AWS Marketplace AMI for CDN and autoscaling

[manikandan]

Hi,
Based on this link https://forum.flashphoner.com/threads/flashphoner-license-not-renewed.13038/, we faced a same issue yesterday where our license changed to expired state even though auto-renew is enabled last month itself. This broke our production system streaming functionality.

So we are planning to use AWS marketplace AMI https://aws.amazon.com/marketplace/pp/B07ZVRPH5G to avoid such license expiry issues.

I need to know whether this marketplace AMI can be used for WCS CDN and autoscaling respectively.
Note: I have also added some custom configuration in flashphoner properties file.

Expecting a quick response.

 

[Max]

Good day.

I need to know whether this marketplace AMI can be used for WCS CDN and autoscaling respectively.

Yes, the marketplace WCS AMI can be used to deploy CDN. For autoscaling, you should buy and activate license on this step, or try to use AWS CloudFormation. We now working on documenting CDN setup with load balancing in ticket WCS-2797.

 

[manikandan]

You mean marketplace flashphoner AMI can't be used for autoscaling configuration. is that right?
If it so, why?

 

[Max]

You mean marketplace flashphoner AMI can't be used for autoscaling configuration. is that right?

It cannot be used in autoscaling configuration as described in docs because Amazon billing can be incorrect for custom AMI.
Using Cloud Formation can be solution (in this case Amazon declares their billing to be correct), but we working on it yet.

 

[manikandan]

It cannot be used in autoscaling configuration as described in docs because Amazon billing can be incorrect for custom AMI.

You mean Marketplace AMI. right?
But if we create a custom AMI by installing flashphoner manually and activating the license, autoscaling will work. Am I right?

 

[Max]

You mean Marketplace AMI. right?

If you create an instance from marketplace AMI, then create a custom AMI from this instance, and then use this custom AMI as autoscale group base, Amazon can bill this incorrect.

But if we create a custom AMI by installing flashphoner manually and activating the license, autoscaling will work. Am I right?

Yes.

 

[manikandan]

Okay. Thanks Max. We planned to use AWS marketplace AMI as we don't to face the license auto-renew issue like we faced yesterday since more customers are using the service right now.
If the license expiration issue will not happen again, I think our current setup is good enough.

One question:
What if we use AWS marketplace AMI for autoscling and billing comes incorrect? Is the servers using autoscaling AMI will become useless?
Just to know what happens on that case.

 

[Max]

Is the servers using autoscaling AMI will become useless?

Yes, the servers using custom AMI may become useless unless the separate license is activated while creating this AMI.

 

[Max]

Good day.
We tested and added the step by step instruction to deploy load balancer with autoscaling based on AWS Marketplace AMI. Please read details here.

 

[manikandan]

Great Max. Thanks for the update.

It cannot be used in autoscaling configuration as described in docs because Amazon billing can be incorrect for custom AMI.

But you said in above thread that Marketplace AMI can't be used with autoscaling since there is some billing issues with that AMI.

Is that fixed now?

 

[Max]

But you said in above thread that Marketplace AMI can't be used with autoscaling since there is some billing issues with that AMI.

We found a workaround. For Amazon billng to work correctly, Marketplace AMI should be used to create an instance, but not custom one. So User data script should be used to customize server settings on first instance start. We checked if it works and described in docs.

 

[manikandan]

Thanks for the update Max. Will check on that.

 

[manikandan]

Hi Max,

With AWS Market place AMI, is that possible to change, delete and add REST API users and its password during launching instance. I mean in launch template userdata.
https://docs.flashphoner.com/display/WCS52EN/AWS+load+balancer+with+auto+scale+quick+setup

 

[Max]

With AWS Market place AMI, is that possible to change, delete and add REST API users and its password during launching instance. I mean in launch template userdata.

Yes, it is possible. The user settings are stored in /usr/local/FlashphonerWebCallServer/conf/database.yml file (see the doc here). So you can add users and change their passwords in users section (this is the example out of the box):

users:
  admin: {username: admin, password: 21232f297a57a5a743894a0e4a801fc3, active: true}
  demo: {username: demo, password: fe01ce2a7fbac8fafaed7c982a04e229, active: true}
  restAdmin: {username: restAdmin, password: 04f91d0737f35adea9a875920e0f2cba, active: true}
...

Note that you shoukd generate md5 hash for users new password to place there. By default admin password in AWS instance is the instance id.

 

[manikandan]

Thank you Max. I will check.

 

[manikandan]

Max, the marketplace AMI used Amazon Linux AMI 1 which is going to reach end of support. Also many packages are not available to install like coturn (which is available in Amazon linux 2 but not in Amazon Linux 1)

https://aws.amazon.com/amazon-linux-ami/

Can you please update the Flashphoner AMI to Linux 2 with latest WCS?

 

[Max]

Good day.

Can you please update the Flashphoner AMI to Linux 2 with latest WCS?

We raised internal ticket WCS-2827 to update the AMI. This can take a time, we'll let you know here about.

 

[Max]

Good day.
AMI based on Linux 2 (WCS build 5.2.728) is published on AWS marketplace. All updates will also be based on Linux 2.

 

[manikandan]

Awesome. Thank you Max.