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  • Rackspace Private Cloud powered by VMware Customer Handbook
  • Getting started with RPC-VMware
    • RPC-VMware architecture
    • RPC-VMware features
    • RPC-VMware roles and permissions
    • Managed services for RPC-VMware
    • Spheres of support for RPC-VMware
    • RPC-VMware compatibility
      • RPC-VMware compatibility with third-party products
      • RPC-VMware compatibility when elevated permissions are needed
    • RPC-VMware authentication methods
    • External data centers
      • Spheres of support for external data centers
    • Pay-Per-Use Infrastructure
      • How It Works
  • RPC-VMware core components
    • RPC-VMware components
    • VMware vSAN for RPC-VMware
      • Getting started with vSAN for RPC-VMware
        • vSAN architecture
        • vSAN components
        • vSAN features
        • vSAN roles and permissions
          • vSAN health checks
          • vSAN storage policies
        • vSAN managed services
        • vSAN spheres of support
        • vSAN compatibility
          • vSAN compatibility with third-party products
          • vSAN compatibility when elevated permissions are needed
      • vSAN and vRealize Operations
      • vSAN licensing
      • vSAN patching and upgrading
        • vSAN maintenance mode types
          • Ensure accessibility mode
          • Full data migration mode
          • No data migration mode
      • vSAN API
      • Using vSAN for RPC-VMware
        • Access control
        • Capacity management
        • Performance monitoring
        • Quality of service IOPS limits
        • Deduplication and compression
        • Storage-based policy management
        • vRealize Operations vSAN Management Pack
        • Health checks
      • Additional resources for vSAN
    • VMware NSX for RPC-VMware
      • Getting started with NSX for RPC-VMware
        • NSX architecture
        • NSX components
        • NSX features
        • NSX roles and permissions
        • NSX managed services
        • NSX spheres of support
        • NSX compatibility
          • NSX compatibility with third-party products
          • NSX compatibility when elevated permissions are needed
        • NSX authentication methods
        • NSX Use Cases
        • Multi-tier Network Use Case
        • Dynamic Routing Use Case
      • Optional add-on for NSX
      • NSX licensing
      • NSX patching and upgrading
      • NSX API
      • Using NSX for RPC-VMware
      • Additional resources for NSX
    • VMware vRealize Operations for RPC-VMware
      • Getting started with vRealize Operations for RPC-VMware
        • vRealize Operations architecture
        • vRealize Operations components
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        • vRealize Operations features
        • vRealize Operations roles and permissions
        • vRealize Operations managed services
        • vRealize Operations spheres of support
        • vRealize Operations compatibility
          • vRealize Operations compatibility with third-party products
          • vRealize Operations compatibility when elevated permissions are needed
        • vRealize Operations authentication methods
        • Connecting to vRealize Operations
      • vRealize Operations licensing
      • vRealize Operations patching and upgrading
      • vRealize Operations API
      • Additional resources for vRealize Operations
  • Licensing
    • VMware licensing
    • Windows OS licensing
    • Red Hat OS licensing
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  • Patching and upgrading
  • Using RPC-VMware
    • Accessing the RPC-VMware environment
    • VM templates
    • Assigning public IP addresses
    • Activating Rackspace-provided OS image licenses
    • OS patching
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    • Managing permissions
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        • MBU architecture
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        • MBU authentication methods
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      • Using MBU for RPC-VMware
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      • MBU glossary
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  • Using managed services
    • Getting started with GOSS for RPC-VMware
      • GOSS architecture
        • Automated Systems Interactions
          • vCenter Indexing
          • CMDB
          • Guest OS Services Automation
          • vSphere Guest APIs
          • MyRackspace Portal
          • IPAM
          • Firewall
          • Ansible
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    • GOSS glossary
  • Additional resources
  • Disclaimer

GOSS architecture#

The following sections describe the systems used with Guest OS Services (GOSS) for Rackspace Private Cloud powered by VMware (RPC-VMware). Components are described in the following section.

Automated Systems Interactions#

Guest OS Services automation is comprised of a number of systems that interact with each other to provide the service.

vCenter Indexing#

An automated system is registered with the vCenter Server to receive vCenter event notifications. These notifications are used to determine when new Virtual Machines are created in RPC-VMware to make them available for GOSS enrollment. The system also detects Virtual Machine configuration changes and when Virtual Machines are deleted.

CMDB#

Rackspace maintains a CMDB with details about your RPC-VMware environment. The CMDB is automatically updated with information about the Virtual Machines that you create in your RPC-VMware environment. The CMDB received additional updates when you enroll a Virtual Machine in Guest OS Services.

Guest OS Services Automation#

Rackspace has created custom automation services to provide the automated experience for Guest OS Services. This service orchestrates the interactions between all systems involved in providing Guest OS Services for your Virtual Machines.

vSphere Guest APIs#

Initial OS access during the enrollment process makes use of the vSphere APIs for guest actions which requires VMware Tools to be installed and running within the guest OS. This is used to validate the OS credentials provided with the enrollment and to ensure that the OS meets the requirements for enrollment.

MyRackspace Portal#

The MyRackspace portal will display your indexed Virtual Machines under the "Devices" section. This portal is also used when you enroll your Virtual Machines in Guest OS Services as well as create or interact with support tickets relating to these systems.

IPAM#

Rackspace uses an internal IPAM service to keep track of as well as allocate IP addresses within your RPC-VMware environment. During the automated enrollment process, the IPAM service will record the local IP address that you have assigned within the Virtual Machine and will provide a public IP address and record the NAT relationship.

Firewall#

Rackspace uses an automation system to perform certain configuration changes to your firewall. These changes are limited to adding or removing NAT's on your firewall during the automation processes for Guest OS Services.

Ansible#

During the automated enrollment process, an Ansible system is used to remotely execute specific OS actions to perform the required operating system modifications.

Network Interactions#

All automated processes access RPC-VMware management services and Virtual Machines (VMs) through your hosted firewall.

vCenter Network Interactions#

Rackspace automation systems interact with the vCenter server in your RPC- VMware environment over a secure connection using a service account that accesses various functions of the vSphere API.

Direct interactive access of the vCenter Web UI will be used to provide OS services. This includes observing performance details or accessing the console.

Virtual Machine Network Interactions#

During the enrollment process and at various times after enrollment, the OS of enrolled VMs is be accessed by Rackspace System Administrators and/or Automation Systems to perform actions within the guest operating system. The network access method for enrolled VMs uses dedicated individual public IP addresses added to the public interface of your hosted firewall. The public IP is NAT'd to the local IP address of the enrolled VM operating system.

Depending on the OS type of your Virtual Machine, Rackspace uses various secure network protocols such as ssh, WinRM, and RPD to access the OS.

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