2009-10-27

RightScale MultiCloud Marketplace

RightScale now supports the notion of object libraries where you can select and import objects such as ServerTemplates and Macros in to your 'Local' view.  For example, the 'Local' view of your ServerTemplates will only show ServerTemplates that you've imported, cloned, or created from scratch.  Instead of viewing a long list of all published ServerTemplates (many of which may not be relevant to your application), you now have the ability to select and import only the ServerTemplates that you wish to see on a regular basis.  This way, your 'Local' view will only display relevant ServerTemplates.  ServerTemplates and RightScripts that are currently being referenced by operational/stopped servers inside your account will automatically be imported to your 'Local' view.  i.e. You will not have to import any ServerTemplates that are currently being used.  Anything that was previously under the Private tab will be visible under the 'Local' view.  ServerTemplates that you cloned from will also be displayed in the 'Local' view even though they may not be actively used by any Servers or ServerTemplates.   See About the RightScale Component Library. (bl-6557)

User Interface Enhancements

• Load Balancing - Support for Amazon Elastic Load Balancing (ELB) in EC2-EU.  (Clouds -> AWS EU -> Load Balancing)

• Amazon RDS - Support for Amazon Relational Database Service in EC2-US.  (Clouds -> AWS US -> RDS) 
  

• MultiCloud Marketplace - You can now import only the ServerTemplates that are relevant for your application.
• Add Server - When adding a server to a deployment, there is now a single 'Add Server' button.  When adding a server you will need to select the desired cloud/region.
• Server Info - Previously, it was difficult to see if a server was locked/unlocked.  The 'lock' link is now clearly visible next to the nickname of the server.  Links to a server's Deployment and ServerTemplate are now shown next to the Help button.
• RightScript Selector Window - RightScripts are selected via a 3-column selector window rather than a lengthy and more difficult to parse drop-down menu.  This works similar in look and feel as the Image Selector window.
• Miscellaneous - Additional data and sorting Options are available in column views within the Dashboard
• Tagging - You can now tag the following objects: Server Array, Instances, ServerTemplates, and Deployments.  Deployments can only be tagged through the RightScale API because there is no Info tab for deployments.

Support for Amazon Relational Database Service (RDS)

RightScale now supports Amazon RDS as part of our overall management platform.  Amazon RDS is only supported in the Amazon EC2-US region.  Before you can use Amazon RDS, you will need to sign-up for the service.  Support for RDS in the Dashboard will be available for all users except Free Trial users.  See Relational Database Service (RDS).

Support for Amazon Elastic Load Balancers (ELB) in Europe

Previously, you could only launch Elastic Load Balancers in EC2-US.  They are now supported in the EC2-EU region.  (or-6573)

Share Amazon EBS Snapshots

You now have the ability to share EBS Snapshots with other users or make them public.  When you share a snapshot with a user, you must provide their AWS Account ID, similar to how you currently share Images/AMIs.  See Share an EBS Snapshot.  (or-6625, or-6741)

Support for Monitoring of Rackspace Servers (alpha)

You can now monitor Rackspace servers via the RightScale monitoring service.  You will also be able to write custom collectd plugins for the monitoring service.  Note that alerts and escalations based on monitoring are not yet available.

Enterprise Master Account (Enterprise only)

Enterprise customers can now create a Master account that acts as an umbrella account for its child accounts.  Use the Master account to monitor the cloud related activity across all of its children accounts.  Each child account is essentially a separate RightScale account with its own AWS Credentials.  Use the Master account to manage the accessibility and permission rights of users.  For example, the owner of the Master account can select which ServerTemplates are available to a child account.  See Enterprise.

"Lite UI" RightScale Account (Enterprise only)

The RightScale Dashboard now supports a Lite UI for Enterprise accounts.  The Lite UI exposes a restricted feature set to its "Lite Users".  It is extremely easy to use and learn, with nearly a single-click to spin up a Deployment in the Cloud!  Lite UI users don't build or manage RightScale Objects and Cloud Resources, they just view and/or start them.  For example, Lite users don't create and manage new Deployments, they simply start them up.  Lite users will only see the ServerTemplates that have already been pre-configured for them, not the entire MultiCloud Marketplace.  Lite users also have access to view many reports.  Please contact sales@RightScale.com for more information.   See Enterprise.   (gr-4609w, bl-5527)

Support for 2xlarge and 4xlarge EC2 instance types (alpha)

RightScale supports the new instance types from Amazon EC2: m2.2xlarge & m2.4xlarge.   You can launch one of these new instance types using one of the AMIs.  However, our current ServerTemplates have not been adjusted and tested to use the new instance sizes.  For example, MySQL requires config files that must be specifically tailored for them.   Please, do not attempt to launch these new instance sizes with our current ServerTemplates.

