10 Steps to Cloud Happiness: Step 1 - Get a Cloud

Step 1 - Get a Cloud

Every journey starts at the beginning and this journey's no exception. It's 10 steps to cloud happiness and you need to start with the first step.

As previously presented in the introduction to this series of articles, you'll be taken through the 10 steps to your cloud happiness.

The storyline around a push towards digital transformation and the need to deliver applications in to a cloud service is why a private cloud become essential tool for delivering applications.

Delivering applications and working with all the new moving parts, like containers, cloud, platform as a service (PaaS) and digital journeys means a plan's needed to get started. Getting hands-on is the best way to quickly gain experience, so let's dive right in.

The first thing needed is a cloud, but not just some service online that' not hands-on. Running a cloud on premise means leveraging it as a test platform for application delivery while working right on your very own laptop.

From open source projects and the OpenShift community,
delivering a full container platform with OCP.

Get a cloud

Cloud happiness starts by satisfying a need for container development and shouldn't interfere with existing daily application delivery workflow.

Let's start by looking towards open technologies that operate on open standards and OpenShift Container Platform (OCP) does just that by working closely with open source projects to deliver a PaaS experience like no other.

The OCP install project has been set up to make the local installation a private cloud as easy as possible. It includes checks that ensure the right pre-requisites are installed and if not, prompts where to find them. Everything is freely available or issues can be raised in the project repository.

Log in to OCP login after installation.

Just follow the three easy steps to a private cloud in just minutes:

1. Download and unzip project.
2. Run init.sh or init.bat to start installation (follow installation instructions on your screen)
3. When it finishes, follow instructions to log in to your new OpenShift Container Platform.

The OCP platform is not only installed, but it also provides the official containers needed through imagestreams for JBoss middleware, xPaaS containers and such extras as support for .Net container development.

For more help, there's a workshop with hands-on labs for step-by-step instructions:

Cloud happiness

Looking for container-based application delivery
solution and hybrid cloud ready?

If you are looking for the introduction to the 10 steps series or any of the individual steps:

1. Get a Cloud
2. Use a Service Catalog
3. Adding Cloud Operations
4. Centralize Business Logic
5. Real Process Improvement
6. Human Aspect
7. Retail Web Shop
8. Curing Travel Woes
9. Exploring Financial Services
10. Agile Cloud Service Integration

So stay tuned as this list's tackled one-by-one over the coming weeks and months to provide you with a clear direction towards your very own application delivery in the cloud happiness.