that the blueprint does not contain any confidential or
proprietary information before sharing it.
1 In the Library > Blueprints page, select the blueprint you want to share, then do
one of the following:
Click Share > Manage sharing, and click Another Organization in the
Manage Blueprint Sharing dialog box.
Click Share > Share with Others.
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The following dialog box is displayed.
1 In the Library > Blueprints page, select the blueprint you want to share, then do
one of the following:
Click Share > Manage sharing, and click Ravello Repo in the Manage
Blueprint Sharing dialog box.
Click Share > Share Publicly on Ravello Repo.
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The following dialog box is displayed.
2 In the Step 1: Short description field, enter a brief description of the blueprint
(maximum 160 characters).This description will appear on the front page of
Ravello Repo. Then click Next.
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documentation provided is important to improving the usability of shared items.
After updating the documentation, click Next.
Note: The documentation section is written in a markdown editor.
If there is no documentation attached to the blueprint when you click Next, you
are prompted to add it now.
4 If you have not already done so, read the Terms of Service and Additional Terms
of Service, then select I accept.
5 Click Share. The blueprint is shared with on the Ravello Repo portal.
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View/Edit a Shared Blueprint
You can view any blueprint that has been shared with you and make a copy for your
own use. You can then modify the blueprint to meet the specific needs of your
organization.
4 Enter a new name for the blueprint and click Copy. The blueprint is added to your
My blueprints list.
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Additional Functionality
When working with generic or public VM templates, you can connect to VMs using
predefined SSH key pairs. Ravello enables you to choose between importing or
automatically generating key pairs.
Key pairs are managed on the Library > Key Pairs page, however you can also add
or import key pairs on-the-fly while creating a new application that is based on a
public blueprint. Similarly, you can access key pair functionality from the General tab
of the Details pane when a public VM is selected on the canvas (for applications or
blueprints).
Note: The key pairs generated by Ravello are compatible with Linux and Mac
platforms only. Windows not does have a native Windows SSH client. To use these
key pairs with Windows, it is necessary to convert the private key from the standard
OpenSSH format to PuTTy's proprietary format using the PuTTygen tool.
When you generate a key pair using Ravello, the private key is downloaded as a file.
The private key is not saved by Ravello. The public key is saved by Ravello and
used when the VM is started.
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To generate a key pair:
2 On the Library > Key Pairs page, click Create Key Pair. The Key Pairs dialog box
is displayed.
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Import a Key Pair
When you import a key pair, only the public key is saved by Ravello and used when
the VM is started.
1 On the Library > Key Pairs page, click Create Key Pair. The Key Pairs dialog
box is displayed.
2 Select Import a Public Key. The dialog box expands to include an additional text
box.
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Using SSH key pairs to connect to VMs
The use of Secure Shell (SSH) gives you the option of connecting to public VMs
using key pairs instead of a username and password.
If you are using one of the images or blueprints provided by Ravello (public images
and public blueprints), you need to generate an SSH key pair to connect in this
manner. Key pairs are managed on the Library > Key Pairs page, however you can
also add or import key pairs on-the-fly while creating a new application that is based
on a public image. Similarly, you can access key pair functionality from the General
tab of the VM Editor or the VM Properties pane when the VM is selected on the
Canvas (for applications or blueprints). For details, see How to create a Keypair.
The key pairs generated by Ravello are compatible with Linux/Mac platforms only.
You also need to create an external supplied service on the VM, with port 22 open.
For details, see "How to add and connect a service" and "How to edit service
properties".
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Note: PuTTy and PuTTyGen can be downloaded from
http://www.chiark.greenend.org.uk/~sgtatham/putty/download.html
1 Verify that you have created an external supplied service on the VM, with port 22
open. For details, see "How to add and connect a service" and "How to edit
service properties".
2 From the Windows Start menu, select All Programs > PuTTY > PuTTY
3 In the Host Name field, enter the host name or IP address in the following format:
ravello@<hostname>
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4 In the Category tree, select SSH > Auth.
5 Click Browse to locate and select the PuTTY private key file you generated using
PuTTyGen.
6 Click Open.
Note: If a security alert is displayed asking if you trust the host you are
connecting to, click Yes.
7 In the SSH session window, log in with the required username (if requested). No
password is required because the selected public/private key pair is used for
authentication.
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2 After saving the file in the specified location, restart the Ravello Import tool
service from Administrative Tools > Services.