ISV Custom Metering and Reports (ISV Partners only)

ISV Partners now have the ability to view usage reports about their published ServerTemplates.  They can use the reports to see usage reporting on ServerTemplates that they share through private sharing groups. Partners can also put hooks in their own software to register custom variable metrics (e.g. size of a customer's database), and then use this information for customer billing services. (bl-5528)

Privacy Policy Update

With our ongoing product releases, we're always adding more features and functions which will require, from time to time, updates to our privacy policy to reflect new changes. RightScale respects your privacy, and as a result of the many recent releases we've updated our privacy policy. Read RightScale's Privacy Policy.

Improvements to Tables

The following improvements have been made to the table views within the Dashboard.  (gr-4632w)

• Overflow Tables
• Sorting within tables is now case-sensitive
• By default, the Nickname column will be used as the second sort key.  (That is, if sorting by State, then Nickname is the second sort key)

3-Column Selector for adding RightScripts

Previously, when you added RightScripts to a Server or ServerTemplate, there were several pulldown bars where you had to select the type of RightScript (private/premium/shared/partner) and specify which section it should be added (boot/operational/decommission).   There is now an "Add Script" button underneath each section along with a 3-column selector similar to the machine image selector.  If Chef cookbooks are enabled, you will also be able to select and add receipes the same way.  (gr-4616w)

Billing/Cost Information hidden for non admin/billing users

Previously, billing information associated with a RightScale account was visible for all users of an account.  For discretionary reasons, permissions have changed so that the billing/cost information is hidden from users who do not have the 'admin' or 'billing' roles.   Users will no longer be able to see the Usage Estimates section.   (gr-4558w)

RightScale API Improvements

• You can now use the RightScale API to add/assign machine tags to servers, images, and snapshots.  See Tags. (gr-6232a)
• You can now change the nickname and description of an EBS Volume  (gr-4313w)   EC2 EBS Volumes
• Run operational scripts with different inputs.  Previously, you could only change the inputs for the next launch of a server.  (gr-4374w)  Servers

Improvements to Tagging

Previously, you could only tag Servers, Images, and EBS Snapshots.  Our tagging system has been extended to support the tagging of following objects:

• Server Array
• Instances
• Deployments (Deployments can only be tagged through the RightScale API because there is no Info tab for deployments.)
• ServerTemplates

See Tagging for more information.

Improved attachment rules and display for Elastic Load Balancers (ELB)

There are more consistent rules applied to attaching instances by availability zone now.  The display in our UI has also been made more informative.  As a specific example, when you navigate to Clouds -> AWS US/EU -> Load Balancers, and select the Servers tab for a specific Load Balancer, you will note the Status column and type of font in the Availability Zone columns depict the key information.

• Status column:  might attach, can attach, cannot attach
• Availability Zone:  "-any-" or the availabilty zone (e.g. us-east-1a) in italics (might attach), bold (can attach) or red font (cannot attach)

(or-4575, or-4741)

Kernel and Ramdisk support removed from ServerTemplates

Kernel and Ramdisk have been removed from the UI with respect to ServerTemplates.  However, continued support has been grandfathered in.  For example, if you are using a ServerTemplate that already had the Kernel and Ramdisk set, it will still be displayed and editable.  For newer ServerTemplates, both fields will not be shown.  (or-6330, bl-5903) 

Improvements to Virtual Private Cloud Support (beta)

RightScale first implemented Virtual Private Cloud (VPC) support in the September release of the Dashboard.  The initial release did not support all configuration aspects of the Virtual Private Cloud.  This release has increased its support for VPC.  Most notably, the following are now supported:

• A "Name" field has been added for the following operations:
  • New VPC
  • New Subnet
  • New DHCP option
• The following functionality has also been added to the Clouds -> AWS US/EU -> VPCs -> Gateways tab:
  • "New customer gateway", "New VPN gateway" and "New VPN connection" action buttons added
    • New "Actions" column for each of the above
  • "VPN Gateways" also has
    • New "State" column display
    • New "Attach" and "Detach" action links
  • New link in the ID column to show VPN Connection and configuration information

To learn more about Virtual Private Cloud support and related tasks from within our Dashboard please consult the documentation on our Support Portal and the Dashboard context sensitive Help Text.  (or-6078) 

Modified tab sequence for Dashboard login screen

Previously, the tab sequence would jump to the "forget password" link instead of progressing to the login button.  The new sequence is Email--Password--Login button. (gr-4608w)

