Windows
Objective
To install RightLink on a running Windows instance so that you can bundle it and create a RightLink-enabled version of that image.
NOTE: Although the steps provided below for bundling an instance may still be valid in some scenarios, we encourage you to explore using the Instance Provisioner to bundle an existing instance. See Create New Instance with the Instance Provisioner for additional information.
Table of Contents
Prerequisites
- Security Group with port 3389 open (required for RDP)
- SSH Key for the cloud where you will launch the Windows instance
- .NET 3.5 SP1 installed on the instance
- Windows Powershell installed on the instance
- Your specific cloud management agent installed on the instance, which might include:
- ec2-config for AWS EC2
- 'nova-agent' for Rackspace Open Cloud
- 'agent-smith' for Rackspace legacy cloud
Overview
In order to have a running instance where you can view real-time monitoring data inside the RightScale Dashboard and run RightScript and/or Chef recipes, you must use a RightScale-enabled image with RightLink installed. Once you have a RightLink-enabled image, you can create a MultiCloud Image (MCI) and use it in ServerTemplates to define servers and launch Windows instances on Amazon EC2, Rackpsace, or CloudStack.
This tutorial only applies to users who are interested in creating custom RightLink-enabled images of their own. If possible, RightScale recommends that you use our own Windows RightImages. However, if you need to use a base AMI from Amazon or even one of your own and you want to make the image RightScale-friendly, you can follow this tutorial to add RightLink to the existing image and create a new RightLink-enabled version of that image. You can use the new RightLink-enabled image to build a MultiCloud Image (MCI) and use with ServerTemplates.
Important!
Do not forget to tag the MultiCloud Image! Any MCI that points to custom images that have RightLink installed must be tagged appropriately to successfully operate with the RightScale management platform. See the last step in this article for more information.
Steps
Launch a Windows EC2 Instance
Launch an instance using one of Amazon's Windows AMIs or your own custom Windows image that you have developed yourself. If you are using one of Amazon's base Windows AMIs, we recommend using their latest AMIs.
Important! This tutorial will not work if you use one of Amazon's v1.07 AMIs.
- Navigate to the Clouds > AWS Region > EC2 Images > Amazon tab
- Perform a keyword name search for 'windows' using the filter option to locate all of the latest Window AMIs published by Amazon.
Important! Be sure to use an EC2 Security Group with port 3389 open to any port so that you can create a Remote Desktop Connection to the instance.
Establish a Remote Desktop Connection
Before you can create a Remote Desktop Connection to the running Windows instance you must first wait for the instance to be assigned its initial password.
Note: Once the instance is listed as "Operational" you might have to wait around 10-20 minutes before the password becomes visible. You will not be able to establish a remote desktop connection until a password becomes available. To check on the initial password once it is operational:
- Navigate to Clouds > CloudRegion > Active
- Click on the nickname for your operational server
- On the Info tab, in the EC2 Info section, check the "Initial admin password" field. If its "-none-", you will have to wait a few minutes longer. Refresh your browser to re-check. Once the Initial password is set it will look similar to the following:
Clicking "Show Value" will prompt you to enter your RightScale user password, after which the initial password should become exposed.
There are two different ways to create a Remote Desktop Connection.
- RDP from the Dashboard
- Use your local computer to create a Remote Desktop Connection
RDP from the Dashboard
Note: This may only work with certain browsers and environments (Internet Explorer etc). If you are not using a workstation that qualifies, then you will want to proceed with the 'Local Remote Desktop Connection' section listed below.
When viewing the show page for the running Windows instance, click the RDP action button.
Click Connect when you get the warning message.
Local Remote Desktop Connection
Note: Screenshot and directions below are only for the built in Windows RDP client. If using your own RDP client in your own environment these instructions will obviously vary.
Once the instance becomes operational, go to the instance's Info tab and take note of the "Initial password" which you will later use to remotely login into the instance. (The password is located inside the first and last parentheses.)
On your local machine, use the instance's Public DNS Name or Public IP address to establish a remote desktop connection to the instance. Click Connect to connect to the instance.
Note: If you get a certificate error message, you can still continue to connect to the instance.
Next, you will need to log into the instance with the following credentials:
User: administrator
Password: ("Initial password" from the instance's Info tab. Only enter the characters that are enclosed within the parentheses as mentioned previously.)
Be sure to save your login credentials.
Install Prerequisites
Several prerequisites must be downloaded and installed before you bundle the instance.
Note: Unfortunately, due to the restrictive security settings that are built into a Windows server, it is easier to download the below files locally and upload the files to an S3 bucket, after which we can download them to the Windows instance. Download the below installation files on your local computer and upload the installer files to an S3 bucket and set its permissions to 'public-read'. Obtain the link for each file from the S3 browser (Clouds > AWS Global > S3 Browser). You will need to use that link to download the installation files to your Windows instance instead.
