Dell Crowbar

The Crowbar project is an installer in essence, it helps to simplify installation of the operating system and OpenStack-components on new nodes of the infrastructure providing functioning of virtual servers.

Functionality

Crowbar is capable on:

• condition monitoring of the hardware of nodes,
• remote update of firmwares of RAID controllers and BIOS,
• reset of servers and their inclusion / switching off.

When using Crowbar it is enough to connect the IPMI compatible server in a rack and all necessary software will be set far off. Initially Crowbar supported work only with the BMC payments used on servers of Dell, but later was adapted for use of the means of remote control applied by other suppliers of the server hardware.

A system also allows to define individual configurations which should be set on certain node types. The framework of Chef which use allows to perform installation of certain packets after installation of basic OS is used for the organization of task performance on nodes and for maintenance of the database of the equipment in Crowbar and to make changes to a configuration.

Use

Management of work of Crowbar is made via the web interface or by means of the special API providing integration with other products. A set of scripts intended for formation of an installation ISO images on the Ubuntu and CentOS platform also is a part.

Building

Crowbar has modular architecture, allows easy connection of add-on modules. From already implemented modules it is possible to note: management of the IP addresses, time synchronization, providing adding of signing up in DNS for new nodes, the organization of the centralized collecting of logs, involvement of IPMI for expanded control over the equipment, control of LSI RAID controllers, integration with monitoring systems of Ganglia and Nagios. Among the next plans for development of Crowbar implementation of support of additional OS (first of all RHEL), adding of functions for a configuration of network, adaptation of a packet for ensuring installation of nodes for Hadoop-clusters is noted.

Products on the platform

On the basis of OpenStack and Crowbar the Dell company began delivery of the specialized server solutions of Dell OpenStack Cloud Solution based on the equipment Dell PowerEdge C and specially optimized for use in infrastructure of cloud computing. The solution includes all components necessary for fast deployment of cloud infrastructures, including the tested reference implementation of architecture of creation of corporate cloud network in which features of integration with the existing systems are considered and transfer to a cloud of the existing IT resources of the enterprise is simplified.

Open code

The Dell Crowbar project has the open code and continues to develop as by efforts of certain associates, and key technology players, such as SUSE. The SUSE company carried out integration of the Crowbar functions, having provided them as the SUSE Cloud element to provide transparent implementation of private clouds on the OpenStack platform.