What's New in CloudShell 9.3 Help

In this article:

• Troubleshooting Guide
• Release 9.3 Features and Enhancements
• Key online help improvements
• Key CloudShell Dev Guide enhancements
• Supported shells and standards
• Quali U Courses updates

Troubleshooting Guide

The Troubleshooting Guide provides possible causes to common errors and offers step-by-step instructions to resolve them. To help you quickly find what you are looking for, simply search for the error or check out the guide's table of contents, organized in categories like Database and Permissions, QualiX and vCenter.

Help Patch Documentation Updates

Version 1.1:

• Limit a user to a number of planned/future reservations: CloudShell 9.3 Patch 2 allows admins to control the maximum number of scheduled sandboxes for CloudShell users. They can set a default for new users using the DefaultUserMaxScheduledSandboxes admin configuration key and override the default for specific users via Resource Manager Client and the API. Related to idea: https://community.quali.com/idea/4175/limit-a-user-to-a-number-of-plannedfuture-reservat.

• Enabling JIRA Integration with CloudShell: Added a code block of the JIRA configuration keys to allow help users to conveniently copy-paste all the keys directly to the customer.config file.

• Configure Physical Network Connectivity Requirements: Fixed typo - replaced MaxHopsForRoute configuration key with DefaultMaxHopsForRoute documentation

Version 1.2:

• Add VMware vCenter Cloud Provider Resource: Added a note stating that VMware Tools needs to be installed in order to support soft shutdowns
• Source Control: Using Local Tests in Automation Suites: Added an architecture diagram to help clarify the configuration
• Configuring Execution Servers to support python 3 shells and scripts: Added a note stting the Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable 2015 is needed for python 3-based shell and script executions.
• Enabling Automation Suites to Use Local Tests: Added batch script examples

Version 1.3:

• Start the Execution Server: Changed start command to restart as the Execution Server is offline after running configuration
• Configuring Single Sign-On (SSO): Broken links to sample kentor.config and user groups json files
• Required vCenter User Permissions per Deployment Type: Added snapshot management permissions for deploying App VMs from a linked clone

Release 9.3 Features and Enhancements

Below are some of the major improvements and enhancements introduced in this CloudShell version:

• Enhanced control over abstract resources in saved sandboxes:
  • Abstract resources and templates: You can now decide how CloudShell will handle abstract resources in saved sandboxes. By default, the selected resource is included in the saved sandbox, but users can choose to save the abstract resource instead, to have CloudShell select an available resource when the saved sandbox is restored. This setting is configured on the abstract resource or template. For additional information, see Save behavior for abstract resources.

  • Blueprints: Blueprint designers can set the abstract resource behavior policy in the blueprint properties. For details, see Define the Blueprint's Properties.

    

• Email notification enhancements:
  • Email notification when adding permitted users to sandboxes: Starting with version 9.3, CloudShell sends email notifications to permitted users when added to an active sandbox via CloudShell Portal or the AddPermittedUsersToReservation API. Once added to the sandbox, the permitted users will also receive any other email notifications defined for that sandbox.
  • 'On setup complete' email notification: When reserving or restoring a sandbox, users can now set the sandbox to send an email notification when the sandbox's setup process completes.

  For additional information, see Email Notifications Overview.

• QualiX 3.0: QualiX 3.0 provides native support for dockerized images as well as improved clipboard integration, allowing you to directly copy/paste content to and from the QualiX machine.

Ease of use and ideas from our Community

This CloudShell release introduces several enhancements and updates taken from our Community’s Idea-box:

• Python 3 support (for shells): Building up on the Python 3 support we rolled out for scripts in CloudShell 9.2, CloudShell 9.3 also supports Python 3-based shells. When executing a shell command, CloudShell will create the appropriate virtual environment for that shell, depending on the Python version (2.7.x or 3.x), and load the appropriate dependencies and Python packages. Related to idea: https://community.quali.com/idea/994/python-3-support.
• Ability to label components in the blueprint diagram: Due to popular demand, we've added the ability to label components in the blueprint, allowing you to visually organize your blueprint’s Apps, resources and services in logical groups. For example, you can create a label called “networking” for your switches and routers, “virtualization” for your Apps, and “cloud services” for CloudShell services that perform registration to different cloud services. Related to idea: https://community.quali.com/idea/1244/ability-to-label-items-in-the-canvas
• Configure available links per resource: When creating or editing a resource in the Inventory dashboard, admins can now choose to show only a subset of the links that are defined for that resource. For additional information, see Editing Resources from the Inventory Dashboard. Related to ideas https://community.quali.com/idea/3517/enabledisable-guacamole-links-on-a-resource-level and https://community.quali.com/content/idea/532/index.html.

API enhancements

XML RPC / CloudShell Automation API:

The following enhancements were implemented in both TestShell API / CloudShell Automation API.

• CreateImmediateReservation, CreateImmediateTopologyReservation, CreateReservation, CreateTopologyReservation, RestoreSavedSandbox: The above APIs now include a new parameter called "NotifyOnSetupComplete" which sends a notification email to the reservation owner when setup is complete after reserving a blueprint or restoring a saved sandbox. Available in TestShell API / CloudShell Automation API.
• AddPermittedUsersToReservation: Starting with CloudShell 9.3, when adding permitted users to an active sandbox, those users will receive an email notification informing them of the update with a link to the sandbox.

