1. Overview of CloudVeneto

CloudVeneto is an OpenStack-based cloud.

It allows the instantiation of Virtual Machines (VMs) of the desired environments (in terms of operating system, installed software, etc.) and of the desired flavors (in terms of processors, memory size, etc.). It also provides storage: block storage (volumes that can be attached to such virtual instances) and object storage.

CloudVeneto also offers higher level services, such as the orchestration of multiple resources, the provision of Kubernetes clusters, etc.

Even if it is a single, logical Cloud service, its resources are spread in two different data centers: Padova (INFN Padova - University of Padova’s “Dipartimento di Fisica e Astronomia”), and INFN Laboratori Nazionali di Legnaro (LNL).

The CloudVeneto is currently based on the Yoga version of the OpenStack middleware.

1.1. Who can use CloudVeneto ?

The CloudVeneto infrastructure is available to the users and collaborators of the following Departments of the University of Padova:

  • Dipartimento di Biologia (DiBio)

  • Dipartimento di Fisica e Astronomia (DFA)

  • Dipartimento di Geoscienze

  • Dipartimento di Ingegneria Civile, Edile e Ambientale (DICEA)

  • Dipartimento di Ingegneria dell’Informazione (DEI)

  • Dipartimento di Matematica

  • Dipartimento di Medicina Molecolare (DMM)

  • Dipartimento di Scienze Biomediche (DSB)

  • Dipartimento di Scienze Chimiche (DiSC)

  • Dipartimento di Scienze del Farmaco (DSF)

and INFN units:

  • Sezione di Padova

  • Laboratori Nazionali di Legnaro (LNL)

1.2. Resource users and administrators

Please note that when you create a resource (e.g. a virtual machine) on CloudVeneto, you are then responsible to manage it. You will be held responsible for all the activities performed on the VM created by yourself.

This means that you need to have adequate skills in using the resource that you create and at least basic system administration skills (some basics on Linux administration are presented in Some basics on Linux administration).

If you don’t have such system administration skills, you may want to ask a colleague to create and manage the needed resources.

1.3. Projects

Projects (also known as tenants) are organizational units in the cloud. A project is used to map or isolate users and their resources.

Projects are given quotas on resource usage, in terms of virtual machines, cores, memory, storage, etc.

A project can have a single user as member (personal project) but the typical use case are shared projects, with multiple users as members, which can map to experiments, organizations, research groups, etc.

A user can be on multiple projects at the same time and switch between them.

In the CloudVeneto, projects usually map to experiments or other research groups. Among the project’s users there is a project manager (usually the team leader) who is responsible to manage (accepting or refusing) membership requests for the project.

Warning

Personal private projects are discouraged and are created only for convincing reasons.

1.4. Network access

Cloud instances are by default instantiated on private networks.

To access Cloud virtual machines it is therefore necessary to go through a gate machine. A Cloud specific gate host (gate.cloudveneto.it) can be used.

The virtual instances created on INFN projects (and some Unipd DFA projects) are by default “visible” from the Local Area Networks (LANs) of both INFN Padova/Unipd Physics Dept. and INFN-LNL. This means that e.g. users can access via ssh VMs of the Cloud directly from their desktops located in INFN Padova/Physics Dept. or INFN Legnaro without going through the gate machine.

If needed, e.g. if a VM should host a service accessible from the Internet, such VM on the Cloud can be given a public IP. If this is the case please contact support@cloudveneto.it.

It is possible to control which services/ports can be accessed using the security groups (discussed later) and firewalls on the relevant VMs.

From a VM of the Cloud, it is possible to access the Internet.

Warning

By default from a VM of the Cloud it is not possible to access a host/service hosted in the INFN Padova or Legnaro LANs. If, for some reasons, you need to access some services hosted in INFN Padova or Legnaro from the Cloud, please contact support@cloudveneto.it.

1.5. Getting help

In case of problems with the CloudVeneto infrastructure, such as:

  • Problems during the registration process

  • Problems creating a virtual machine

  • Problems creating a volume, or attaching it to an instance

you can contact the admins at support@cloudveneto.it.

Please provide all the information needed to debug the problem, e.g.:

  • your cloud username

  • the name of the project

  • the IP number of the instance (in case of problems with a virtual machine)

  • the image name and the flavor name (in case of problems creating an instance)

The CloudVeneto admins instead don’t provide support to the virtual machines instantiated on the Cloud: once you created a server on the Cloud, such server is managed by you.

This implies that the CloudVeneto support crew doesn’t provide support on topics like:

You might ask your Department / Institution technicians in case of problems with your virtual machine that you are not able to solve on your own.

Experiences, problems, best practices, etc. can be shared with the other users of the CloudVeneto using the discuss@cloudveneto.it mailing list. By default all CloudVeneto users are member of this mailing list. If you want to be removed from this mailing list please send an e-mail to majordomo@pd.infn.it, writing in the body of the mail:

unsubscribe discuss <your-email-address>

Changes and planned interventions to the service will be posted on the announce@cloudveneto.it. All registered users to the Cloud are member of this mailing list.

1.5.1. Getting help for INFN Padova users

INFN-Padova computing and Network service can provide support to INFN-Padova users only for instances created using the INFN-Padova “blessed” images, described in Public Images for INFN Padova users.

When contacting the INFN-Padova computing and Network service to have support with a virtual machine, please provide all the information needed to debug the problem, in particular:

  • The IP number of the instance

  • The image name

  • The flavor name

1.6. Acknowledge CloudVeneto / Scientific citations

We kindly ask you to acknowledge the usage of the CloudVeneto infrastructure in any scientific publication or elsewhere. The following quote can be used:

CloudVeneto is acknowledged for the use of computing and storage facilities.

References:

  • P. Andreetto et al., “Merging OpenStack based private clouds: the case of CloudVeneto.it”, Published in: EPJ Web Conf. 214 (2019) 07010, DOI: 10.1051/epjconf/201921407010

  • Cloudveneto web site: http://cloudveneto.it