Shells Overview
A shell enables CloudShell users to interact with different sandbox elements, like physical devices and virtual appliances. A shell models the sandbox element in CloudShell and provides commands that CloudShell users and automation processes can run on it, like Power On and Health Check.
Shells can be downloaded from Quali Community’s Integrations page and have different levels - Certified, Preview & Community grade. Each shell is based on a standard, which defines the shell's data model and functions. Can't find the shell you're looking for in Quali Community’s Integrations page? You can extend an existing shell, create a new Shell based on one of our Shell standards, or suggest a new standard in our Idea Box. For more information, visit the CloudShell Developer Guide or ask a question in our Community Forum.
Our Shells
Shells are imported through CloudShell Portal's Shells management page, and are based on standardized models and attributes, which streamlines the creation, maintenance and sharing of Shells.
Note that the term "shell" refers to 2nd Gen shells.
In the past, we had an older version of the shells, which we called 1st Gen. These shells were imported as CloudShell packages that contained the data model and driver for the intended sandbox element. 1st Gen Shells allow extensive control of the family and model, and therefore are not standardized. While they allow maximal flexibility, when using them, some Shell management capabilities may not be available. Note that packaging and importing 1st Gen Shells uses the blueprint packages mechanism - see Import a Blueprint Package into CloudShell.
Both 1st and 2nd shells can coexist with each other in the same CloudShell sandbox but differ in their structure and how they are managed. Today all shells released by Quali are 2nd Gen.
How to use Shells in CloudShell
Note: Depending on your organization, the system administrator and domain administrator may be the same employee.
- The system administrator imports the shell into CloudShell, as explained in Importing Shells.
In the Inventory dashboard, the domain administrator creates a resource based on the Shell. For additional information, see Adding Inventory Resources.
The resource is available for the domain’s users.
Note: This step does not apply to shells that create services. If the shell creates services, the service is created in CloudShell when you import the shell and is available in the domains defined in the shell.
- Blueprint designers add the resource to the blueprint, and if needed, configure connectivity to other elements in the blueprint. For additional information, see Add Connectivity.
