Cloud-Ready ServerTemplates
Cloud computing environments offer compelling benefits in terms of on-demand, pay-as-you-go server and storage resources. But they also come with architectural characteristics that can present challenges to traditional server management techniques (for example, transient local storage). To take full advantage of the power of virtually infinite “compute on demand” capacity, as well as avoid the pitfalls of traditional server deployment approaches, RightScale has developed ServerTemplates, a groundbreaking new way of specifying server configuration and interoperation.
RightScale’s ServerTemplates enable you to define how servers will dynamically configure themselves at runtime. Each ServerTemplate starts with a RightImage, a simple base machine image that normally contains only the operating system, and then adds RightScripts, scripts that define the role and behavior of that particular server. RightScripts may run during the boot, operational, and shutdown phases of the server’s lifecycle. A key advantage of ServerTemplates lies in their ability to deploy “cloud-ready” servers. These servers know how to operate in the cloud – i.e. how to obtain an IP address, how to access and manage storage, how to gather and store monitoring data, and how to communicate with other servers in a cloud deployment.
RightScale ServerTemplates, RightImages, and RightScripts are much more powerful than traditional machine images. For a more complete understanding of the advantages of ServerTemplates, take a look at ServerTemplates vs. Machine Images.
To help you get started fast, RightScale offers several libraries of cloud-ready ServerTemplates:
- RightScale ServerTemplates – Developed by RightScale, these ServerTemplates incorporate standard cloud configurations for common application deployment components such as scalable web and application servers, database master/slave pairs, and grids for batch processing.
- Partner ServerTemplates – Developed by our partners, these ServerTemplates help you incorporate our partners’ applications, tools, and components into your deployments. Many of these partners provide free trials so you can test before purchasing their software.
- Customer ServerTemplates – This area contains your ServerTemplates. RightScale and partner ServerTemplates can be cloned, customized for your specific needs, and then saved in your custom library. Over time, you will build a repository of ServerTemplates representing valuable corporate knowledge for your organization.
For a more complete understanding of how ServerTemplates and RightScripts work, please visit our wiki Design section.