To allow your S3 bucket download permissions in Internet Explorer, open an I.E. browser window on the Windows instance and follow these directions:
- For Windows 2008 - You will need to change your browser's security settings in order to download the PowerShell installation file.
- In I.E., go to the Options > Internet Options > Security tab
- Click the Trusted Sites icon
- Click the Sites button and add the domain using the S3 bucket name where your file is stored as a trusted site.
Ex: https://<your-bucket>-useast.s3.amazonaws.com/
Save and apply the changes. Refresh the browser window and you should be able to download these files using the link to the file in your S3 bucket. Alternatively, you can also allow all downloads from the Options > Internet Options > Security tab if you wish as well in order to download these files directly to the instance.
.NET Framework Download
Copy the below link and paste it into a browser window on your workstation, then upload the installer file to the aforementioned S3 bucket that we created earlier:
More information here, for reference
Download the file from your S3 bucket (e.g., https://<your-bucket>.s3.amazonaws.com/dotnetfx35.exe), then run the installer file on the instance and follow the wizard to let it complete.
Install PowerShell
In order to install RightLink on your instance, you must have PowerShell installed. Navigate to the following link and find the PowerShell installer that is specific for your Windows instance:
Download the necessary installation file to your local workstation, then re-host it in the aforementioned S3 bucket created earlier. Download the file from your S3 bucket (e.g., https://<your-bucket>.s3.amazonaws.com/kb968930.exe), then run the installer file on the instance and follow the wizard to let it complete. At the conclusion of the installation, you will be prompted to reboot the instance. Click 'Restart Now' and the instance will be rebooted. After a couple minutes, refresh the RDP window or re-establish an RDP connection and now the PowerShell installation is complete.
Note: Powershell may already be installed on your Amazon Windows instance, so it may be unnecessary to install this update as it may not apply here.
Install EC2Config Service
If using an image that does not have EC2Config pre-installed, you will want to download and install it from here:
Download RightLink
The first step is to download the RightLink installation package to the Windows instance.
Browse RightScale's mirror for the latest RightLink packages to find the appropriate MSI.
Due to Internet Explorer security settings, you cannot download the RightLink installer file from the plain-HTTP RightScale mirror directly to the Windows instance. As a workaround, you can change IE security settings or download another browser.
Install RightLink
Run the executable file on your new Windows instance and complete the RightLink Setup process.
- Start the RightLink Installer
- Accept the RightLink EULA
- Choose the cloud type from the dropdown list (no additional support package is required for Windows)
- Install RightLink, selecting the target cloud. Currently installable clouds include Microsoft Azure, Amazon EC2, Google Compute Engine, Citrix CloudStack, OpenStack, RackSpace, SoftLayer, and vSphere Cloud Appliance for VMware. Note that Azure, CloudStack, RackSpace, and SoftLayer clouds have not been fully tested and validated with RightLink 6.0, but are expected to be supported in RightLink 6.1.
Note: If you do not have PowerShell 2.0 installed on the instance, you will not be able to install RightLink.
To verify that RightLink was installed successfully, you can check the server's programs:
- Windows 2003: (Start -> Control Panel -> Add or Remove Programs)
- Windows 2008: (Start -> Control Panel -> Programs and Features)
Bundle the Instance (EBS-based EC2 Instance)
Go to the running instance's Info tab and click the Bundle action button, which may be located under the More Actions budtton.
-
No reboot
- [checked] - Create a bundle of the running instance. (not recommended)
- [unchecked] - Create a bundle of the instance after it's been shutdown. (recommended)
You will be redirected to the main "Info" page for your newly created AMI.
Note: You will still need to wait for the image's state to become "available" before you can use it to launch an instance. It may take 15-30 minutes before your image becomes available. Refresh the AMI Info page to monitor the state if desired.
Create a MultiCloud Image
In order to properly use the RightScale-enabled image with ServerTemplates, you should create a MultiCloud Image (MCI) that references the new image. See Create a New MultiCloud Image. The MCI can then be added to any local (HEAD) ServerTemplates in your account. If you need to make that image available in a different AWS region, follow the Replicate an Image to different AWS regions.
Tag the MultiCloud Image (mandatory)
Once you have created the MCI, you will need to add the following tag to the MCI so that RightScale will be able to identify the created image as a RightLink-enabled image:
provides:rs_agent_type=right_link
Congratulations! You now have an MCI that points to a RightLink-enabled image for launching Windows instances. Just like any other instance that's launched using one of our v5 RightImages (which are RightLink-enabled by default), you will be able to see monitoring graphs and execute scripts inside the RightScale Dashboard.
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