Presented at PyData NY 2014 Resources: http://www.ianhuston.net/2014/11/python-on-cloud-foundry/ As a data scientist I frequently need to create web apps to provide interactive functionality, deliver data APIs or simply publish results. It is now easier than ever to deploy your data driven web app by using cloud based application platforms to do the heavy lifting. Cloud Foundry is an open source public and private cloud platform that supports Python based applications (along with other languages) and enables simple app deployment, scaling and connectivity to data services like PostgreSQL, Redis and Cassandra. To make use of the full PyData stack I have created a Heroku-style buildpack which uses conda for package management. This means for example that you can get a private IPython Notebook server up and running in seconds. In this talk I want to show you how to deploy your first app using Cloud Foundry, connect to databases and other data services, use PyData packages with a Heroku-style buildpack, find public and private Cloud Foundry installation options.

1. Python on
Cloud Foundry
Ian Huston, Data Scientist
@ianhuston
© Copyright 2014 Pivotal. All rights reserved. 1

2. Who am I?
Ÿ Ian Huston
Ÿ @ianhuston
Ÿ github.com/ihuston
Ÿ www.ianhuston.net
Ÿ Talk resources:
http://tinyurl.com/pythonCF
@ianhuston
Ÿ Data Scientist
Ÿ Use PyData stack for
predictive analytics and
machine learning
Ÿ Previously a theoretical
physicist using Python for
numerical simulations & HPC
© Copyright 2014 Pivotal. All rights reserved. 2

3. What is Cloud Foundry?
@ianhuston
http://cloudfoundry.org
Open Source Cloud Platform
Simple App Deployment,
Scaling & Availability
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4. Cloud Foundry Foundation: Industry Standard
@ianhuston
Gold
Silver
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5. CF for data scientists & developers
Easily deploy your web app
Scale up and out quickly
Create and bind services
cf
bind-­‐service
myapp
redis
@ianhuston
cf
push
cf
scale
myapp
–i
5
–m
1G
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6. Cloud Foundry: From 50 touch points to 1
1 2 4 4 40 1
50 Configuration Touches
1. Register Hostname with DNS (1)
2. Configure F5 Load Balancing Group (2)
3. Configure Apache HTTPd Worker Pool (4)
4. Configure mod_proxy Connector Routing (4)
5. Configure Tomcat Connector Pool (40)
@ianhuston
mod proxy
1 Configuration Touch
1. The platform takes care of all the steps on
the left automatically
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7. Python & CF
@ianhuston
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8. Python on Cloud Foundry
Ÿ First class language (with Go, Java, Ruby, Node.js, PHP)
Ÿ Automatic app type detection
Ÿ Buildpack takes care of
– Installing Python interpreter
– Installing packages in requirements.txt using pip
– Starting web app as requested (e.g. python myapp.py)
@ianhuston
© Copyright 2014 Pivotal. All rights reserved. 8

9. Simple Flask App Demo
Ÿ Simple one page “Hello World” web app
Ÿ Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QOfD6tnoAB8
Ÿ Demonstrates:
– Installation of requirements
– Scaling properties
Ÿ Need to Provide:
– App files
– Dependencies listed in requirements.txt file
– Optional manifest.yml file with configuration for deployment
@ianhuston
© Copyright 2014 Pivotal. All rights reserved. 9

10. Data Services
Ÿ Easy to bind and scale services
– Databases, NoSQL, message queues etc.
$
cf
create-­‐service
rediscloud
PLAN_NAME
INSTANCE_NAME
$
cf
bind-­‐service
APP_NAME
INSTANCE_NAME
Ÿ Details provided in VCAP_APP_SERVICES env variable:
{
"rediscloud":
[
{
"name":
"rediscloud-­‐42",
"label":
"rediscloud",
"plan":
"20mb",
"credentials":
{
"port"":
"6379",
"hostname":
"pub-­‐redis-­‐6379.us-­‐east-­‐1-­‐2.3.ec2.redislabs.com",
}
@ianhuston
"password":
"your_redis_password”
}
}
]
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11. Services now available
These are available on Pivotal CF (Pivotal’s packaged Cloud Foundry offering).
See http://run.pivotal.io for the services available on Pivotal Web Services.
@ianhuston
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12. PyData stack on CF: conda
• Use (mini)conda to provide Python & package
installation
• Quickly install needed PyData packages
• Can even provision your own IPython notebook
server [at your own risk!]
CF Buildpack: https://github.com/ihuston/python-conda-buildpack
@ianhuston
+
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13. Why?
@ianhuston
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14. Benefits for Data Scientists
Ÿ Easy to get web apps up and running
Ÿ Create and bind to your favourite data services
Ÿ Don’t get locked in to one cloud provider
Ÿ Python is officially supported
@ianhuston
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15. Try Cloud Foundry today!
Pivotal Web Services: http://run.pivotal.io
HP Helion: http://horizon.hpcloud.com
@ianhuston
IBM Bluemix: http://bluemix.net
Anynines: http://anynines.com
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16. More info and resources
Ÿ Material for this talk: http://tinyurl.com/pythonCF
Ÿ Cloud Foundry: http://cloudfoundry.org
Ÿ Flask Mega Meta Tutorial for DS: http://tinyurl.com/flaskDS
Ÿ Twelve Factor Apps: http://12factor.net/
Ÿ Meetups: http://cloud-foundry.meetup.com/
@ianhuston
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17. Appendix
Docker & Cloud Foundry
@ianhuston
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18. CF and Docker
Docker joins the Cloud
Foundry Foundation in
May 2014 to support
Cloud Foundry open
governance and advance
the state of containers in
Platform as a Service
@ianhuston
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19. Docker Benefit: Customize More Layers of the App
Dev Provides
System Provides
App container
@ianhuston
Docker
application layer
runtime layer
OS image
system brings fixed
host OS Kernel
Buildpack
application layer
runtime layer*
OS image
system brings fixed
host OS Kernel
* Devs may bring a custom buildpack
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20. Coming soon to Cloud Foundry
Ÿ Planned to support Cloud Foundry apps from:
– Linux Buildpacks
– Windows .NET Buildpacks powered by Iron Foundry
– Docker images
Ÿ Docker applications will work similar to apps from buildpacks
– Same scaling & services bindings, same CLI commands push etc
@ianhuston
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