E2E Gaming Deployment Setup

Subscribe to the Macro

Reminder:  It is best to run this macro from a Firefox browser.  Other browsers have been known to have issues.  (This is being looked into.)

Before you can run the macro, you will need to get a copy from the RightScale MultiCloud Marketplace.

• Navigate to Design -> MultiCloud Marketplace -> Macros
• Search on "Gaming Macro"
• Select the Gaming Macro link to drill down on additional details
• Select the Subscribe action button.  The macro will be imported to your "local" view.  That is, you will be able to view, delete, run or clone the macro from Design -> Macro -> View Local.

Note:  Before the RightScale Component MultiCloud Marketplace changes in the April 2010 release, you use to import the macro.  (As shown in the diagram below.)  Now you will subscribe to the macro.  When subscribing to the macro, any changes that get pushed out by the publisher (RightScale in this case) will be immediately reflected in your local copy as well.  Subscribing provides a mechanism for immediate updates when newer versions are published.  You do however have the option to clone the macro and use that copy.

The Macro used to build out your Deployment with all Servers, Credentials, Inputs, etc. should now be in your local MultiCloud Marketplace and ready for use.  The following diagram shows the basic sequence of events along with a logical view of what can be built in your Deployment when you import and run the E2E Gaming Macro.  

Run the Macro

• Navigate to Design -> Macro -> View Local
• Select the Run action button for the Gaming Macro
  • Select the appropriate Security Group and SSH Key from the drop down list
    • Optionally, you can save these settings so on future runs of the macro you do not need to specify them.
  • You will be prompted if you want to create Database Credentials or not.  Answer OK (yes) if this is your first run of the macro.
  • You will be prompted for the type of application you will run.  Answer php, tomcat or rails.
    • Note:  Later in this tutorial you are given the option of configuring your own application, or a sample Bulletin Board application.  If you are going to use the Bulletin Board application, you should answer "php" here.
  • You will be prompted for a nickname for the new Deployment.  Enter something descriptive.

• A dialog box will show you the progress as the macro executes
  • Credentials are created
  • Various prompts such as a Nickname for your new Deployment (e.g. E2E Gaming, or phpBB, MacroDeployment, ...)
  • Deployment is created
  • Servers are created
  • Server Arrays are created...
  • Success!  All courtesy of the Gaming Macro which uses our RightScale API.  Click the OK button to continue.

To verify, navigate to Manage -> Deployments -> View Dashboard -> GamingDeployment  You should see:

• 6 Front End (FE) Servers (Two for each Cloud region)
  • 2 FEs in AWS EU-West
  • 2 FEs in AWS US-East
  • 2 FEs in AWS US-West
• 1 Master Database Server (in AWS US-East)
• 2 Slave Database Servers (in AWS US-East)
• 1 Memcached Server
• 3 Server Arays
  • 1 in US-East
  • 1 in US-West
  • 1 in EU-West

Troubleshooting tip:  The most common error is getting the DME user and/or password incorrect.  Make sure your RightScale credentials are correct as well.

View Macro (optional)

Those interested in seeing what the macro looks like and the type of tasks the Gaming Macro is executing can:

• Navigate to Design -> Macros -> View Local
• Select the Gaming Macro link
• View the Commands tab

Even those who are not well versed in JavaScript will be able to recognize the majority of what is taking place, and how the macro uses our RightScale API to accomplish its tasks.  For example, the necessary Credentials get created, along with the Deployment and its Servers (based on specified ServerTemplates).  Finally, the Server Arrays are created.  This is all in accord with what you view in the Dashboard, and is displayed in the dialog window when you execute the Macro.  One of the convenient and powerful things with RightScale Macros is you are free to create your own from scratch, create them from within the Dashboard, or subscribe, clone and modify existing macros.

Initial setup

• Change the Input so that we know where to find the phpBB application
  • If your Front-end Server is up and running from an earlier step, terminate it. 
  • Change the SVN_APP_REPOSITORY Input at the Deployment level to  http://code.phpbb.com/svn/phpbb/branches/phpBB-3_0_0/phpBB
  • Launch one of your FE Servers

• Once the FE is operational , you will need to set permissions and ownership on the appropriate files and directories.  SSH into it and run the following commands:

# cd /home/webapps/gaming/current
# chown -R apache:root cache files store config.php images/avatars/upload/

Tip:  If the chown command fails, it is likely due to the SVN Repository.  It was either unaccessible or the Input value was entered incorrectly. 

