[ironic] the fate of ironic-hardware-inventory-recorder-image
Hi folks!
The project in question (https://github.com/metal3-io/ironic-hardware-inventory-recorder-image) was created as part of our effort to allow updating introspection data in ironic-inspector from inside of already running ("active" in the ironic terminology) instances. It is a container image that packages ironic-python-agent in a way that limits its activity to finding ironic-inspector and posting data to it.
The initial plans did not happen, ironic-inspector is pending deprecation in favor of ironic's built-in inspection, and the project is unused by anyone in the Metal3 ecosystem. We want to archive and eventually remove it, but we've heard that some members of the ironic community (CERN? CC'ing Arne) are using it.
If you do have an interest in this approach, please reach out to me to organize a take-over of the project.
Dmitry
Hi Dmitry,
We have indeed been using "active introspection" in CERN's deployment to update the introspection data:
- when there was a bug in python-hardware which led to incomplete inventory data (which we only noticed after the nodes were moved into production), and
- to complete the inventory data of previously enrolled nodes where the list of data items to collect changed with time (to make sure all nodes have identically structured data in S3).
Active introspection is not part of our regular workflows, but it has proven to be handy when needed. I guess without this project (and/or a stand-alone inspector in general?) the possibility to update the inventory data of active nodes will disappear?
(Thanks for raising this!)
Cheers, Arne
________________________________________ From: Dmitry Tantsur dtantsur@protonmail.com Sent: Thursday, 4 July 2024 16:43 To: openstack-discuss Cc: Arne Wiebalck Subject: [ironic] the fate of ironic-hardware-inventory-recorder-image
Hi folks!
The project in question (https://github.com/metal3-io/ironic-hardware-inventory-recorder-image) was created as part of our effort to allow updating introspection data in ironic-inspector from inside of already running ("active" in the ironic terminology) instances. It is a container image that packages ironic-python-agent in a way that limits its activity to finding ironic-inspector and posting data to it.
The initial plans did not happen, ironic-inspector is pending deprecation in favor of ironic's built-in inspection, and the project is unused by anyone in the Metal3 ecosystem. We want to archive and eventually remove it, but we've heard that some members of the ironic community (CERN? CC'ing Arne) are using it.
If you do have an interest in this approach, please reach out to me to organize a take-over of the project.
Dmitry
Hi,
On 7/4/24 6:04 PM, Arne Wiebalck wrote:
Hi Dmitry,
We have indeed been using "active introspection" in CERN's deployment to update the introspection data:
when there was a bug in python-hardware which led to incomplete inventory data (which we only noticed after the nodes were moved into production), and
to complete the inventory data of previously enrolled nodes where the list of data items to collect changed with time (to make sure all nodes have identically structured data in S3).
Active introspection is not part of our regular workflows, but it has proven to be handy when needed. I guess without this project (and/or a stand-alone inspector in general?) the possibility to update the inventory data of active nodes will disappear?
Without this project, you can use something else (which may not exist), but yes, it will disappear without ironic-inspector since this functionality has not been migrated. Which is possible to do, but somebody needs to do the work, and the last time we discussed it, some community members (was it Jay?) where not thrilled about this idea in general.
Dmitry
(Thanks for raising this!)
Cheers, Arne
From: Dmitry Tantsur dtantsur@protonmail.com Sent: Thursday, 4 July 2024 16:43 To: openstack-discuss Cc: Arne Wiebalck Subject: [ironic] the fate of ironic-hardware-inventory-recorder-image
Hi folks!
The project in question (https://github.com/metal3-io/ironic-hardware-inventory-recorder-image) was created as part of our effort to allow updating introspection data in ironic-inspector from inside of already running ("active" in the ironic terminology) instances. It is a container image that packages ironic-python-agent in a way that limits its activity to finding ironic-inspector and posting data to it.
The initial plans did not happen, ironic-inspector is pending deprecation in favor of ironic's built-in inspection, and the project is unused by anyone in the Metal3 ecosystem. We want to archive and eventually remove it, but we've heard that some members of the ironic community (CERN? CC'ing Arne) are using it.
If you do have an interest in this approach, please reach out to me to organize a take-over of the project.
Dmitry
On Fri, Jul 5, 2024 at 4:50 AM Dmitry Tantsur dtantsur@protonmail.com wrote:
Hi,
On 7/4/24 6:04 PM, Arne Wiebalck wrote:
Hi Dmitry,
We have indeed been using "active introspection" in CERN's deployment to update the introspection data:
- when there was a bug in python-hardware which led to incomplete
inventory
data (which we only noticed after the nodes were moved into
production), and
- to complete the inventory data of previously enrolled nodes where the
list
of data items to collect changed with time (to make sure all nodes
have
identically structured data in S3).
Active introspection is not part of our regular workflows, but it has
proven to be
handy when needed. I guess without this project (and/or a stand-alone
inspector
in general?) the possibility to update the inventory data of active
nodes will disappear?
Without this project, you can use something else (which may not exist), but yes, it will disappear without ironic-inspector since this functionality has not been migrated. Which is possible to do, but somebody needs to do the work, and the last time we discussed it, some community members (was it Jay?) where not thrilled about this idea in general.
Dmitry
The unfortunate antipattern operators then get into, sans the functionality, is along the lines of deletion, and re-create and move of their baremetal nodes through the wider lifecycle baremetal nodes to have fresh introspection data, which is really the last thing we *want* them to ever do. The bottom line is if operators feel the functionality is useful, they need to help convey the business case and if possible volunteer a couple hours of time to push the needful change to do it. Some sort of statement in "this saves us $x amount of time per machine which adds up to $y hours a year.
(Thanks for raising this!)
Cheers, Arne
From: Dmitry Tantsur dtantsur@protonmail.com Sent: Thursday, 4 July 2024 16:43 To: openstack-discuss Cc: Arne Wiebalck Subject: [ironic] the fate of ironic-hardware-inventory-recorder-image
Hi folks!
The project in question (https://github.com/metal3-io/ironic-hardware-inventory-recorder-image) was created as part of our effort to allow updating introspection data in ironic-inspector from inside of already running ("active" in the ironic terminology) instances. It is a container image that packages ironic-python-agent in a way that limits its activity to finding ironic-inspector and posting data to it.
The initial plans did not happen, ironic-inspector is pending deprecation in favor of ironic's built-in inspection, and the project is unused by anyone in the Metal3 ecosystem. We want to archive and eventually remove it, but we've heard that some members of the ironic community (CERN? CC'ing Arne) are using it.
If you do have an interest in this approach, please reach out to me to organize a take-over of the project.
Dmitry
I think my opposition to it, originally, was mainly due to the ad-hoc nature of that design -- and running IPA on a machine while the instance is ACTIVE. With the advent of node servicing, configuring inspection to happen during node servicing seems like a reasonable solution for the use case that also fits within the project fairly well.
-- Jay Faulkner
On Fri, Jul 5, 2024 at 4:51 AM Dmitry Tantsur dtantsur@protonmail.com wrote:
Hi,
On 7/4/24 6:04 PM, Arne Wiebalck wrote:
Hi Dmitry,
We have indeed been using "active introspection" in CERN's deployment to update the introspection data:
- when there was a bug in python-hardware which led to incomplete
inventory
data (which we only noticed after the nodes were moved into
production), and
- to complete the inventory data of previously enrolled nodes where the
list
of data items to collect changed with time (to make sure all nodes
have
identically structured data in S3).
Active introspection is not part of our regular workflows, but it has
proven to be
handy when needed. I guess without this project (and/or a stand-alone
inspector
in general?) the possibility to update the inventory data of active
nodes will disappear?
Without this project, you can use something else (which may not exist), but yes, it will disappear without ironic-inspector since this functionality has not been migrated. Which is possible to do, but somebody needs to do the work, and the last time we discussed it, some community members (was it Jay?) where not thrilled about this idea in general.
Dmitry
(Thanks for raising this!)
Cheers, Arne
From: Dmitry Tantsur dtantsur@protonmail.com Sent: Thursday, 4 July 2024 16:43 To: openstack-discuss Cc: Arne Wiebalck Subject: [ironic] the fate of ironic-hardware-inventory-recorder-image
Hi folks!
The project in question (https://github.com/metal3-io/ironic-hardware-inventory-recorder-image) was created as part of our effort to allow updating introspection data in ironic-inspector from inside of already running ("active" in the ironic terminology) instances. It is a container image that packages ironic-python-agent in a way that limits its activity to finding ironic-inspector and posting data to it.
The initial plans did not happen, ironic-inspector is pending deprecation in favor of ironic's built-in inspection, and the project is unused by anyone in the Metal3 ecosystem. We want to archive and eventually remove it, but we've heard that some members of the ironic community (CERN? CC'ing Arne) are using it.
If you do have an interest in this approach, please reach out to me to organize a take-over of the project.
Dmitry
I feel like that is also reasonable, the downside will be an operator will have to take the workload down, which maybe okay if you know... they are replacing hardware in the chassis.
A reminder though, the code which is allowed to run in today's invocation is only the inspection portion of the code, which then exits.
On Fri, Jul 5, 2024 at 8:39 AM Jay Faulkner jay@gr-oss.io wrote:
I think my opposition to it, originally, was mainly due to the ad-hoc nature of that design -- and running IPA on a machine while the instance is ACTIVE. With the advent of node servicing, configuring inspection to happen during node servicing seems like a reasonable solution for the use case that also fits within the project fairly well.
-- Jay Faulkner
On Fri, Jul 5, 2024 at 4:51 AM Dmitry Tantsur dtantsur@protonmail.com wrote:
Hi,
On 7/4/24 6:04 PM, Arne Wiebalck wrote:
Hi Dmitry,
We have indeed been using "active introspection" in CERN's deployment to update the introspection data:
- when there was a bug in python-hardware which led to incomplete
inventory
data (which we only noticed after the nodes were moved into
production), and
- to complete the inventory data of previously enrolled nodes where the
list
of data items to collect changed with time (to make sure all nodes
have
identically structured data in S3).
Active introspection is not part of our regular workflows, but it has
proven to be
handy when needed. I guess without this project (and/or a stand-alone
inspector
in general?) the possibility to update the inventory data of active
nodes will disappear?
Without this project, you can use something else (which may not exist), but yes, it will disappear without ironic-inspector since this functionality has not been migrated. Which is possible to do, but somebody needs to do the work, and the last time we discussed it, some community members (was it Jay?) where not thrilled about this idea in general.
Dmitry
(Thanks for raising this!)
Cheers, Arne
From: Dmitry Tantsur dtantsur@protonmail.com Sent: Thursday, 4 July 2024 16:43 To: openstack-discuss Cc: Arne Wiebalck Subject: [ironic] the fate of ironic-hardware-inventory-recorder-image
Hi folks!
The project in question (https://github.com/metal3-io/ironic-hardware-inventory-recorder-image) was created as part of our effort to allow updating introspection data in ironic-inspector from inside of already running ("active" in the ironic terminology) instances. It is a container image that packages ironic-python-agent in a way that limits its activity to finding ironic-inspector and posting data to it.
The initial plans did not happen, ironic-inspector is pending deprecation in favor of ironic's built-in inspection, and the project is unused by anyone in the Metal3 ecosystem. We want to archive and eventually remove it, but we've heard that some members of the ironic community (CERN? CC'ing Arne) are using it.
If you do have an interest in this approach, please reach out to me to organize a take-over of the project.
Dmitry
participants (4)
-
Arne Wiebalck
-
Dmitry Tantsur
-
Jay Faulkner
-
Julia Kreger