The document outlines the features and functionality of the Automate toolset in ManageIQ, detailing its object model, structure, recent changes including YAML conversion, and future plans such as version control and REST API integration. It discusses the advantages and challenges of using PostgreSQL and Git for managing models, as well as considerations for implementing an automated infrastructure. Additionally, it touches on the Automate engine's purpose, the execution of methods, and modularity benefits of a gem-based architecture.

1. Automate Roadmap

2. Madhu Kanoor
Automate Team
mkanoor@redhat.com

3. Agenda
Background
Recent changes
Future Plan
Q & A

4. Background
Automate is a ManageIQ toolset used to
1. Extend the product to implement customer specific requirements
2. Update the behavior of the different workflows in the product
3. Integrate with other products
Examples
4. Set the name of a VM or instance to be based on specific enterprise guidelines.
5. Control the placement of VM’s or instances.
6. Custom buttons to enable common tasks e.g. Add Hard Drive to a VM

5. Object Model
Automate uses an object model comprising of
● Domains
● Namespaces
● Classes
● Instances
● Methods
Domain
Namespace1 Namespace2
Class1 Class2 Class3 Class4
Instance1 Method1 Instance2 Method2

6. Domain Search
DOMAIN1 (Priority 10)
NAMESPACE1
CLASS1
● INST1
● INST2
DOMAIN2 (Priority 20)
NAMESPACE1
CLASS1
● INST1
● INST3
NAMESPACE1/CLASS1/INST1 will get picked from DOMAIN2
NAMESPACE1/CLASS1/INST2 will get picked up from DOMAIN1
This is a kin to the file search path when looking for executables in operating
systems. (ls versus /bin/ls)

7. Storage
Automate object model is stored in a relational database in the following 6 tables
1. miq_ae_namespaces
2. miq_ae_classes
3. miq_ae_instances
4. miq_ae_methods
5. miq_ae_fields
6. miq_ae_values

8. Basic Flow
PostgresSQL
Automate Explorer
Read/Write/Reset/Restore
Tools (Export/Import)
Automate Engine
Process Model
R/W
R/W
R

9. Recent Changes
In the Anand release of ManageIQ the following changes were introduced
1. The automate model was converted to YAML for
a. Seeding the database
b. Exporting models from PostgresSQL
c. Importing models into PostgresSQL
d. Restoring the Automate model from a backup
2. Domains were introduced to segregate the models
a. ManageIQ (Readonly)
b. User/Customer (Read/write)
c. Each domain is stored in a separate directory (vmdb/db/fixtures/ae_datastore)
3. Instance and Method overrides

10. Future Plan
Version control Automate Model
REST API for Automate Methods
Separate out the Automate Engine as a Ruby
Gem/Rails Engine

11. Version Control
Automate Model

12. Use cases
● Users would like to make incremental
changes to the Automate model and revert
back to a previous state.
● User edits are currently written directly to the
database and cannot be easily undone.
● Audit Trail

13. Proposal
Use GIT to Version control the Automate model
The Automate Engine reads the model from the
GIT repository
The MIQ Automate Explorer will make changes
to the Automate model, which will get saved via
GIT.

14. Comparison
Postgres
Pros:
Single database can be shared
between multiple appliances in a
zone.
Transactions
Backups/Replications
Cons:
Lacks version control
GIT + Filesystem based DB
Pros:
Git provides the version control
Provides History
Ability to undo changes
Share repositories
Cons:
Another system to be managed for
backups, replications etc.

15. Multi Appliance Environment
Appliance 1
Appliance 2
Appliance 3
Appliance 4
Domains
GIT
Master
GIT
Slave
(Secondary)
GIT
Slave
GIT
Slave
Clone/Pull
Clone/Pull Clone/Pull
Domains
Domains
Domains
Postgres
ManageI
Q
External
Repos
Write Repo
Metadata

16. GIT Master
Manages the domain repository information in Postgres
Internal Domains (Customer typically Read/Write)
External Domains (ManageIQ,Vendor1,Vendor2 Readonly)
Repository Location
Last Commit Information
Automate Explorer Read/Write Automate Model
All Import/Export runs on this appliance only

17. GIT Slave
Synchronization
Reads the repository information from PostgresSQL
Disables the Automate Worker role for the appliance
Waits for all the existing Automate Workers to end
Synchronizes the Automate DB (add/update/delete domains)
Re-enables the Automate Worker role for the appliance
Automate Explorer read only mode

18. Commits
● Commit Boundaries
o Single File changes (Instance, Method)
o Multiple File Changes (Domain, Namespace, Class
changes)

19. Discussion Points
- GIT Server protocol (ssh, https?)
- Should we allow for branching?
- How often should we commit changes on
GIT Master?
- How often should the GIT pull be run on the
connected appliances?

20. Discussion Points
● RBAC for Automate Model
● UI controls
● Single/Multiple appliances allow for editing the model
● Undoing Commits
o Undoing back to a specific commit
o Undoing a single commit

21. Demo
Automate Explorer using the filesystem as a
storage for Automate Model.

22. Comparison
UI UI
ActiveRecord
PostgresSQL
FileSystemAccess
GIT

23. Replacing ActiveRecord Classes
● ActiveModel
● Validation
● Attribute Methods
● Naming
● MiqAeGit
○ Implements the GIT Interface using rugged gem
○ Cloning, Commit
● MiqAeModelBase
○ Included by MiqAeNamespace, MiqAeDomain, MiqAeClass, MiqAeInstance,
MiqAeMethod
○ Read/Write routed thru MiqAeGit

24. REST API
Methods

25. REST API for Automate Methods
Automate methods are executed by the
Automate Engine.
Currently uses DRb to establish connection
with the Method process to exchange ruby
objects.
Ruby is the only language supported because
of DRb

26. Method Dispatch
The Automation Engine Worker
VMDB Workspace
DRb
Server Automate Method
Service Model DRb Client

27. Method Dispatch (REST)
The Automation Engine Worker
VMDB Workspace
Automate Method
REST Method
Web Service Worker
(REST Server)
Write

28. Plan
Add a new aetype for REST based methods
This would trigger saving of the workspace
Generating a token for the workspace persisted
to the DB
This has been implemented previously when
we supported Perl and other languages.

29. Discussions
Persisting the workspace
Reading/Writing workspace from the REST Worker
Reconstituting workspace for the Automate Worker when
the method ends

30. Automate Engine
Gem

31. Automate Engine Gem
Automate Engine is responsible for
- Reading the Automate Model
- Instantiating a workspace to store objects
- Compose in memory objects from the
automate model
- Execute Methods
- Execute State Machines

32. Advantages of a Gem
● Easier to maintain
● Modular
● Isolated testing

33. Discussions
Dependency on core class in VMDB
(MiqQueue)
Deliver from Queue
Queue for retries
Exposing the Service Model
Registering built in methods that don’t use
DRb

34. Q & A