Creating a LAMP Stack

LAMP stacks contain a group of software consisting of:

  • Linux OS

  • Apache web server

  • mySQL Database

  • PHP

Templates

The following templates shows how an instance can be configured using a bash script to install Apache, mySQL, and PHP. The bash script is executed during the VM’s cloud-init phase.

Note: During the cloud-init phase, root executes any user-scripts.

> During the execution of the scripts, we will be ‘holding’ some of the packages to stop them being upgraded during the apt-get upgrade step. This is because the upgrade requires a user response for the packages. These can be upgraded by the user after VM configuration is complete by running the upgrade command.

Using OS::Heat::SoftwareConfig

The heat resource OS::Heat::SoftwareConfig has been used to define the user script.

OS::Heat::SoftwareConfig

heat_template_version: 2018-03-02

parameters:
  key_name:
    type: string
    default: <key-pair-name>
    description: Key Pair to use in order to SSH into the instance.
  image_id:
    type: string
    default: <image-id>
    description: The image for the instance
  flavor_id:
    type: string
    default: <flavor-id>
    description: The flavor for the instance
  security_group_id:
    type: string
    default: <security-group-id>

resources:
  test_script:
    type: OS::Heat::SoftwareConfig
    properties:
      group: ungrouped
      config: |
        #!/bin/bash -v
        apt-get update
        apt-mark hold libpam-krb5 libpam-modules libpam-modules-bin libpam-runtime libpam-systemd libpam0g
        apt-get -y upgrade
        apt-mark unhold libpam-krb5 libpam-modules libpam-modules-bin libpam-runtime libpam-systemd libpam0g
        # mysql-server is installed at this stage (can install after VM creation)
        apt-get install -y apache2 php libapache2-mod-php php-mysql php-gd mysql-server

  test_VM:
    type: OS::Nova::Server
    properties:
      image: {get_param: image_id}
      flavor: {get_param: flavor_id}
      key_name: {get_param: key_name}
      networks:
        - network: Internal
      security_groups:
        - {get_param: security_group_id}
      user_data_format: SOFTWARE_CONFIG
      user_data: {get_resource: test_script}

Using OS::Nova::Server

The bash script can be placed alternatively in the user_data property of the OS::Nova::Server resource.

heat_template_version: <template-version>

parameters:
  <define parameters>

resources:
  VM:
    type: OS::Nova::Server
    properties:
      image: {get_param: image_id}
      flavor: {get_param: flavor_id}
      key_name: {get_param: key_name}
      networks:
        - network: <network-name>
      security_groups:
        - {get_param: security_group_id}
      user_data: |
        #!/bin/bash -v
        apt-get update
        apt-mark hold libpam-krb5 libpam-modules libpam-modules-bin libpam-runtime libpam-systemd libpam0g
        apt-get -y upgrade
        apt-mark unhold libpam-krb5 libpam-modules libpam-modules-bin libpam-runtime libpam-systemd libpam0g
        # mysql-server is installed at this stage (can install after VM creation)
        apt-get install -y apache2 php libapache2-mod-php php-mysql php-gd mysql-server

When a Bash Script becomes too long or complex, the get_file function can be used to retrieve and execute the bash script:

heat_template_version: <template-version>

parameters:
  <define parameters>

resources:
  VM:
    type: OS::Nova::Server
    properties:
      image: {get_param: image_id}
      flavor: {get_param: flavor_id}
      key_name: {get_param: key_name}
      networks:
        - network: <network-name>
      security_groups:
        - {get_param: security_group_id}
      user_data_format: RAW
      user_data: {get_file: bash-script.sh}
> Note: user_data_format is required for defining how the user_data should be formatted for the server.

without this parameter when defining a bash script this way, cloud init returns errors in the log and cannot run the script.

The function str_replace can be used in order to set variable values in the bash script based on parameters or resources in the stack.

Example from Openstack: https://docs.openstack.org/heat/rocky/template_guide/software_deployment.html

heat_template_version: <template-version>

parameters:
  <define parameters>

resources:
  VM:
    type: OS::Nova::Server
    properties:
      image: {get_param: image_id}
      flavor: {get_param: flavor_id}
      key_name: {get_param: key_name}
      networks:
        - network: <network-name>
      security_groups:
        - {get_param: security_group_id}
      user_data:
        str_replace:
          template: |
        #!/bin/bash
        # ...
        params:
          $FOO: {get_param: foo}
> Note: If a stack-update is performed and any changes have been made to the stack update,

then the server will be deleted and replaced.

> If you are using the above bash scripts to install mysql-server as well as the other components of the stack, it is best to also run mysql_secure_installation as well. To automate mysql_secure_installation steps, please see the page Installing and setting up MySQL database in a Stack

References:

https://docs.openstack.org/heat/rocky/template_guide/software_deployment.html

https://www.digitalocean.com/community/tutorials/how-to-install-linux-apache-mysql-php-lamp-stack-on-ubuntu-16-04