Deliverable D2.4 AppHub Software Platform

Transcription

1 The European open source Marketplace ICT Project Deliverable D2.4 AppHub Software Platform This project has received funding from the European Union s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme

2 Project Number : Project Title : AppHub Deliverable Number : D2.4 (Updates 2.3) Title of Deliverable : AppHub Software Platform Nature of Deliverable : Prototype Dissemination level : Public Licence : Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License Version : 0.4 Contractual Delivery Date : January 1, 2016 Actual Delivery Date : January 10, 2016 Contributing WP : WP2 Editor(s) : Alexandre Lefebvre (UShareSoft) Author(s) : Alexandre Lefebvre (UShareSoft), Clement Chabert (UShareSoft), Peter Deussen (Fraunhofer), Majid Salehi Ghamsari (Fraunhofer) Reviewer(s) : Peter Deussen (Fraunhofer), Majid Salehi Ghamsari (Fraunhofer) Abstract The purpose of this document is to describe the AppHub software platform, as delivered at the end of Month 12. This document gives an overview of the AppHub software platform, its components, describes how the integration work which was carried out to deliver the platform. It presents the associated support infrastructure and documentation, and finally describes the work done since the delivery of the AppHub software platform beta version. This report is an update of the deliverable D2.3 - AppHub Software Platform (beta). Keyword list Architecture, platform, software components, integration, documentation, support AppHub 2

3 Document History Version Changes Author(s) 0.1 Outline and first draft Alexandre Lefebvre (UShareSoft) 0.2 Revision Alexandre Lefebvre (UShareSoft), Clement Chabert (UShareSoft), Peter Deussen (Fraunhofer), Majid Salehi Ghamsari (Fraunhofer) 0.3 Final draft Alexandre Lefebvre (UShareSoft) 0.4 Final Peter Deussen (Fraunhofer) Document Review Review Date Ver. Reviewers Comments Outline and first draft 2015/11/ N/A NONE Draft 2015/12/ Peter Deussen, Majid Salehi Ghamsari NONE QA 2015/12/ Peter Deussen NONE Final 2016/01/ Peter Deussen NONE AppHub 3

4 Glossary, acronyms & abbreviations Item API CKAN OCD OCIF OIF OS REST SDK SSO VM Description Application Programmer Interface Comprehensive Knowledge Archive Network Open Cloud Directory Open Cloud Interoperability Framework Open Interoperability Framework Operating System Representational state transfer Software Development Kit Single Sign On Virtual Machine AppHub 4

5 Table of Contents 1. Introduction AppHub Software Platform Overview AppHub Directory AppHub Factory AppHub Store Summary Adaptation of pre-existing products Evolutions of the Directory Customisation of the Factory and Store Integration Project data integration User data integration Use Cases and Requirements Associated support and documentation Support Documentation From beta to production level AppHub software platform...9 AppHub 5

6 1. Introduction This document describes the AppHub Software platform. It recalls its architecture and presents each component as described in the AppHub deliverable D2.1, AppHub Requirements and Architecture, and Development Plan. It then describes how the preexisting software was adapted and how integration was carried out. It also describes the support infrastructure and documentation which have been put in place for this AppHub software platform. Finally, it outlines the steps that have been carried out in order to produce the production level AppHub Software platform from the beta version. Since the AppHub project provides a service based on the software developed in the project, this report serves as a cover document for the actual service delivery to the AppHub community. Thus report is an update of the AppHub deliverable D2.3 - AppHub Software Platform (beta). The main differences to this report are: AppHub open source taxonomy update (Section 3.1). Updates on documtation and user support (Section 5). Documentation for the transition from beta to production level platform (Section 6). 2. AppHub Software Platform Overview As described in deliverable 2.1 (AppHub requirements and architecture, and development plan), the AppHub software platform comprises of three main parts that interact with the various stakeholders, AppHub Directory, AppHub Factory, and AppHub Store (previously called Marketplace). AppHub.Directory Producer Developer of open source software Describe and classify Upload or link Open interoperability framework: Taxonomy for open source assets AppHub.Factory Packaging versiononing publishing AppHub.Store Dissemination showcase Browse, compare and select Deploy Consumer User and Integrators of open open source software Provider IaaS Cloud Provider Figure 1: AppHub platform overview. The AppHub platform is based on two pre-existing products, namely the Open Cloud Directory (which in turn is an extension of CKAN) as technology basis for the Directory, and the UForge AppCenter/Marketplace bundle as basis for the Factory/Store. AppHub 6