3 If the proxy uses basic authentication, then you need to add the user and
password to the same configuration file:
[upload]
proxy_address = <ip address of proxy server>
proxy_port = <port on which the proxy server accepts connections>
proxy_username = < proxy user >
proxy_password = <proxy password >
You can share blueprints, VMs and disk images in your Ravello library with users in
other organizations or on the Ravello Repo portal. Sharing an item enables other
Ravello users to view and create their own copies of the item, which can then be
edited to suit the needs of other organizations.
Share a VM
Share a Disk Image
Share a Blueprint
Ephemeral Access
Ephemeral access allows you to provide limited, time-based access to a specific resource or set of
resources to another person, without them being a part of your organization. This option can be
advantageous when integrating your own portal on Ravello infrastructure or when you want to
provide an external user with temporary access. For example, you can use these tokens to grant your
partners limited access to a specific demo environment, without creating a user in your environment.
This article describes these aspects of working with Ephemeral Access Tokens
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Note: You must have the appropriate permissions assigned to you in order to create and view
ephemeral tokens.
A token can be used to provide access to one or more resources. More than one token can be created
for an application or blueprint.
1. On the Applications page, select one or more resources, then click More > Grant Ephemeral
access.
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5. Send the URL to the person(s) to be allowed temporary access.
Managing Tokens
You can view a list of all tokens on the Admin > Ephemeral Access Tokens page. Alternatively, you can
create and edit tokens from the Applications and Blueprints modules.
On the Applications page or Blueprints page, select the resource and click More > Show Ephemeral
Tokens.
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All resources associated with the token are listed.
To add permissions:
1. On the Applications page or Blueprints page, select the resource and click More > Show
Ephemeral Tokens.
2. Click the token name to display the token details page.
3. In the Set Expiration section, set a new expiration date and time, or select Now from the time
dropdown list to terminate access immediately.
4. Click Save.
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Admin Module
The Admin module includes the following pages:
Users: Lists the users who are authorized to use Ravello, and enables an
administrator to invite new users and reset the passwords and permissions of
other users. For details, see User Management.
The ability of users to perform various actions in the Ravello console depends on the
permissions assigned to that user. In Ravello, a users permissions are determined
by the permissions group to which the user is assigned.
When a custom permissions group is created, it does not contain any permissions.
The specific permissions must be added manually by the administrator. Different
levels of permissions can be added for each resource type in keeping with the needs
of your organization and the functionality required by different types of users. For
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example, you might want to grant finance department personnel access pricing
information and edit payment method details, without granting them permissions to
manage applications, VMs, and blueprints.
If a user is assigned to more than one permissions group, that user inherits the
combined permissions of both groups. For example, if one group assigns Read
permissions for applications and another allows Read and Create permissions for
application, a user that is assigned to both permissions groups can Read and Create
applications.
A user with appropriate Admin permissions can create and edit permissions groups
and assign users to those groups.
The existing permissions groups are listed on the Admin > Permissions Groups
page.
1 On the Admin > Permissions Groups page, click Create Permissions Group.
2 In the Create Permissions Group dialog box, enter a name and short description
for the group, then click Create. The Permissions page is displayed.
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The new permissions group does not include any permissions.
3 To add permissions to the group, click Create Permission.
4 From the Resource Type dropdown list, select the resource for which want to
add permissions.
5 In the Actions section, select the checkboxes for the permission levels required
for the users to be assigned to this permissions group.
6 (Optional) In the Filter area, configure additional criteria for applying permissions
to specific resources:
From the Filter dropdown list, select the condition for the filter (OR, AND,
or Custom Filter).
Click Create Criterion, then select the object to be matched, the condition
for a match (Equals or Not Equals), and the partial or full string to be
matched. Repeat this step for additional criteria, as required.
Note: If a filter is not defined, the permission will apply to all the objects of the
resource type.
7 Click Save. A resource type is added to the Permissions page for this group.
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8 Repeat steps 48 for additional resource types until all of the necessary
permissions have been set.
1 On the Admin > Permissions Groups page, click the name of the permissions
group. The Permissions page is displayed.
Note: The number of users assigned to the permissions group appears in the
lower left corner. To view the users in this group, click Users.
2 To set permissions for an additional resource type, click Create Permission.
Configure the permissions as described in Define Permissions Groups.
3 To edit the existing permissions, select the resource type name.
4 To delete the existing permissions for a resource type, click the corresponding
Trash Can icon.
