Openshift Online 1 User Guide: Managing Applications in The Cloud With Openshift Online Edition 1.0

OpenShift Online 1
User Guide
Managing Applications in the Cloud with OpenShift Online

Edition 1.0
Red Hat OpenShift Documentation Team

OpenShift Online 1 User Guide
Managing Applications in the Cloud with OpenShift Online

Edition 1.0
Red Hat OpenShift Documentation Team

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Abstract
The User Guide helps developers and administrators set up and configure a workstation to develop and
deploy applications in an OpenShift Online cloud environment with a Command Line Interface (CLI),
more commonly known as the Client Tools. This guide provides detailed instructions, and examples
where applicable, to help developers and administrators: Create and manage domains and SSL
certificates Develop, build, and deploy applications Manage applications and cartridges Monitor and
manage application storage and resources
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
.Preface
...............................................................................6
.........
1. Document Conventions 6
1.1. Typographic Conventions 6
1.2. Pull-quote Conventions 7
1.3. Notes and Warnings 8
2. Getting Help 8
2.1. Do You Need Help? 8
2.2. We Need Feedback! 9
.Chapter
. . . . . . .1.. .Introduction
. . . . . . . . . . .to
. . OpenShift
. . . . . . . . . Online
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
..........
1.1. Basic Architecture 10
1.2. Subscription Plans 10
1.3. User Interfaces 11
1.3.1. Management Console 11
1.3.2. Client Tools 12
1.4. What's New in Current Release 13
.Chapter
. . . . . . .2.. .Getting
. . . . . . .Started
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
..........
2.1. OpenShift Account 14
2.2. Client Tools 14
2.3. Basic Administration 14
2.3.1. Viewing Account Information 14
2.3.2. Ending Current Session 14
.Chapter
. . . . . . .3.. .Authentication
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
..........
3.1. Authorization Tokens 16
3.1.1. Introduction to Authorization Tokens 16
3.1.2. Creating Authorization Tokens 16
3.1.3. Viewing Authorization Tokens 17
3.1.4. Deleting Authorization Tokens 17
3.2. SSH Keys 18
3.2.1. Introduction to SSH Keys 18
3.2.2. Generating Keys Manually 18
3.2.3. Adding a Key 19
3.2.3.1. Adding a Specific SSH Key Type 19
3.2.4. Viewing All Public Keys 19
3.2.5. Viewing a Specific Public Key 20
3.2.6. Deleting a Key 20
3.2.7. Resolving Authentication Issues 20
3.2.7.1. Resolving Issues with Interactive Setup Wizard 20
.Chapter
. . . . . . .4.. .Domains
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
..........
4.1. Introduction to Domains 22
4.2. Domain Management 22
4.2.1. Creating a Domain 22
4.2.2. Listing Available Domains 22
4.2.3. Viewing a Domain 23
4.2.4. Renaming a Domain 24
4.2.5. Deleting a Domain 24
.Chapter
. . . . . . .5.. .Teams
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
..........
5.1. Introduction to Teams 26
1
.Chapter
. . . . . . .6.. .Domain
. . . . . . .Membership
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
..........
6.1. Introduction to Domain Membership 27
6.2. Managing Domain Membership 27
6.2.1. Adding a Member 27
6.2.2. Changing Member Role 27
6.2.3. Listing Members of a Domain 28
6.2.4. Listing Members of an Application 29
6.2.5. Removing a Member 29
.Chapter
. . . . . . .7.. .Custom
. . . . . . .Domains
. . . . . . . .and
. . . .SSL
. . . Certificates
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
..........
7.1. Introduction to Custom Domains and SSL Certificates 30
7.2. Managing Custom Domain Names 30
7.3. Managing Custom SSL Certificates 31
.Chapter
. . . . . . .8.. .Cartridges
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
..........
8.1. Introduction to Cartridges 32
8.1.1. Web Framework Cartridges 32
8.1.2. Add-on Cartridges 32
8.1.3. Downloadable Cartridges 33
.Chapter
. . . . . . .9.. .Applications
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
..........
9.1. Introduction to Applications 35
9.1.1. Application Life Cycle 35
9.1.2. Scalable and Non-Scalable Applications 36
.Chapter
. . . . . . .10.
. . .Application
. . . . . . . . . . Management
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
..........
10.1. General Information 38
10.2. Creating an Application 38
10.3. Cloning an Existing Application 42
10.4. Cloning the Remote Application Repository 43
10.5. Viewing Applications for a User 43
10.6. Scaling an Application Manually 44
10.7. Application Management Commands 45
10.8. Managing Applications in a Secure Shell Environment 46
10.8.1. Introduction to Secure Shell Environment 46
10.8.2. Accessing an Application 47
10.8.3. Accessing a Specific Gear 48
10.8.4. Accessing a Database Cartridge 49
10.9. Monitoring Gear and Cartridge Status with Watchman 50
10.10. Embedding 10gen MMS Agent 51
10.11. Scheduling Cron Jobs 51
10.12. Binding Applications to Ports 52
10.12.1. Configuring WebSocket Ports 54
10.12.2. Configuring Email Ports 54
10.13. Port Forwarding 54
10.13.1. Introduction to Port Forwarding 54
10.13.2. Application Port Forwarding 55
10.13.3. Gear Port Forwarding 56
10.13.4. Port Forwarding on Mac OS X 56
10.14. Deleting an Application 57
.Chapter
. . . . . . .11.
. . .Cartridge
. . . . . . . . Management
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
..........
11.1. Viewing Available Cartridges 59
11.2. Adding a Cartridge to an Application 59
11.3. Viewing Cartridges for an Application 60
11.4. Cartridge Management Commands 60
2
Table of Contents
.Chapter
. . . . . . .12.
. . .Build
. . . . .and
. . . Deployment
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
..........
12.1. Introduction to Deployment 62
12.2. Preparing an Application for Deployment 62
12.3. Deployment Mechanisms 63
12.3.1. Automatic Deployment 63
12.3.1.1. Configuring Automatic Deployment 63
12.3.2. Manual Deployment 63
12.3.2.1. Configuring Manual Deployment 63
12.3.2.2. Preserving Deployments 63
12.3.2.3. Deploying from a Git Branch 64
12.3.2.4. Deploying from a Snapshot 64
12.3.2.5. Viewing Previous Deployments 64
12.3.2.6. Activating a Previous Deployment 65
12.4. Action Hooks 65
12.4.1. Introduction to Action Hooks 65
12.4.2. Cartridge Action Hooks 65
12.4.3. Build and Deployment Action Hooks 66
12.4.4. Scaling Action Hooks 66
12.5. Environment Variables 67
12.5.1. Introduction to Environment Variables 67
12.5.2. Informational Environment Variables 67
12.5.3. Directory Environment Variables 67
12.5.4. Logging Environment Variables 68
12.5.5. Database Environment Variables 68
12.5.6. Library Environment Variables 69
12.5.7. Jenkins Environment Variables 69
12.5.8. Gear Environment Variables 70
12.5.9. JBoss Environment Variables 70
12.5.10. Ruby Environment Variables 71
12.5.11. Python Environment Variables 72
12.5.12. Custom Environment Variables 72
12.6. Hot Deployment 72
12.6.1. Introduction to Hot Deployment 72
12.6.2. Hot Deployment Build Details 73
12.6.3. Enabling and Disabling Hot Deployment 74
12.7. Jenkins Continuous Integration 74
12.7.1. Introduction to Jenkins 74
12.7.2. Configuring Jenkins 75
12.7.2.1. Configuring Jenkins with New Applications 75
12.7.2.2. Configuring Jenkins with Existing Applications 75
12.7.3. Building Applications with Jenkins 76
12.7.3.1. Building Custom Applications 77
.Chapter
. . . . . . .13.
. . .Gear
. . . . Storage
. . . . . . . and
. . . . Disk
. . . . Space
. . . . . . Management
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78
..........
13.1. Introduction to Gear Storage and Disk Space 78
13.2. Viewing Gear Storage 78
13.3. Adding Gear Storage 79
13.4. Setting Gear Storage 79
13.5. Removing Gear Storage 80
13.6. Tidying an Application 80
.Chapter
. . . . . . .14.
. . .Application
. . . . . . . . . . Backup
. . . . . . . and
. . . .Restoration
. . . . . . . . . . with
. . . . Snapshots
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82
..........
14.1. Introduction to Snapshots 82
14.2. Creating an Application Snapshot 82
14.3. Restoring from an Application Snapshot 82
14.4. Migrating an Application to Another Gear 83
3
. . . . . . . . History
Revision . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
..........
4
Table of Contents
5
Preface
1. Document Conventions
This manual uses several conventions to highlight certain words and phrases and draw attention to
specific pieces of information.
In PDF and paper editions, this manual uses typefaces drawn from the Liberation Fonts set. The
Liberation Fonts set is also used in HTML editions if the set is installed on your system. If not, alternative
but equivalent typefaces are displayed. Note: Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5 and later include the Liberation
Fonts set by default.
1.1. Typographic Conventions

Four typographic conventions are used to call attention to specific words and phrases. These
conventions, and the circumstances they apply to, are as follows.
Mono-spaced Bold
Used to highlight system input, including shell commands, file names and paths. Also used to highlight
keys and key combinations. For example:
To see the contents of the file m y_next_bestselling_novel in your current working

directory, enter the cat m y_next_bestselling_novel command at the shell prompt
and press Enter to execute the command.
The above includes a file name, a shell command and a key, all presented in mono-spaced bold and all
distinguishable thanks to context.
Key combinations can be distinguished from an individual key by the plus sign that connects each part of
a key combination. For example:
Press Enter to execute the command.
Press Ctrl+Alt+F2 to switch to a virtual terminal.
The first example highlights a particular key to press. The second example highlights a key combination:
a set of three keys pressed simultaneously.
If source code is discussed, class names, methods, functions, variable names and returned values
mentioned within a paragraph will be presented as above, in m ono-spaced bold. For example:
File-related classes include filesystem for file systems, file for files, and dir for
directories. Each class has its own associated set of permissions.
Proportional Bold
This denotes words or phrases encountered on a system, including application names; dialog-box text;
labeled buttons; check-box and radio-button labels; menu titles and submenu titles. For example:
Choose System → Preferences → Mouse from the main menu bar to launch Mouse
Preferences. In the Buttons tab, select the Left-handed m ouse check box and click
Close to switch the primary mouse button from the left to the right (making the mouse
suitable for use in the left hand).
To insert a special character into a gedit file, choose Applications → Accessories →
6
Preface
Character Map from the main menu bar. Next, choose Search → Find… from the
Character Map menu bar, type the name of the character in the Search field and click
Next. The character you sought will be highlighted in the Character T able. Double-click
this highlighted character to place it in the T ext to copy field and then click the Copy
button. Now switch back to your document and choose Edit → Paste from the gedit menu
bar.
The above text includes application names; system-wide menu names and items; application-specific
menu names; and buttons and text found within a GUI interface, all presented in proportional bold and all
distinguishable by context.
Mono-spaced Bold Italic or Proportional Bold Italic
Whether mono-spaced bold or proportional bold, the addition of italics indicates replaceable or variable
text. Italics denotes text you do not input literally or displayed text that changes depending on
circumstance. For example:
To connect to a remote machine using ssh, type ssh username@ domain.name at a shell
prompt. If the remote machine is exam ple.com and your username on that machine is
john, type ssh john@ exam ple.com .
The m ount -o rem ount file-system command remounts the named file system. For
example, to remount the /hom e file system, the command is m ount -o rem ount /hom e.
To see the version of a currently installed package, use the rpm -q package command. It
will return a result as follows: package-version-release.
Note the words in bold italics above: username, domain.name, file-system, package, version and
release. Each word is a placeholder, either for text you enter when issuing a command or for text
displayed by the system.
Aside from standard usage for presenting the title of a work, italics denotes the first use of a new and
important term. For example:
Publican is a DocBook publishing system.
1.2. Pull-quote Conventions

Terminal output and source code listings are set off visually from the surrounding text.
Output sent to a terminal is set in m ono-spaced rom an and presented thus:
books Desktop documentation drafts mss photos stuff svn

books_tests Desktop1 downloads images notes scripts svgs
Source-code listings are also set in m ono-spaced rom an but add syntax highlighting as follows:
7
package org.jboss.book.jca.ex1;
import javax.naming.InitialContext;
public class ExClient

{
public static void main(String args[])
throws Exception
{
InitialContext iniCtx = new InitialContext();
Object ref = iniCtx.lookup("EchoBean");
EchoHome home = (EchoHome) ref;
Echo echo = home.create();
System.out.println("Created Echo");
System.out.println("Echo.echo('Hello') = " + echo.echo("Hello"));

}
}
1.3. Notes and Warnings

Finally, we use three visual styles to draw attention to information that might otherwise be overlooked.
Note
Notes are tips, shortcuts or alternative approaches to the task at hand. Ignoring a note should
have no negative consequences, but you might miss out on a trick that makes your life easier.
Important
Important boxes detail things that are easily missed: configuration changes that only apply to the
current session, or services that need restarting before an update will apply. Ignoring a box
labeled “Important” will not cause data loss but may cause irritation and frustration.
Warning
Warnings should not be ignored. Ignoring warnings will most likely cause data loss.
2. Getting Help
2.1. Do You Need Help?

If you experience difficulty with a procedure or other information described in this documentation, visit the
Red Hat Customer Portal at http://access.redhat.com where you can:
search or browse through a knowledgebase of technical support articles about Red Hat products
submit a support case to Red Hat Global Support Services (GSS)
access other product documentation
8
Preface
You can also access the OpenShift web site at https://openshift.redhat.com/ to find blogs, FAQs, forums,
and other sources of information.
Red Hat also hosts a large number of electronic mailing lists for discussion of Red Hat software and
technology. You can find a list of publicly available mailing lists at
https://www.redhat.com/mailman/listinfo. Click the name of any mailing list to subscribe to that list or to
access the list archives.
2.2. We Need Feedback!

