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New public Image-Shelf for openQRM 4.6
We are happy to announce a new, additional public Image-Shelf for openQRM, sponsored by openQRM Enterprise. It provides 6 "ready-to-run" and "known-to-work" Server-templates based on regular Debian, Ubuntu and CentOS installations available in two architectures, i386 and x86_64. Those images are thoroughly tested since they are actually the Server-images used by our automated package build-system.
This package build-system consists of a private openQRM Cloud which on demand creates snapshots of static base images to compiles openQRM packages for the 3 different Linux distributions and 2 architectures (i386 and x86_64). This build-pipeline also triggers an automated update of the QA environment so that they always test "latest and greatest". By fully automating the build-system via a private openQRM Cloud we could dramatically decrease the time between "finding bugs" and "fixing them". It helps us to "live continuous integration".
Please notice that the Server-templates available on the new Image-Shelf are especially tested for the 4.6 version of openQRM so if you are using openQRM 4.6 please make sure to use the new Image-Shelf. For openQRM 4.5 it is recommended to still use the previous one.
The new Image-Shelf is automatically available in openQRM 4.6 brought to you by openQRM Enterprise (http://www.openqrm-enterprise.com).
2010-01-21 12:11:34 UTC by mattr_sf
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New Video: Cloud features of openQRM 4.6
The openQRM Project just published a video showing the new Cloud Computing functionalities such as the Cloud-Selector for defining Cloud Products and the new "private image" feature included in openQRM 4.6.
The video is available at http://www.openqrm.com/?q=node/160
2010-01-11 15:19:24 UTC by mattr_sf
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openQRM 4.6 released with new Cloud functions
There is a lot to say about the tons of new features, usability enhancements, bug-fixes and other important updates for this new 4.6 release of the free Datacenter and Cloud Computing Management System openQRM. Full steam ahead the openQRM team, now backed by its new main sponsor openQRM Enterprise GmbH, worked hard to get openQRM even more "enterprise-ready".
For sure, the most visible change in this remarkable openQRM 4.6 release is the optical facelift, resulting in a streamlined and user-friendly web interface. The "Datacenter Dashboard" was redesigned and now provides a clean and complete overview about status and performance of all managed subsystems. The new restructured tree-menu additionally increases the usability, all functions are "in place" now.
One of the most important new features in openQRM 4.6 is the "Cloud Selector", which the Cloud Administrator uses to define Cloud Products (e.g. CPUs, memory, disk space, VM types, applications, etc.) and their pricing. The updated Cloud configuration now allows to configure the mapping between the virtual Cloud Computing currency CCU (Cloud Computing Unit) and a real currency (e.g. US$ or Euro). Additionally, a Cost Calculator displaying the exact costs and hourly, daily and monthly charges was added in the Cloud Request Forms. A new "private Cloud Image" feature allows Cloud users to create and maintain their own private Cloud Server templates. Another important update in openQRM 4.6 is that the server moved to secure SSL-enrypted "https" and now seamlessly supports different server architectures (i386 and x86_64).
openQRM 4.6 includes support for "hybrid Cloud Computing" by providing an Amazon EC2 connector via its new "AWS plugin". This plugin integrates public Cloud Providers and allows to seamlessly migrate systems from openQRM to e.g. Amazon, Eucalyptus or UEC and also to import system images (AMI's) from those external Clouds into openQRM. Never it was easier to outsource capacities in case of business peaks.
Also new in openQRM 4.6 is an update of the RPM and Debian packaging system, resulting in better quality pre-built packages, and a web-based installer which simplifies setting up openQRM tremendously.
To perfect the 4.6 release two new plugins were added to support local deployment of Xen and KVM virtual machines using local LVM volumes as their image storage. Those plugins were also adapted to the openQRM Cloud Portal, now enabling the deployment of non-Linux operating systems such as Windows and Solaris from within openQRM.
A big thanks to the openQRM team for their effort put into this next milestone of openQRM, especially to the main contributors Andre Westbunk, Alexander Kuballa, Boris Krajewski, Christoph Möller, Ferdinant V., Gerben M., Kris Buytaert, Martin Tillmann and Thomas Halinka.
Please find more screenshots, a detailed changelog and the possibility to online test our public Demo Cloud at http://www.openqrm-enterprise.com
2010-01-06 03:08:39 UTC by mattr_sf
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openQRM's new automatic hardware detection
During the Christmas holidays our development team worked full-steam on a new, much better automated hardware detection for openQRM. For now openQRM used a combination of "hwsetup", "kudzu-knoppix" and "hwdata" to automatically detect hardware during boot up. Adapted from Knoppix (http://www.knoppix.net/) this worked great for a long time. While this method meanwhile is not very well maintained any more it recently creates troubles especially on CentOS Kernels as reported.
To overcome this situation we researched a new, much more efficient way for openQRM's hardware detection using "pcimodules". The "pcimodules" command is available as a patch (http://www.linuxfromscratch.org/patches/downloads/pciutils/pciutils-2.1.11-pcimodules-1.patch) for the "pcituils" package (http://mj.ucw.cz/pciutils.html) and simply lists all needed kernel modules according the pci ids of the detected hardware. Using this tool openQRM's hardware detection now could be reduced to 3 lines of code :
for module in $(pcimodules) ; do
modprobe -s -k "$module"
done
While testing this new "pcimodules" hardware detection method on physical and virtual systems our QA reported that much more hardware was detected compared to the previous "hwsetup" utility. Even USB devices are now detected flawlessly.
Another great benefit of this update is that because of its simplicity it greatly reduced build- and runtime-dependencies of openQRM. All 3 packages belonging to the "old" hardware detection method were removed from source-build. Also the build dependency to "libpci-dev" (which additional caused us some troubles because the package was re-named in newer Debian/Ubuntu versions) was removed.
The updates were commited to our svn repository for the upcoming 4.6 release.
Please notice that the kernels (not the images themselves) created by the image-shelf plugin (when using our public image-shelf) will temporarily not work since the initrd-templates within the server-image templates needs to be updated. This is in progress and we will keep you updated about this.
Enjoy and have a great start into 2010 !
Matt Rechenburg
Project Manager openQRM / CEO openQRM Enterprise
2009-12-31 18:28:51 UTC by mattr_sf
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openQRM Enterprise
We are proud to announce openQRM Enterprise, the new main sponsor and support company behind the openQRM Project. Based in Cologne, Germany, the company is providing world-wide professional services and long-term support for openQRM with "first hand" competence.
Quote from the founders of openQRM Enterprise GmbH:
"openQRM Enterprise consolidates the technical competence of the core members and developers of the openQRM Project, experienced with every detail of this Open Source solution, to supply expert knowledge for custom, sustainable Data Center setups in best-practice. Our focus is to lower the Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) for IT departments using a proven Open Source framework."
Please find more informations at http://www.openqrm-enterprise.com
2009-12-16 13:53:37 UTC by mattr_sf