Deleting a custom permissions group does not delete the users assigned to that
group. However, users previously assigned only to the deleted group will no longer
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have any permissions. For this reason, it is recommended that you first assign those
users to a different permissions group and remove them from the group you are
deleting.
To delete a permissions group:
1 On the Admin > Permissions Groups page, select the permissions group, the
click Delete.
2 When prompted for confirmation, click Yes. The permissions group is deleted.
User Management
Invite Users
If you have admin permissions, you can invite additional persons to use Ravello.
To invite a user:
Users can be assigned more than one permissions group. If a user is assigned to
more than one permissions group, that user inherits the combined permissions of
both groups. For example, if one group assigns Read permissions for applications
and another allows Read and Create permissions for application, a user that is
assigned to both permissions groups can Read and Create applications.
Note: If you need to prevent a user from performing a specific action, make sure that
the user is not assigned to any permissions group that allows that action.
1 On the Admin > Users page, select the user, then click Add to Permissions
Group.
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2 In the Permissions Group dialog box, select the relevant permissions group and
click Select.
3 Click Save.
Change Password
You can change the password you use to access Ravello.
1 On the title bar, click your username and select Change Password.
2 Enter your old password and a new password in the designated fields, and click
OK. Your password is updated accordingly.
Note: If you have admin permissions, you can select another user on the Admin >
Users page and reset their password for them.
Disable a User
If you have Admin permissions, you can disable other users.
To disable a user:
1 On the Admin > Users page, select the user then click d Disable.
2 When prompted for confirmation, click OK.
A defined amount of resources running VMs and CPU hours is allocated to each
Ravello user.
To view the resource usage levels and status, select Admin > Usage from the
navigation pane.
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The Admin > Usage & Quota page provides the following details:
Note: The CPU resources available during the two-week free trial period are limited
and cannot be increased. To change your account status, click Upgrade at the top of
the Ravello Management Console.
A limited amount of resources running VMs and CPU hours is allocated to users
during the two-week free trial period. After the trial period, you can continue to
access Ravello, however you can no longer publish, update, or run applications on
the cloud. (Any running applications are stopped at the end of the trial period.)
To continue to enjoy the benefits of Ravello beyond the free trial period, you can
upgrade and register your account at any time by clicking Upgrade at the top of the
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Ravello Management Console. Registered users are billed according to their
deployment of applications on the cloud. When you publish an application, you can
choose from a variety of clouds and pricing schemes.
You must have a public profile before you can share library items on Ravello Repo.
Note: If you do not plan to share items on Ravello Repo, a public profile is optional.
1 Click your username at the top of the Ravello interface and select My Profile
from the dropdown list.
2 To enable others to view your profile, select Show my profile in Ravello Repo.
3 In the Public name field, enter the username to be displayed in Ravello Repo.
(This username does not have to be the same as your Ravello username.)
4 (Optional) Add a brief description of your role or other pertinent information about
you or your account.
5 (Optional) To enable others to contact you via the email associated with your
Ravello account, select Allow people to contact me via email.
6 (Optional) Select Show my social networks to Include social media accounts
information. Click the edit icon to configure the account information accordingly.
7 Click Save.
Tip: To preview your profile as it will appear in Ravello Repo, click View in Ravello
Repo.
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View the System Log
The System Log page displays the messages logged by the system.
Tip: You can filter the list in any tab by entering a partial or full string in the Filter
field.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is Ravello?
What is the added value of using Ravello API?
What operating systems are supported?
What VM formats does Ravello support?
Which clouds are supported?
Terminology
What is an application?
What is an application design?
What is a service?
What is a blueprint?
What is publishing?
What is Ravello?
Ravello is the industrys first universal Cloud Application Platform and it features a
new concept a cloud application hypervisor, HVX. It allows developers to use the
cloud more effectively and efficiently, solving some of the biggest challenges of
moving existing applications from the data center to the cloud as well as
developing and deploying new applications in the cloud.
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What is the added value of using Ravello API?
Using the Ravello API, DevOps can integrate Ravello with the enterprise build server
and CI server. This can result in further automation and reduction in application
development/testing time. For example, an organization can integrate Ravello with
their Maven build process so that each time a developer checks in any code, Ravello
can spin up an instance (or multiple instances) of the full application in the cloud. A
series of regression tests can then be run to make sure that the latest code check-in
does not adversely impact on any existing functionality
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Terminology
What is an application?