7 2.1. AppHub Directory The AppHub Directory is accessible at It is the main entry point to the AppHub software platform. Producers can register their open source assets in the Directory, and describe them by means of the asset taxonomy, namely the Open Interoperability Framework (OIF). Consumers can browse the Directory, understand the functionalities a specific asset provides, which activities are supports, and which crossissues are addressed by it. Also the AppHub Directory has social networking features: consumers can follow projects, rate and comment on assets AppHub Factory The AppHub Factory is accessible at The AppHub Factory provides an environment in which Producers can package their open source software as Templates (including additional software components, installation procedures, etc.). For each Factory Template, machine images can be generated for any virtual, cloud or physical (ISO) format. Machine images can be used directly, or deployed to a cloud infrastructure (using virtual machines as containers) AppHub Store The AppHub Store is accessible at The AppHub Store is a marketplace of Templates which Consumers can access and use. Templates created using the AppHub Factory are exposed in the Store by the Producers. After selecting a Template in the AppHub Store, Consumers then benefit from the AppHub Factory tools to generate images to the format of their choice and use them as they like. Templates are considered a particular type of asset in the AppHub Directory. In the case of a Template, the asset resource in the Directory points to the Template as exposed in the AppHub Store Summary In summary: The AppHub Directory is the main entry point about open source projects. Producers have the possibility to use the AppHub Factory to package their project results as a Template, and then expose them in the AppHub Store. Consumers browse the AppHub Directory when looking for project information and software. If a project has released a Template, the AppHub Directory links to that Template in the AppHub Store, where Consumers can select the Template and use it, benefiting from the set of tools offered by the Factory. 3. Adaptation of pre-existing products 3.1. Evolutions of the Directory Adaptations of the Open Cloud Directory (OCD, ocdirectory.org) that has been developed in the OCEAN ( project include adding functionalities to enable the integration of the Apphub Directory and the AppHub Factory and Store (see Section 4 below), to ensure a coherent workflow between the several components of the AppHub platform. The adaptation of the Open Cloud Interoperability Framework from a Cloud-centric taxonomy towards a more generic Open Interoperability Framework (OIF) that is suitable to capture a wide range of software assets has been defined and implemented. We have selected an enterprise computing perspective as largest common denominator (there is AppHub 7

8 clearly no one size fits all solution). Enterprise computing refers to the integration of various functions and activities critical for the operation of an organisation. Since enterprise computing generalizes cloud computing, most activities and functions are applicable within the more general architecture as well; only updated descriptions/definitions are needed. We have added two functional components: To align assets that support data analytics, we have introduced a functional component called business intelligence as part of the business support systems. To capture Internet of things integration, we have introduced a component titled IoT integration as part of the system integration multi-layer. More details are given in the AppHub Taxonomy Guide for Open Source Producers and Consumers, available at The AppHub Directory was also modified in order to add a new type of Asset, Template. This type of Asset corresponds to the AppHub Templates as described above. The URL for a Template asset resource points to the Template exposed in the AppHub Store. Also, in the case Producers want to create a Template Asset, they need to agree to the AppHub Charter. The functionality offered to users for agreeing to the AppHub Charter was added to the Directory Customisation of the Factory and Store The following customisations were carried out for the user interface of the AppHub Factory and Store components: they display the AppHub logo, and the footers have been customised to link to the other components of AppHub software platform. 4. Integration According to the development plan of deliverable 2.1, the following integration tasks were carried out Project data integration In order to fulfil the requirement that project data should be entered once, we have decided that Template Assets first get created in the Directory (like any other Asset). Then, when the user has entered all necessary information about a Template asset in the Directory, clicking on a Deploy to Store button (only available for Template type assets) creates the corresponding information in the AppHub Store. This is done by adding to CKAN the project creation module, which performs a series of REST API calls to the Store, in order to create all necessary elements with the data that was entered in the Directory for the asset. This module, written in Python, contains 2050 lines of code. Also, once the Producer has validated its Template in the AppHub Store, the URL in the AppHub Directory corresponding to the Template in the AppHub Store is automatically updated. This was done by implementing a custom connector on the AppHub Store User data integration In order to fulfil the requirement that user information (credentials, ) should be stored only once, we have decided to implement SSO, where the Directory serves as the centralized user management component. In order to rely on the AppHub Directory for authenticating users in all three AppHub platform components, the AppHub partners have implemented the following. The CKAN cookies at AppHub 8

