Installation and Deployment

Environment Preparations #

To install or upgrade ZStack Cloud, you need to prepare the ISO of ZStack Cloud:

  1. ZStack Cloud ISO is built on Helix, a self-made virtualization kernel software that operates between the infrastructure layer and the upper-layer operating systems. It integrates essential components like hardware drivers, macro kernels, and virtual agents, shielding the differences among heterogeneous hardware. This releases operating systems from hardware driver dependencies, ensuring proper access to the heterogeneous hardware on the under layer. By doing so, Helix enhances hardware compatibility, high reliability, high availability, scalability, and performance of your virtual environment.
  2. Three ISO versions of ZStack Cloud are available:
    • h79c: ZStack-Cloud-x86_64-DVD-4.7.21-h79c.iso
    • h76c: ZStack-Cloud-x86_64-DVD-4.7.21-h76c.iso
    • h84r:Contact the official technical support to get this ISO.
    Note:
    • For the first installation of ZStack Cloud, we recommend that you use ISO of the h79c version.. If you have deployed ZStack Cloud, you can upgrade the Cloud to the latest of the same ISO version. For more information, see Upgrading Tutorial.
    • Starting from the version 4.7.21, ZStack Cloud provides 3 versions of ISO: h76c ISO, h79c ISO, and h84r ISO. The h84r ISO need to be got from official technical support.
    • Starting from the version 4.7.0, ZStack Cloud provides ISO based on Helix, a self-made virtualization kernel software. Currently, two ISO versions are available: h76c and h79c. The ISO of the c76 and c79 is no longer provided. You can use an h76c or h79c ISO to upgrade a Cloud installed before to the latest version.
    • Starting from the version 4.6.0, ZStack Cloud custom ISO of the c74 version is no longer available. If you have deployed the ISO of the c74 version, contact the technical support for upgrading.
    • Starting from the version 3.7.1, ZStack Cloud custom ISO of the c72 version is no longer available. If you have deployed the ISO of the c72 version, contact the technical support for upgrading.
  3. ZStack Cloud allows for offline installation. You do not need to connect to the public network or configure the local repo.
  4. The following installation modes are available: Tenant Management Node , Community Management Node, Compute Node, Expert Mode, and Simplified Expert Mode. You can select a mode based on your business needs.
  5. Default settings: DATE&TIME: Asia/Shanghai timezone. LANGUAGE SUPPORT: English (United States). KEYBOARD: English (US).

The initial installation of h76c ISO and h79c ISO basically is the same. This topic takes h76c ISO as an example to describe the installation process.

  1. Prepare files.
  2. Write the image.
  3. Install the operating system.
  1. Prepare files.Before you install ZStack Cloud, prepare the following packages for installation and deployment:
    • ZStack Cloud custom ISO:
      • h79c: ZStack-Cloud-x86_64-DVD-4.7.21-h79c.iso
      • h76c: ZStack-Cloud-x86_64-DVD-4.7.21-h76c.iso
      • Download address: Click here
    • ZStack Cloud installation package:
      • Software: ZStack-Cloud-installer-4.7.21.bin
      • Download address: Click here
    Note: After you download the software packages, check the MD5 hash by using a MD5 checker to verify software integrity.
  2. Use Rufus to burn the ISO image file to a U disk.
    1. Use Rufus to open the ISO image file.Open Rufus, select Disk or ISO image (Please select) from the Boot selection drop-down list, and click the Select button to open the downloaded ISO image file.Figure 1. Use Rufus to Open ISO Image File
    2. Write the image.After you select the ISO image, keep the default settings for the remaining options and click Start to write the image.


      Figure 2. Write Disk Image on Rufus

    3. After you click Start, you will be reminded of the risk that the disk data will be formatted. Click OK to burn the image file.Note: Before you burn the image file, make sure that you backup the data on the U disk.


      Figure 3. Confirm to Write ISO Image on Rufus

    4. Then the U disk is used as the startup disk. This disk supports the Legacy and UEFI boot modes.
  3. Install the operating system.
    1. Configure the server.
      • Make sure that the data on the disks of the server is backed up. The data will be overwritten during installation.
      • Enter BIOS and enable the virtualization technology and hyper-threading options for CPU.
      • Enter the RAID configuration page and configure the RAID level to provide a data redundancy mechanism that suits your business needs.
      • Place the system startup disk in the first boot order.
    2. Select the boot item.On the ISO system boot interface, select the default option and then install the operating system.