If you find a typographical or any other error in this manual, or if you have thought of a way to make this
manual better, we would love to hear from you! Please submit a report in Bugzilla:
http://bugzilla.redhat.com/ against the product OpenShift Online.
When submitting a bug report, be sure to mention the manual's identifier: Docs User Guide
If you have a suggestion for improving the documentation, try to be as specific as possible when
describing it. If you have found an error, please include the section number and some of the surrounding
text so we can find it easily.
9
Chapter 1. Introduction to OpenShift Online

OpenShift Online by Red Hat is a Platform as a Service (PaaS) provides developers and IT organizations
an auto scaling cloud application platform for deploying new applications on secure scalable resources
with minimal configuration and management overhead. OpenShift Online supports a wide selection of
programming languages and frameworks, such as Java, Ruby, and PHP. Integrated developer tools,
such as Eclipse integration, JBoss Developer Studio, and Jenkins support the application life cycle.
Built on Red Hat Enterprise Linux, OpenShift Online provides a secure and scalable multi-tenant
operating system for todays enterprise-class applications while providing integrated application runtimes
and libraries.
Report a bug
1.1. Basic Architecture

OpenShift Online provides disk space, CPU resources, memory, network connectivity, and an Apache or
JBoss server to create, deploy, and manage applications in the cloud. For most types of applications,
OpenShift Online creates a file system layout that you can use as a template for building an application.
It also generates a limited Domain Name System (DNS) so your application is accessible online.
The following table describes the basic system components of OpenShift Online.
Table 1.1. Basic Components
System Component Description

Gears Resource-constrained containers for application code where cartridges
run. Gears determine the amount of RAM and disk space available to a
cartridge.
Cartridges Cartridges provide the functionality to run applications. Numerous
cartridges are currently available to support languages such as Perl,
PHP, and Ruby, as well as many database cartridges, such as
PostgreSQL and MySQL.
The following gear sizes are available with OpenShift Online:
Small gears provide 512MB of RAM, 100MB of swap space, and 1GB of disk space
Medium gears provide 1GB of RAM, 100MB of swap space, and 1GB of disk space
Large gears provide 2GB of RAM, 100MB of swap space, and 1GB of disk space
By default, there are three small gears available with a total of 1.5GB of RAM and 3GB of disk space.
OpenShift Online can assign these three gears to a single application and its cartridges (Cron, MySQL,
etc.), use each gear for a separate application, or use the gears for scaling an application.
Report a bug
1.2. Subscription Plans

Currently there are three subscription plans available for OpenShift Online: Free, Bronze, and Silver. The
following table describes the features of each plan.
10
Table 1.2. Subscription Plans
Feature Free Plan Bronze Plan Silver Plan

Free Gears 3 small gears 3 small gears 3 small gears
Maximum Gears 3 small gears 16 small, medium, or 16 small, medium, or
large gears large gears
Available Gear Sizes Small Small, medium, and Small, medium, and
large large
Storage 1GB per gear 1GB per gear Up to 6GB per gear - no
extra cost
SSL Shared Shared and custom For custom domains
domains
Auto Scaling Limited to 3 gears Up to 16 gears Up to 16 gears
JBoss EAP with Java EE6 Only on small gears On small, medium, and On small, medium, and
Full Profile large gears large gears
Support Community Community Red Hat Professional
Visit https://www.openshift.com/ for more information on each subscription plan.
Report a bug
1.3. User Interfaces

There are two mechanisms available for interacting with OpenShift Online: the Management Console
and the command line interface (CLI), referred to as the Client Tools.
Report a bug
1.3.1. Management Console

The OpenShift Online Management Console is a graphical interface accessed with a web browser at
https://www.openshift.com/.
The Management Console is best suited for:
Setting up, administering and managing accounts

Launching new applications
Managing and monitoring applications
The following screenshot shows the home page of the Management Console when you first log into your
account. Each tab across the top navigation bar provides further functionality to help you manage your
account, applications, and more.
11
Figure 1.1. Management Console
The following table provides a brief description of the different pages and settings available in the
Management Console.
Page Description
Applications View and manage applications and cartridges. If there are no applications,
you can create new applications from this page.
Settings View and manage SSH keys, domains, and account authorizations.
Help Access to KBase articles, community forums, tutorials, and other community
resources. A wide variety of resources are available for diagnosing and
resolving issues with your account or your applications.
My Account View and manage account information, including account upgrades. This
page shows account details, subscription plan, and account usage. Red Hat
technical support is available from here depending on the plan subscription.
Note that the Management Console currently provides limited functionality. Therefore, most of the
instructions in this guide are for the client tools. However, tasks that can be performed in the
Management Console are highlighted accordingly in their respective sections.
An OpenShift Online user account is required for creating and managing applications within a unique
namespace. This guide assumes a user account is already set up and configured.
Report a bug
1.3.2. Client Tools

The client tools are used to manage an OpenShift Online environment using a command line interface,
and provide features that are not currently available in the Management Console.
The client tools are best suited for:
Coding
Debugging
12
Advanced application management
For example, although you can create an application using the Management Console, the application
must be cloned to your workstation to make any code changes, and then redeployed to the remote
server using the client tools.
Note
The rhc package found in the OpenShift Online client tools channel is based on the Red Hat
Enterprise Linux 6 RPM version of the client tools, and not the Ruby gem version, which is
updated more frequently. Therefore, some updated features may be temporarily only available for
the Ruby gem version. See the OpenShift Online Client Tools Installation Guide at
https://access.redhat.com/site/documentation to install the latest Ruby gem version of the client
tools and get all available features.
Report a bug
1.4. What's New in Current Release

For a complete list of all the new features available in the current release of OpenShift Online, see the
current edition of OpenShift Online Release Notes at https://access.redhat.com/site/documentation.
Report a bug
13
Chapter 2. Getting Started
2.1. OpenShift Account

Before you can develop OpenShift Online applications, you must register for an OpenShift Online
account at https://www.openshift.com/. During registration you are provided an opportunity to select a
subscription plan that suits your requirements. This guide assumes you already have an active OpenShift
Online account.
Note
Some features described in this guide are only available with a paid subscription plan.
Report a bug
2.2. Client Tools

As mentioned previously, the client tools provide access to advanced management features currently not
available in the Management Console. Therefore, most of the instructions provided in this guide assume
that the client tools are already installed and configured on your workstation.
See the Client Tools Installation Guide at https://access.redhat.com/site/documentation for more

information on how to install the client tools.
Report a bug
2.3. Basic Administration
2.3.1. Viewing Account Information

View basic information for an account with the following command:
$ rhc account
Example 2.1. Viewing Account Information
$ rhc account
Login [email protected]
-----------------------------------------------------
ID: 52424geb2587c836b106001b
Gears Used: 10
Gears Allowed: 16
Domains Allowed: 3
Allowed Gear Sizes: small
SSL Certificates: yes
Report a bug
2.3.2. Ending Current Session
14
Chapter 2. Getting Started
End the current session with the remote server and remove all local session files with the following
command:
$ rhc logout
Report a bug
15
Chapter 3. Authentication
3.1. Authorization Tokens
3.1.1. Introduction to Authorization Tokens

An authorization token is a secret value that is used to automatically log in to an OpenShift Online
account without entering login information each time. A token is also used to grant another user full or
partial access to an account, determined by the scope of the token. The following table describes the
different types of scopes available with authorization tokens.
Table 3.1. Authorization Token Scopes
Scope Description Validity

session Access to all API functions against an account. 1 day
read Read-only access to account resources, but cannot view 1 month
authorization tokens.
userinfo Access to login name, unique id, and user capabilities. 1 month
When the client tools are installed and the rhc setup command is initially run to configure the client
tools, the setup wizard prompts you to create an authorization token. If you answer YES, the wizard
creates a session token in the ~/.openshift directory. With this token, all client tool commands can be
run without entering your login credentials each time. When the token expires you are automatically
prompted to reenter login information to renew the existing token. See the Client Tools Installation Guide
at https://access.redhat.com/site/documentation for more information on installing and configuring the
client tools.
If an authorization token was not created when the client tools were installed, run the setup wizard again
with the rhc setup command to create one.
If an existing authorization token is no longer required and you do not wish to be prompted for token
renewal, run the rhc logout command to delete the token.
Report a bug
3.1.2. Creating Authorization Tokens

Create a new authorization token with the following command:
$ rhc authorization add --scopes Scope --note Name
Specify the scope for the token with the --scopes option, and a name for the token with the --note
option.
16
Example 3.1. Creating an Authorization Token
rhc authorization add --scopes session --note My_Token

Adding authorization ... done
My_token
--------
Token: 787a57211d42f251204136b05d490038830d9b7057f54f816c2a9fcd0c8333b8
Scopes: session
Created: 4:40 PM
Expires In: about 1 day
After creating a new authorization token, use the --token token_string global option to run rhc
commands as the user associated with the authorization token that was provided.
Report a bug
3.1.3. Viewing Authorization Tokens

View the tokens associated with your account with the following command:
$ rhc authorization list
Example 3.2. Viewing Authorization Tokens
$ rhc authorization list

My_token
--------
Token: 787a57211d42f251204136b05d490038830d9b7057f54f816c2a9fcd0c8333b8
Scopes: session
Created: 4:40 PM
Expires In: about 23 hours
RHC/1.8.0 (from laptop.example.com on x86_64-linux)

---------------------------------------------------
Token: 28f6e375dc7ea57b0dcabb3850d08ee9bc023f7df5dbfa4958afe7ad71d33e37
Scopes: session
Created: 12:58 PM
Expires In: about 19 hours
Report a bug
3.1.4. Deleting Authorization Tokens

Delete authorization tokens when they are no longer required, or to end access to your account by other
users:
Delete Specific Authorization Tokens
Delete one or more tokens with the following command, separating multiple tokens with commas:
$ rhc authorization delete token_1, token_2
Delete All Authorization Tokens
17
Delete all tokens associated with your account with the following command:
$ rhc authorization delete-all
Report a bug
3.2. SSH Keys
3.2.1. Introduction to SSH Keys

OpenShift Online uses the Secure Shell (SSH) network protocol to authenticate account credentials to
the OpenShift Online servers for secure communication, and supports both RSA and DSA keys for SSH
authentication. This section describes how authentication with OpenShift Online works, and provides
information on how to manage SSH keys for user accounts.
Successful authentication occurs when the public SSH key on your computer matches the public key that
has been uploaded to the OpenShift Online server. When the client tools are initially configured, the
interactive setup wizard generates a new pair of SSH keys in the default .ssh folder of your home
directory. The SSH key pair consists of the public key, id_rsa.pub, and the private key, id_rsa. As
part of the initial configuration, you have the option of automatically uploading the public key,
id_rsa.pub, to the OpenShift Online server. See the OpenShift Online Client Tools Installation Guide at
https://access.redhat.com/site/documentation for more information on how to configure the client tools.
The following table shows the types of SSH keys supported with OpenShift Online.
Table 3.2. Supported SSH Keys
ssh-rsa
ssh-dss
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
ecdsa-sha2-nistp256
ecdsa-sha2-nistp384
ecdsa-sha2-nistp521
Report a bug
3.2.2. Generating Keys Manually

The following instructions describe how to generate a new pair of RSA or DSA keys.
Procedure 3.1. To Generate SSH Keys Manually:
1. Run the following command to generate a pair of keys, replacing KeyType with the type of key to
generate:
18
$ ssh-keygen -t KeyType
2. Press Enter when prompted to save the key file in the default location:
...
Generating public/private rsa key pair.
Enter file in which to save the key (/home/username/.ssh/id_rsa):
/home/username/.ssh/id_rsa
Note
Red Hat recommends to save all SSH keys in the default location. If an id_rsa file already
exists, rename the new SSH key file to avoid overwriting the existing one.
3. Enter a passphrase or leave blank when prompted, then press Enter:
Enter passphrase (empty for no passphrase):

Enter same passphrase again:
Your identification has been saved in /home/username/.ssh/id_rsa
Your public key has been saved in /home/username/.ssh/id_rsa.pub.
...
Report a bug
3.2.3. Adding a Key

Once an SSH key has been generated, add the key by uploading it to the remote server with the
following command, replacing KeyName and KeyPath with the name and path of the key to upload:
$ rhc sshkey add KeyName KeyPath
Report a bug
3.2.3.1. Adding a Specific SSH Key Type

After an SSH key is generated, rather than uploading the key file, add the contents of the key file directly
to the remote server with the following command:
$ rhc sshkey add KeyName --type KeyType --content KeyContent
An SSH key is a long string of alphanumeric characters.
Report a bug
3.2.4. Viewing All Public Keys

View a list of all public keys associated with an account with the following command:
$ rhc sshkey list
19
Example 3.3. Viewing All Public Keys
$ rhc sshkey list

libra (type: ssh-rsa)
---------------------
Fingerprint: 43:f5:29:ad:9f:b8:b3:a6:e7:88:c9:7f:4c:a9:0c:ad
winKey (type: ssh-rsa)

----------------------
Fingerprint: 0c:16:81:e3:51:eb:12:90:f6:03:80:g2:a2:10:78:14
default (type: ssh-rsa)

-----------------------
Fingerprint: 43:f8:93:re:9f:a3:a8:f4:f3:34:g8:3d:1g:d8:3c:as
Available: true
You have 3 SSH keys associated with your account.
Report a bug
3.2.5. Viewing a Specific Public Key

View details of a specific key with the following command, specifying the name of the key:
$ rhc sshkey show KeyName
Report a bug
3.2.6. Deleting a Key

Delete an existing public key from the remote server with the following command:
$ rhc sshkey remove KeyName
Report a bug
3.2.7. Resolving Authentication Issues

Occasionally, a local public key might not match the public key stored on the OpenShift Online remote
server, or the matching key might not be found on the local file system. This can cause connection
issues, or the SSH key authentication process can fail, in which case a new pair of SSH keys must be
generated. If you are having problems authenticating, generate a new pair of SSH keys in one of two
ways:
Use the interactive setup wizard (recommended)

Manually generate and add SSH keys
Report a bug
3.2.7.1. Resolving Issues with Interactive Setup Wizard

Red Hat recommends resolving authentication issues with the interactive setup wizard to generate a new
pair of SSH keys. The interactive setup wizard also provides the option to automatically upload a new
public key to the OpenShift Online server. Launch the interactive setup wizard with the rhc setup
command and follow the onscreen instructions.
20
See the OpenShift Online Client Tools Installation Guide at https://access.redhat.com/site/documentation

for more information about the client tools and the interactive setup wizard.
Report a bug
21
Chapter 4. Domains
4.1. Introduction to Domains

An OpenShift Online domain forms part of an application's URL and is unique to an account. The syntax
for an application URL is application-domain.example.com. Each user name supports a single
domain, but you can create multiple applications within the domain. Note that a domain must be created
before you can create an application.
An OpenShift Online blacklist restricts the domain names that are available. A warning message informs
you if a blacklisted domain name has been selected when you attempt to create a domain.
Domain names consist of a maximum of 16 alphanumeric characters and cannot contain spaces or
symbols.
Report a bug
4.2. Domain Management
4.2.1. Creating a Domain

A domain is required to create applications on OpenShift Online. Create a new domain with the following
command, specifying the name of the domain:
$ rhc domain create Domain_Name
The following example creates a domain named autom obile.
Example 4.1. Creating a Domain
$ rhc domain create automobile
Creating domain 'automobile'
You may now create an application using the 'rhc app create' command
Note
The number of domains you can create depends on the type of account and its limitations. A
warning message alerts you when the account limitations are exceeded.
See Also:
Section 7.1, “Introduction to Custom Domains and SSL Certificates”