9 the level of the Directory have been extended to support multiple domains (namely directory.apphub.eu.com, factory.apphub.eu.com and store.apphub.eu.com). In the AppHub Store and Factory, the default authentication mechanism was modified as such: The Directory cookie is used to identify whether users are logged in. All pages are accessible only when logged in. If not, the browser redirects to the Directory login page. If the Factory (resp. Store) detects that a cookie is present, it checks, using the CKAN API, that the user credentials are valid. In this case, if the user does not already exists in the Factory (resp. Store) local user base, it creates it. In the case the user has changed its address in the Directory, the new address is propagated locally to the Factory (resp. Store) local user base. When the user has logged out of the Directory, and tries to connect to the Factory (resp. Store), a check is done, and the user is not let in. This was done by implementing a number of PHP modules, which contain 844 lines of code in total Use Cases and Requirements The integration was done by respecting the Use Cases and Requirements of the D2.1 deliverable. 5. Associated support and documentation 5.1. Support In order to assist external users, as well as keep track of issues that we will encounter in the beta and in the deployment phases, we have set up the following tools: A contact , apphub-support@ow2.org, was created. It reaches the AppHub technical staff. This is supported by the sympa mailing list infrastructure hosted by OW2, and also offers archives as a facility. An issue tracker, using the OW2 Jira infrastructure, was created for the AppHub project. This issue tracker will be used to log and follow the resolution of all issues reported either by external users of the AppHub platform, or by the AppHub project members. It is publicly available at Documentation Two types of documentation materials are associated with the AppHub software platform: user guides and screen-casts. The Producers user guide describes all steps required to create an account in the Directory, create a project and its assets, create a Template in the Factory and expose it in the Store. The user guide is part of this D2.4 deliverable, and has been improved since the first version in collaboration with the participants of the Beta testing phase (project months 10 12). The Consumer user guide describes all steps required to create an account in the Directory, use a project and its assets, create a Template in the Factory from an asset in the Store and use it by generating machine images. AppHub 9

10 Initial screencasts illustrate, as short videos, steps present in the Producer and Consumer guides. 6. From beta to production level AppHub software platform The following actions have been performed since launching the AppHub software platform beta: Complement the documentation with a Consumer guide. Gather the feedback from the initial Beta users. Complete definition of the Open Interoperability Framework based on experiences with Beta projects and assets. Upgrade of the AppHub Store and Factory with the latest versions of the UShareSoft products. The AppHub Store has been upgraded from Marketplace version to version 3.6, the AppHub Factory has been upgraded to the latest AppCenter release. In particular, this has simplified the template import/export between the AppHub Factory and the AppHub Store (avoiding the use of the external commandline tool called hammr). Implement the improvements following the user feedback. In particular, the following improvements have been carried out: UI customisation in order to unify the look and feel of the respective platform components. Customisation of the Directory (wording, workflow) in order to clarify the creation of template assets. Improvements in the Directory-Store integration (data synchronisation between the two components). AppHub 10