      Figure 4. System Boot


      Note:
      • ZStack Cloud provides the following installation methods: (graphic user interface) GUI, virtual network computing (VNC), and character user interface (CUI). We recommend that you use GUI to install the operating system.
      • If the server does not have a VGA connector and only supports serial communication, you can use the VNC or CUI method.
    3. Installation configuration summaryThe following figure displays system installation configurations. You can specify the configurations based on your needs. The default settings provided by ZStack Cloud are as follows:
      • DATE&TIME: Asia/Shanghai timezone. We recommend that the admin checks the host time and sets to the current timezone and time.LANGUAGE: English (United States).KEYBOARD: English (US).


      Figure 5. System Installation Interface

    4. Select the installation mode.On the INSTALLATION SUMMARY page, click SOFTWARE SELECTION to enter the SOFTWARE SELECTION page. Select an installation mode on the page.ZStack Cloud provides the following installation modes:
      • ZStack Enterprise Management NodeNote: We recommend that you select this mode in the initial installation.ZStack Community Management NodeZStack Compute NodeZStack Expert ModeNote:
        • If you select this mode, after the system is installed, you are redirected to the terminal where you can customize installation of the cloud platform. If you select other modes, after the system is installed, the system automatically installs the cloud platform in the selected mode.No ZStack Local Repo: simplified installation. If you select this item, the ISO image file is not copied during installation and internal repo is not generated.


      Figure 6. Select Installation Mode

    5. Configure disk partitioning.On the INSTALLATION SUMMARY page, click INSTALLATION DESTINATION to enter the INSTALLATION DESTINATION page.


      Figure 7. Default Disk Partitioning


      Note: We recommend that you only configure the system disk on the page. After the system is installed, you can configure other disks.ZStack Cloud sets partitioning to Automatically configure partitioning by default. If you want to customize partitioning, set the parameters based on the BIOS boot mode:
      • UEFI mode
        • /boot: stores the core files required for Linux startup. We recommend that you distribute 1 GB to the directory./boot/efi: stores UEFI boot file. We recommend that you distribute 500 MB to the directory.swap: swap. We recommend that you distribute 32 GB to the swap./: Linux system root. We recommend that you distribute the rest of the space to the directory.
        Legacy mode
        • /boot: stores the core files required for Linux startup. We recommend that you distribute 1 GB to the directory.swap: swap. We recommend that you distribute 32 GB to the swap./: Linux system root. We recommend that you distribute the rest of the space to the directory.
      Note:
      • We recommend that the total disk capacity for ZStack Cloud be greater than 300 GB.
      • In Legacy mode, if the capacity of the system disk is greater than 2 TB, you need to configure the BIOS boot partition for the support of the GPT partition. In UEFI mode, you do not need to configure this item and the GPT partition is supported.
    6. Configure the network.This step describes how to configure a static IP address for a NIC and enable auto-activation of NIC. This configuration is used only for proof of concept (POC). In the production environment, we recommend that you configure NIC bonding. For more information, see Network Bonding (Optional).
      1. Configure a static IP address.
        1. On the INSTALLATION SUMMARY page, choose NETWORK & HOST NAME > Ethernet (eth0) > Configure…. Then the Editing eth0 page is displayed. On the page, choose IPv4 Settings > Method > Manual. Then you can manually assign an IP address.Note: You can also use DHCP to automatically obtain an IP address.
        2. Click Add to add an IP entry, configure the IP address, subnet, and gateway, and then click save to save the configurations.


          Figure 8. Configure Static Address

      2. Configure NIC auto-activation.On the Editing eth0 page, choose General > Automatically connect to this network when it is available > Save. Then the auto-activation is enabled.


        Figure 9. Configure NIC Auto-Activation

    7. Start installation.Go back to the INSTALLATION SUMMARY page, click Begin Installation to install the operating system.
    8. Set a password.When the installation is in progress, click ROOT PASSWORD to set a root password.