Section 10.2, “Creating an Application”
Report a bug
4.2.2. Listing Available Domains
22
Chapter 4. Domains
List all available domains for an account with the following command:
$ rhc domain list
Example 4.2. Listing Available Domains
$ rhc domain list

Domain automobile
---------------
Created: Oct 01 7:28 PM
Allowed Gear Sizes: small, medium
Domain automobile2
-----------------
Alternatively, run the rhc dom ains command to list all available domains.
Report a bug
4.2.3. Viewing a Domain

View information about the default domain with the following command:
$ rhc domain show
Example 4.3. Viewing a Domain
$ rhc domain show

Domain automobile
---------------
racer @ http://racer-automobile.example.com/ (uuid:

926056f8845b4e388b37f6735c89d0eb)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
--
Domain: automobile
Gears: 2 (defaults to small)
Git URL: ssh://926056f8845b4e388b37f6735c89d0eb@racer-
automobile.example.com/~/git/racer.git/
SSH: [email protected]
php-5.4 (PHP 5.4)

-----------------
Scaling: x2 (minimum: 2, maximum: 2) on small gears
You have 1 application in your domain.
If multiple domains exist, specify the name of the domain with the -n option:
23
$ rhc domain show -n Domain_Name
Report a bug
4.2.4. Renaming a Domain

When a domain is renamed, the old domain is deleted and a new one is created. Therefore, in order to
prevent data loss, a domain cannot be renamed if it contains any applications.
Procedure 4.1. To Rename a Domain:
1. Ensure the domain does not contain any applications with the following command:
$ rhc apps
Delete any applications that exist in that domain with the following command:
$ rhc app delete App_Name
Warning
Deleting an application deletes all remote data associated with that application, which
cannot be recovered.
2. Rename a domain with the following command, specifying the current domain name and the new
domain name:
$ rhc domain rename Old_Domain_Name New_Domain_Name
Example 4.4. Renaming a Domain
$ rhc domain rename olddomain newdomain

Renaming domain 'olddomain' to 'newdomain'... done
Applications in this domain will use the new name in their URL.
Report a bug
4.2.5. Deleting a Domain

The following instructions describe how to delete a domain if it is no longer required. However, note that
a domain cannot be deleted if it contains any applications.
Procedure 4.2. To Delete a Domain:
1. Ensure the domain does not contain any applications with the following command:
$ rhc domain show Domain_Name
Delete any applications that exist in that domain with the following command:
24
Chapter 4. Domains
Warning
Deleting an application deletes all remote data associated with that application, which
cannot be recovered.
2. Delete the domain with the following command:
$ rhc domain delete Domain_Name
Note
You must have at least one domain to create an application.
See Also:
Section 4.2.1, “Creating a Domain”
Report a bug
25
Chapter 5. Teams
5.1. Introduction to Teams

Multiple users can be part of a conjoined role within a domain called a team. A team counts as one
member of a domain and has the same permissions and restrictions as any domain member. Teams are
controlled by users, whereas global teams are controlled by the system administrator.
Domain members with an administrator role can change the role of a team that is a member of that
domain.
Teams and Roles
You can have explicit roles within a domain, and belong to a team which has a role within the domain.
The following team roles are available: view, edit, and adm in. If you have a specific role, and you are
on a team that has a different role, the effective role is the higher of the two roles. Therefore, the
following guidelines apply:
If you have the view role in a domain, and you are not on a team, you can view the domain.
If you are on a team that has the view role in a domain, you can view applications within that
domain.
If you have the edit role within a domain, and you are on a team that has the view role, you can
edit applications within the domain.
If you have the view role in a domain, and you are on a team that has the edit role, you can edit
applications within the domain.
If you do not have an explicit role in a domain, and you are on a team that has the edit role, you are
not listed in the domain membership, except within the team.
Creating and Configuring Teams
Currently, you can only create, populate, and configure teams with the REST API. See the OpenShift
Online REST API Guide at https://access.redhat.com/site/documentation for more information. The
capability to create and manage teams with the client tools will be available in the next release of
OpenShift Online.
Report a bug
26
Chapter 6. Domain Membership
6.1. Introduction to Domain Membership

Developers can collaborate on application development with domain membership. The following table
describes the three roles that are available in domain membership.
Table 6.1. Domain Membership Roles
Role Description
View Member has read-only access to view information about the domain and its
applications and cannot make any changes.
Edit Member can create, update, and delete all applications in the domain, and has
Git and SSH access.
Administer Member has access to all features, but cannot change allowed gear sizes or edit
the domain name.
The default role for each member is the edit role, but it can be changed.
Report a bug
6.2. Managing Domain Membership
6.2.1. Adding a Member

Add a user to a domain with the following command, specifying the user login and domain name. The
user login must be a registered OpenShift Online user.
$ rhc member add [email protected] -n Domain_Name
When adding a team to a domain, add the --type option with team specified:
$ rhc member add Team_Name -n Domain_Name --type team
A global team can be added with the --global option:
$ rhc member add Global_Team_Name -n Domain_Name --type team --global
A team can also be added by specifying the team ID:
$ rhc member add Team_ID -n Domain_Name --type team --ids
When adding a member or a team to a domain, they receive the default role of edit if not otherwise
specified. Use the --role option when adding a member or a team to specify a different role:
$ rhc member add [email protected] -n Domain_Name --role Member_Role
Report a bug
6.2.2. Changing Member Role
27
Change an existing member's role with the following command. Member_Role can be specified as view,
edit, or adm in:
$ rhc member update [email protected] -n Domain_Name --role Member_Role
Change an existing team's role by using the --type option:
$ rhc member update Team_Name -n Domain_Name --role Member_Role --type team
Or perform the same function using team IDs:
$ rhc member update Team_ID -n Domain_Name --role Member_Role --type team --ids
Report a bug
6.2.3. Listing Members of a Domain

View the existing members of a domain with the following command, specifying the name of the domain:
$ rhc member list Domain_Name
Example 6.1. Listing Domain Members
$ rhc member list automobile

Login Login Role Type
--------------------- ----------------- ------------ ----
[email protected] [email protected] admin (owner) user
myteam edit team
[email protected] [email protected] view user
[email protected] [email protected] edit user
[email protected] [email protected] admin user
Use the --all option to display all members, including team-members:
$ rhc member list Domain_Name --all
Example 6.2. Listing Domain Members
$ rhc member list automobile --all

Login Login Role Type
--------------------- ----------------- ------------ ----
[email protected] [email protected] admin (owner) user
myteam edit team
[email protected] [email protected] view user
[email protected] [email protected] edit user
[email protected] [email protected] admin user
[email protected] [email protected] edit (via myteam) user
Report a bug
28
6.2.4. Listing Members of an Application

View the existing members of an application with the following command, specifying the application name
with the -a option:
$ rhc member list -a App_Name
Example 6.3. Listing Application Members
$ rhc member list -a myapp

Login Role
----------------------- -------------
[email protected] admin (owner)
[email protected] view
Report a bug
6.2.5. Removing a Member

Remove an existing member from a domain with the following command, specifying the domain name
with the -n option and the user name to be removed:
$ rhc member remove -n Domain_Name [email protected]
Alternatively, remove all existing members from a domain by including the --all option:
$ rhc member remove -n Domain_Name --all
Remove a team from a domain by specifying the team name and adding the --type option:
$ rhc member remove Team_Name -n Domain_Name --type team
Report a bug
29
Chapter 7. Custom Domains and SSL Certificates
7.1. Introduction to Custom Domains and SSL Certificates

Custom domain aliases are designated so that applications can use custom DNS entries rather than the
domain generated by the system. Note that a CNAME record with your DNS provider is required for
custom aliases to work correctly.
Custom SSL certificates with domain aliases are available for added security to users with upgraded
OpenShift Online accounts.
Management Console
Click on an application name in the My Applications tab in the Management Console to view custom
domain name and SSL certificate management options for the selected application.
Report a bug
7.2. Managing Custom Domain Names

Adding a Custom Domain Name
Add a custom domain name to an application with the following command, specifying the application
name and custom domain name:
$ rhc alias add App_Name Custom_Domain_Name
Example 7.1. Adding a Custom Domain Name
$ rhc alias add racer fast.cars.com

RESULT:
Alias 'fast.cars.com' has been added.
Viewing Custom Domain Names
View domain name aliases and SSL certificate status with the following command, specifying the
application name:
$ rhc alias list App_Name
Example 7.2. Viewing Custom Domain Names
$ rhc alias list racer
Alias Has Certificate? Certificate Added

------------- ---------------- -----------------
fast.cars.com yes 2013-08-05
quick.cars.com no
30
Chapter 7. Custom Domains and SSL Certificates
Removing a Custom Domain Name
Remove a domain name alias from an application with the following command, specifying the application
name and the custom domain name to be removed:
$ rhc alias remove App_Name Custom_Domain_Name
Report a bug
7.3. Managing Custom SSL Certificates

Adding a Custom SSL Certificate
Add a custom SSL certificate to an alias with the following command.
$ rhc alias update-cert App_Name Domain_Name --certificate Cert_File --private-

key Key_File
If the private key is encrypted, specify the passphrase with the --passphrase option.
Viewing Custom SSL Certificate Status
View domain name aliases and SSL Certificate status with the following command, specifying the
application name:
$ rhc alias list App_Name
Example 7.3. Checking SSL Certificate Status
$ rhc alias list racer
Alias Has Certificate? Certificate Added

------------- ---------------- -----------------
fast.cars.com yes 2013-08-05
quick.cars.com no -
Removing a Custom SSL Certificate
Remove a custom SSL certificate from an alias with the following command, specifying the application
name and alias name:
$ rhc alias delete-cert App_Name Alias
Report a bug
31
Chapter 8. Cartridges
8.1. Introduction to Cartridges

Cartridges are the components of an OpenShift Online application, and contain the application code to
provide the actual functionality required to run applications. Cartridges are available to support various
programming languages, databases, monitoring services, and management. Adding a cartridge to an
application provides the desired capability without having to administer or update the included feature.
When added to an application, a cartridge is deployed to one or more gears based on its requirements.
Cartridges that listen to incoming traffic are placed on one or more gears, while other cartridges can be
placed across multiple gears of an application.
Report a bug
8.1.1. Web Framework Cartridges

Web cartridges are available for a variety of programming languages and frameworks, and an
application requires at least one web cartridge to listen to HTTP requests. The type of web framework
cartridge must be specified when an application is created. Cartridges that listen to incoming traffic are
placed on one or more gears, while other cartridges can be placed across multiple gears of an
application.
The following web framework cartridges are currently available with OpenShift Online:
Table 8.1. Available Web Framework Cartridges
Scalable Non-Scalable
JBoss AS Zend Server
JBoss EAP Jenkins Server
Node.js Do-It-Yourself (DIY)
Perl
PHP
Python
Ruby
Tomcat (JBoss EWS)
Report a bug
8.1.2. Add-on Cartridges

After an application is created with the required web framework cartridge, a number of add-on cartridges
can provide extra functionality and capabilities to applications, such as databases, scheduled jobs, or
continuous integration. The following table describes the functionality of the different types of add-on
cartridges available with OpenShift Online.
32
Chapter 8. Cartridges
Table 8.2. Add-on Cartridge Functions
Function Description
Database Provide the application with one of several database back ends. Examples
include MySQL and PostgreSQL.
Database management Provide functionality for managing the application's database using third-
party software. Examples include HAProxy.
Monitoring and Provide a range of options for managing and monitoring the application.
Management Examples include the Cron task scheduler, and the Jenkins Client.
The following add-on cartridges are currently available for OpenShift Online.
Database Cartridges
The following table describes all available database cartridges, and shows whether they are scalable or
not.
Table 8.3. Database Cartridges
Cartridge Scalable Description

MySQL Yes Multi-user, multi-threaded SQL database server.
MongoDB NoSQL Yes High-performance, open source NoSQL database.
PostgreSQL 8 Yes Advanced object-relational database management
system.
Management Cartridges
The following table describes all available management cartridges, and shows whether they are scalable
or not.
Table 8.4. Management Cartridges
Cartridge Scalable Description

phpMyAdmin 3 No Web-based MySQL administration tool.
HAProxy 1 Yes High performance TCP/HTTP load balancer.
Cron 1 Yes A daemon that runs specified programs at scheduled
times.
SwitchYard 0 No Lightweight service delivery framework providing full life
cycle support for developing, deploying, and managing
service-oriented applications.
RockMongo 1 No Web-based MongoDB administration tool.
Jenkins Client 1 No A client for managing Jenkins-enabled applications.
OpenShift Metrics 0 No An experimental cartridge for monitoring applications.
Report a bug
8.1.3. Downloadable Cartridges

Downloadable cartridges are available for new and existing applications along with the supported
standard OpenShift Online cartridges. These are custom cartridges created by users, or available from
33
the OpenShift community. These cartridges are downloaded and installed using the URL to the manifest
of the hosted downloadable cartridge.
Visit https://www.openshift.com/developers/download-cartridges for more community tips and information

on downloadable cartridges.
See Also:
Report a bug
34
Chapter 9. Applications
9.1. Introduction to Applications

When a new application is created, a URL with name of the application and the name of the domain is
registered in DNS. A copy of the application code is checked out locally into a folder with the same name
as the application. Note that different types of applications may require different folder structures.
Application components are run on gears.
With each new application that is created with the client tools, a remote Git repository is populated with
the selected cartridge, which is then cloned to the current directory on the local machine. The host name
and IP address of the application are also added to the list of known hosts in the ~/.ssh/known_hosts
directory.
The following table describes each component that makes up an OpenShift Online application.
Table 9.1. Application Components
Component Description
Domain The domain provides a unique group identifier for all the applications of a
specific user. The domain is not directly related to DNS; instead, it is
appended to the application name to form a final application URL of the
form http://App_Name-domain.example.com
Application Name The name of the application is selected by a user. The final URL to access
the application is of the form http://App_Name-domain.example.com
Alias DNS names can be provided for the application by registering an alias with
OpenShift Online and pointing the DNS entry to the OpenShift Online
servers.
Git repository A Git repository is used to modify application code locally. After the code is
applied, the git push command is required to deploy the revised code.
OpenShift Online provides dedicated /var/tm p and /tm p directories for each user application. The
/var/tm p directory is a symbolic link to /tm p. Each /tm p directory is completely isolated from the
/tm p directories of all other applications. Files that are untouched for any period of ten days are
automatically deleted from these directories.
Report a bug
9.1.1. Application Life Cycle

The following table describes the general life cycle of most OpenShift Online applications.
35
Table 9.2. Application Life Cycle
Process Description
Code Develop the application code with the desired language and tools. Continuously
push the application code to the applications remote Git source code repository.
Build OpenShift Online supports various build mechanisms, whether it is a simple
script, a personal Jenkins continuous integration server, or an external build
system.
Deploy Every application is composed of cartridges that simplify server maintenance and
configuration. OpenShift Online supports various technologies to provision the
required services automatically.
Manage OpenShift Online allows real-time monitoring, debugging, and tuning of
applications. Applications are scaled automatically depending on web traffic.
Report a bug
9.1.2. Scalable and Non-Scalable Applications