• Restore the Master database

  • On the Master database, run the "DB EBS restore and become master v1" Operational RightScript

  • Follow progress from the Events and/or Audit Entries.  (This operation will take ~1-2 minutes)

• Create a new RightScript called "Set Application Permissions" (or similar) that will set the application permissions for your database.  Use the following for the body of your RightScript:

#!/bin/bash -e
# Copyright (c) 2007 by RightScale Inc., all rights reserved

#You will be prompted for the DBAPPLICATION_USER and DBAPPLICATION_PASSWORD when you launch.
# Enable remote administration
echo 'GRANT ALL PRIVILEGES on *.* TO '\'$DBAPPLICATION_USER\''@'\''%'\'' IDENTIFIED BY '\'$DBAPPLICATION_PASSWORD\'' ;' | mysql -u root
echo 'GRANT ALL PRIVILEGES on *.* TO '\'$DBAPPLICATION_USER\''@'\''localhost'\'' IDENTIFIED BY '\'$DBAPPLICATION_PASSWORD\'' ;' | mysql -u root
echo 'REVOKE SUPER on *.* FROM '\'$DBAPPLICATION_USER\''@'\''%'\'' IDENTIFIED BY '\'$DBAPPLICATION_PASSWORD\'' ;' | mysql -u root
echo 'REVOKE SUPER on *.* FROM '\'$DBAPPLICATION_USER\''@'\''localhost'\'' IDENTIFIED BY '\'$DBAPPLICATION_PASSWORD\'' ;' | mysql -u root
echo "FLUSH PRIVILEGES;" | mysql -u root

• Run the "Set Application Permissions" RightScript on your Master Database Server.
  • Use the Run "Any Script" drop down menu to select your new RightScript.
  • You will be prompted for the DBAPPLICATION_USER and DBAPPLICATION_PASSWORD.  Change the Input type to  "cred" and select them from your Credentials drop down menu.  (Recall that they were created for you when running the Gaming macro.)
• Now you are ready to install and configure the phpBB application.  Go to the public facing URL of your Front-end in your browser.
  • Select the Install tab.
    • Install - Select the Proceed to next step action button
    • Requirements - Leave default settings.  Select the Start install action button.
    • Database settings - This is the most important of all forms. See fields (and screen shot below).
      • DSN  - Your database hostname with your FQHN  (e.g. e2emaster.rightscaletraining.com)
      • Db Server Port - Leave blank
      • Database name - The name of our example database is "gaming_example"
      • Database username - app_user (Note:  This is case sensitive)
      • Database password - If you don't recall what this is, you will have to get it from the Dashboard.
        • Design -> Credentials -> View all
        • Select the DBAPPLICATION_PASSWORD link
          • Show value -> enter your password
          • Copy and paste into the correct field in the phpBB installation form
          • Hide value
      • Db prefix - Leave at default (phpbb_)
        • Select the Proceed to the next step action button

        • Tip: If you don't connect to the database correctly, you will receive an error.  Check your settings again closely.  If it continues to fail to connect, you may have permuted your DBAPPLICATION_USER and DBAPPLICATION_PASSWORD credentials.  Try re-running the "Set Application Permissions" RightScript again, then retrying your database connection.

    • Administrator Details - Fill out the user (e.g. administrator), password (e.g. administrator) and email address.  When the installation of phpBB is successful, you will receive a congratulations email at this address.  Select the Proceed to next step action button when ready.
    • Configuration file through Final Stage - Simply select the Proceed to next step action button for each of the remaining screens.

• If all went correctly, phpBB should be running.  In your browser, selecting the Login action button should show you an operational phpBB bulletin board application running on your Deployment.  Congratulations!
• Once completed with all install forms, you will need to take the phpBB application out of "install mode".  Remove the install directory.  From an SSH window on your Front-end, from the /home/webapps/gaming/current directory:

rm -fr install/

Automation

Now that you have the initial setup completed, you are ready to automate the process.  In this step you will place all the manual steps in a new RightScript.  The new RightScript will be attached to the boot phase of your cloned ServerTemplate.  That way, each time an application Server is booted it will be ready for use.  (Its important to note this applies to all application Servers, whether they are front ends, or part of an autoscaling Server Array.)

#!/bin/bash -ex
app_dir=/home/webapps/$APPLICATION/current

# Create PHP configuration file, set permissions, then take phpBB out of "install mode".

cat <<EOF> $app_dir/config.php 
<?php
\$dbms = 'mysql';
\$dbhost = "$MASTER_DB_DNSNAME";
\$dbname = "$DB_SCHEMA_NAME";
\$dbuser = "$DBAPPLICATION_USER";
\$dbpasswd = "$DBAPPLICATION_PASSWORD";
\$table_prefix = 'phpbb_';
define('PHPBB_INSTALLED', true);
\$acm_type = 'file';
?>
EOF

cd $app_dir
chown -R apache:root cache files store config.php images/avatars/upload/

rm -fr $app_dir/install