Heat/Blueprints/ScalableResourceGroup

< Heat Launchpad Entry: HeatSpec:ScalableResourceGroup

Created: 26 July 2015

Contributors: Ahmed El-Khouly

Summary
Heat Resource Group types provide a convenient way to create several instances of identically configured nested resource maintain the size and readability of heat templates.

Heat provides for two types of resource groups:

(1) OS::Heat::ResourceGroup:

- Provides the ability to access a single resource attributes with the resource index.

- Provides an index_var variable that resources use to be replaced with resource index.

- Possible change of group size by changing count property and update the parent stack.

(2) OS::Heat::AutoScalingGroup/Policy:

- Dynamic change of group size triggered by signals.

- Policy defining characteristics of scale operation (size of adjustment, size of adjustment, cool down period).

- Group changes size by performing nested stack update.

Some cloud applications need a resource group type features allowing for finer control over resources in the group:

- Ability of removal or addition of specific resources- can be used for the recreation of a specific resource(healing).

It also allows for vnf controlled deloading sequence during scale-in operation.

- Scale by changing number of resources in the group- this is needed to respond to change in workload.

Release Note
TBD

Rationale
Some cloud applications need a new resource group with the following features:

1) Create an initial number of identically configured nested resources.

2) Add(Remove) specific resources within the group by specifying the indices of involved resources.

3) Scale out(in) by adjusting the group size (with a certain increment) when user defined triggers are met.

User Stories
1) Healing a (failed) resource by removing/adding the nested resource in the group. The recreated resource maintains the same resource index.

2) Scale out by adding a number of resources to the group.

3) Scale in by removing a number of resources according to a predefined criteria(increasing or decreasing order of age or index).

4) Scale out by adding specific resources to the group when certain criteria met(ex. increase in workload).

5) Scale in by selecting certain resources for removal according to a workload(ex. vnf) defined de-loading criteria.

Assumptions
None.

Design
(1) Define a new heat resource type: OS::HEAT::ScalableResourceGroup with the following properties: resource_def : Map Resource definition for the resources in the group. Required property. Can be updated without replacement.

index_var : String A variable that this resource will use to replace with the current index of a given resource in the group. Updates cause replacement. Optional property, defaults to “%index%”.

initial_size: Integer Initial number of resources in the group at creation time. Optional property, defaults to 1. The value must be at least 0.

max_size: Integer Maximum number of resources in the group. Optional Property, defaults to 1. Updates can cause creation/deletion of some resources according to scale_in_criteria/scale_in_order. The value must be at least 0.

min_size: Integer Minimum number of resources in the group. Optional property, defaults to 1. Updates can cause addition/removal of resources according to scale_in_criteria/scale_in_order. The value must be at least 0, less than or equal to max_size.

scale_in_criteria:String Removal criteria of resources in the group. Optional property, defaults to "Index". Possible Values: "Index" or "Age"

scale_in_order:String Removal order of resources in the group according to the specified criteria. Optional property, defaults to "Decreasing". Possible Values: "Increasing" or "Decreasing"

scale_batch_size:Integer Number of resources to be added/removed simultaneously. Optional property, defaults to 1. Possible Values: "Increasing" or "Decreasing"

scale_batch_pause:Integer Number of seconds between batches. Optional property, defaults to 0.

(2) Introduce ScalableResourceGroup class inherits from ResourceGroup. The new class adds a signal handler for signals with the following specification: command: String Actions to perform on the group. Possible Values: "ADD", "REMOVE", RECREATE, "SCALE_OUT", "SCALE_OUT"

parameters: depends on the command - ADD/REMOVE/RECREATE parameters: resources: List of Integers list of resource indices to add, remove or recreate - SCALE_OUT/SCALE_IN parameters: scale_size: Integer Size adjustment. Value Must be positive.