Manage scaling groups

Introduction

Abiquo 4.0 introduces horizontal autoscaling of virtual machines, where users define a scaling group entity for a base virtual machine. They then create an action plan for the virtual machine with scaling actions, and then create scaling triggers, which are either monitoring alerts for virtual appliances or schedules for planned scaling. When a scaling event is triggered, Abiquo will follow the scaling rules of the scaling group. To scale out, it will clone the base virtual machine and deploy, and to scale in, it will delete or undeploy virtual machines.

Create a scaling group

Abiquo supports horizontal autoscaling with virtual machine scaling groups.

Before you begin:

• Create and configure a base virtual machine. When a scaling event is triggered, Abiquo will clone this virtual machine according to your scaling rules. The base virtual machine can be deployed or undeployed, as appropriate

To create a scaling group:

1. In virtual appliance view, select the virtual machine, and from the menu on the virtual machine icon, select the Create scaling group option
2. Enter the autoscaling parameters and rules
3. Click Save

When Abiquo creates a scaling group, the virtual machine icon changes to display the scaling group name, the scaling group button, the maintenance button, and the number of running machines in the group.

Create triggers for autoscaling

To trigger autoscaling operations, you will need to create an action plan for the virtual machine with the autoscaling group, and then create triggers to run the action plan. Example of triggers are virtual appliance alerts or action plan schedules.

See Manage action plans and triggers

Virtual machines in scaling groups

When a virtual machine is part of a scaling group, Abiquo does not allow you to perform deploy or configuration operations on the virtual machine, unless you put the scaling group into maintenance mode.

Maintenance mode temporarily disables autoscaling and enables you to make changes to your virtual machines, for example, to manually deploy or undeploy machines, or to edit the scaling group itself.

Note that in maintenance mode you can undeploy the master virtual machine but you cannot delete it. 

When you leave maintenance mode, Abiquo will apply your modifications to the scaling group, e.g. added rules. Then Abiquo will adjust the number of virtual machines in the group to within the minimum and maximum size range.

Perform maintenance on the scaling group

To put the scaling group in maintenance mode:

• Click the "cog" maintenance button
• Trigger an action plan with the action "Scaling group: start maintenance mode"

To make changes to the scaling group:

• Open the scaling group
• Reconfigure, deploy or undeploy the base machine or clone machines
• Delete clone machines

Remember that when you stop maintenance mode, Abiquo will adjust the number of virtual machines in the scaling group to within the maximum and minimum range, creating and deploying clones or undeploying as appropriate.

To leave maintenance mode:

• Click the "cog" maintenance button again
• Trigger an action plan with the action "Scaling group: end maintenance mode".