How the new Redfish protocol will help achieving the promises of a Software Defined Infrastructure, and which new projects are needed such as python-redfish and Alexandria to support it

1. Following a Redfish to find
a Software Defined Infrastructure, isn't it Ironic ?
January 2016
Bruno Cornec, HPE EG EMEA Open Source and Linux Strategist
René Ribaud, HPE SDI Software Architect

2. Introducing myself
2
●
Software engineering and Unices since 1988:
– Mostly Configuration Management Systems (CMS), Build systems, quality tools, on multiple commercial Unix systems
– Discovered Open Source & Linux (OSL) & made first contributions in 1993
– Full time on OSL since 1995, first as HP reseller then @HP
●
Currently:
– OSL Technology Strategist, EMEA EG Innovation Solution Center aka HP/Intel Solution Center, Grenoble
– HP OSL Advocate and Converged Infrastructure Ambassador
– WW Linux Community Lead for the HP Open Source Profession
– POSS conference, OpenStack.fr and AFUL board member. Conferences at WW level at LinuxCon, Linux.conf.au, ...
– MondoRescue, Project-Builder.org, UUWL and PUSK Project Lead
– LinuxCOE, mrepo, tellico, rinse, fossology, collectl, ytnef, Ironic, python-redfish, alexandria contributor
– FOSSBazaar/SPDX and OSL Governance enthusiast
– Mandriva, Mageia, Fedora packager
●
And also:
– Amateur singer (Alto / Tenor), recorder player since 1976 and Choir director since 1987, CD collector (5000+), Concerts, Photography

3. Introducing René
3
●
HPE employee since 1998:
– Mostly Unix System (HP-UX, Linux) & Storage administration
– Software development skills
– Part of HPE ES ITO EMEA
●
Currently SDI Solution Architect, EMEA EG Innovation Solution Center aka HP/Intel Solution Center, Grenoble
– Detached from ES to the Solution Center for a mission
– Contributor to python-redfish and alexandria

4. Making the new style of IT a reality
» 14+ years of success, world wide programs, including Cloud Center of Excellence,
Big Data/IoT Center of Excellence, Open Source Solutions Initiative, SDI aka
Software Defined Infrastructure, NVF Center of Excellence, EMEA Networking
Customer Visit Center and more
» Complete IT (400+ systems, 3000+ network ports, 500+ TB storage)
» Portfolio of 40+ ready to demo solutions with access to our ecosystem of Partners
» Complete test & validation environment
» Strategic partnership with Intel, 14-year long standing collaboration
» Strategic partnership with Red Hat 7-year collaboration (OSSI)
» A unique proof point in the industry with a proven service offering
Grenoble
Mission: Accelerate the adoption of new and² innovative solutions by creating simple and
rewarding end-to-end customer experiences that benefit our customers and partners, in a
compelling and engaging collaborative environment.
…more information available at http://www.hpintelco.net
EMEA SolutionInnovation Center
WorkshopPoCLivedemoCoE

5. Operating System (OS)
Container A
Env. A
App. A
Container B
Env. B
App. B
VM B
Env. B
App. B
OS B
VM A
Env. A
App. A
OS A
Hypervisor
HW VirtualizationOS Virtualization
Single Kernel - Enhanced chroot
- Direct access to I/O devices -
Isolation
Flexibility (multi OS)
Requires HW support
Kernel module
Hardware
Operating System (OS)
App. A App. B
OS Resource Control
Single Kernel – Rresources cont.:
shared cpu, memory, blkio,
dedicated cpusets
% CPU
% RAM
% CPU
% RAM
CPU bind CPU bind
Hardware Hardware
performance good best good
Isolation & security normal good best
runtime flexibility best good normal
maintenance best normal normal
HW VirtOS VirtShare Dedicate
cgroups NUMA LXC / Docker
KVM
Various
resources
containment
architectures

6. Operating System (OS)
Container A
Env. A
App. A
Container B
Env. B
App. B
VM B
Env. B
App. B
OS B
VM A
Env. A
App. A
OS A
Hypervisor
HW VirtualizationOS Virtualization
Single Kernel - Enhanced chroot
- Direct access to I/O devices -
Isolation
Flexibility (multi OS)
Requires HW support
Kernel module
Hardware
Operating System (OS)
App. A App. B
OS Resource Control
Single Kernel – Rresources cont.:
shared cpu, memory, blkio,
dedicated cpusets
% CPU
% RAM
% CPU
% RAM
CPU bind CPU bind
Hardware Hardware
performance good best good
Isolation & security normal good best
runtime flexibility best good normal
maintenance best normal normal
HW VirtOS VirtShare Dedicate
cgroups NUMA LXC / Docker
KVM
OpenStack
control of
compute
resources
Ironic Magnum Nova

7. What is Ironic ?
●
Ironic is the OpenStack bare-metal deployment project
– Usable as a Nova driver or Standalone since Kilo
– Provides common API across HW vendors and physical/virtual resources
– Uses drivers to abstract interactions with HW

8. What is Redfish ?
●
A DMTF standardisation effort
– HW Management REST API specification proposal (v1.00a) – DSP0266
– JSON and XML (Odata CSDL) based Schemas – DSP8010
– Mockup to be integrated in an existing web server to simulate a Redfish system–
DSP2043
– Available at http://www.dmtf.org/standards/redfish
– Initially promoted by Dell, Emerson, HPE and Intel
●
In simpler terms ?
– This is an IPMI replacement (easier, more complete, more secure)
– This is a way to get and set HW configuration items on physical platforms using a
RESTful API => easy and reliable automation
– The future management path of most platform