      Figure 10. Set Password

    9. Enter the system.After the system is installed, click Restart and enter the custom system of ZStack Cloud.

Network Bonding (Optional) #

This topic describes how to configure network bonding. You can use this method when you want to install and deploy ZStack Cloud in your production environments. ZStack Cloud supports IEEE 802.3ad for link aggregation.

You can configure network bonding by using command line tool or GUI.

Command Line Tool #

After you complete installing ZStack Cloud, you can configure network bonding by running the following commands according to your deployment requirements:

# Create a link aggregation virtual interface in LACP mode
zs-bond-lacp -c [bond-name]
zs-bond-lacp -c bond0

# Create another link aggregation virtual interface in active-backup mode
zs-bond-ab -c [bond-name]
zs-bond-ab -c bond0

# Bind the physical interface to the link aggregation interface
zs-nic-to-bond -a [bond-name] [nic-name]
zs-nic-to-bond -a bond0 eth0

# Create a VLAN interface
zs-vlan -c [nic-name] [vlan]
zs-vlan -c bond0 10

# Create a network bridge, and configure the network IP address for the network bridge
zs-network-setting -b [interface] [ipaddress] [netmask] [gateway]
zs-network-setting -b bond0.10 192.168.1.10 255.255.255.0 192.168.1.1

GUI #

When you install the operating system, you can configure network bonding by using the GUI. The following lists the process of network bonding:

  1. Add a bond device.
  2. Add a bond slave.
  3. Select a bond mode.
  4. Disable IPv4 settings of original NIC.
  5. Complete the NIC bonding configurations.
  6. Configure static IP address for the bond.
  7. Configure NIC auto-activation.
  1. Add a bond device.On the INSTALLATION SUMMARY page, choose NETWORK & HOST NAME > Ethernet (eth0) > Configure…. Then the eth0 configuration page is displayed. Click the plus sign (+) at the lower left, select Bond from the prompted Add device drop-down list, and click Add.


    Figure 11. Add Bond Device

  2. Add a bond slave.
    1. On the bond configuration page, click Add to add a bond slave.


      Figure 12. Add Bond Slave

    2. On the displayed Choose a Connection Type page, choose a bond slave connection type from the drop-down list, for example, Ethernet and then click Create…


      Figure 13. Choose Bond Slave Connection Type

    3. On the Ethernet tab of the Editing bond0 slave1 page, select a bond slave device from the Device drop-down list, for example, eth0 (MAC address). Then, configure settings or use the default settings for the other parameters. After you complete the settings, click Save.


      Figure 14. Select Bond Slave Device

  3. Select a bond mode.From the Mode drop-down list of the Bond tab, select the bond mode as need, such as Active backup. Then, configure settings or use the default settings for the other parameters. After you complete the settings, click Save.


    Figure 15. Select Bond Mode

  4. Disable the IPv4 settings of the original NIC.
    • On the Ethernet (eth0) page, choose Configure… > IPv4 Settings. On the tab, set Method to Disabled and then click Save.


      Figure 16. Disable IPv4

  5. Complete the network bonding configurations.Note:Make sure that you turn on the On switch on the bond configuration tab and configure the IP address. In addition, make sure that you turn on the On switch for the bond slave, for example, eth0. Otherwise, you might fail to install ZStack Cloud properly.


    Figure 17. Complete NIC Bonding

  6. Configure a static IP address for bond device
    1. On the INSTALLATION SUMMARY page, choose NETWORK & HOST NAME > Bond (bond0) > Configure…. Then the Bond (bond0) page is displayed. On the page, choose IPv4 Settings > Method > Manual. Then you can manually assign an IP address.Note: You can also use DHCP to automatically obtain an IP address.
    2. Click Add to add an IP entry, configure the IP address, subnet, and gateway, and then click save to save the configurations.
  7. Configure NIC auto-activation.On the Bond (bond0) page, choose General > Automatically connect to this network when it is available > Save. Then the auto-activation is enabled.


    Figure 18. Configure NIC Auto-Activation

Install ZStack Cloud #

This topic describes the installation mode of ZStack Cloud 4.7.21.

