Using Ansible Validations With Red Hat OpenStack Platform - Part 3

In the previous two blogposts (Part 1 and Part 2) we demonstrated how to create a dynamic Ansible inventory file for a running OpenStack cloud. We then used that inventory to run Ansible-based validations with the ansible-playbook command from the CLI.

In the final part of our series, we demonstrate how to run those same validations using two new methods: the OpenStack scheduling service, Mistral, and the Red Hat OpenStack director UI.

Method 2: Mistral

Validations can be executed using the OpenStack Mistral Unified CLI. Mistral is the task service on the director and can be used for doing everything from calling local scripts, as we are doing here, to launching instances.

You can easily find the available validations using Mistral from the openstack unified CLI. The command returns all the validations loaded on director, which can be a long list. Below we have run the command, but omitted all but the ceilometerdb-size check:

[stack@undercloud ansible]$  openstack action execution run tripleo.validations.list_validations | jq '.result[]'
...
{
  "name": "Ceilometer Database Size Check",
  "groups": [
    "pre-deployment"
  ],
  "id": "ceilometerdb-size",
  "metadata": {},
  "description": "The undercloud's ceilometer database can grow to a substantial size if metering_time_to_live and event_time_to_live is set to a negative value (infinite limit). This validation checks each setting and fails if variables are set to a negative value or if they have no custom setting (their value is -1 by default).\n"
}
...

Next step is to execute this workflow by using the "id" value found in the Mistral output:

$ openstack workflow execution create tripleo.validations.v1.run_validation '{"validation_name": "ceilometerdb-size"}'

The example below is what it looks like when run on the director and it contains the final piece of information needed to execute our check:

Look for the "Workflow ID", and once more run a Mistral command using it:

$ openstack workflow execution output show 4003541b-c52e-4403-b634-4f9987a326e1

The output on the director is below:

As expected, the negative value in metering_time_to_live has triggered the check and the returned output indicates it clearly.

Method 3: The Director GUI

The last way we will run a validation is via the director UI. The validations visible from within the UI depend on what playbooks are present in the /usr/share/openstack-tripleo-validations/validations/ directory on the director. Validations can be added and removed dynamically.

Here is a short (60-second) video which demonstrates adding the ceilometerdb-size validation to the director via the CLI and then running it from the UI:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P0IQ1gjsaB8

Pretty cool, right?

Where to from here?

As you write your own validations you can submit them upstream and help grow the community. To learn more about the upstream validations check out their project repository on github.

And don’t forget, contributing an approved commit to an OpenStack project can gain you Active Technical Contributor (ATC) status for the release cycle. So, not only do you earn wicked OpenStack developer cred, but you may be eligible to attend a Project Teams Gathering (PTG) and receive discounted entry to the OpenStack Summit for that release.

With the availability of Ansible on Red Hat OpenStack Platform you can immediately access the power Ansible brings to IT automation and management. There are more than 20 pre-supplied TripleO validation playbooks supplied with Red Hat OpenStack Platform 11 director and many more upstream.

Ansible validations are ready now. Try them out. Join the community. Keep your Cloud happy.

Thanks!

That's the end of our series on Ansible validations. Don't forget to read Part 1 and Part 2 if you haven't already.

Thanks for reading!

Further info about Red Hat OpenStack Platform

For more information about Red Hat OpenStack Platform please visit the technology overview page, product documentation, and release notes.

Ready to go deeper with Ansible? Check out the latest collection of Ansible eBooks, including a free samples from every title!

And don’t forget you can evaluate Red Hat OpenStack Platform for free for 60 days!

The “Operationalizing OpenStack” series features real-world tips, advice and experiences from experts running and deploying OpenStack.