Applications are either scalable or not scalable. An application that is not scalable only consumes one of
the default quota of gears assigned. On the other hand, a scalable application consumes two of the
available gears; one for the high-availability proxy (HAProxy) itself, and one for the actual application.
When MySQL is added to an application, it is installed in its own dedicated gear. A great advantage of
scalable applications is the automatic allocation of resources based on demand. OpenShift Online
monitors resource requirements of a scalable application and automatically allocates resources
accordingly.
A scalable application can be scaled automatically or manually. New applications by default are
automatically scaled based on the number of requests. However, you can adjust the minimum and
maximum number of gears used by an application within the allowable limits to manually scale it.
How Scaling Works
Each application created on OpenShift Online must have at least one web framework cartridge; for
example, a PHP cartridge. When an application is scaled, a second cartridge, called HAProxy, is added
to the application. The HAProxy cartridge listens to all incoming web page requests for an application
and passes them on to the web cartridge, following defined guidelines for load monitoring.
As the number of web page requests to an application increase, the HAProxy informs OpenShift Online
when an overload of requests is detected. A copy of the existing web cartridge is then created on a
separate gear. In such a case, the web cartridge now has been scaled up two times. This process is
repeated as more web page requests are detected by the HAProxy cartridge, and each time a copy of
the web cartridge is created on a separate gear, the application scale factor increases by one.
If an application's ratio of total number of gears to HAProxy gears is ever greater than two, the routing
function of the HAProxy cartridge is disabled to the web cartridges collocated on their gear. This allows
full gear resource usage for the HAProxy cartridges, which continue routing requests to the web
cartridges of other gears. If the ratio returns to two or below, routing to the web cartridges of the
HAProxy gear is enabled again.
36
Figure 9.1. Cartridges on Gears in a Scaling Application
Report a bug
37
Chapter 10. Application Management
10.1. General Information

A reliable network connection is required because only a single attempt is made to create an application.
OpenShift Online makes seven attempts to see if the DNS entry for the new application exists. If it is not
found an error message is returned.
The --tim eout option on the command line is used to override the default values when there are
constant timeout issues. OpenShift Online uses two timeout parameters: a connection timeout, which
determines how long the client tries to connect to the server before timing out; and a read timeout, which
determines how long the client waits for a response from the server. The default connection timeout
value is 20 seconds. The default read timeout value is 120 seconds.
The --tim eout option affects both timeout parameters, but it can only be used to increase the default
values. The timeout value cannot be set to be less than the default. For example, if --tim eout 50 is
used, it sets the connection timeout value to 50 seconds, but does not affect the read timeout value.
Similarly, if --tim eout 150 is used, it sets both the connection and read timeout values to 150
seconds.
Report a bug
10.2. Creating an Application

Prerequisites:
Section 4.2.1, “Creating a Domain”
There are some factors that must be considered before you create an application. There are certain
aspects of the application that cannot be changed after it is created. For example, whether an application
is scalable or not must be specified when it is created. An application that is not scalable cannot be
changed to scalable after it is created, and vice versa. The web framework of a cartridge also cannot be
changed after an application is created. An application can be created with either the Management
Console or the client tools.
New applications are created with the rhc app create command and using the command options to
supply the required information, such as the type of web framework to be used with the new application.
Note that if multiple versions are available for the specified web framework cartridge, you are prompted
to specify the version number to use for the new application.
The following table describes some of the common options available when creating a new application
with the client tools.
38
Table 10.1. Options When Creating New Applications
Option Description
-n, --namespace [NAME] Domain where you wish to create the application.
-g, --gear-size [SIZE] Gear size determines how much memory and CPU a cartridge
consumes.
-s, --scaling Creates a scalable application.
-a, --app [NAME] Name for the application to be created.
--enable-jenkins [NAME] Enables Jenkins continuous integration, and creates a Jenkins
application if one does not already exist. The default name is
'jenkins' if a name is not specified.
Creating a Non-Scalable Application
Create a non-scaleable application in the default domain with the following command:
$ rhc app create App_Name Cart_Name
Example 10.1. Creating a Non-Scalable Application
$ rhc app create racer php-5.4

Application Options
-------------------
Domain: mydomain
Cartridges: php-5.4
Gear Size: default
Scaling: no
Creating application 'racer' ... done
Waiting for your DNS name to be available ... done
Cloning into 'racer'...

The authenticity of host 'racer-mydomain.rhcloud.com (50.19.129.28)' can't be
established.
RSA key fingerprint is cf:ee:77:cb:0e:fc:02:d7:72:7e:ae:80:c0:90:88:a7.
Are you sure you want to continue connecting (yes/no)? yes
Warning: Permanently added 'racer-mydomain.rhcloud.com,50.19.129.28' (RSA) to
the list of known hosts.
Your application 'racer' is now available.
URL: http://racer-mydomain.rhcloud.com/
SSH to: [email protected]
Git remote: ssh://52ae91b8dbd93c8c43000001@racer-
mydomain.rhcloud.com/~/git/racer.git/
Cloned to: /home/blank/racer
Run 'rhc show-app racer' for more details about your app.
39
Creating a Scalable Application
Create a scalable application by adding the -s parameter to the command:
$ rhc app create App_Name Cart_Name -s
Example 10.2. Creating a Scalable Application
$ rhc app create racer php-5.4 -s
With a scalable application the automatic scaling feature is enabled by default. However, an application
can be scaled manually to control the number of gears that are used.
Note
At the time of this writing, if a scalable application is created, the scaling function of that
application cannot be disabled. However, it is possible to clone a non-scaling application and all its
associated data and create a new scaling application using the application clone command. See
Section 10.3, “Cloning an Existing Application” for more information.
Creating an Application from a Downloadable Cartridge
Replace the web framework type with the URL of the manifest for the hosted cartridge to create an
application from a downloadable cartridge:
$ rhc app create App_Name https://www.example.com/manifest.yml
Creating an Application in a Specific Domain
As described in Section 4.2.1, “Creating a Domain”, each domain supports multiple applications.
Therefore, if there are multiple domains associated with an account, you must specify in which domain to
create the new application with the -n option:
$ rhc app create App_Name Cart_Name -n Domain_Name
When multiple applications are created in a domain, the application URLs are as follows:
http://app1-domain.example.com
http://app2-domain.example.com
Creating an Appliation With Jenkins Continuous Integration
Create an application and enable Jenkins continuous integration:
$ rhc app create App_Name Cart_Name --enable-jenkins Jenkins_App_Name
This command creates a Jenkins application, and then adds the Jenkins client cartridge to the specified
application.
40
Example 10.3. Creating an Application With Jenkins Continuous Integration
$ rhc app create mynewapp php-5.4 --enable-jenkins myjenkinsapp

Application Options
-------------------
Domain: mydomain
Cartridges: php-5.4
Gear Size: default
Scaling: no
Creating application 'mynewapp' ... done
Setting up a Jenkins application ... done
Jenkins created successfully. Please make note of these credentials:
User: admin
Password: wEXesNXyEe1M
Note: You can change your password at: https://myjenkinsapp-

mydomain.rhcloud.com/me/configure
Setting up Jenkins build ... done
Associated with job 'mynewapp-build' in Jenkins server.
Waiting for your DNS name to be available ... done
Cloning into 'mynewapp'...

The authenticity of host 'mynewapp-mydomain.rhcloud.com (54.234.56.174)' can't be
established.
RSA key fingerprint is cf:ee:77:cb:0e:fc:02:d7:72:7e:ae:80:c0:90:88:a7.
Are you sure you want to continue connecting (yes/no)? yes
Warning: Permanently added 'mynewapp-mydomain.rhcloud.com,54.234.56.174' (RSA)
to the list of known hosts.
Your application 'mynewapp' is now available.
URL: http://mynewapp-mydomain.rhcloud.com/
SSH to: [email protected]
Git remote: ssh://52b10d7d2587c8415000012c@mynewapp-
mydomain.rhcloud.com/~/git/mynewapp.git/
Cloned to: /home/blank/mynewapp
Run 'rhc show-app mynewapp' for more details about your app.
Important
Take note of the login credentials for the newly created Jenkins application. These credentials are
required to log in to the Jenkins home page.
Creating an Empty Application
For build or other testing purposes, create an application of no specific type with the DIY cartridge:
41
$ rhc app create App_Name diy
The DIY cartridge creates an application that is not publicly available nor does it have anything running.
Start the application with git push and a .openshift/action_hooks/.
Note
When an application is created, automatic deployment is configured by default. This means that
each time you execute the git push command the application is automatically deployed and
visible to customers.
See Also:
Section 12.1, “Introduction to Deployment”

Section 12.3.1.1, “Configuring Automatic Deployment”
Section 12.3.2.1, “Configuring Manual Deployment”
Report a bug
10.3. Cloning an Existing Application

Create an application from existing application data using the following command:
$ rhc app create New_Name --from-app App_Name
This creates a new application using the same cartridges, gear sizes, and scaling and deployment
configurations as an already existing application. Note that aliases are not copied, because they are
unique to an application.
Use dom ain/ to clone an application from another domain you have access to:
$ rhc app create New_Name --from-app domain/App_Name
The following table outlines different options you can use to configure the new application and give it
different attributes than the original application:
42
Table 10.2. Application Clone Command Options
Option Description
--gear-size Gear_Size Use this option to change the gear size of the new
application. For example, if the original application
uses the small gear size, use this option with
medium for the new application to use medium
gears.
--[no-]scaling Use this option to configure the new application to
be either scaling or non-scaling. For example, if
the original application has scaling enabled, use
the --no-scaling option to disable scaling for the
new application and vice-versa.
--env En_var A cloned application will have the same
environment variables as the original application.
To add new environment variables to the new
application, use this option with any desired
environment variables. Additionally, you can
override any environment variables that were set
in the original application with this option and the
environment variables to replace them.
--no-git Use this to disable Git for the new application.
Report a bug
10.4. Cloning the Remote Application Repository

The remote application repository is not cloned to your local machine when an application is created with
the Management Console. Therefore, it must be manually cloned so that the application code can be
modified as required.
Clone the remote repository of an application into a local working directory with the following command:
$ rhc git-clone App_Name
Example 10.4. Cloning the Remote Application Repository
$ rhc git-clone racer

Cloning into 'racer'...
Your application Git repository has been cloned to '/home/apps/racer'
This command copies the template application files from the remote repository into the working directory
so that the application code and files can be modified to suit your requirements.
Report a bug
10.5. Viewing Applications for a User

If you have created applications, view a list of all your applications with the following command:
43
$ rhc apps
Example 10.5. Viewing Applications for User
$ rhc apps
racer @ http://racer-automobile.example.com/ (uuid:
926056f8845b4e388b37f6735c89d0eb)
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
--------
Domain: automobile
Created: Dec 19 10:20 PM
Git URL: ssh://926056f8845b4e388b37f6735c89d0eb@racer-
automobile.example.com/~/git/racer.git/
Deployment: auto (on git push)
php-5.4 (PHP 5.4)

-----------------
Gears: 1 small
Use the --m ine option to only list the applications that are within domains that you have created:
$ rhc apps --mine
Applications that you have access to, but did not create, will not be listed.
Report a bug
10.6. Scaling an Application Manually

Scalable applications can be manually scaled for various reasons that include:
If a certain load is anticipated on an application and it must be scaled accordingly.

There are a fixed set of resources for an application.
The cost must be controlled manually.
Procedure 10.1. To Scale an Application Manually:
1. View the cartridges associated with a scalable application with the following command:
$ rhc app show App_Name
44
Example 10.6. Showing a Cartridge's Information
$ rhc app show hybrid

hybrid @ http://hybrid-automobile.example.com/ (uuid:
fjoe04cabdc4efa8f2513a21e2ed27d)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
-----
Domain: automobile
Created: 11:48 AM
Git URL: ssh://fjoe04cabdc4efa8f2513a21e2ed27d@hybrid-
automobile.example.com/~/git/hybrid.git/
php-5.4 (PHP 5.4)

-----------------
Scaling: x1 (minimum: 1, maximum: available) on small gears
haproxy-1.4 (OpenShift Web Balancer)

------------------------------------
Gears: Located with php-5.4
Locate the scaling cartridges as required. The example shows that the php-5.4 cartridge is scaling.
2. Set the minimum and maximum amount of gears the cartridge can use for scaling with the
following command, specifying the application name and minimum and maximum number of
gears:
$ rhc cartridge scale Cart_Name -a App_Name --min Min_Gears --max

Max_Gears
Example 10.7. Setting the Maximum and Minimum Amount of Gears for a Cartridge
$ rhc cartridge scale php -a hybrid --min 1 --max 10

Setting scale range for php ... done
php-5.4 (PHP 5.4)

-----------------
Scaling: x1 (minimum: 1, maximum: 10) on small gears
Set the minimum and maximum gears back to 1 to stop a cartridge from scaling.
Report a bug
10.7. Application Management Commands

Applications are managed with the client tools using the rhc app command and the available options.
The following example shows the command syntax.
$ rhc app action App_Name [Options]
The following table describes the available application management command actions:
45
Table 10.3. Application Management Command Argument Options
Action Details
start Start an application.
stop Stop an application.
force-stop Stop all application processes.
restart Restart an application.
reload Reload an application.
show Show information about an application.
tidy Clean out the application's log files and tm p directories, and tidy up the Git
repository on the server.
create Create an application and add it to a domain.
delete Remove an application.
configure Configure an application's properties.
deploy Deploy a Git reference or binary file of an application.
The following table describes the available options with application management commands:
Table 10.4. Application Management Command Options
Option Description
-n, --namespace [NAME] Name of a domain.
-a, --app [NAME] Name of an application.
-l, --rhlogin [LOGIN] OpenShift Online user account.
-p, --password [PASSWORD] OpenShift Online account password.
Example 10.8. Starting an Application
$ rhc app start myapp -n mydomain

RESULT:
myapp started
Report a bug
10.8. Managing Applications in a Secure Shell Environment
10.8.1. Introduction to Secure Shell Environment

Managing applications in a secure shell environment provides specialized tools for advanced operations
and general debugging. Access to applications with the shell environment is protected and restricted with
Security-Enhanced Linux (SELinux) policies.
46
Important
Although accessing applications with the shell environment provides advanced operations,
accidental damage to an application can occur. Therefore, Red Hat recommends to use shell
access only when necessary.
The following table describes the available options when accessing applications in a secure shell
environment:
Table 10.5. Options for Accessing Applications in Secure Shell Environment
Option Description
-n, --namespace [NAME] Domain where you wish to create the application.
--ssh [PATH] Path to SSH executable or additional options.
--gears Execute the command on all application gears; requires a
command.
--limit [INTEGAR] Limit the number of simultaneous SSH connections that can be
opened with the --gears option; default is 5.
--command [COMMAND] Command to run in the application's secure shell environment.
-a, --app [NAME] Name for the application to be created.
Report a bug
10.8.2. Accessing an Application

When an application is accessed in a secure shell environment, the connection is made to the primary
gear of the application by default. The primary gear is the gear where the Git repository and the web
cartridge are located.
Access an application in a secure shell environment with the following command:
$ rhc ssh App_Name [Options]
47
Example 10.9. Accessing an Application in Secure Shell Environment
$ rhc ssh racer

Connecting to [email protected] ...
*********************************************************************
You are accessing a service that is for use only by authorized users.
If you do not have authorization, discontinue use at once.
Any use of the services is subject to the applicable terms of the
agreement which can be found at:
https://www.openshift.com/legal
*********************************************************************
Welcome to OpenShift shell
This shell will assist you in managing OpenShift applications.
!!! IMPORTANT !!! IMPORTANT !!! IMPORTANT !!!