Key online help improvements

In addition to other improvements and enhancements, below are some of the major improvements in the CloudShell 9.3 online help. Most of these updates were the result of customer inquiries and feedback. Such updates were published on the fly and are included in the current online help.

The following documentation updates were released with the 9.3 GA online help:

• CloudShell Terminology: Rewritten and enhanced article to include key CloudShell terms and concepts
• Resources Overview: New article detailing CloudShell resources
• Abstract Resources Overview: New article detailing CloudShell abstract resources
• Import an L1 shell to CloudShell: Rewrote section to feature layer-1-switch shell template-based import procedure
• Duplicate A Blueprint (Save A Copy): New article
• Create Template from Blueprint (Save As Template): New article
• (Troubleshooting Guide) Automation Suite Execution Remains in "Pending" State: New article

The following were released with the 9.3 EA online help:

• Enabling Automation Suites to Use Local Tests: Improved key descriptions. included a working batch script example, updated configuration steps.
• SetAppSecurityGroups Code Example: Fixed bugs in the code example.
• Advanced CloudShell Customizations: Fixed documentation errors in several configuration key sections.
• Modeling Public Cloud Services in CloudShell: New article providing a high-level overview of how to model cloud application services in sandboxes.
• Integrating Azure with Cloud-based CloudShell Installation: New article providing a high-level workflow for integrating Azure with a CloudShell system that is also installed on Azure.
• Insight BI documentation updates: Various updates, including updated instructions and images, and updated links to external sources.
• Adding App templates: Updated descriptions for Azure deployment type attributes Inbound Ports and Allow All Sandbox Traffic.
• Associating Resources to Specific Execution Servers: New article detailing how to link resources to Execution Servers using the Execution Server Selector attribute. Originally, this was a section in the Setting Up Execution Servers to Run Commands article, but we rewrote it for clarity and moved it into its own standalone article to help online help readers find it more easily.
• Configure Azure API to work with CloudShell: Updated configuration instructions per Azure Portal updates.
• (Troubleshooting Guide) New Database cannot be identified article explaining what to do if the CloudShell cannot identify any of the Quali databases.
• vCenter Integration Architecture and Prerequisites:
  • Clarified the point that storage can be a datastore and not just a datastore cluster.
  • Added note stating that the on-prem Execution Servers must have access to vCenter Server's management IP over Python API (HTTPS/443)
• Execution Servers - Executions Page and Run Commands: Improved sandbox/component Terminate command documentation
• CloudShell User Permission Levels (RBAC): Added "Create blueprints" permission.
• API Guide: Restructured the API Guide to make it easier to find the desired content and rewrote the CloudShell API Overview article for clarity.
• Sandbox API:
  • Fixed syntax errors in "blueprint start" method's Request example section
  • Added URL section detailing expected parameters to Sandbox API methods
• Quali API: Added useful tips for working with Quali REST API.

Key CloudShell Dev Guide enhancements

• Quali’s Shell Framework (Python 3): New article explaining the structure and architecture of the Python 3 shell framework.
• Decrypting a password attribute: Note stating that passwords are decrypted out-of-the-box in Python 3 shells.
• Sharing a Shell with the Community: New article explaining how to publish custom shells/plugins on the Quali Community's Integrations page.
• Best Practices for working with orchestration scripts: New section detailing the cloudshell-orch-core version that complies with each CloudShell version.
• Shellfoundry:
  • Packaging a shell’s dependencies: New section detailing the shellfoundry dist command.
  • Customizing a 2nd Gen Shell: Clarified how to get the shell's source code
• Customizing Shells: Explained how to handle escape characters in attribute values in the Adding or modifying attributes in a shell's root or sub-model section.
• CloudShell's OOB Orchestration: Note explaining that setup cannot be executed from the Restore script via APIs, in the Extending the OOB Restore Orchestration Script section.

• App Deployment: Improved remote_refresh_ip's return value documentation.

• Using Resource Scripts:
  • Rewrote the Getting the user context section to discuss retrieving the reservation context details. New section is titled Getting reservation context details.
  • New section titled Returning outputs from a resource script

Supported shells and standards

• Generic Resource with Connected Commands standard
• Generic Connectable Resource standard
• Wave2Wave Rome L1
• Polatis L1
• Alcatel Timetra Shell 2G now supports new Nokia-ALU devices
• Cumulus Linux Shell 2G

We also released updated versions of the following CloudShell tools:

• CloudShell Recorder version 1.1.0: Enhanced SNMP bulk recording capabilities
• CloudShell Autodiscovery tool includes autodetect capabilities for physical connections

The "CloudShell Standards" documentation pages are available on this GitHub page, and published in our community's Integrations page.

Quali U Courses updates

The following updates pertain to courses in our Quali U Courses portal.

• CloudShell 9.3 for Blueprint Designers course:
  • Using Abstract Resources video: Updated with Save and Restore functionality
  • Creating a blueprint video: Added labeling note
• CloudShell 9.3 for Admins course:
  • Course Overview page: Disclaimer about CloudShell Team Tier limitations
  • New CloudShell Insight step
  • Physical layer connectivity (using layer 1 switches) video: Re-did video to reflect layer-1-switch shell template-based import procedure
  • Importing a layer 1 switch into CloudShell exercise: Rewrote steps to reflect layer-1-switch shell template-based import procedure
• Azure Integration for Admins course:
  • Configuring CloudShell Authentication on Azure video: Updated Azure API video to reflect UI updates implemented in Azure Portal