♾️ OpenStack MicroCeph Lab (Applied Lab Project)

This lab project explores how to set up and operate an Ubuntu-based OpenStack environment with Ceph as the storage backend. The goal is to gain hands-on experience with OpenStack services, Ceph storage integration, and day-2 operations. It covers deploying MicroStack and MicroCeph, connecting Cinder and Glance to Ceph, running storage benchmarks, and practicing failure recovery scenarios. This lab is designed for learning, repeatability, and documentation rather than production use.

For a lab overview : https://letisiapangataa.github.io/posts/openstack-ceph-lab/

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Learning Milestones

• Launch a single-node MicroStack instance; deploy first VM and test floating IP
• Add a compute node (cmp-01) and practice VM live migration
• Deploy a 3-node MicroCeph cluster; integrate Cinder (RBD) and Glance with Ceph storage
• Benchmark storage performance with fio (RBD) and record results
• Run failure drills (e.g. stop an OSD, reboot a node) and observe VM/data continuity
• Explore hardening & operations — RBAC, quotas, backups, and scripted day-2 tasks

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Repo Structure

openstack-microceph-lab/
├─ infra/
│  ├─ terraform/           # optional: libvirt or cloud instance provisioning
│  └─ ansible/             # host bootstrap, package install, network setup
├─ stacks/
│  ├─ microstack/          # configs: networks, flavors, images
│  └─ microceph/           # ceph init/join, pools, crushmaps
├─ scripts/                # helper bash/python scripts
├─ docs/
│  ├─ 00-overview\.md
│  ├─ 01-arch-diagram.drawio
│  ├─ 02-setup-ubuntu.md
│  ├─ 03-microstack.md
│  ├─ 04-microceph.md
│  ├─ 05-cinder-glance-ceph.md
│  ├─ 06-benchmark-fio.md
│  ├─ 07-failure-drills.md
│  └─ 08-operations.md
├─ examples/
│  ├─ networks.yml         # provider + tenant network configs
│  ├─ flavors.yml
│  ├─ images.yml
│  └─ demo-instance.sh
├─ .github/workflows/validate.yml
└─ README.md

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Quick Start

1. Prepare an Ubuntu 22.04 host or VMs.
2. Follow setup steps in docs/02-setup-ubuntu.md.
3. Deploy MicroStack and MicroCeph, then work through the milestone exercises.

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Notes

• This project is intended for learning and experimentation.
• It focuses on understanding how OpenStack and Ceph interact and practicing operational tasks in a safe lab setup.