Automate VM first boot with Configuration drive for cloud-init

Abiquo easily enables users to automate VM first boot with cloud-init (private and public cloud) or hypervisor tools (private cloud). This page walks through Abiquo's first-boot automation with cloud init.

For information about how to use hypervisor tools in Abiquo, see Guest setup.
In many hypervisors and providers, Abiquo implements cloud-init with configuration drive. For details of configuration drive in Abiquo, see Configuration drive.

Cloud-init in Abiquo

Abiquo supports two main kinds of first boot automation with cloud-init:

Abiquo built-in functionality
- Guest initial password
- Fully qualified domain name (FQDN)
- SSH key injection
- Configuration drive data (when Configuration drive is used)
- Network configuration injection (in private cloud when DHCP is not present)
User bootstrap script and variables

Abiquo also uses cloud-init to support Chef for Linux VMs, see Abiquo Chef Integration Guide

Preparing templates

To enable users to work with cloud init, the administrator prepares VM templates that will run cloud-init services or cloudbase-init services (for Windows) or similar. The compatible version of cloud-init is version 0.7.9 or above, or cloudbase-init.

Edit the cloud-init templates in the platform and go to the Advanced tab.

For the Guest setup option select cloud-init.

Optionally choose to Set initial guest password. We recommend that you perform some additional configuration, to ensure that the user receives their password by SMS or email. See Guest setup#Set initial guest password.
Optionally set predefined variables for a template. See Modify a VM Template#Variables tab

You can then easily share this template with users in different cloud tenants by setting scopes (enterprise access lists).

User VMs

To enable you to easily connect to your VM, the guest setup process will inject the SSH key from your user account into the VM. See Edit your user account details

To work with first-boot automation, create a VM by dragging and dropping the template as usual.

To define a fully qualified domain name (FQDN) before deploying the VM, enter it on the General tab. Otherwise, the platform may define one based on the configuration options. See Guest setup#Set fully qualified domain name.
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Screenshot: Entering the VM Name and FQDN

You can also enter a configuration definition for cloud-init or another compatible script on the Abiquo VM Bootstrap script tab.

Screenshot: An example of a cloud-config script for cloud-init.

You can additionally enter or edit keys and/or values on the Variables tab.

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Screenshot: Enter or edit VM variables

For more information, see VM variables.

Note that there may be some variables that the administrator predefined in the template. See Modify a VM Template#Variables tab

When you save the VM, Abiquo stores the bootstrap script configuration and variables in the Abiquo VM metadata.

You can also manage cloud-init metadata using the Abiquo API. See Manage virtual machine metadata via API

When you deploy the VM, the template's cloud-init process will run and it will configure the VM according to your guest setup options and definition.