Shell access is quite powerful and it is possible for you to
accidentally damage your application. Proceed with care!
If worse comes to worst, destroy your application with 'rhc app delete'
and recreate it
!!! IMPORTANT !!! IMPORTANT !!! IMPORTANT !!!
Type "help" for more info.
[racer-automobile.example.com 517623ecdbd93cdffa000001]\>
From the shell environment, run the help command to see the available shell commands. General
Linux commands are available for routine operations in the shell environment.
Specific SSH commands can be run by passing one or more arguments. A different SSH executable can
be used, or further options can be passed to SSH with the --ssh option.
Report a bug
10.8.3. Accessing a Specific Gear

As mentioned earlier, a secure shell environment connection is made to the application's primary gear by
default. However, a specific gear can be accessed for debugging gear problems in a scalable
application. The following instructions describe how to access a gear with the gear's ID and SSH URL.
Procedure 10.2. To Access a Specific Gear:
1. Determine the gear's ID and SSH URL with the following command:
$ rhc app show App_Name --gears
48
Example 10.10. Viewing Application Gears
$ rhc app show automobile --gears

ID State Cartridges Size SSH URL
------------------------ ------- ------------------- ----- -------------
---------------------------------------------------------------
51774b712587c83ddb00009d started php-5.4 haproxy-1.4 small
[email protected]
519b0fd02587c84b860002d8 started php-5.4 haproxy-1.4 small
519b0fd02587c84b860002d8@519b0fd02587c84b860002d8-automobile.example.com
519b1018dbd93c85180001fc started php-5.4 haproxy-1.4 small
519b1018dbd93c85180001fc@519b1018dbd93c85180001fc-automobile.example.com
519b06ebdbd93cd439000027 started postgresql-9.2 small
519b06ebdbd93cd439000027@519b06ebdbd93cd439000027-automobile.example.com
In the example output the ID of the first scaling gear is 519b0fd02587c84 b860002d8 and its
SSH URL is 519b0fd02587c84 b860002d8@ 519b0fd02587c84 b860002d8-
autom obile.exam ple.com .
2. Open a secure shell environment to the desired gear with the gear's SSH URL:
$ ssh 519b0fd02587c84b860002d8@519b0fd02587c84b860002d8-
automobile.example.com
Report a bug
10.8.4. Accessing a Database Cartridge

The integrity of a database is verified by connecting to an application using SSH and running the shell for
the database cartridge. A successful connection to the database shell indicates that the database has
been created correctly.
The shell for each database also offers a selection of management commands. See the appropriate
database documentation for more information on the available database shell commands.
Important
Although accessing applications with the shell environment provides advanced operations,
accidental damage to your application can occur. Therefore, Red Hat recommends to use shell
access only when necessary.
Procedure 10.3. To Manage a Database in a Shell Environment:
1. Access the desired application in a shell environment with the following command:
$ rhc ssh App_Name
2. From the application's shell environment prompt, run the appropriate command for the database
to access the interactive database shell:
Run the m ysql command to access the MySQL shell
Run the psql command to access the PostgreSQL shell
Run the m ongo command to access the MongoDB shell
49
Example 10.11. Accessing a MySQL Shell
[racer-automobile.example.com 515e21acdbd93c051d000022]\> mysql

Welcome to the MySQL monitor. Commands end with ; or \g.
Your MySQL connection id is 1
Server version: 5.1.71 Source distribution
Copyright (c) 2000, 2013, Oracle and/or its affiliates. All rights
reserved.
Oracle is a registered trademark of Oracle Corporation and/or its

affiliates. Other names may be trademarks of their respective
owners.
Type 'help;' or '\h' for help. Type '\c' to clear the current input
statement.
mysql>
Note
Since OpenShift Online does not allow editing MySQL server configuration, it may be necessary to
specify certain settings in the client connection string. For example, the default character set is
Latin-1. If you would like to use UTF-8 instead, set the character set and collation as parameters
on the connection string. For example, in a Java EE application, the URL would be specified in
persistence.xm l like:
<connection-url>jdbc:mysql://xxx.x.xxx.xxx:xxxx/databaseName?
useUnicode=yes&characterEncoding=UTF-8</connection-url>
For more information, see https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=1023944.
See Also:
Section 10.8.1, “Introduction to Secure Shell Environment”

Section 10.8.2, “Accessing an Application”
Report a bug
10.9. Monitoring Gear and Cartridge Status with Watchman

Use the Watchman tool to monitor the state of gears and cartridges. Watchman is primarily used to
automatically look for any gears that have ceased to function and attempt to restore them to their most
recent configuration. However, this only affects applications that have ceased to function because of
errors. Applications that you have stopped by choice are not affected.
Consult your system administrator for configuring Watchman or see the OpenShift Enterprise
Administrators Guide at https://access.redhat.com/site/documentation for more information.
Report a bug
50
10.10. Embedding 10gen MMS Agent

Use 10gen MMS Agent for monitoring and backing up MongoDB deployments.
Procedure 10.4. To Embed the 10gen MMS Agent into an Application :
1. Register an account at https://mms.mongodb.com.

2. Navigate to Settings → Monitoring Agent → Other Linux.
3. Follow the first step shown in the pop-up window to download the 10gen MMS Agent compressed
file.
4. Copy the compressed file to the .openshift/m m s/ directory.
5. Commit your changes to the remote Git repository.
6. Set the OPENSHIFT_MMS_API_KEY environment variable with the API Key listed under Settings →
API Settings.
# rhc env set OPENSHIFT_MMS_API_KEY=your_mms_api_key -a App_Name
7. Embed the 10gen MMS Agent cartridge.
# rhc cartridge add 10gen-mms-agent-0.1 -a App_Name
8. On the https://mms.mongodb.com website, click Hosts → + Add Host to add your MongoDB host.
Fill out the MongoDB host name, port number, and login credentials.
Report a bug
10.11. Scheduling Cron Jobs

Cron jobs for applications are created with the OpenShift Online cron scheduler. This is done by adding
the cron scheduler cartridge to an application, adding the required cron jobs to the appropriate
directories, and then updating the remote Git repository.
The following instructions describe how to enable cron support for an application. It is assumed the
application has already been created.
Procedure 10.5. To Enable Cron Support for an Application:
1. Add the cron scheduler cartridge to an application:
$ rhc cartridge add cron -a App_Name
2. Add the cron jobs to the application's

.openshift/cron/{m inutely,hourly,weekly,daily,m onthly}/ directories.
Example 10.12. Sample Cron File
$ mkdir -p .openshift/cron/minutely
$ echo 'date >> $OPENSHIFT_REPO_DIR/php/date.txt' >
.openshift/cron/minutely/date.sh
The example cron job appends a new line of date information to the
$OPENSHIFT _REPO_DIR/php/date.txt file every minute.
3. Commit the changes and push them to the remote repository:
51
$ git add .openshift/cron/

$ git commit -m "configuring cron jobs"
$ git push
Verify that the cron job script you create works correctly. For the script used in the example, verify that it
works correctly with the following command:
$ curl http://holy-roller.example.com/date.txt
Thu Feb 2 01:02:01 EST 2012

Thu Feb 2 01:03:01 EST 2012
Thu Feb 2 01:04:01 EST 2012
The scripts placed in the /cron subdirectories are executed at the respective frequencies. For example,
scripts in each subdirectory are executed in alphabetical order; scripts in the /cron/hourly directory
are executed on the first minute of every hour.
Disabling Cron Job Scripts
Disable all cron job scripts with the following command:
$ rhc cartridge stop cron -a App_Name
Enabling Cron Job Scripts
Enable all cron job scripts with the following command:
$ rhc cartridge start cron -a App_Name
Note
The cron commands affect all cron jobs. You cannot disable or enable individual cron jobs.
Report a bug
10.12. Binding Applications to Ports

All ports less than 1024 are reserved for OpenShift Online operations, and developers cannot bind to
these ports. However, ports greater than 1024 are available for binding, and the following table shows
the commonly used ports.
Important
While the following ports are suggestions for available applications or gears, ports 2303 - 2308
are reserved for OpenShift SNI Implementation, and port 10050 is reserved for the OpenShift
Online Zabbix agent. You cannot bind to these ports.
52
Table 10.6. Common Ports and Their Usage
Application Name Port Number Description

Git 9418 Git is used for version control.
MySQLd 3306, 63132-63164 My Structured Query Language
(MySQL) acts as a server
providing access to databases.
Mongod 27017 MongoDB acts as a server
PostgreSQL 5432 PostgreSQL acts as a server
MS SQL 1433-1434 MS SQL acts as a server
Oracle 1521, 2483, 2484 Oracle acts as a server
HTTP/HTTPS 8008, 8009, 8443 Hypertext Transfer Protocol
Secure (HTTPS) is used for
secure communication over a
server.
HTTP cache 8080, 8118, 8123, 10001-10010 HTTP cache is used for the
temporary storage of
documents.
memcache 11211 memcache is a memory caching
system.
jacORB 3528, 3529 JacORB is a Java request
broker.
JBoss Debug 8787 A debug program for JBoss
applications.
JBoss Management 4712, 4447, 7600, 9123, 9990, A management program for
9999, 18001 JBoss applications.
AMQP 5671-5672 Advanced Message Queuing
Protocol (AMQP) is used to
transfer messages between
applications.
PulseAudio 4713 PulseAudio is a server that
manages the use of audio
devices.
Flash 1935 Flash is a multimedia platform.
Munin 4949 Munin is a network monitoring
application.
Virt Migration 49152-49216 Virt migration is the copying of
one machine's data and moving
it to another.
OCSP 9080 Online Certificate Service
Protocol (OCSP) is a protocol
used for obtaining the status of
a certificate.
Ports 15000 - 35530 are available for binding internal IP, but these ports are not externally addressable.
53
You can also bind to $ OPENSHIFT _Cart_Name_PORT (8080) for HTTP connectivity, which reroutes
externally through port 80.
Report a bug
10.12.1. Configuring WebSocket Ports

Because the main routing layer is currently based on Apache, WebSocket can be used by connecting to
specific ports on an application. WebSocket connections are supported with browser based applications
on OpenShift Online, allowing bidirectional communication without requiring multiple, open HTTP
connections. The TCP based protocol uses HTTP as an initiation handshake which is handled as an
upgrade request. If successful, the connection remains open and switches to the WebSocket protocol.
For plain WebSocket connections (ws://), requests are directed to port 8000, while WebSocket Secure
connections (wss://) use port 8443, as shown in the following example:
http://example.example.com:8000
https://example.example.com:8443
Report a bug
10.12.2. Configuring Email Ports

OpenShift Online provides support for externally hosted email services, such as POP, IMAP, and SMTP.
An application can be connected to your own email server, or to one of the popular public email services,
such as Gmail or YahooMail. With support for popular blogging or wiki software, such as Drupal, Joomla,
MediaWiki, or WordPress, email settings of the software can be modified to point to the appropriate email
service.
The following ports are the suggested options for email support:
SMTP/submission: 25, 465, 587

IMAP: 143, 220, 993
POP: 109, 110, 995
Communication occurs at a limited rate. Port 587 (submission) is restricted to a maximum rate of 256
Kbps. Ports 25 (SMTP) and 465 (SMTPS) are restricted to a maximum rate of 24 Kbps. Both consume
an extremely small share of the available bandwidth if there is congestion.
Important
Note that access to email servers from cloud providers may be blocked by Realtime Blackhole
Lists (RBLs), affecting connections to some email servers. If you are unable to connect to one of
these services, ensure the email provider allows authenticated connections from Amazon AWS
EC2 hosts.
Report a bug
10.13. Port Forwarding
10.13.1. Introduction to Port Forwarding

Port forwarding permits connections to remote services from a local workstation, without having to
54
configure complicated firewall rules or SSH tunnels. The command used to forward ports to a local
machine includes a wrapper that configures SSH port forwarding. After the ports are forwarded, the list of
remote services and associated IP addresses that are being forwarded becomes available.
Report a bug
10.13.2. Application Port Forwarding

Configure port forwarding for an application with the following command, ensuring the application is
running before doing so:
$ rhc port-forward App_Name
Example 10.13. Configuring Port Forwarding for an Application
$ rhc port-forward myapp

Checking available ports ... done
Forwarding ports ...
Address already in use - bind(2) while forwarding port 8080. Trying local port
8081
8081
8082
To connect to a service running on OpenShift, use the Local address
Service Local OpenShift

------- --------------- ---- ------------------------------------------------
-------
haproxy 127.0.0.1:8080 => 127.9.159.130:8080
haproxy 127.0.0.1:8081 => 127.9.159.131:8080
httpd 127.0.0.1:8082 => 127.9.159.129:8080
mysql 127.0.0.1:50226 => 52347a1d2587c86695111697-
mydomain.rhcloud.com:50226
Press CTRL-C to terminate port forwarding
With port forwarding configured, access the remote application with a browser using the local ports.
The current implementation of the rhc port-forward command forwards all open ports on a running
application to your local workstation. If an application contains multiple cartridges, the command output
shows which remote services are being bound to local ports.
Specific ports are forwarded with the following command. Specify the local port and remote port as
required, as well as the gear ID, and application and domain name of the remote port:
$ ssh -L local_port:host:remote_port [email protected]
Example 10.14. Forwarding Specific Ports
$ ssh -L 8080:localhost:8080 70277280b8534c8a9fc76d2734393dfa@racer-

auto.example.com
55
This example allocates a socket to listen to the local port host 8080. When a connection to this port is
made, a secure channel forwards the connection to the remote host port 8080.
Report a bug
10.13.3. Gear Port Forwarding