An application is any set of virtual machines, network and storage devices and their
configuration that you want to make available to users. In Ravello, an application
also refers to an instance of an application that can be published or that is already
running on the cloud. Multiple instances (or copies) of the same application can run
at the same time.
What is a service?
Services provide entry points for accessing the application functionality on the VM. A
supplied service opens a port on the VM, and a required service enables the
connection to the VM. Multiple required interfaces can be connected to a single
supplied service.
You can manually add supplied and required service interfaces to the virtual
machines images in Ravello. You can also edit the properties of both supplied and
required services, including the service name, hostname, protocol, ports, and more.
What is a blueprint?
A blueprint is a self-contained set of definitions that describe your application, and
which can be used to create applications and deploy them on the cloud. A blueprint
comprises a snapshot of an application instance and is created from an application
design. The same blueprint can be used multiple times, however it cannot be edited.
What is publishing?
Publishing is the process of deploying the application in a cloud environment.
Publishing the application instance creates multiple virtual machines in the cloud and
defines the network overlay, or if changes are made to the instance design,
implements those changes on a running instance.
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Questions about working with Ravello
Note: HTTP will be used only for local communications, and all remote
communications will be secured using HTTPS.
Depending on your browser's security settings, the first time you attempt to open the
import tool a "Connection Failed" dialog box is displayed. Click Read More and then
select Allow Insecure Content.
Alternatively, if your browser displays a security shield, click the Shield and then
click the Load Anyway button.
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From the CLI, which allows you to upload your VMs offline and automate the
upload process.
For details on installing the necessary CLI, see How to install the CLI VM Import
Utility on Windows platforms or How to install the CLI VM Import Utility on
Linux/Mac platforms.
The IP filter can be configured from the Network tab of your application design. For
details see "How to use an IP filter".
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Why can't I connect to the VM with SSH?
SSH connection problems typically stem from one of the following issues:
Key pair format: If you are trying to connect to the VM with a Windows
platform, you need to use PuTTy to connect and the keys need to be in PPK
format. Key pairs generated by Ravello are in PEM format, but they are easily
converted to PPK format using the PuTTyGen tool. For details, see Using
SSH key apirs to connect to VMs with Windows.
Mac address: Sometimes VM configuration is set to Automatic Mac, meaning
the address is assigned automatically. You can define a fixed Mac address in
the VM Editor/Networks tab.
Clicking Save as Blueprint in the application design tab enables you to create a
snapshot of the current design and give it a name of your choosing. For details, see
"How to create a blueprint".
Where did all the VMs in the Library page come from?
The first time you open the Library tab, it lists only the predefined set of virtual
machine images provided by Ravello. If you have already installed and used the VM
Import Utility, this list will also include any images you have uploaded into Ravello.
In the Network tab of your application design or blueprint, click the DNS icon.
When you generate key pair using Ravello, the private key is downloaded as a file.
The private key is not saved by Ravello. The public key is saved by Ravello and
used when the VM is started.
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Can I import and use an existing key pair?
Yes. You can import an existing key pair and use it to connect to VMs created from
public blueprints.
The Admin > Usage & Quota page provides the following details:
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What is auto-stop?
Auto-stop is a feature that enables you to configure long the application is run before
it is automatically stopped. This eliminates the need to manually stop those
applications that you know are required for a limited time.
The balance of time remaining until the application is automatically stopped appears
in the Auto Stop in column on the Applications page.
1 Open the Virtual Infrastructure client and connect to the vCenter or ESX host in
which the VM is running.
2 Select the intended VM from the inventory, shut it down if it is running, and then
select File > Export > Export OVF Template.
This process might take some time, depending on the size of the disks and other
parameters. At the end of the export process, an OVF file and 1 or more VMDK files
should appear in your target directory.
Once a supplied service is defined as external, the system tunnels packets through
the fenced network to the virtual machine on the service ip:port.
Note: You can define a single port or a port range. You can also enable RDP to one
of the VM IPs or all.
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Select RDP from the Protocols dropdown list. If you need RDP to be
exposed on a single IP only, select the IP address from the Listen on
dropdown list; otherwise, leave the default setting All IPs.
Select the External checkbox.
Click Save.
3 If your application has already been published, click Update to push your
changes to the cloud.
4 When prompted for confirmation, click Update Changes.
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