Redhat's OpenShift Cloud Experience

Redhat's OpenShift project describes itself "OpenShift is Red Hat's free, auto-scaling Platform as a Service (PaaS) for applications. As an application platform in the cloud, OpenShift manages the stack so you can focus on your code."

OpenShift uses the Secure Shell (SSH) network protocol to manage your cloud environment. I will give some example commands and results. Cygwin terminal can be used on windows systems. I want to create a namespace and application.

$ rhc domain create -n testspace -l <testuser> -p <testpass>
OpenShift key found at /home/testuser/.ssh/libra_id_rsa. Reusing...
Problem reported from server. Response code was 400.
Re-run with -d for more information.
RESULT:
User already has a domain associated. Update the domain to modify.

That's because a namespace was created when i sign up for an account using web console from openshift.redhat.com.

$ rhc domain show -l <testuser> -p <testpass>
User Info
=========
Namespace: testspace
RHLogin: testuser
Application Info
================
testapp
Framework: php-5.3
Creation: 2012-05-31T06:32:16-04:00
UUID: ecb1312e21ce44a0ae73a6cbb2d24cc9
Git URL: ssh://asd1312es4a0ae33a6sdfsdf2v666@testapp-testspace.rhcloud.com/~/git/testapp.git/
Public URL: http://testapp-testspace.rhcloud.com/
Embedded:
None

I want to delete existing namespace and create a new one.

$ rhc app destroy -a testapp -l <testuser> -p <testpass>
!!!! WARNING !!!! WARNING !!!! WARNING !!!!
You are about to destroy the testapp application.
This is NOT reversible, all remote data for this application will be removed.
Do you want to destroy this application (y/n): y
RESULT:
Successfully destroyed application: testapp

$ rhc domain destroy -n testspace -l <testuser> -p <testpass>
Success

$ rhc domain create -n newspace -l <testuser> -p <testpass>

OpenShift key found at /home/testuser/.ssh/libra_id_rsa. Reusing...
Problem reported from server. Response code was 500.
Re-run with -d for more information.
MESSAGES:
We are currently experiencing some intermittent technical difficulties with our authentication system. This issue should not affect user applications functionality. We are aware of the problem and working on it. Thank you for patience.
RESULT:
An error occurred while contacting the authentication service. If the problem persists please contact Red Hat support.

Apparently sometimes openshift has technical problems. You can debug it using -d parameter if you want to.
$ rhc domain create -n newspace -d -l <testuser> -p <testpass>

OpenShift key found at /home/testuser/.ssh/libra_id_rsa. Reusing...
Submitting form:
namespace: newspace
rhlogin: testuser
ssh: ZZZZZZASDFK234vdEAAAAAOWEKEBAQCkISDJ345Ahcd71UASDK3ffsDV+jbXYn8SDFKRGF5045gfm34+TEEEnlSDFO++fasd+FDKFKFK33333UYm0BNuQhoEBmojpIuQuc0QCDxDMEmlbphd9rKvekver90nk34n34tnktn45klnt45n4m545nlnMGKGGKNS4345NsDFER+&32&676rFKFJWWJ4585PPWOIWdjdns3ed3DK

key_type: ssh-rsa
Contacting https://openshift.redhat.com
Problem reported from server. Response code was 500.
MESSAGES:

We are currently experiencing some intermittent technical difficulties with our authentication system. This issue should not affect user applications functionality. We are aware of the problem and working on it. Thank you for patience.
DEBUG:
Exit Code: 1
api_c: placeholder
broker_c: namespacerhloginsshapp_uuiddebugaltercartridgecart_typeactionapp_nameapi
API version: 1.1.3
RESULT:
An error occurred while contacting the authentication service. If the problem persists please contact Red Hat support.

Finally technical problem solved.

$ rhc domain create -n newspace -d -l <testuser> -p <testpass>
OpenShift key found at /home/testuser/.ssh/libra_id_rsa. Reusing...
Submitting form:namespace: newspacerhlogin: testuserssh:
ZZZZZZASDFK234vdEAAAAAOWEKEBAQCkISDJ345Ahcd71UASDK3ffsDV+jbXYn8SDFKRGF5045gfm34+TEEEnlSDFO++fasd+FDKFKFK33333UYm0BNuQhoEBmojpIuQuc0QCDxDMEmlbphd9rKvekver90nk34n34tnktn45klnt45n4m545nlnMGKGGKNS4345NsDFER+&32&676rFKFJWWJ4585PPWOIWdjdns3ed3DK
key_type: ssh-rsaContacting https://openshift.redhat.comResponse from server:MESSAGES:We are currently experiencing some intermittent technical difficulties with our authentication system. This issue should not affect user applications functionality. We are aware of the problem and working on it. Thank you for patience.DEBUG:Exit Code: 0broker_c: namespacerhloginsshapp_uuiddebugaltercartridgecart_typeactionapp_nameapiapi_c: placeholderAPI version: 1.1.3Checking ~/.ssh/configCould not find /home/testuser/.ssh/config. This is ok, continuing Adding rhcloud.com to ~/.ssh/configCreation successfulYou may now create an application.

Check domain status.

$ rhc domain status
Password:<testpass>
Analyzing system
Could not open a connection to your authentication agent.
=================================================||
Your system did not pass all of the tests ||=================================================
1) Either ssh-agent is not running or you do not have any keys loaded.

Just start the ssh agent and add rsa key.

$ eval `ssh-agent`
Agent pid 4976

$ ssh-add ~/.ssh/libra_id_rsa

Identity added: /home/testuser/.ssh/libra_id_rsa (/home/testuser/.ssh/libra_id_rsa)

Check domain status again.

$ rhc domain status
Password:<testpass>
Analyzing system.. .....
=========================================================||
Congratulations, your system has passed all tests ||=========================================================

Now it is time to create your own application.