Diagnosing problems with scalable applications is easier with port forwarding specific gears.
After you have determined the gear's ID, port forward that gear with the following command:
$ rhc port-forward App_Name -g gear_ID
Example 10.15. Port Forwarding a Specific Gear
$ rhc port-forward racer -g 522d59745973caccab0000c1

Checking available ports ... done
Forwarding ports ...
To connect to a service running on OpenShift, use the Local address
Service Local OpenShift

------- -------------- ---- -------------------
httpd 127.0.0.1:8080 => 127.12.166.129:8080
Press CTRL-C to terminate port forwarding
See Also:
Section 10.8.3, “Accessing a Specific Gear”
Report a bug
10.13.4. Port Forwarding on Mac OS X

Currently, out of the box, Mac OS X only provides the following interfaces for loopback addresses:
localhost
127.0.0.1
Therefore, port forwarding on Mac OS X may not work correctly. The following example shows error
messages that can occur when attempting to configure port forwarding using the IP address of an
application.
Example 10.16. Error Messages When Port Forwarding on Mac OS X
$ rhc port-forward myapp

Checking available ports...
Error trying to forward ports. You can try to forward manually by running:
ssh -N [email protected]
The current workaround to enable port forwarding on Mac OS X is to manually configure an alias for
56
each IP address used by the application:
$ sudo ifconfig lo0 alias application_IP_address
Example 10.17. Manually Configured IP Address
$ sudo ifconfig lo0 alias 127.10.51.129
Note
Root or administrative privileges are required to run the ifconfig command on Mac OS X.
If the application uses multiple IP addresses, you must configure an alias for each IP address. For
example, suppose a PHP application has both MySQL and phpMyAdmin cartridges added, and it uses
the IP addresses 127.11.25.1 and 127.11.25.2. For port forwarding to work correctly, configure an alias
for each IP address as shown in the following example:
Example 10.18. Configuring Aliases for Multiple IP Addresses

Finally, enable port forwarding with the rhc port-forward command.
Important
The IP address alias configured for an application is not persistent through system reboots. If the
system is rebooted, you must repeat these steps to correctly enable port forwarding on Mac OS
X.
Report a bug
10.14. Deleting an Application

Warning
Deleting an application deletes all remote data associated with that application, which cannot be
recovered.
Run the following command to delete an application and all associated remote data, answering yes
when prompted:
Note that this process only deletes remote application data. Data stored on your local machine must be
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manually deleted.
Warning
The following process deletes the selected directory and all its files, which cannot be recovered.
Ensure the correct directory is specified for deletion.
Deleting Local Data
Delete the local application data with the following command:
$ rm -rf ~/path/to/app_directory/
Report a bug
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Chapter 11. Cartridge Management
11.1. Viewing Available Cartridges

View a list of all available cartridges with the following command:
$ rhc cartridge list
This command displays all available web framework and add-on cartridges.
Report a bug
11.2. Adding a Cartridge to an Application

When adding a cartridge to an application with the client tools, there are several options available that
are used to specify the required information.
Table 11.1. Options When Adding Cartridges
Option Description
-e, --env [VARIABLE=VALUE] Environment variable(s) to be set on this cartridge. It can also be a
path to a file that contains the environment variables.
-g, --gear-size [SIZE] Gear size determines how much memory and CPU a cartridge
consumes.
-c, --cartridge [CART_TYPE] Type of cartridge to add to an application.
Add a cartridge to an application with the following command, specifying the desired cartridge and the
name of the application:
$ rhc cartridge add Cart_Name -a App_Name
Specifying Cartridge Gear Size
When adding a cartridge to an application, specify the cartridge gear size with the -g, or --gear-size
option along with the gear size. Note that this option is not available with non-scalable applications,
because the web cartridge and any add-on cartridges are placed on the same gear. Currently the gear
sizes available are small, medium, and large.
$ rhc cartridge add Cart_Name -a App_Name -g Gear_Size
Note
The medium and large gears are only available with the bronze and silver plans. Customers on
the free plan are limited to small gears. Log on to the Management Console at
https://www.openshift.com/ to view plan upgrade options.
Report a bug
59
11.3. Viewing Cartridges for an Application

View all cartridges associated with an application with the following command:
$ rhc app show App_Name
Example 11.1. List of Cartridges for an Application
$ rhc app show mynewapp

mynewapp @ http://mynewapp-mydomain.rhcloud.com/
(uuid: 5213190e2587c8817a000121)
----------------------------------------------------
Domain: mydomain
Created: Aug 20, 2013 3:21 AM
Gears: 2 (defaults to medium)
Git URL: ssh://5213190e2587c8817a000121@mynewapp-
mydomain.rhcloud.com/~/git/mynewapp.git/
php-5.4 (PHP 5.4)

-----------------
Scaling: x1 (minimum: 1, maximum: available) on medium gears
haproxy-1.4 (Web Load Balancer)

-------------------------------
mysql-5.5 (MySQL 5.5)

---------------------
Gears: 1 medium
Connection URL: mysql://$OPENSHIFT_MYSQL_DB_HOST:$OPENSHIFT_MYSQL_DB_PORT/
Database Name: mynewapp
Password: password
Username: username
Report a bug
11.4. Cartridge Management Commands

Manage cartridges with the client tools using the rhc cartridge command, with the following syntax:
$ rhc cartridge Action Cart_Type -a App_Name
The following table describes the available cartridge management actions:
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Table 11.2. Cartridge Management Actions
Action Details
list List supported cartridges.
add Add a cartridge.
remove Remove a cartridge.
stop Stop a cartridge.
start Start a cartridge.
restart Restart a cartridge.
status Return the current status of a cartridge.
reload Reload the configuration of a cartridge.
show Show information about a cartridge.
storage View and manipulate storage on a cartridge.
scale Set the scaling range of a cartridge.
The following table describes the available options with cartridge management commands:
Table 11.3. Cartridge Management Command Options
Option Description
-c, --cartridge [CART_TYPE] Name of cartridge.
Example 11.2. Stopping a Cartridge
$ rhc cartridge stop php -a mynewapp

Using php-5.4 (PHP 5.4) for 'php'
Stopping php-5.4 ... done
Report a bug
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Chapter 12. Build and Deployment
12.1. Introduction to Deployment

The application deployment process involves making any required changes to the application code,
committing those changes to the local repository, and then updating the remote repository. Application
files are stored in the local Git repository that was cloned when the application was created.
The deployment process uses the application's storage space as part of the build and test process. This
means that the running application must be shut down so that its memory can be utilized. Therefore, the
application is not available for the duration of the build.
The following table outlines and describes the associated tasks of the deployment process.
Table 12.1. The Deployment Process
Deployment Step Description

Pre-build This occurs when the git push command is run, but before the
push is fully committed.
Build This builds an application, downloads required dependencies,
executes the .openshift/action_hooks/build script and
prepares everything for deployment.
Deploy This performs any required tasks necessary to prepare the
application for starting, including running the
.openshift/action_hooks/deploy script. This step occurs
immediately before the application is issued a start command.
Post-deploy This step enables interaction with the running application, including
running the .openshift/action_hooks/post_deploy script.
This step occurs immediately after the application is restarted.
Report a bug
12.2. Preparing an Application for Deployment

When preparing an application for deployment, all files must be committed to the appropriate directories
in the local Git repository so that local application files are synchronized with the remote repository. The
local Git repository is then pushed to the remote repository. For example, the local files for a PHP
application are stored in the App_Name/php/ directory. The following instructions describe how to
prepare an application for deployment.
Procedure 12.1. To Prepare an Application for Deployment:
1. Add each new file and directory to the Git index:
$ git add path/to/newfile
2. Commit an application to the local repository:
$ git commit -m "commit message"
Report a bug
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12.3. Deployment Mechanisms
12.3.1. Automatic Deployment

When an application is created as described in Section 10.2, “Creating an Application”, it is configured for
automatic deployment by default. If the application code is changed locally, run the following commands
to commit and deploy the application automatically:
$ git commit
$ git push
The git push command sends the application data to the remote repository and automatically deploys
the application. The application automatically stops, builds, and restarts when the code changes are
pushed to the remote server.
Report a bug
12.3.1.1. Configuring Automatic Deployment

Automatic deployment is configured by default when a new application is created. However, if the
deployment mechanism was changed and you wish to revert back to automatic deployment, do so with
the following command:
$ rhc configure-app -a App_Name --auto-deploy
Report a bug
12.3.2. Manual Deployment

In contrast to automatic deployment, manual deployment of applications provides greater control of the
application deployment process. Manual deployments of an application can be from a Git reference,
such as commit ID, tag, or branch, or from a binary artifact. Because automatic deployment is configured
by default when a new application is created, it must be disabled to configure manual deployment for that
application.
Report a bug
12.3.2.1. Configuring Manual Deployment

Configure manual deployment for an application by disabling automatic deployment with the following
command, specifying the application name:
$ rhc configure-app -a App_Name --no-auto-deploy
This command enables manual deployment of an application so that when the git push command is
run, the application data is only pushed to the remote repository; the application is not deployed.
See Also:
Section 12.3.1.1, “Configuring Automatic Deployment”
Report a bug
12.3.2.2. Preserving Deployments

Preserving a number of deployments permits rollbacks to previous deployments of an application.
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Configure an application to preserve deployments with the following command:
$ rhc configure-app -a App_Name --keep-deployments No_of_Deps
where No_of_Deps is the number of deployments to keep in the application's history. Older deployments
are deleted when this number is exceeded.
Report a bug
12.3.2.3. Deploying from a Git Branch

When manual application deployment is configured, deploy an application from any Git branch with the
following command, specifying the Git branch to deploy from:
$ rhc configure-app -a App_Name deployment-branch Git_Branch
The Git references supported with this command are SHA, branch, and tag.
Report a bug
12.3.2.4. Deploying from a Snapshot

The following instructions describe how to deploy an application from a snapshot. Note that an
application can be deployed from a binary artifact.
Procedure 12.2. To Deploy From a Snapshot:
1. Save an application snapshot to build a deployable .tar.gz artifact:
$ rhc save-snapshot App_Name --deployment
2. Configure the application for binary artifact deployments:
$ rhc configure-app App_Name --deployment-type binary
Note that this command changes the application's deployment process and disables the git
push command.
3. Deploy the application using the binary artifact that was created:
$ rhc deploy ./app.tar.gz -a App_Name
Alternatively, use the following command to deploy from a URL:
$ rhc deploy http://foo.com/path/to/file.tar.gz -a App_Name
See Also:
Section 14.1, “Introduction to Snapshots”
Report a bug
12.3.2.5. Viewing Previous Deployments

Previous deployments are viewed with the following command:
$ rhc deployments App_Name
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This command displays the individual ID of each deployment, which is used to activate that deployment.
Report a bug
12.3.2.6. Activating a Previous Deployment

When manual deployment is configured, each application deployment contains a deployment ID, as
described in Section 12.3.2.5, “Viewing Previous Deployments”. Activate a previous deployment for an
application with the following command, specifying the deployment ID to activate:
$ rhc activate-deployment -a App_Name Dep_ID
Report a bug
12.4. Action Hooks
12.4.1. Introduction to Action Hooks

Various entry points, referred to as action hooks, are available to modify certain processes during an
application's life cycle, and are specifically used to interact with cartridges. These action hooks are
located in the App_Name/.openshift/action_hooks directory.
During a process that supports an action hook, the application action hook directory is checked for an
executable file matching the specified name. If it is found, the file is executed before control is returned to
the normal process. There are no specific implementation requirements on action hooks other than that
they be executable files. The action hook scripts are directly executed by OpenShift Online.
Report a bug
12.4.2. Cartridge Action Hooks

Cartridge action hooks are used by creating a file in the App_Name/.openshift/action_hooks
directory with the same name as the desired event.
Use the following list for a reference to all possible action hooks associated with a cartridge control
action.
Table 12.2. Cartridge Action Hooks
Action Description Event-specific examples

Start Start the software the cartridge controls. pre_start_Cart_Name,
post_start_Cart_Name
Stop Stop the software the cartridge controls. pre_stop_Cart_Name,
post_stop_Cart_Name
Reload The cartridge and the package software will re- pre_reload_Cart_Name,
read the configuration information. post_reload_Cart_Name
Restart Current cartridge process is stopped and started pre_restart_Cart_Name,
again. post_restart_Cart_Name
Tidy All unused resources are released. pre_tidy_Cart_Name,
post_tidy_Cart_Name
Cart_Name is a replaceable term used to represent the cartridge short-name. For example, for a
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JBossAS cartridge to be implemented during the pre-start process, create the file
App_Name/.openshift/action_hooks/pre_start_jbossas, edit it and add the desired
information.
Report a bug
12.4.3. Build and Deployment Action Hooks

The list of action hooks for build and deployment are:
pre-build
build
deploy
post-deploy
Create a new file in the App_Name/.openshift/action_hooks directory to use the build and
deployment action hooks. For example, to use an action hook during the application build phase, create
the file App_Name/.openshift/action_hooks/build, edit it and add the following to the file's
contents:
Example 12.1. Adding an Action Hook to the Build Process
echo Downloading my.zip...

curl -o $OPENSHIFT_DATA_DIR/my.zip
http://myserver/my.zip
The file is downloaded during the git push process.
Report a bug
12.4.4. Scaling Action Hooks

Automatic scaling is controlled by the haproxy_ctld daemon. The haproxy_ctld.rb script, which
changes the thresholds and algorithms used to control scale up and down behavior, can be customized
for use as an action hook in scalable applications.
Procedure 12.3. To Customize Automatic Scaling for an Application:
1. Use SSH to connect to a scalable application and consult the generic

~/haproxy/usr/bin/haproxy_ctld.rb script for detailed usage information.
2. Copy the file to the Git repository of the application in the
App_Name/.openshift/action_hooks/ directory.
3. Ensure the file is executable:
# chmod +x App_Name/.openshift/action_hooks/haproxy_ctld.rb
4. Edit the file to the desired specifications.

