Chef can automate infrastructure tasks, such as installing databases and application
servers. By integrating the blueprint designer with Chef, you can apply Chef roles to images
in blueprints. When you provision environments, the environments run the Chef automation
scripts that are based on those roles.
Before you begin
Note: These instructions are for using Chef when you provision environments
on cloud systems via OpenStack Heat. To use Chef in component processes, see the
Chef automation plugin.
- Chef roles are supported on only OpenStack, VMware, and SoftLayer
clouds.
- To use Chef, you must have a Chef server that contains roles and
cookbooks. For information about setting up Chef, see https://www.chef.io. The Chef server
must have at least one Chef environment, which is not to be confused
with cloud environments. By default, Chef servers have an environment
that is named _default.
- Host the validator key for the Chef server somewhere that your
cloud environments can access it. The Chef server does not make this
key available by default, so you must put it somewhere that clients
can access it.
About this task
To use Chef roles in blueprints, you must connect to a Chef server. Then, you configure the
target images to use Chef roles. Then, you can add Chef roles to images in blueprints.
Procedure
- Log in to the blueprint designer as an administrator.
- Click .
- In the Chef Server section, specify
the following information. If you don't see this section, open the config.properties file on the
computer that hosts the blueprint design server, set the
com.ibm.ucd-patterns.feature.chef-server property to true, and
restart the blueprint design server.
- Chef Server URL
- The URL of the Chef server, such as
https://chef.example.com:443/organizations/myogranization.
- Chef Validator Name
- The name of the validator that clients use to connect to the Chef server.
- Chef Validator Key
- The name of the key for the validator. Paste the content from the validator key file that is
located in the chef-starter.zip file (starter kit).
- Chef Validator Key URL
- The URL of the key for the validator. Provisioned virtual images must be able to access the key
from this URL without providing a certificate. Therefore, do not put this key on an
HTTP server with a self-signed certificate.
- Chef Client Name
- The name of a Chef user that has access to the Chef server.
- Chef Client Key
- The key for the client. Paste the content from the client key file that is located in the
chef-starter.zip file (starter kit).
- Click Save.
- To connect to the Chef server via SSL, see Configuring SSL/TLS security for Chef.
What to do next
Configure the virtual images for Chef. See
Creating Chef-compatible images.