Hello Hany, I think Erik did some work with Packer and CloudStack, I don't know if he would have some insight here. Erik, are you still planning to do a talk at CCCEU15?
Cheers, On Thu, Sep 10, 2015 at 1:14 PM, Hany Fahim <h...@vmfarms.com> wrote: > Thanks a lot Tim for the thorough explanation. I haven't thought about > using a local XenServer to act as the "build host". I'll need to look into > getting my hands on some hardware to install XenServer. It's good to know > this is an option. > > Are there alternative methods out there that can allow one to build Packer > artifacts using just a local laptop? Reducing dependencies would be a huge > bonus. > > > ---- > Hany Fahim > VM Farms > http://vmfarms.com > h...@vmfarms.com > 1-866-278-0021 x700 > Twitter: @vmfarms > > On Thu, Sep 10, 2015 at 11:39 AM, Tim Mackey <tmac...@gmail.com> wrote: > > > Hany, > > > > It does require a XenServer host, call it a "build host", but that host > can > > be anywhere including local to you (actually preferable). The "build > host" > > also doesn't have to even remotely match the capabilities of the hosts in > > the CloudStack instance, including things like storage and networking. > > > > The idea is that you create your VM locally to your specifications, and > > then upload it into whatever XenServer backed CloudStack instance you're > > using. If you happen to know what you want and can define it in a > > kickstart file, then go with xenserver-iso and let it do all the heavy > > lifting. If you might need to tweak on stuff, create the VM within > > XenServer and do the tweaking, then when you're happy use xenserver-vm to > > do all the heavy lifting. There is also an intermediate stage which uses > > both paths, but that doesn't sound like it would work for you. > > > > I'm happy to walk you through this in a bit more detail, either here on > the > > list or if you want something a bit more interactive, I'm @xenserverarmy > on > > Twitter > > > > -tim > > > > On Thu, Sep 10, 2015 at 11:02 AM, Hany Fahim <h...@vmfarms.com> wrote: > > > > > Thanks for the quick reply Tim! > > > > > > I actually stumbled on this project during my research. If my > > understanding > > > is correct, this requires access to an XenServer host. I unfortunately > > only > > > have access to the CloudStack API and not the underlying XenServer > > > hypervisor. Is it possible to use this tool without access to the > > > XenServer? > > > > > > > > > ---- > > > Hany Fahim > > > VM Farms > > > http://vmfarms.com > > > h...@vmfarms.com > > > 1-866-278-0021 x700 > > > Twitter: @vmfarms > > > > > > On Thu, Sep 10, 2015 at 10:58 AM, Tim Mackey <tmac...@gmail.com> > wrote: > > > > > > > Hany, > > > > > > > > Take a look at this: https://github.com/xenserverarmy/packer. I > > updated > > > > it > > > > last week for the changes in Packer 0.8.6, and have tested it with > > > > XenServer 6.2 and 6.5. Here are the things you might want to know > > which > > > > I've not updated in the README.MD: > > > > > > > > - There are two builders, xenserver-iso and xenserver-vm. > > xenserver-iso > > > > creates an artifact from an ISO (requires a XenServer ISO SR and will > > > > automatically download the ISO if not present). xenserver-vm creates > > an > > > > artifact from a pre-existing VM which could be running. Both > builders > > > > assume an NFS SR is present (by-product of a limitation in an earlier > > > > implementation). I plan on removing that requirement next week. > > > > - Any provisioners you wish to define will work, provided they use > the > > > SSH > > > > communicator. I'm still working on the WinRM communicator > > > > - There is a cloudstack-xenserver post-processor which will upload > the > > > VHD > > > > artifact to your CloudStack instance. It only requires API access. > If > > > the > > > > CloudStack instance is remote, tell the post-processor to compress, > > > > otherwise leave it uncompressed (faster) > > > > > > > > If you run into problems or have questions, just ask, and I do accept > > > pull > > > > requests. Since this is your first time with this project, I'm very > > > > interested in any "first use" problems such that the README can be > > > updated. > > > > > > > > -tim > > > > > > > > On Thu, Sep 10, 2015 at 8:30 AM, Hany Fahim <h...@vmfarms.com> > wrote: > > > > > > > > > Hi Folks, > > > > > > > > > > I’m currently looking into adopting Packer <https://packer.io/> to > > > build > > > > > images for CloudStack easily. I’ve been looking in > packer-cloudstack > > > > > <https://github.com/schubergphilis/packer-cloudstack> plugin, but > > > > > unfortunately there have been some backwards incompatible changes > > made > > > to > > > > > Packer that prevents this plugin from working. We do not have > direct > > > > access > > > > > to the CloudStack installation we’re working with, and only have > the > > > API > > > > > available to us. > > > > > > > > > > I’d like to ask the community if anyone else has got Packer to work > > in > > > > some > > > > > form with CloudStack? At the very least, we’re looking for a way > for > > > > Packer > > > > > to produce VHD images that can be imported into CloudStack > manually. > > > > > > > > > > Any help would be appreciated. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > ---- > > > > > Hany Fahim > > > > > VM Farms > > > > > http://vmfarms.com > > > > > h...@vmfarms.com > > > > > 1-866-278-0021 x700 > > > > > Twitter: @vmfarms > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >
