Open Stack

I must admit, I really like this idea of getting rid of all the devstack
params. It's always a mess looking up the functionality of the various
variables in the code when trying out something new.

I also understand the concern that was raised by somebody (couldn't find
it anymore) that the Neutron config defaults must not necessarily be the
values that make sense for devstack. So what about having some code in
the neutron devstack plugin defining the default values without using
fancy variables - so just using the initset?

On the other hand I find it useful to have access to some variables like
the HOST_IP or PHYSICAL_NETWORK. I don't want to hardcode my IP into
every setting and maybe I want to define a interface or bridgemapping
that takes use of the PHYSICAL_NETWORK var.
However it's still possible to define you own var in the local.conf and
use them in post_config...

But you already kind of convinced me to to that post-config way with the
macvtap integration... cause then it's just a matter of documentation...

Thanks


-- 
-----
Andreas (IRC: scheuran) 

On Fr, 2016-04-08 at 15:07 +0000, Sean M. Collins wrote:
> Prior to the introduction of local.conf, the only way to configure
> OpenStack components was to introduce code directly into DevStack, so
> that DevStack would pick it up then inject it into the configuration
> file.
> 
> This was because DevStack writes out new configuration files on each
> run, so it wasn't possible for you to make changes to any configuration
> file (nova.conf, neutron.conf, ml2_plugin.ini, etc..).
> 
> So, someone who wanted to set the Linux Bridge Agent's
> physical_interface_mappings setting for Neutron would have to use
> $LB_INTERFACE_MAPPINGS in DevStack, which would then be invoked by
> DevStack[1].
> 
> The local.conf functionality was introduced quite a while back, and
> I think it's time to have a conversation about why we should start
> moving away from the previous practice of declaring variables in
> DevStack, and then having them injected into the configuration files.
> 
> The biggest issue is: There is a disconnect between the developers
> using DevStack and someone who is an operator or who has been editing
> OpenStack conf files directly. So, for example I can tell you all about
> how DevStack has a bunch of variables for configuring Neutron (which is
> Not a Good Thing™), and how those go into DevStack and then end up coming
> out the other side in a Neutron configuration file.
> 
> Really, I would like to get rid of the intermediate layer (DevStack)
> and get both Devs and Deployers to be able to just say: Here's my
> neutron.conf - let's diff mine and yours and see what we need to sync.
> 
> Matt Kassawara and I have had this issue, since he's coming from the
> OSAD side, and I'm coming from the DevStack side. We both know what the
> Neutron configuration should end up as, but DevStack having its own set
> of variables and how those variables are handled and eventually rendered
> as a Neutron config file makes things more difficult than it needs to
> be, since Matt has to now go and learn about how DevStack handles all
> these Neutron specific variables.
> 
> The Neutron refactor[2] that I am working on, I am trying to configure
> as little as possible in DevStack. Neutron should be able to, out of the
> box, Just Work™. If it can't, then that needs to be fixed in Neutron.
> 
> Secondly, the Neutron refactor will be getting rid of all the things
> like $LB_INTERFACE_MAPPINGS - I would *much* prefer that someone using
> DevStack actually set the apropriate line in their local.conf
> 
> Such as:
> 
>     [[post-config|/$Q_PLUGIN_CONF_FILE]]
>     [linux_bridge]
>     physical_interface_mappings = foo:bar
> 
> 
> The advantage of this is, when someone is working with DevStack, the
> things they are configuring are the same as all the other OpenStack documentation.
> 
> For example, someone could read the Networking Guide, read the example
> configuration[3] and the only thing they'd need to learn is our syntax
> for specifying what file the contents go in (the "[[post-config|/$Q_PLUGIN_CONF_FILE]]" piece).
> 
> Thoughts?
> 
> [1]: https://github.com/openstack-dev/devstack/blob/1195a5b7394fc5b7a1cb1415978e9997701f5af1/lib/neutron_plugins/linuxbridge_agent#L63
> 
> [2]: https://review.openstack.org/168438
> 
> [3]: http://docs.openstack.org/liberty/networking-guide/scenario-classic-lb.html#example-configuration
>