Virtual machines (Cloud)
Overview
The Sage FRP 1000 for Cloud solution uses virtual machine (VM) to execute Sage FRP 1000 Services.
In the Cloud model implemented on this solution, a VM execute one and only one Sage FRP 1000 Service.
As general principles, a VM used in the Sage FRP 1000 Solution :
- Is agnostic.
- Has no user access.
- Is volatile.
Sage FRP 1000 start up process
In a stand alone configuration, a Sage FRP 1000 Service load its configuration from a local file. This start up process has several cons which prevent to use it a Cloud environment :
- The configuration file must be provide on the local disk, this don't met the agnostic requirement
- The configuration contents sensitive information which may leaks if the VM is compromise.
For these reasons, the start up process in a Cloud environment has been replaced by a configuration sequence where the Sage FRP 1000 Service contacts the configuration server (PDA) to obtain its configuration file. As the PDA maintains a list of the existing VM with theire associat role it can provide the adequate configuration file.
This approach has several benefices :
- The VM is agnostic.
- The loading sequence is secure.
- The VM has no sensitive information stored in its local storage
- The configuration may be updated with a centralized approach.
Virtual machine deployment process
The virtual machines are deployed by the Provisioning environment (PE).
The PE uses the Azure resource manager, the template used to create a new VM include a script executed during the VM provisioning.
(This functionality is a custom script extension)
This script realizes :
- Download of the last Sage FRP 1000 service binary package from an account storage blob of the PE.
- Installation of the package
- Create the service configuration file which contain the url on the configuration server (PE).
The service start up, read the configuration file and start the configuration sequence.
Virtual machine update
At the end of the configuration sequence, the PE can provide an update script to be executed.
This script realizes :
- Download of the last Sage FRP 1000 binary package from an account storage blob of the PE.
- Stop the service
- Installation of the package
- Restart the service