ZStack Cloud Custom ISO Installation Mode #

ZStack Cloud ISO provides the following installation modes:

  • Enterprise Management Node Mode
  • Community Management Node Mode
  • Compute Node Mode
  • Expert Mode

The following describes the installation process in different modes:

  1. Enterprise Management Node Mode
    • Install the basic system.
    • Install dependencies such as MariaDB and CloudBus.
    • Auto-install and start ZStack Cloud
  2. Community Management Node Mode
    • Install the basic system.
    • Install dependencies such as MariaDB and CloudBus.
    • Auto-install and start ZStack Cloud
    Note:
    • The Enterprise Management Node Mode is different from the Community Management Node Mode in terms of the license type, which decides the features available on the Cloud.
    • The Enterprise Management Node Mode is the same as the Community Management Node Mode in terms of the installation process.
  3. Compute Node Mode
    • Install the basic system.
    • Install virtualization components such as libvirt and QEMU.
  4. Expert Mode
    • Install the basic system.
    Note:
    • The expert mode is basically the same as the minimum installation mode.
    • If an admin needs deep customization, the admin can select the Expert Mode and manually customize into one of the other three modes.

Different installation modes are applied to different installation scenarios.

ModeScenario
Enterprise Management Node ModeApplicable only to the installation of management nodes of the Enterprise edition.
Community Management Node ModeApplicable only to the installation of management nodes of the Community edition.
Compute Node ModeApplicable to the installation of all nodes except the management nodes, such asCompute nodeImageStore, Ceph backup storage node, and Ceph backup storage mount nodeCeph primary storage node, and Ceph primary storage mount nodePXE deployment server node, local backup server node, and remote backup server node in another data center
Expert Mode

ZStack Cloud Management Node Mode #

As described in the previous topic,

  • The Enterprise Management Node Mode is different from the Community Management Node Mode in terms of the license type, which decides the features available on the Cloud.
  • The Enterprise Management Node Mode is the same as the Community Management Node Mode in terms of the installation process.

Auto-Install ZStack Cloud on Management Node #

If you select Enterprise or Community Management Node Mode, the system automatically restarts and installs ZStack Cloud on the management node.

Figure 19. Auto-Installation on Management Node

ZStack Cloud Compute Node Mode #

If you select Compute Node Mode, the system automatically restarts and installs the ZStack Cloud on compute nodes.

Note: In some scenarios, you may need to install ZStack Cloud in All-in-One mode. In this case, we recommend that you select ZStack Cloud Management Node Mode.

Considerations #

Technically, a management node can manage unlimited compute nodes. Note that the number of compute nodes that you can use is limited by the quota authorized in the license.

ZStack Cloud Expert Mode #

If you select Expert Mode, after the system is installed and restarted, you are redirected to the terminal. Then you can customize installation of ZStack Cloud based on your needs.

Considerations #

The expert mode supports simplified installation. After you select ZStack Expert Mode on the left pane, you can select No ZStack Local Repo on the right pane to implement simplified installation.

Figure 1. Simplified Expert Mode

Note: In simplified expert mode, the ISO file in the /opt/zstack-dvd/ directory is not copied and configuration files such as zstack-local.repo are not generated in the /etc/yum.repos.d/ directory.

Manage ZStack Cloud #

  1. After the initial installation, the system automatically starts ZStack Cloud service.
  2. After the management node is restarted, ZStack Cloud service is started.
  3. If the management node stops due to maintenance or other exceptions, you need to manually start the service.You can use the following command to start ZStack Cloud service:[root@localhost ~]#zstack-ctl start #Starts the management node and the UI service.
  4. You can use the zstack-ctl status command to check the status of the management node services of ZStack Cloud:[root@10-0-5-87 ~]# zstack-ctl status ZSTACK_HOME: /usr/local/zstack/apache-tomcat/webapps/zstack zstack.properties: /usr/local/zstack/apache-tomcat/webapps/zstack/WEB-INF/classes/zstack.properties log4j2.xml: /usr/local/zstack/apache-tomcat/webapps/zstack/WEB-INF/classes/log4j2.xml PID file: /usr/local/zstack/management-server.pid log file: /usr/local/zstack/apache-tomcat/logs/management-server.log version: 4.7.21 (ZStack-enterprise 4.7.21) MN status: Running [PID:123135] UI status: Running [PID:795] http://10.0.0.254:5000
  5. You can use the zstack-ctl ui_status command to check the UI status:[root@172-20-12-20 ~]# zstack-ctl ui_status UI status: Running [PID:8459] http://10.0.0.254:5000
  6. If you need to restart management node services but not the UI service, run the following command:zstack-ctl restart_node
  7. We recommend that you do not stop and then restart all services while using ZStack Cloud. If you do need to restart all services, run the following command:zstack-ctl stop && zstack-ctl start

Upgrade ZStack Cloud #

The upgrading process of ZStack Cloud ISO of the h79c version is the same as the upgrading process of ISO of the h76c and h84r version. This topic takes h76c ISO as an example to describe the upgrading process.

