Let’s get an overview of Microsoft Azure cloud and, how the popular configuration management tool Chef can be installed on Azure for making them work together.
Chef Introduction
Chef is a configuration management tool that turns infrastructure into code. You can easily configure your server with the help of Chef. Chef will help you automate, build, deploy, and manage the infrastructure process.
If you want to know more about Chef, please refer to https://docs.chef.io/index.html.
In order to know how you can create a user account on hosted Chef, please refer to:https://manage.chef.io/signup; alternatively, use open-source Chef by referring to:https://docs.chef.io/install_server.html.
Microsoft Azure
Microsoft Azure is a cloud computing platform and infrastructure created by Microsoft for building, deploying, and managing applications and services through a global network of Microsoft-managed datacenters.
It provides both PaaS and IaaS services and supports many different programming languages, tools, and frameworks, including both Microsoft-specific and third-party software and systems.
For more details refer to: http://azure.microsoft.com/en-in/ andhttp://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/azure/dd163896.aspx.
There are three ways to install Chef extension on Azure cloud:
- By using Azure Portal
2. Azure PowerShell CLI
3. Knife-azure – The Chef’s CLI tool for Azure provider
Prerequisites
-
-
- Active account on the Azure cloud; https://manage.windowsazure.com or https://portal.azure.com
- Active account on hosted Chef; See https://manage.chef.io/signup.
-
We need your Chef’s account organization_validation key, rb and run_list.
Sample format for client.rb file:
log_location: STDOUT chef_server_url "https://api.opscode.com/organizations/" validation_client_name "-validator" +36+9
1. From Azure portal log into your azure account at https://portal.azure.com
1.1 List existing virtual machines:
1.2 Select existing VM:
1.3 Click the Extensions section:
1.4 Select Add Extension:
1.5 Select the Chef extension:
1.6 Click the Create button:
1.7 Upload Chef configuration files:
1.8 You can now see the Chef extension for VM:
2. Azure PowerShell CLI Tool
Azure PowerShell is a command line tool used to manage Azure cloud resources. You can use cmdlets to perform the same tasks that you can perform from the Azure portal.
Refer- http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/azure/jj156055.aspx
Prerequisites
Install Azure PowerShell Tool; refer to http://azure.microsoft.com/en-in/documentation/articles/install-configure-powershell/
Azure user accounts publish settings file.
We are going to use Azure PowerShell cmdlets to install the Chef extension on Azure VM.
2.1 Import your Azure user account into your PowerShell Session. Download subscription credentials for accessing Azure. This can be done by executing a cmdlet.
PS C:\> Get-AzurePublishSettingsFile It will launch your browser and download the credentials file. PS C:\> Import-AzurePublishSettingsFile PS C:\> Select-AzureSubscription -SubscriptionName "" PS C:\> Set-AzureSubscription -SubscriptionName "" -CurrentStorageAccountName ""
2.2 Create a new Azure VM and install the Chef extension
# Set VM and Cloud Service names PS C:\> $vm1 = "azurechef" PS C:\> $svc = "azurechef" PS C:\> $username = 'azure' PS C:\> $password = 'azure@123' PS C:\> $img = #Note- Try Get-AzureVMImage cmdlet to list images PS C:\> $vmObj1 = New-AzureVMConfig -Name $vm1 -InstanceSize Small -ImageName $img #Add-AzureProvisioningConfig for Windows OR Linux VM # For Windows VM PS C:\> $vmObj1 = Add-AzureProvisioningConfig -VM $vmObj1 -Password $password -AdminUsername $username –Windows
or
# For Linux VM PS C:\> $vmObj1 = Add-AzureProvisioningConfig -VM $vmObj1 -Password $password -LinuxUser $username -Linux # Set AzureVMChefExtension for Windows OR Linux VM # For Windows VM PS C:\> $vmObj1 = Set-AzureVMChefExtension -VM $vmObj1 -ValidationPem "C:\\users\\azure\ \msazurechef-validator.pem" -ClientRb "C:\\users\\azure\\client.rb" -RunList "getting-started" -Windows
or
# For Linux VM PS C:\> $vmObj1 = Set-AzureVMChefExtension -VM $vmObj1 -ValidationPem "C:\\users\\azure\ \msazurechef-validator.pem" -ClientRb "C:\\users\\azure\\client.rb" -RunList "getting-started" -Linux # Create VM PS C:\> New-AzureVM -Location 'West US' -ServiceName $svc -VM $vObj1
2.3 Install SetAzureVMChefExtension on existing azure VM:
# Get existing azure VM PS C:\> $vmObj1 = Get-AzureVM -ServiceName -Name # Set AzureVMChefExtension for Windows OR Linux VM # For Windows VM PS C:\> $vmObj1 = Set-AzureVMChefExtension -VM $vmObj1 -ValidationPem "C:\\users\\azure\ \msazurechef-validator.pem" -ClientRb "C:\\users\\azure\\client.rb" -RunList "getting-started" -Windows
or
# For Linux VM PS C:\> $vmObj1 = Set-AzureVMChefExtension -VM $vmObj1 -ValidationPem "C:\\users\\azure\ \msazurechef-validator.pem" -ClientRb "C:\\users\\azure\\client.rb" -RunList "getting-started" -Linux
2.4 You can use following cmdlets to Remove Chef Extension from VM
# Get existing azure VM PS C:\> $vmObj1 = Get-AzureVM -ServiceName -Name # Remove Chef Extension from VM PS C:\> Remove-AzureVMChefExtension -VM $vmObj1 # Update VM PS C:\> Update-AzureVM -ServiceName $vmName -Name $vmName -VM $vmObj1
2.5 You can get current state of Chef Extension by using following cmdlet:
# Get existing azure VM PS C:\> $vmObj1 = Get-AzureVM -ServiceName -Name # Get Chef Extension details from VM PS C:\> Set-AzureVMChefExtension -VM $vmObj1
3. Knife-Azure Chef’s Plugin: A knife plugin to create, delete, and enumerate Windows Azure resources to be managed by Chef. The knife-azure plugin (v1.4.0.rc.0) gives features to create VM and install chef extension on Windows Azure Cloud.
For more details refer to https://docs.chef.io/plugin_knife_azure.html orhttps://github.com/opscode/knife-azure
Prerequisites:
- ruby v1.9.3 +
- chef v11.0 +
- knife-azure v1.4.0.rc.0 plugin
- Azure user account publishsettings file
- Chef user accounts configuration files
Install Ruby:
On Windows- http://rubyinstaller.org/
On Linux- https://rvm.io/
Install Chef:
$ gem install chef
Install knife-azure plugin:
$ gem install knife-azure --pre
Download Chef’s Starter Kit:
This starter kit includes Chef’s user/organization related configuration details. i.e., user.pem,organization-validator.pem and knife.rb files.
Please refer to: https://learn.chef.io/legacy/get-started/#installthestarterkit orhttps://manage.chef.io/starter-kit.
Run knife azure command to create VM and install chef extension-
Create Windows VM command:
$ knife azure server create --azure-source-image --azure-dns-name --azure-service-location " " --winrm-user --winrm-password --azure-publish-settings-file -c --bootstrap-protocol "cloud-api"
Create Linux VM command:
$ knife azure server create -I -x -P --bootstrap-protocol "cloud-api" -c --azure-service-location" " --azure-publish-settings-file
Note- To get
$ knife azure image list -c --azure-publish-settings-file
Microsoft Azure is the leading public cloud platform out there, and Chef is one of the most sought after continuous integration and delivery tool. When they come together, ramifications can be great. Please share your comments and questions below.