Stranded Servers get stuck in a "configuring" state

In certain scenarios a booting Server that stranded and entered the "configuring" state would get stuck there.  There was not an option to force a Server in that state to go "operational".  This has been resolved, and an "operational" action link is included that when selected it will force the stranded Server to change states.  (or-4757w)

Inability to copy Alerts when ServerTemplates are the Source Type

When copying an Alert, a three column dialog helps you specify which Alert you wish to copy from.  The Source Type is either Servers or ServerTemplates.  Previously, selecting any type of ServerTemplate (for example Private or RightScale ServerTemplates) resulted in an empty list.  This has been resolved.  (or-4775w)

Some Alert Escalations not applying to all Servers in multiple Server Arrays

This rare bug is best illustrated with an example:

• You have a Deployment called "Sand Box"
• Sand Box has two alert-based Server Arrays in it.  (SA1 and SA2)
• You have created an Alert Escalation called "Grow Webfarm".  Grow Webfarm contains the following actions:
  • Send email to Admin
  • grow_array SA1
  • grow_array SA2
• In very rare cases if you updated a Server Array (such as an array setting in SA1) it could result in an override condition with the Alert Escalation "Grow Webfarm".  For example, after the update to SA1 Grow Webfarm could look like:
  • Send email to Admin (correct)
  • grow_array SA1 (correct)
  • grow_array SA1 (incorrect.  Should be "grow_array SA2")
  • Note: The Alert Escalation has forgot about all other Server Arrays (SA2), and only knows about SA1.  SA2 has been overridden with SA1 information.

This bug has been resolved. (or-4777w)

Servers in a Server Array with identical names

In very rare conditions when many Servers were launched rapidly as part of a Server Array scaling up their names would end up identical.  For example (note the identical numbers in bold below):

. . . 
Oct 8 23:14:23 "webfarm-1 # 171",
Oct 8 23:15:14 "webfarm-1 # 171",
Oct 8 23:15:17 "webfarm-1 # 172",
Oct 8 23:15:18 "webfarm-1 # 173", . . .

This rare error condition has been resolved in this release.  (or-4773w)

Timestamps changed from UTC to local time

The timestamps for various cloud resources have been changed from UTC to local time. Examples of this include the "Started at" and "Terminated at" timestamps for Instances and "Created" and "Updated" times for Images.  (or-4688w)

Rackspace instances not reporting the correct state

Rackspace instances that became stranded did not consistently report the proper state.  This has been resolved, and stranded instances are accompanied by a warning image. (Exclamation point in a triangle.) (or-4721w)

Launching Rackspace Servers multiple times

You use to be able to launch Rackspace Servers multiple times even if it was already running.  The restrictions have been tightened up so you  can no longer inadvertantly launch it multiple times.  (or-4707w)

Unknown Subject for Rackspace audit entries

When viewing Rackspace audit entries (Manage -> Deployments -> View All -> <DeploymentName>) the Subject field was set to "-unknown-".  This has been fixed so the Subject correctly displays the Rackspace instance name.  (or-4751w)

Incorrect URI construction for some Rackspace accounts

In rare instances, for Rackspace accounts only, an incorrect URI would be constructed when selecting options in the horizontal menu beneath Clouds -> Rackspace ...  This would result in a "no action exists..." flash error message.  This has been resolved.  (gr-4726w)

New ServerTemplates

RightScale will be publishing the following new ServerTemplates approximately one week after the current Dashboard release.  The following ServerTemplates are Chef-based and are pre-configured to launch instances into either the EC2 or Rackspace clouds.

Released on Nov 6, 2009

• PHP App Server (Chef Alpha)
• PHP FrontEnd (Chef Alpha)
• Rails All-In-One Demo (Chef Alpha)
• Rails All-In-One Developer (Chef Alpha)
• Rails-Passenger App Server (Chef Alpha)
• Rails-Passenger FrontEnd (Chef Alpha)

The following RightScript-based ServerTemplates will also be released soon:

• MySQL EBS Percona (Alpha) - Note this will be published under the RightScale tab, but support on the database will require a Percona support contract.  Released on Oct 27, 2009
• New Relic Performance Monitoring Toolbox - which includes the New Relic Java Agent installation script.  Released on Nov 4, 2009

Warning! - RightScale ServerTemplates are published with frozen repositories and are associated with a particular RightImage^TM .  There is no guarantee that newer RightImages (RightImages CentOS v4.1.15 and 4.1.20 for both the US and EU regions and 32- and 64-bit versions) will work correctly using older versions of software packages in the frozen repositories.  To ensure that an older ServerTemplate works with one of the newer RightImages, you will need to clone the template and refreeze the software repositories to a more recent date where the RightImage and the repositories are compatible.  Always check to make sure that a server will boot correctly.