  • Before you upgrade ZStack Cloud, make sure that the management node and compute nodes install an operating system (OS) of the h76c version. Then you can upgrade the management node to h76c OS of the latest version.
  • You only need to upgrade the management node. After you complete the management node upgrading, the upgrading of the compute nodes is automatically completed.
  • Before you upgrade ZStack Cloud, you need to back up the database as the admin.
  • During the upgrading, the UI platform and command line interface of the management node is inaccessible. However, the services of running VM instances are not affected.
  • After the upgrading is completed, you need to clean up the browser cache or refresh the UI platform of the management node.

Offline Upgrading #

  1. Before you implement ZStack Cloud offline upgrading as the admin, you need to prepare the following installation package. We recommend that you save the installation package or script in the /root/ directory.
    • ZStack Cloud ISO:
      • h79c: ZStack-Cloud-x86_64-DVD-4.7.21-h79c.iso
      • h76c: ZStack-Cloud-x86_64-DVD-4.7.21-h76c.iso
      • Download address: Click here
    • Installation Package
    • ZStack Cloud installation package:
      • Software: ZStack-Cloud-installer-4.7.21.bin
      • Download address: Click here
    Note: After the software packages are downloaded, you need to use a MD5 checker to check whether the MD5 hashes of the packages are consistent with the ones listed on the official website.
  2. Before you upgrade as the admin, you need to back up the database.
    • Run the following command to back up the database:[root@zstack-1 ~]# zstack-ctl dump_mysql --file-name zstack-mysql-before-upgradeNote:
      • After you run the command, a database backup is created in the /var/lib/zstack/mysql-backup/ directory.
      • During the upgrading, ZStack Cloud proxy server is upgraded. Data stored on the primary storage and backup storage is not affected.
    • You can also use Backup Service of ZStack Cloud to implement scheduled backup of the database.Note:
      • Backup Service is provided in an independent module. You need to purchase the Backup Service Plus License, in addition to the Base License.
  3. Run the following command as the admin to upgrade the management service of ZStack Cloud:# Two offline upgrading methods are supported. The first one is recommended: # First method: Upgrade the local repo and management service simultaneously: [root@zstack-1 opt]# zstack-upgrade ZStack-Cloud-x86_64-DVD-4.7.21-h76c.iso # Second method: Upgrade the local repo first and then the management service: [root@localhost ~]# zstack-upgrade -r ZStack-Cloud-x86_64-DVD-4.7.21-h76c.iso [root@localhost ~]# bash ZStack-Cloud-installer-4.7.21.bin -u -P MYSQL_ROOT_PASSWORDNote:
    • If the root password of the database is the default password, you do not need to specify -P MYSQL_ROOT_PASSWORD.
    • Before you run the zstack-upgrade command, make sure that you use ISO of the h76c version instead of the h79c version.
    • While upgrading the local repo, the upgrade script is auto-updated. When the update is completed, rerun the preceding command.

Considerations #

The following lists the considerations that you need to take when you upgrade the Cloud to different versions. For any questions or assistance, contact our official technical support.

