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Infrastructure Overview

This section provides comprehensive documentation for managing DevOpsCentral's OpenStack-based cloud infrastructure. Here you'll find detailed guides for working with virtual machines, networking, storage, and all the core infrastructure components that power your applications and services.

Whether you prefer working through the web interface (Horizon or Skyline UI) or the command-line tools, these guides cover everything you need to effectively manage your cloud resources. We provide step-by-step tutorials, best practices, troubleshooting guidance, and real-world examples to help you master DevOpsCentral infrastructure management.

OpenStack is the industry-standard open-source cloud platform, giving you the flexibility and control of enterprise-grade infrastructure without vendor lock-in. Our documentation helps you leverage OpenStack's full capabilities while taking advantage of DevOpsCentral's sovereignty-focused infrastructure.

Who This Section Is For

  • System administrators managing VM infrastructure
  • DevOps engineers automating infrastructure provisioning
  • Network engineers configuring cloud networking
  • Storage administrators managing volumes and backups
  • Anyone working hands-on with DevOpsCentral infrastructure

Planned Topics

User Interfaces

  • Horizon UI Guide - Traditional OpenStack dashboard
  • Dashboard overview and navigation
  • Common operations through Horizon

  • User and project management

  • Skyline UI Guide - Modern OpenStack interface

  • What's new in Skyline
  • Improved UX and performance

  • Migration guide from Horizon to Skyline

  • UI Comparison: Horizon vs Skyline - Choosing the right interface

  • Feature comparison
  • When to use each interface
  • Keyboard shortcuts and productivity tips

Command-Line Interface

  • OpenStack CLI Reference - Complete command reference
  • Installation and setup
  • Authentication and configuration
  • Common command patterns

  • Scripting and automation

  • CLI Advanced Usage - Power user techniques

  • Batch operations
  • Output formatting and parsing
  • Integration with CI/CD pipelines

Compute (Virtual Machines)

  • Instance Management - Creating and managing VMs
  • Launch instances with various configurations
  • Instance flavors and sizing
  • Stop, start, reboot, and delete operations

  • Console access and troubleshooting

  • Flavors Guide - Understanding VM sizing options

  • Available flavors and specifications
  • Choosing the right flavor for your workload

  • Custom flavor requests

  • Images and Snapshots - Managing VM images

  • Available base images (Ubuntu, CentOS, Debian, etc.)
  • Creating custom images
  • Snapshot and restore operations
  • Image sharing and visibility

Networking

  • Network Fundamentals - OpenStack networking basics
  • Networks, subnets, and CIDR notation
  • Routers and gateway configuration

  • Private vs. public networks

  • Floating IPs - Public IP address management

  • Allocating floating IPs
  • Associating IPs with instances

  • IP address pools and quotas

  • Security Groups - Firewall rules and access control

  • Creating and managing security groups
  • Common port configurations
  • Best practices for security

  • Troubleshooting connectivity issues

  • Load Balancing - Distributing traffic across instances

  • LBaaS (Load Balancer as a Service)
  • Health checks and monitoring
  • SSL/TLS termination

Storage

  • Volume Management - Block storage for VMs
  • Creating and attaching volumes
  • Volume types and performance

  • Resizing and migration

  • Snapshots and Backups - Data protection

  • Volume snapshots
  • Automated backup strategies
  • Restore procedures

  • Snapshot retention policies

  • Object Storage - Swift object storage

  • Using Swift for unstructured data
  • API access and integration
  • Access control and permissions

Advanced Topics

  • Orchestration with Heat - Infrastructure as Code
  • Heat templates and stack management
  • Automated deployments

  • Template examples and patterns

  • Metadata and Cloud-Init - Instance initialization

  • Using cloud-init for configuration
  • User data and metadata service

  • Automated instance setup

  • Quotas and Limits - Understanding resource limits

  • Project quotas
  • Requesting quota increases
  • Resource optimization

Monitoring and Troubleshooting

  • Monitoring Resources - Tracking infrastructure health
  • Built-in monitoring tools
  • Metrics and alerting

  • Performance optimization

  • Troubleshooting Guide - Common issues and solutions

  • Connection problems
  • Performance issues
  • Error message reference
  • Support escalation process

Quick Reference

Common Operations

Task Horizon UI CLI Command
List instances Compute → Instances openstack server list
Create instance Launch Instance button openstack server create
Allocate floating IP Network → Floating IPs openstack floating ip create
Create volume Volumes → Create Volume openstack volume create
Add security group rule Network → Security Groups openstack security group rule create

Best Practices

  • ✅ Use security groups to control access (never open all ports)
  • ✅ Regularly snapshot critical volumes
  • ✅ Monitor resource usage and quotas
  • ✅ Use descriptive names for resources
  • ✅ Tag resources for organization and billing
  • ✅ Implement proper key management (rotate SSH keys)
  • ✅ Test disaster recovery procedures

Data Sovereignty in Infrastructure

All infrastructure resources - VMs, storage, networking - are hosted on locally-owned hardware in Romania, ensuring your data sovereignty and regulatory compliance.

CLI for Automation

While the UI is great for learning and occasional tasks, we recommend using the CLI for automation, scripting, and production deployments.

Getting Started

New to OpenStack infrastructure management? We recommend this learning path:

  1. Start with basics: Instance Management and Networking Fundamentals
  2. Secure your infrastructure: Security Groups and Floating IPs
  3. Protect your data: Volume Management and Snapshots
  4. Master the CLI: CLI Reference for automation
  5. Advanced topics: Orchestration and Monitoring

Need Help?

Master DevOpsCentral infrastructure management with OpenStack