5. Deploy the changes. To ensure that the changes take effect immediately, the HAProxy cartridge
restarts automatically during deployment if the haproxy_ctld.rb action hook is detected.
Report a bug
66
12.5. Environment Variables
12.5.1. Introduction to Environment Variables

Environment variables are placeholders for values that are provided to a software program at runtime.
They are particularly useful when the values are likely to be different from one host system to the next, or
from one run to the next. Including these placeholders in applications makes the application code more
portable and flexible. This flexibility is critical for writing applications that are easily deployed and scaled
on OpenShift Online.
A number of standardized environment variables are available for applications hosted on OpenShift
Online. These variables serve as placeholders for application names, commonly accessed directory
names, user names, passwords, host names, IP addresses, and more. The specific environment
variables that are available to a given application is determined by the cartridges that have been added
to that application. For example, an application with PHP and MySQL has access to environment
variables that expose the PHP path information, including the host, port, user name, and password
necessary for connecting to the MySQL database.
There are two ways to view the environment variables for an application:
1. Add an export statement to the App_Name/.openshift/action_hooks/build file, then run

git push. The variables are listed in the Git output and start with rem ote: declare -x.
2. Access the application with SSH and run the env command at the shell prompt.
Report a bug
12.5.2. Informational Environment Variables

Informational environment variables provide information about an application. These variables are
always available to the application, regardless of which cartridges the application is using.
Table 12.3. Informational Environment Variables
Environment Variable Name Purpose

OPENSHIFT _APP_DNS The fully-qualified domain namespace of the application.
OPENSHIFT _APP_NAME The name of the application.
OPENSHIFT _APP_UUID The UUID of the application (32 hexadecimal characters).
OPENSHIFT _Cart_Name_IP The IP address the application listens on.
OPENSHIFT _Cart_Name_PORT The port the application receives requests from.
OPENSHIFT _SECRET _T OKEN A 128-character string unique to an application that can be
used for authentication, and can be overridden with the rhc
env set command.
Report a bug
12.5.3. Directory Environment Variables

Directory environment variables return the directories where an application resides. These variables are
always available to the application, regardless of which cartridges the application is using.
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Table 12.4. Directory Environment Variables

OPENSHIFT _HOMEDIR The home directory of the application.
OPENSHIFT _DAT A_DIR A persistent data directory.
OPENSHIFT _REPO_DIR Repository containing the currently deployed
version of the application.
OPENSHIFT _T MP_DIR A temporary directory you can use; SELinux
protects data in this directory from other users.
OPENSHIFT _LOG_DIR Where all cartridge logs are stored.
Note
Many of these directories are emptied and rebuilt whenever new code is pushed to an application.
The only persistent directory is OPENSHIFT _DAT A_DIR. Therefore, Red Hat recommends that
you store persistent files in the OPENSHIFT _DAT A_DIR directory.
Report a bug
12.5.4. Logging Environment Variables

Logging environment variables are available to configure the behavior of logs generated by an
application. When logs are written to the OPENSHIFT _LOG_DIR directory of an application, log files are
rolled if their file size exceeds a configurable threshold. A configurable number of rolled files are retained
before the oldest file is removed prior to the next roll.
Table 12.5. Logging Environment Variables

LOGSHIFT ER_Cart_Name_MAX_FILESIZE A case-insensitive string representing the maximum
log file size that triggers a roll event. The default value
is 10M. If a zero size is specified regardless of the unit,
log rolling is effectively disabled.
LOGSHIFT ER_Cart_Name_MAX_FILES An integer representing the maximum number of log
files to retain. The default is 10.
Cart_Nam e is a replaceable term used to represent the cartridge short-name. The

LOGSHIFT ER_Cart_Name_MAX_FILESIZE variable accepts strings in kilobytes, megabytes, gigabytes,
and terabytes. For example, for an application with a PHP cartridge, any of the following values would be
valid:
LOGSHIFTER_PHP_MAX_FILESIZE=500K
LOGSHIFTER_PHP_MAX_FILESIZE=10M
LOGSHIFTER_PHP_MAX_FILESIZE=2G
LOGSHIFTER_PHP_MAX_FILESIZE=1T
Report a bug
12.5.5. Database Environment Variables
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Database environment variables pertain to a database, if one exists, and are used to connect an
application to a database. The exact variable names depend on the type of database; the value of
<database> is MONGODB, MYSQL, or POSTGRESQL as appropriate. Note that these connections are
only available to an application internally; you cannot connect from an external source.
OpenShift Online does not currently support user changes to environment variables. This includes
changing the default MySQL admin password (even outside of phpMyAdmin). If the password is
changed, ensure the change takes effect correctly. Note that this restriction only applies to the default
administrative user. You can add more users as required, and specify a custom password for these
users.
Table 12.6. Database Environment Variables

OPENSHIFT _Cart_Name_DB_HOST The host name or IP address used to connect to the
database.
OPENSHIFT _Cart_Name_DB_PORT The port the database server is listening on.
OPENSHIFT _Cart_Name_DB_USERNAME The database administrative user name.
OPENSHIFT _Cart_Name_DB_PASSWORD The database administrative user's password.
OPENSHIFT _Cart_Name_DB_SOCKET An AF socket for connecting to the database (for non-
scaled apps only).
OPENSHIFT _Cart_Name_DB_URL Database connection URL.
Report a bug
12.5.6. Library Environment Variables

Library environment variables are used for customizing the location of bundled files.
Table 12.7. Library Environment Variables

OPENSHIFT _Cart_Name_LD_LIBRARY_PAT H_ELEMENT Configures the location of each
cartridge's library file.
Note
The global directory for a cartridge is set with LD_LIBRARY_PAT H. However, cartridges may be
competing for a place in the set directory. Configure the destination of each cartridge's files with
OPENSHIFT _Cart_Name_LD_LIBRARY_PAT H_ELEMENT to merge each cartridge's library into
the global directory. Note that the order that the files are entered into the global directory is add-
on cartridges first, then web framework cartridges. Red Hat recommends not changing the
location of the LD_LIBRARY_PAT H environment variable.
Report a bug
12.5.7. Jenkins Environment Variables

Jenkins environment variables are available if an application has Jenkins enabled.
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Table 12.8. Jenkins Environment Variables

JENKINS_USERNAME System builder account on the Jenkins server.
JENKINS_PASSWORD Password for the system builder account on the Jenkins
server.
JENKINS_URL DNS name for the associated Jenkins server where builds
occur.
See the OpenShift Online User Guide at https://access.redhat.com/site/documentation/en-US/ for more

information on environment variables.
Report a bug
12.5.8. Gear Environment Variables

Gear environment variables are available for scalable applications.
Table 12.9. Gear Environment Variables

OPENSHIFT _GEAR_DNS The fully-qualified domain name of the gear.
OPENSHIFT _GEAR_NAME The name of the gear.
OPENSHIFT _GEAR_UUID The UUID of the gear.
Report a bug
12.5.9. JBoss Environment Variables

JBoss environment variables are available for supported JBoss applications.
Table 12.10. JBoss Environment Variables

JAVA_OPT S Controlled by the cartridge and used to
specify additional arguments to the JVM
where JBoss application will run.
JAVA_OPT S_EXT Appended to the JAVA_OPTS environment
variable before the JVM is invoked, and used
to provide additional options to the JVM
without rewriting the JAVA_OPTS
environment variable. This allows developers
to better support their application users.
DISABLE_OPENSHIFT _MANAGED_SERVER_CONFIG Set to true and the standalone.xm l file
from the repository is ignored, as is the copy
that was retained.
JBoss environment variables are stored in the /App_Name/.openshift/config/standalone.xm l

file that is part of jbossas-7. The following example code shows the environment variables for a MySQL
datasource connection URL in the form jdbc:mysql://SERVER_NAME:PORT/DATABASE_NAME:
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<connection-
url>jdbc:mysql://${env.OPENSHIFT_MYSQL_DB_HOST}:${env.OPENSHIFT_MYSQL_DB_PORT}/${e
nv.OPENSHIFT_APP_NAME}</connection-url>
The environment variables can be saved on the server so that sensitive information is not repeatedly
passed to the command line. The following instructions describe how to set environment variables on the
server.
Procedure 12.4. To Set Environment Variables on the Server:
1. Open the App_Name/.openshift/config/standalone.xm l file.

2. Specify the required values for any of your environment variables, then save and close the file.
3. Commit and push the changes to the server:
$ git commit -a -m "COMMIT MESSAGE"

$ git push
Important
Sensitive information stored in environment variables is visible if you use the rhc snapshot
commands.
Note
If you use the jboss-cli.sh tool or the JBoss Management Console to edit the standalone.xm l
file, it only edits the local gear's standalone.xm l file and not the repository one provided by
your OpenShift cartridge template: App_Nam e/.openshift/config/standalone.xm l.
Manual changes will be lost upon an application restart, and the last version of the repository
standalone.xm l file will be used even if you remove the repository standalone.xm l file.
To make your jboss-cli.sh tool or JBoss Management Console changes persistent or to stop the
application from using the repository standalone.xm l file, set the
DISABLE_OPENSHIFT_MANAGED_SERVER_CONFIG environment variable to true by running:
# rhc env set DISABLE_OPENSHIFT_MANAGED_SERVER_CONFIG=true -a App_Name
Report a bug
12.5.10. Ruby Environment Variables

Ruby environment variables are available for supported Ruby applications.
Table 12.11. Ruby Environment Variables

OPENSHIFT _RUBY_LOGDIR Where cartridge-specific logs are stored.
BUNDLE_WIT HOUT Prevents Bundler from installing certain groups specified in
the Gemfile.
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Report a bug
12.5.11. Python Environment Variables

Python environment variables are available for supported Python applications.
Table 12.12. Python Environment Variables
Environment Variable name Purpose

OPENSHIFT _PYT HON_WSGI_APPLICAT ION Sets a custom path for the WSGI entry point.
OPENSHIFT _PYT HON_REQUIREMENT S_PAT H Sets a custom path for the pip requirements file.
When git push is run, any dependencies listed
in the requirem ents.txt file will be installed by
the Python cartridge.
Report a bug
12.5.12. Custom Environment Variables

Custom environment variables are user defined to use with applications.
Setting Custom Environment Variables
Set one of more environment variables for an application with the following command:
$ rhc env set Variable=Value Variable2=Value2 -a App_Name
Add additional Variable=Value arguments separated by spaces to set multiple variables.
Viewing Custom Environment Variables
View the custom environment variables set for an application with the following command:
$ rhc env list -a App_Name
Viewing the Value of a Custom Environment Variable
Display the value of one or more custom environment variables with the following command:
$ rhc env show Variable Variable2 -a App_Name
Removing Custom Environment Variables
Remove a custom environment variable with the following command:
$ rhc env unset Variable -a App_Name
Report a bug
12.6. Hot Deployment
12.6.1. Introduction to Hot Deployment

When the git push command is run to upload code modifications, OpenShift Online stops, builds,
72
deploys, and restarts an application. This entire process takes time to complete and is unnecessary for
many types of code changes. With hot deployment the changes to application code are applied without
restarting the application cartridge, resulting in increased deployment speed and minimized application
downtime.
OpenShift Online provides support for hot deployment through a hot_deploy marker file. If the marker
is present, supported application cartridges automatically hot deploy when the git push command is
executed.
Table 12.13. Application Types That Can or Cannot Be Hot Deployed
Type of Application Hot Deploy

JBoss Application Server Yes
JBoss Enterprise Application Platform Yes
Tomcat 6 (JBoss Enterprise Web Server 1.0) Yes
Tomcat 7 (JBoss Enterprise Web Server 2.0) Yes
PHP Yes
Perl Yes
Ruby Yes
Python Yes
Node.js Yes
Zend Server Yes
Jenkins No
HAProxy No
DIY No
Report a bug
12.6.2. Hot Deployment Build Details

JBoss AS, JBoss EAP, Tomcat 6, and Tomcat 7
When JBoss AS, JBoss EAP, Tomcat 6, and Tomcat 7 applications are hot deployed, the Maven build is
executed (either with Jenkins or without), but the server does not restart. Following the build, the JBoss
HDScanner notices any modifications and redeploys them. If previously deployed artifacts are removed
as part of the update, they are undeployed automatically.
PHP, Zend Server, Perl, Python, and Node.js
When PHP, Zend Server, Perl, Python, and Node.js applications are hot deployed, the application code is
built (dependencies are processed and user build action_hooks are run) and deployed to the application
server. The server does not restart. This is true regardless of whether an application has Jenkins
enabled or not. For applications that have Jenkins enabled, the build is performed on a Jenkins slave
instance and then synced to the gear(s) where the application server is running.
Ruby
When a Ruby application is hot deployed, the Passenger restart.txt file is touched, and the
application server serves the new code without requiring a full server restart. See the Passenger
Documentation for more information.
Report a bug
73
12.6.3. Enabling and Disabling Hot Deployment

Follow the instructions applicable to your operating system to enable or disable hot deployment.
Windows
Enable hot deployment by creating the hot_deploy marker file in the application's root directory with
the following command:
C:\app_directory> copy NUL > .openshift\markers\hot_deploy
Disable hot deployment by deleting the hot_deploy marker file from the application's root directory:
C:\app_directory> del .openshift\markers\hot_deploy
Mac OS X and Linux
Enable hot deployment by creating the hot_deploy marker file in the application's root directory:
[user@user app_directory]$ touch .openshift/markers/hot_deploy
Disable hot deployment by deleting the hot_deploy marker file from the application's root directory:
[user@user app_directory]$ rm .openshift/markers/hot_deploy
Report a bug
12.7. Jenkins Continuous Integration
12.7.1. Introduction to Jenkins

The Jenkins cartridge integrates with OpenShift Online applications to provide continuous integration by
monitoring execution of repeated jobs. Visit http://jenkins-ci.org/ for more information about Jenkins.
The Jenkins client cartridge must be added to a new or existing application for it to build with Jenkins.
After the Jenkins client cartridge is added to an application, the git push command initiates a build
process inside Jenkins. For custom applications, or applications that have no upstream repositories, the
build process is initiated directly from the Jenkins web interface rather than with the git push
command.
There are a number of benefits that come with using Jenkins to build applications:
Archived build information

No application downtime during the build process
Failed builds are not deployed; instead, a previous working version is left in place
Additional memory and storage resources are available
A large community of Jenkins plug-ins
Jenkins can be used to build any number of applications, and is only limited by the number of available
gears. For example, if a PHP application is created and MySQL database is on the first gear, then
Jenkins is added to a separate gear. A third gear is used for the Jenkins builder. In other words,
whenever the Jenkins builder is active, it occupies one of the available gears.
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Report a bug
12.7.2. Configuring Jenkins
12.7.2.1. Configuring Jenkins with New Applications

Jenkins is configured with a new application by using the --jenkins-enable option:
$ rhc app create App_Name App_Type --enable-jenkins Jenkins_App_Name
Add the -s to create a scalable application.
See Also:
Report a bug
12.7.2.2. Configuring Jenkins with Existing Applications

The following instructions describe how to configure Jenkins with an existing application. Note that
Jenkins can be configured with both scalable and non-scalable applications.
Procedure 12.5. To Configure Jenkins with an Existing Application:
1. Create the Jenkins application:
$ rhc app create App_Name jenkins-1
Example 12.2. Creating Jenkins Applications
$ rhc app create myjenkins jenkins-1

Application Options
-------------------
Domain: mydomain
Cartridges: jenkins-1
Gear Size: default
Scaling: no
Creating application 'myjenkins' ... done
Jenkins created successfully. Please make note of these credentials:
User: admin
Password: Zek_Mdtr86uq
Note: You can change your password at: https://myjenkins-

mydomain.rhcloud.com/me/configure
........
Run 'rhc show-app myjenkins' for more details about your app.
2. Add the Jenkins client cartridge to the specified application:
$ rhc cartridge add jenkins-client-1 -a App_Name
75
Example 12.3. Adding Jenkins Client to Application
$ rhc cartridge add jenkins-client-1 -a myapp

Adding jenkins-client-1 to application 'myapp' ... done
jenkins-client-1 (Jenkins Client)

---------------------------------
Job URL: https://myjenkins-mydomain.rhcloud.com/job/myapp-build/
Associated with job 'myapp-build' in Jenkins server.
Report a bug
12.7.3. Building Applications with Jenkins

Building applications with Jenkins uses dedicated application space, which can be larger than the
application runtime space. The Jenkins online build system monitors applications that have an
embedded Jenkins Client, and automatically rebuilds and deploys those applications whenever changes
to the Git repository are pushed to the remote server without any further interaction. The existing
application is not affected until a new, successful build has been created. If the build fails, the existing
application continues to run. However, note that a failure in the deployment process (deploy - start -
post_deploy) could leave the application partially deployed or inaccessible.
The actual build and deployment process that Jenkins executes involves the following steps:
1. The git push command is executed, and Jenkins is notified that a new push is ready.
2. A dedicated Jenkins slave (a builder) is created. The rhc apps command shows slave
information. The application name is the same as that of the originating application, but with a
.bldr suffix.
Important
The first 28 characters of the application name must be unique to avoid build issues that
are caused when builders are shared across applications.
3. Jenkins runs the build.

