First Steps - Launch a kickstart instance

Overview

This tutorial explains how to launch a single instance with pre-installed OpenStack Client using the Horizon dashboard (GUI).
The kickstart instance contains all necessary tools to get started with the OpenStack Client.

Goal

  • Launch a jumphost/kickstart instance via GUI (Horizon)
  • Automated installation of the the OpenStack Client in the new instance

Prerequisites

  • You need to have the login data for the SysEleven Stack API (user name and passphrase)
  • Knowledge how to utilise a terminal/SSH and SSH-keys

Import SSH keys

  • Upload your SSH key(s) to the Horizon Dashboard - see the how-to article on importing SSH-keys

Launch Stack

SysEleven Login

  • In order 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" in order 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.