Raphael Simon, Sr. Systems Architect at RightScale, led this session at the RightScale User Conference 2010 in Santa Clara. Session Abstract: Using RightScale's ServerTemplates, it is now possible to define and manage cloud deployments that implement an entire Windows software stack. Such deployments can be automated with monitoring, alerts and auto-scaling to reap all the usual cloud benefits. This session will give you insight into how Windows instances can be dynamically configured using the RightScale Platform and make you better equipped to move your Windows applications to the cloud. We will show how ServerTemplates work with Windows, how to use PowerShell to configure services, and generally discuss the Windows boot and configuration process. The session will also cover challenges that are unique to the Windows platform such as licensing and system updates.

2. Moving Windows to the Cloud Raphael Simon, Sr. Systems Architect

3. Windows in the Cloud without RightScale Windows images inconsistent Do not follow best practices Use root partition for everything Pre-install all required software Bake in license Custom configuration Long development iterations No consistent automation Trust relationships hard-coded Ad-hoc orchestration

4. Windows in the Cloud with RightScale

5. Moving Windows to the Cloud Windows images inconsistent Do not follow best practices Use root partition for everything Pre-install all required software Bake in license Custom configuration Long development iterations No consistent automation Trust relationships hard-coded Ad-hoc orchestration

6. Windows RightImages Consistent settings Across regions and clouds Firewall, file sharing, SQL Server install, ASP.NET install Follow best practices Bigger root partition Use volumes for database files Work in progress, keeps improving

7. Windows MultiCloud Images Combination of: 2003 / 2008 32 bit / 64 bit Bare / IIS / SQL Server Std RightLink installer for installing RightLink on pre-existing Windows images

8. Moving Windows to the Cloud Windows images inconsistent Do not follow best practices Use root partition for everything Pre-install all required software Bake in license Custom configuration Long development iterations No consistent automation Trust relationships hard-coded Ad-hoc orchestration

12. Dynamic configurationVirtual Machine Images RightScaleServerTemplates

13. ServerTemplates: A Closer Look Starts with a multicloud image Defines base software Adds: Boot, operational and decommission RightScripts and/or recipes for configuration Alerts definitions for automation ServerTemplates are versioned Reproduce exact configuration ServerTemplates can be published/imported Sharing / reuse

14. Monitoring and Alerts Monitoring recipe for CPU, memory and disk space Create monitoring scripts to monitor custom data Written in a ruby DSL Can leverage WMI Completely dynamic: Add/remove monitoring scripts at any time Use monitored data to create Alerts Can use elaborate rules to define alerting conditions Alert escalations can send emails, reboot server, relaunch server, run a RightScript or recipe, vote array grow and vote array shrink

15. Hands-On Creating a Domain Controller ServerTemplate

16. Moving Windows to the Cloud Windows images inconsistent Do not follow best practices Use root partition for everything Pre-install all required software Bake in license Custom configuration Long development iterations No consistent automation Trust relationships hard-coded Ad-hoc orchestration

17. What is RightLink? Functions Receive commands from RS Query RightScale (instance API) Locate related servers Open-source Agent Extensible Transparent Secure Signed & encrypted AMQP transport Deployment scope RightScale Tag store server1 server2 serverA serverB RL RL RL RL Production Development

18. Leveraging RightLink RightLink provides the following Chef resources Log: appends to local log and audits (audits are visible in the dashboard) RightLink tag: Add or remove tags from instance Remote recipe: Run recipes on remote instances (route by tag) Server collection: Query instances by tags RightLink-enabled images also include the following utilities rs_tag.cmd: Add or remove tags from instance rs_run_right_script.cmd: Run RightScript on local instance. Starting with 5.6 also run RightScripts on remote instances rs_run_recipe.cmd: Run recipes on local instance. Starting with 5.6 also run recipes on remote instances rs_server_collection.cmd: Starting with 5.6 query instances by tags

19. Hands-onAutomatic User Creation

20. Where Are We? Underlying infrastructure in place RightImage 5.5 GA Time to build-up the stack Expect more production ready ServerTemplates in the near future What do you need?

22. Windows Best Practices License keys registration Install software on boot: License key is an input that is used to generate the answer file Bake software into image: Write Powershell script which registers key on boot System updates management Updates disabled by default Cherry-pick updates, test, sysprep & bundle (use provided RightScript) Roll new image

24. When you have no choice