9. Why Redfish ?
●
Security
– Uses known and widely used methods (https, RESTful API)
●
Better HW description
– Notions of Chassis (Blades), Multi-Node platforms (such as Moonshot)
●
Supports Manufacturer extensions
– Like SNMP via private extensions described in additional schemas
●
Standard across different manufacturers
– Ease management at scale for heterogeneous environments
– Tool or Tool-less access possibilities

10. Redfish Timeline
●
DMTF published Redfish 1.0 the 4th of August 2015
– Will increase adoption (already 50%+ of servers)
– Provides iLO type of features in a standard way
– JSON/Odata based schemas to describe resources
– Mockup to allow developers to test wrt Redfish
– Documentation, white papers, FAQ
– Available online at https://www.dmtf.org/standards/redfish
●
Available in HPE Servers equiped with:
– ILO 4 (FW v2.30+)
– Moonshot Chassis Manager
Founding members
Additional sponsors

11. ● A python library to manage Redfish compliant systems
– Open Source project under the Apache License v2.0
– Initiated the 25th March 2015 during the 7th HPE TES in Grenoble.
– Available at:
● https://github.com/devananda/python-redfish (official upstream)
● https://github.com/bcornec/python-redfish (Bruno's version)
● https://github.com/uggla/python-redfish (René's version)
– Discussions on python-redfish@mondorescue.org
– Python dependencies: python-requests & python-tortilla
● Easy integration of Redfish support into python based applications
● Potential consumers:
– a Redfish client tool based on that library (preliminary work done as part of the project)
– Used by OpenStack Ironic to provide Redfish support
– Used by python scripts for Lab setup, SDI demos
– Used by Alexandria (CMDB as a Service)
– Future usages with cobbler, anaconda, ...
python-redfish description
Kick-off at TES (left to right): Bruno Cornec, Samer El-
Haj Mahmoud, Devananda van der Veen, Scott Hinchley,
René Ribaud, Vincent Misson (not on screen)

12. ● Status:
– Project still in infancy (v0.2)
– Core library ready:
● Bios info,
● Power management
●
Demos scripts available
– Client tool in progress
– Docker file for testing with DMTF mockup container
– Tests performed with:
● DMTF mockup (0.95 & 1.0)
● ProLiant servers (0.95 & 1.0)
● Moonshot chassis Managers (0.95)
– Python dependencies already available in Mageia and Fedora
– Packages built with project-builder.org (rpm, deb to come)
● Roadmap:
– v0.3: package build with project-builder.org, NICs collection, first client version, improved debug
– Work on Ironic needed interfaces (virtual media, PXE boot, HTTP boot, power management)
– Work on Alexandria needed interfaces (inventory)
python-redfish Status & Roadmap

13. Combining Ironic & Redfish
●
Ironic is the bare-metal deployment project of OpenStack
●
Ironic can be used standalone (Redfish deployment server) or with OpenStack
●
Ironic already has drivers for BMCs
– iLO, IPMI
– Integration == a Redfish driver, based on python-redfish, derived from the iLO one
●
Create a standalone test environment based on Docker
– A Container for running Ironic standalone
– A Container for emulating a Redfish based platform (done)
– A series of test to activate the combination at software level.
+

14. Redfish in SDI
●
Demonstrations of Redfish in the SDI CoE
– Proposed at EG EMEA SDI Program Management
– Proposed as a central component for Hybrid-IT demos to EMEA Hybrid-IT VP
●
Need a link with a CMDB to offer a fully integrated SDI solution...
+

15. Infrastructure Assets
Software
3Par IPMI iLORedfish
Docker IMC Ironic
API
HLM
Alexandria is a software that will help interconnect everything… and maybe automate a datacenter!
CMDB iTop
Combining Redfish & Alexandria
iTop
Alexandria
https://github.com/uggla/alexandria
Alexandria
Drivers
Endpoint

16. Combining Redfish & Alexandria
●
Use case: manage a new server just installed in the DC
– Connect to power and BMC network at least
– Collect BMC credentials and network conf
– Create manually an entry for this new server in the CMDB with these params
– Use Redfish to connect to BMC and collect all other info needed by the CMDB
– Use Redfish to provide info to Ironic to deploy the machine
– Use cron to regularly maintain info in CMDB and Ironic up to date
●
Working first on a solution with iTop as the CMDB, Redfish for inventory, to have a full
Open Source SDI one

17. 1/11/16 Private | Confidential | Internal Use Only
”Changes are never easy to make.
There is comfort and safety in tradition, but
change must come, no matter how painful or
expensive it may be.”
Bill Hewlett
Bruno.Cornec@hpe.com
(Open Source and Linux Technology Strategist
at the HP/Intel Solution Center)
http://downloads.linux.hpe.com/
Linus Torvalds, Richard Stallman, Eric Raymond, Nat
Makarevitch, René Cougnenc, Eric Dumas, Rémy
Card, Bdale Garbee, Bryan Gartner, Craig Lamparter,
Lee Mayes, Gallig Renaud, Andree Leidenfrost, Phil
Robb, Bob Gobeille, Martin Michlmayr among others,
for their work and devotion to the Open Source
Software cause... and my family for their patience :-)
THANK YOU