  • Starting from ZStack Cloud 4.7.0, the following are upgraded:
    • Provided ISO versions are upgraded.Starting from 4.7.0, ZStack Cloud provides two ISO versions based on the self-developed Helix: h76c and h79c. Multiple repos are supported.Starting from 4.7.0, ISO of the c76/c79 version is no longer used for installation and deployment of the new cloud platform. You can use an h76c/h79c ISO to upgrade your Cloud of an earlier version to 4.7.0 seamlessly.
  • Starting from ZStack Cloud 4.6.0, the following are upgraded:
    • Provided ISO versions are upgraded.Starting from ZStack Cloud 4.6.0, ISO of the c79 and c76 versions are available and multiple repos are supported. When you upgrade the cloud platform, note that:
      • ISO of the c74 version is no longer used for installation and deployment of the new cloud platform. If you need to expand the capacity or upgrade the operating system, contact the official technical support for help.
    • Affinity group is upgraded to VM scheduling policy.
      • The VM Scheduling Policy feature provides four types of policies: VM Exclusive from Each Other, VM Affinitive to Each Other, VMs Affinitive to Hosts, and VMs Exclusive from Hosts. Each policy has two execution mechanisms: Hard and Soft.
      • Anti-Affinity Group (Hard) and Anti-Affinity Group (Soft) policies provided in earlier versions are upgraded to VM Affinitive to Each Other (Hard) and VM Affinitive to Each Other (Soft) respectively, without any modification to the underlying working principles. This upgrade has no impact on your existing application workloads and is annoyance-free.
  • Starting from ZStack Cloud 4.3.12, the QEMU version is automatically upgraded from 2.12 to 4.2.
    • If you deploy a new Cloud by using the ISO of 4.3.12 or a later version, QEMU 4.2 is installed by default. If you upgrade your Cloud to 4.3.12 or a later version, QEMU 2.12 is used by default.
    • To use the Cloud properly, make sure that all hosts in the same cluster use the same QEMU version. Therefore, if you upgrade your Cloud to 4.3.12 or a later version, you could not expand the capacity by adding hosts (installed using the ISO of 4.3.12 or a later version) to the existing cluster. To expand the capacity, use a new cluster.
  • Starting from ZStack Cloud 4.0.0, we bring you the following enhancements:
    • vRouter is upgraded to VPC vRouter.Starting from 4.0.0, vRouter is upgraded to VPC vRouter and vRouter network is upgraded to VPC network. vRouter is no longer available on the UI. The seamless upgrade does not affect your business continuity.
    • User Group and User are replaced by Tenant Management Account System.Starting from 4.0.0, User Group and User are replaced by Tenant Management Account System. User Group and User are no longer available on the UI. You cannot login to the Cloud by using a user or user group account. Before you implement upgrading, migrate the user and user group account data to Tenant Management.Note: User accounts created by the admin and have the admin permissions are also cancelled. Platform admins in Tenant Management have the equivalent permissions. You can use Tenant Management to create platform managers based on your business needs.
    • The integration of AD/LDAP and accounts is adjusted.Starting from 4.0.0, the integration of AD/LDAP and accounts is managed by Tenant Management. Before you implement upgrading, migrate the AD/LDAP account data managed by the original account system to Tenant Management.
  • Starting from ZStack Cloud 3.9.0, if you use c74 ISO and QEMU 2.9, the libvirt version is automatically upgraded to 4.9.0.
    • If you use open-source Ceph distributed storage and enable the CEPHX (Ceph authentication) feature, when you hot-plug VM CD-ROM, an error may occur because libvirt of the new version does not support hot plugging. You can contact the official technical support when necessary.
    • Starting from 3.2.0, libvirt updates the format of shared volumes to raw. Therefore, when you create a shared volume, the format of the volume is raw. This type of volume does not allow you to create snapshots and resize capacities, or create images for powered-on VM instances to which this type of volume is attached. In later versions of ZStack Cloud, these limitations will be eliminated.
    • The libvirt auto-upgrading feature is enabled by default. You can disable the feature by using the following method:Enter the /usr/local/zstack/apache-tomcat/webapps/zstack/WEB-INF/classes/ path of the management node (MN) and set the following parameter in the zstack.properties configuration file:updatePkgWhenConnect = false # Disable libvirt auto-upgrading.In a multi-MN environment, you need to configure the preceding parameter in all MN nodes. After you complete the configuration, restart the management node to make the modification take effect.
  • Starting from ZStack Cloud 3.7.1, ISO of the c76 and c74 editions are available and multiple repos are supported. When you upgrade the cloud platform, note that:
    • Starting from 3.7.1, ISO of the c72 edition is no longer used for installation and deployment of the new cloud platform. If you need to expand the capacity or upgrade the operating system, contact the official technical support for help.
    • Starting from 3.7.1, the local repo of ISO of the c72 edition is redirected to ISO of the c74 version. If you use offline upgrading, you need to obtain ISO of the c74 version to update the local repo.

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