Hey Folks, One of our team members found a different solution that I'd thought I'd share with the community. We've built a Packer post-processor that converts a VirtualBox image to a VHD file to easy importing into CloudStack. Our testing shows that it works well:
https://github.com/benwebber/packer-post-processor-vhd We'll likely use this going forward. ---- Hany Fahim VM Farms http://vmfarms.com h...@vmfarms.com 1-866-278-0021 x700 Twitter: @vmfarms On Thu, Sep 10, 2015 at 2:35 PM, Erik Weber <terbol...@gmail.com> wrote: > My talk was based on packer-cloudstack, and was made before the changes to > packer. > > As mentioned in the issues thread on GitHub, Sander @ SBP plans to make > this a packer built in builder. I don't know if he has gotten around to > start on this yet, but the current best option is to try to get packer > 0.7.5 going, or use packer-xenserver as Tim mentioned. > > > Unfortunately I no longer have travel funding and won't be able to attend > CCCEU this year :-( > > > Erik > Den torsdag 10. september 2015 skrev Pierre-Luc Dion <pd...@cloudops.com> > følgende: > > > 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 > > <javascript:_e(%7B%7D,'cvml','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 <javascript:_e(%7B%7D,'cvml','h...@vmfarms.com');> > >> 1-866-278-0021 x700 > >> Twitter: @vmfarms > >> > >> On Thu, Sep 10, 2015 at 11:39 AM, Tim Mackey <tmac...@gmail.com > >> <javascript:_e(%7B%7D,'cvml','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 > >> <javascript:_e(%7B%7D,'cvml','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 <javascript:_e(%7B%7D,'cvml','h...@vmfarms.com');> > >> > > 1-866-278-0021 x700 > >> > > Twitter: @vmfarms > >> > > > >> > > On Thu, Sep 10, 2015 at 10:58 AM, Tim Mackey <tmac...@gmail.com > >> <javascript:_e(%7B%7D,'cvml','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 > >> <javascript:_e(%7B%7D,'cvml','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 > >> <javascript:_e(%7B%7D,'cvml','h...@vmfarms.com');> > >> > > > > 1-866-278-0021 x700 > >> > > > > Twitter: @vmfarms > >> > > > > > >> > > > > >> > > > >> > > >> > > > > >
