About RightScripts

Introduction

RightScripts consist of changes that can be applied to a Server during the boot, operational, or shutdown phase.  When a ServerTemplate is imported from the MultiCloud Marketplace, all of its RightScripts become visible under Design -> RightScripts. You can publish RightScripts by themselves or in the context of a ServerTemplate.

When a RightScript is added to a ServerTemplate, it can be added as a boot, operational, or decommission script. 

1. Boot Scripts - RightScripts that are automatically run during a Server's boot time.  Boot scripts are often software installation and configuration scripts.
2. Operational Scripts - RightScripts that are run during a Server's run time, often to automate 'runbook' operations.
3. Decommission Scripts - RightScripts that are run during a Server's decommissioning phase when a Server is terminated.  See Decommission Scripts.

• Any Script - (available on operational servers only) If a server is running, you also have the ability to run any available RightScript from a dropdown menu.  The "Any Script" option will only appear when an instance is operational, under the Scripts tab.

A RightScript consists of the following components:

• A script (typically written in Bash, Ruby, Perl or Powershell, or other executable languages)
• A set of optional attachments that are downloaded (typically from S3 buckets) and made available on the instance.
• A set of packages that are installed using the system's package manager (for example, yum in the case of Red-Hat-Linux based systems).
• A set of "Inputs" - configuration parameters that must be passed into the script and specified in the RightScale Dashboard or via the API.

What are the benefits of using RightScripts?

RightScripts provide an easy way of performing actions on a Server, and allow you to extract variable configuration information from common operations.  Similar to ServerTemplates, they provide a very modular solution for increased reliability and repeatability.  For example, you can update a single RightScript which is referenced across multiple ServerTemplates and deployments, changing the configuration for a variety of servers at once.

How do I create a RightScript and add it to a ServerTemplate?

The Intermediate Example tutorial walks you through the steps of creating a new RightScript from scratch, adding it to a ServerTemplate and rearranging the order of executable boot scripts.

 See also

List of RightScript Categories