4. Content from the originating application is downloaded to the builder application using git (for
source code) and rsync (for existing libraries).
5. ci_build.sh is called from the Jenkins shell. This sets up the builder application for the Jenkins
environment and performs some built-in bundling steps (PHP pear processing, Python virtual
environment, etc).
6. .openshift/action_hooks/build is executed on the Jenkins builder.
7. Any additional desired steps are executed from the Jenkins shell (Maven build, Gem install, test
cases, etc).
8. Jenkins stops the currently running application, and runs rsync to synchronize all new content
over to the originating application.
9. .openshift/action_hooks/deploy is executed on the originating application.
10. Jenkins starts the originating application, and .openshift/action_hooks/post_deploy is
76
executed on this application.

11. Jenkins archives all build artifacts for later reference.
12. After 15 minutes of idle time, the "build app" will be destroyed and will no longer appear in the
output of the rhc apps command. The build artifacts, however, will still exist in Jenkins and can
be viewed there.
The build job can be monitored using the Jenkins interface. The interface provides an extensive range of
information about the current build, build history, artifacts, as well as plug-ins to graph, track, run tests,
and perform other operations.
Log all errors related to Jenkins, such as DNS timeout and builder configuration, with the following
command, specifying the name of the Jenkins application if it was changed:
$ rhc tail jenkins
Error logs for applications, such as compilation or test failures, are available from the Jenkins web
interface under the corresponding build history. Deployment related errors are logged in the application's
log files, and can be viewed with the following command:
$ rhc tail App_Name
Report a bug
12.7.3.1. Building Custom Applications

Build custom applications, or applications that have no upstream repositories, directly from the Jenkins
web interface instead of using the git push command.
Click on the icon of the application from the Jenkins web interface, located on the right side, to build
it.
View the status of the build process in the web interface under the Build Executor Status section.
Report a bug
77
Chapter 13. Gear Storage and Disk Space Management
13.1. Introduction to Gear Storage and Disk Space

As an application is developed and the changes are pushed to the Git repository, the amount of available
disk space to run an application slowly decreases. This is because Git stores all repository information,
whether it is still required or not. Other aspects of developing and running applications also result in
wasted disk space, such as old log files and unused application libraries. In such cases, either additional
storage is required, or the existing disk space must be optimized to achieve the best possible application
performance.
Gear storage and disk space can be managed with the client tools to optimize application performance.
Note
Additional gear storage is not available with all subscription plans. Therefore, ensure your account
allows additional gear storage before attempting to increase it. Log on to the Management
Console at https://www.openshift.com/ to view plan upgrade options.
Report a bug
13.2. Viewing Gear Storage

View the current gear storage allocation for each cartridge that exists in an application with the following
command:
$ rhc cartridge storage --show -a App_Name
Example 13.1. Viewing Gear Storage
$ rhc cartridge storage --show -a myapp

RESULT:
MySQL Database 5.5

------------------
Base Gear Storage: 1GB
Additional Gear Storage: 3GB
OpenShift Web Balancer

----------------------
Additional Gear Storage: None
PHP 5.4
-------
View gear storage for a specific cartridge by using the -c option to specify the cartridge:
78
$ rhc cartridge storage --show -a App_Name -c Cart_Name
Example 13.2. Viewing Gear Storage for a Specific Cartridge
$ rhc cartridge storage --show -a myapp -c php-5

RESULT:
PHP 5.4
-------
Report a bug
13.3. Adding Gear Storage

Add a specified amount of gear storage to an application with the following command, specifying the
application name and the amount of storage(GB) to add:
$ rhc cartridge storage Cart_Name -a App_Name --add Storage_Amount(GB)
Example 13.3. Adding Gear Storage
$ rhc cartridge storage php-5.4 -a myapp --add 3gb

Set storage on cartridge ... set to 3GB
Storage Info
------------
If the same command is used to add another 1GB of storage, there will be a total of 4GB of additional
gear storage.
Report a bug
13.4. Setting Gear Storage

Set a specific amount of gear storage for an application with the following command, using the --set
option.
$ rhc cartridge storage php-5 -a App_Name --set Storage_Amount(GB)
79
Example 13.4. Setting Gear Storage
$ rhc cartridge storage php-5 -a racer --set 5gb

Set storage on cartridge ... set to 5GB
Storage Info
------------
Note that this is different from the --add option because the exact amount of gear storage is specified,
rather than adding more storage to the existing amount.
Report a bug
13.5. Removing Gear Storage

Remove a specified amount of gear storage with the following command, specifying the application name
and the amount of storage to remove:
$ rhc cartridge storage Cart_Name -a App_Name --remove Storage_Amount(GB)
Example 13.5. Removing Gear Storage
$ rhc cartridge storage php-5 -a myapp --remove 3gb

Set storage on cartridge ... 2GB
Storage Info
------------
Report a bug
13.6. Tidying an Application

Tidying an application helps manage application disk space, and performs the following functions:
Run the git gc command on the application's Git repository on the server.
Clear the application's /tm p and log file directories that are specified by the application's
OPENSHIFT _LOG_DIR and OPENSHIFT _T MP_DIR environment variables.
Clear unused application libraries and remove any library files previously installed by a git push
command.
80
Important
Log files are not automatically backed up or rotated. Tidying an application runs the rm -rf
command to clear the contents of these directories. Before performing this step, save the log files
by creating a snapshot of the system with the rhc snapshot save command.
Tidy an application with the following command:
$ rhc app tidy App_Name
Report a bug
81
Chapter 14. Application Backup and Restoration with Snapshots
14.1. Introduction to Snapshots

Application snapshots are used to back up and restore applications. Snapshots are stored in tar.gz
files that contain the application and all local files, including log files.
Important
Application backups and user data are not stored on OpenShift Online servers. These files are
only stored on the local system.
Report a bug
14.2. Creating an Application Snapshot

Create an application snapshot with the following command:
$ rhc snapshot save App_Name
Example 14.1. Creating an Application Snapshot
$ rhc snapshot save myapp

Pulling down a snapshot to myapp.tar.gz...
Creating and sending tar.gz
RESULT:
Success
The command prompts for any required information. The default filename for the snapshot is
$App_Nam e.tar.gz and is created in your current directory. Choose a different filename or file path by
using the --filepath option to override the defaults.
Report a bug
14.3. Restoring from an Application Snapshot

Restoring from an application snapshot restores the Git repository, the application data directories, and
the log files found in the specified archive. When the restoration is complete, the deployment script is run
on the restored repository as though git push was run.
82
Chapter 14. Application Backup and Restoration with Snapshots
Warning
The rhc snapshot restore command overwrites the remote Git repository. Therefore, any
changes made since taking the snapshot are lost. Importing snapshot data into a local
environment can delete local content, for example a user table in a database. If you are unsure of
the effect a snapshot import could have on local data, use SSH to access an application and
create the backup directly.
Restore an application from an application snapshot with the following command, specifying the name of
the application:
$ rhc snapshot restore App_Name
Example 14.2. Restoring from an Application Snapshot
$ rhc snapshot restore myapp

Restoring from snapshot myapp.tar.gz...
Removing old git repo: ~/git/myapp.git/
Removing old data dir: ~/app-root/data/*
Restoring ~/git/App_Name.git and ~/app-root/data
Activation status: success
RESULT:
Success
If the override process was used to save an application under a different filename, as described in
Section 14.2, “Creating an Application Snapshot”, you can restore this snapshot version of an application
with the following command:
$ rhc snapshot restore App_Name --filepath Renamed_App
where App_Name is the name of the application, and Renamed_App is the file path where it was saved.
Report a bug
14.4. Migrating an Application to Another Gear

There may be cases when an application must be migrated to another gear. For example, when a free
plan is upgraded to a paid plan. In this case, an application created with the free plan exists on a small
gear, but with an upgraded plan that application can be migrated to a medium gear.
Procedure 14.1. To Migrate an Application to Another Gear:
1. Create a snapshot of an existing application:
$ rhc snapshot save App_Name
2. Verify that the App_Name.tar.gz file has been created in the working directory. After confirming
the application snapshot is saved, delete the existing application:
83
3. Create a new application using the same cartridges, but with the correct gear size:
$ rhc app create App_Name Cart_Name -g gear_size
4. Finally, restore the previously saved application snapshot to the newly created application. Be sure
to specify the correct path to the saved application snapshot:
$ rhc snapshot restore App_Name -f App_Name.tar.gz
Report a bug
84
Revision History
Revision History
Revision 1.0.43-1 Fri Apr 25 2014 Bilhar Aulakh
Updated Section 6.2.1, “Adding a Member” to include adding teams as domain members.
Added Teams chapter and Section 5.1, “Introduction to Teams”.
Added Section 12.5.4, “Logging Environment Variables”.
Updated Section 10.5, “Viewing Applications for a User” to view a list of only those applications that exist
under a domain created by current user.
Added Section 10.10, “Embedding 10gen MMS Agent”.
BZ 1077965: Fixed Section 8.1.2, “Add-on Cartridges” to show which cartridges are scalable.
Revision 1.0.42-0 Tue Apr 01 2014 Brice Fallon-Freeman

BZ 1077965: Fixed image in Section 9.1.2, “Scalable and Non-Scalable Applications”.
Added Section 10.3, “Cloning an Existing Application”.
Revision 1.0.41-0 Mon Mar 17 2014 Brice Fallon-Freeman

Added information on the Bronze Plan to Section 11.2, “Adding a Cartridge to an Application” and
Section 1.2, “Subscription Plans”.
Added Section 10.9, “Monitoring Gear and Cartridge Status with Watchman”.
Added Section 12.5.6, “Library Environment Variables”.
Added Section 12.5.11, “Python Environment Variables”.
BZ 1023944: Updated Section 10.8.4, “Accessing a Database Cartridge”.
BZ 1016151: Fixed command and example in Section 10.13.2, “Application Port Forwarding”.
Revision 1.0.40-2 Thu Feb 27 2014 Bilhar Aulakh

Restructured book.
BZ 1051190: Added Section 12.4.4, “Scaling Action Hooks”.
BZ 1065804: Fixed command error.
Revision 1.0.36-0 Tue Nov 26 2013 Bilhar Aulakh

Added information on specifying the size of cartridges.
Added information to clarify action_hooks.
Revision 1.0.35-0 Thu Nov 7 2013 Bilhar Aulakh

Added two new topics about action hooks for cartridges and during the build process.
Added information on configuring application deployment.
Added information on adding specific SSH key types.
Added information on managing domain membership with client tools.
Added information on disabling local gears with multiple HA proxies.
Added information on making deployment and rollback changes to applications.
Updated port information for binding applications.
Revision 1.0.34-0 Tue Oct 15 2013 Bilhar Aulakh

Added information on configuring application deployment.
Added support for PostgreSQL 9.2 from SCL.
Added SECRET_TOKEN environment variable.
Added Members section for domain membership.
Added support for multiple domains.
Added table and information about ports available for binding.
Revision 1.0.33-0 Wed Sep 18 2013 Bilhar Aulakh
85
Added information on port forwarding with individual gears.

Updated cartridge version numbers.
Added Custom Environment Variables section.
86

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OpenShift Online 1

Managing Applications in the Cloud with OpenShift Online

Red Hat OpenShift Documentation Team

Managing Applications in the Cloud with OpenShift Online

Red Hat OpenShift Documentation Team

Copyright © 2014 Red Hat.

Java ® is a registered trademark of Oracle and/or its affiliates.

All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

1.1. Typographic Conventions

To see the contents of the file m y_next_bestselling_novel in your current working

Press Enter to execute the command.

Press Ctrl+Alt+F2 to switch to a virtual terminal.

To insert a special character into a gedit file, choose Applications → Accessories →

Mono-spaced Bold Italic or Proportional Bold Italic

Publican is a DocBook publishing system.

1.2. Pull-quote Conventions

Output sent to a terminal is set in m ono-spaced rom an and presented thus:

books Desktop documentation drafts mss photos stuff svn

public class ExClient

System.out.println("Echo.echo('Hello') = " + echo.echo("Hello"));

1.3. Notes and Warnings

2.1. Do You Need Help?

2.2. We Need Feedback!

Chapter 1. Introduction to OpenShift Online

1.1. Basic Architecture

System Component Description

The following gear sizes are available with OpenShift Online:

1.2. Subscription Plans

Table 1.2. Subscription Plans

Feature Free Plan Bronze Plan Silver Plan

Visit https://www.openshift.com/ for more information on each subscription plan.

1.3. User Interfaces

1.3.1. Management Console

The Management Console is best suited for:

Setting up, administering and managing accounts

Figure 1.1. Management Console

1.3.2. Client Tools

The client tools are best suited for:

Advanced application management

1.4. What's New in Current Release

Chapter 2. Getting Started

2.1. OpenShift Account

2.2. Client Tools

See the Client Tools Installation Guide at https://access.redhat.com/site/documentation for more

2.3. Basic Administration

2.3.1. Viewing Account Information

Example 2.1. Viewing Account Information

2.3.2. Ending Current Session

3.1. Authorization Tokens

3.1.1. Introduction to Authorization Tokens

Table 3.1. Authorization Token Scopes

Scope Description Validity

3.1.2. Creating Authorization Tokens

$ rhc authorization add --scopes Scope --note Name

Example 3.1. Creating an Authorization Token

rhc authorization add --scopes session --note My_Token

3.1.3. Viewing Authorization Tokens

$ rhc authorization list

Example 3.2. Viewing Authorization Tokens