Getting Started Guide
From GoGrid
Contents |
Logging Onto the User Interface
You can log onto the GoGrid User Interface at the secure customer portal. From here, you can deploy your web/app servers, database servers, image sandbox servers, cloud storage and F5 enterprise-class load balancers.
Your username and password are the credentials you signed up with on www.gogrid.com during the sign-up process.
Depending on your User Role, you will have various permissions to perform certain functions. View a Flash-based tutorial here.
Resetting Your Password
To reset your password, select the "Forgot your Password?" link on the home page at http://my.gogrid.com and do the following:
- Fill in the CAPTCHA image test and provide your email address. Select "Submit".
- You will receive and email with a link to reset your password. The link is only active for 1 hour. If you do not click on the link within one hour and reset your password, you will need to start over and request another password reset.
- Click on the link and fill in the CAPTCHA image text once more. Enter your new password twice in the available fields and hit submit.
- You will be returned to the log in screen at http://my.gogrid.com. You can now log in using your new password.
Deploying a Server
You can easily deploy a multi-server architecture in a matter of minutes. To deploy servers, simply do the following:
- Click on the "Add" button from the Grid menu
- Select the type of resource you wish to deploy:
- Web/App Server
- Database Server
- Image Sandbox Server
- The "Add Server Wizard" will open up. You can select a server or perform the following operations to filter the list of images:
- Search by image name
- Filter by image architecture (32 or 64-bit)
- Filter by image Operating System
- Filter by image Price
- Filter by image last updated date
- Filter by image name
- Filter by image description
- Filter by image owner
- Select the server you want to deploy after locating your chosen server image.
- Name your server and add a description.
- Select the amount of RAM for the Server Image. RAM is a fixed 2GB for Image Sandbox Servers.
- Enter an IP Address from your list of available IP's at the left of your screen. The system will automatically display all unused IP addresses that are currently available to you.
- Click on the "Save" button
- Your server will be deployed within 2-15 minutes.
- To create your own server image from a Server Image Sandbox, please see the MyGSI instructions.
- To obtain your server’s password, go to the “Support” tab and click on “Passwords” or right-click on the server in the UI and click on "Password". Changing the password here will not change your server password; this interface is only used for you to store passwords and to allow our Support teams access to your passwords to provide technical support, when needed.
View an instructional Flash-based tutorial here.
Deploying F5 Load Balancers
Deploy F5 Load Balancing to your architecture in a matter of minutes by doing the following:
- Click on the "add" button from the Grid menu
- Select "Load Balancer"
- The "Add Load Balancer" window will open
- Provide a name and description for the Load Balancer (you can have multiple instances of Load Balancers, all for different purposes)
- Add a "Virtual IP" from the list of available IP's at the left of screen. The system will automatically suggest the next available VIP from your IP block for you.
- Add a "Virtual Port" number for the port you wish to balance.
- Add "Real IP's" and "Real Ports" to the pool. These are the IP addresses and corresponding ports you wish to Load Balance. The system will automatically suggest the IP addresses you currently have deployed on the grid.
- You can add additional IP's and ports to the pool by clicking on the "+" button or by tabbing down a line.
- Select the type and persistence for the Load Balancing Algorithm.
- Click "Save" and your Load Balancer should be completely deployed within a few minutes.
View an instructional Flash-based tutorial here.
GoGrid Cloud Storage
GoGrid Cloud Storage is automatically available to all GoGrid customers at no additional charge. The Cloud Storage allotment is configured on each GoGrid account's private network. Cloud Storage allotments up to 10GB are free. Users must elect to use more than 10GB by doing the following:
- Click on the "+" button on the Grid tab.
- Select the "Cloud Storage" option and icon. This will allow you to utilize more than 10GB of Cloud Storage
- Each GB of data over the initial 10GB quota will be charged for at a rate of $0.15 per GB.
See the Cloud Storage getting started guide for more information.
The Network Widget
The network widget contains all of the information regarding your network configurations. It will display the following information:
- Add additional IPs - Use this button to order additional IP addresses. Each account is given a /28 IP block (10 usable addresses). If you need additional IP addresses, click here and accept the charges of $1 per IP address per month added to your account.
- DNS - See your primary and secondary nameservers by clicking on the + button. You can submit DNS requests to the Support team by clicking on the "Manage" link.
- Public Network - This lists the IP block of your public IP addresses. The see each individual IP, click on the + button. If you run out of IP's in the initial /28 provided to you, add more with the "Add additional ips" link.
- Private Network - This lists the IP block of your private IP addresses. A /24 (254 IP addresses) is provided to every account by default. We do not allow additional private IP addresses to be ordered since 254 should be more than enough for any environment.
Keep in mind that all servers must be assigned a public IP address to be deployed. This means that assigning a public IP to a database server may cause overages if not properly configured. Therefore, it is best to manually assign an IP to the network interface on your databases to ensure that all data transfer is done on the private network.
If you use the public IP on a database, not only does this potentially pose some security risks if you have customer-sensitive information, but the data traveling between your web/app servers and your database first has to go out to the network switches and then come back into the GoGrid environment, meaning that you will be charged for outbound data transfer (from database server, out to the switch, and then back into the web/app server). We are currently working to ensure that database servers have the option of being deployed with a public or a private IP.
Server IP Addresses
GoGrid gives you static IPs, and every account comes with a public and private VLAN (more on this below). Each account comes with 16 public IPs, but you can always request more at any time. ARIN ( the American Registry for Internet Numbers) requires that we ask you to fill out an IP justification form. Your private VLAN is configured with 256 IPs, but our 24x7 Support staff can provide you with additional IP addresses for $1 per month per address.
Your assigned IP addresses are listed in the Network Widget on the left-hand pane. The network widget also includes the gateway and net mask of the subnets, which you’ll need to configure static IPs to your public and private interfaces.
Server Network Interfaces
Each GoGrid server comes with 3 network interfaces (NICs). Two NICs are physically attached to the public facing switch fabric, and the third NIC is connected to a private switch fabric. Please note that the two switch fabrics are completely separate and are supported by separate switching & routing infrastructures:
| Physical VLAN | Configuration | Interface Name in Windows | Interface Name in Linux | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Public | Public | DHCP | Local Area Connection 1 | eth0 |
| Private | Private | Static | Local Area Connection 2 | eth1 |
In order to provide network access to a GoGrid server when it is first added, the Public_1 VNIC is configured for DHCP. The MAC address of the Public_1 VNIC will be associated with the IP you chose when the server was first added to our DHCP server. This means that an attempt to get a new DHCP lease will always result in the same IP address being bound to the interface. Please note that the Public_1 interface can be shut down or disabled at any time, but doing so will place you at risk of losing access to your GoGrid server.
GoGrid users have the option to bind their assigned IP addresses to the Public_2 and Private interfaces at their convenience. This is similar to how IP address bindings are managed on a dedicated server.
The Billing Widget
The billing widget contains all of the information regarding your account. It will display the following information:
- RAM Plan - Displays the account type you have chosen (Trial Grid, Business Grid, Advanced Grid or Enterprise Grid). The default is the "Trial Grid" account.
- RAM Allotment - The number of Server RAM Hours associated with your Memory Plan.
- GB in Use - The current number of Server RAM Hours you have have deployed on your grid.
- GB Hours to Date - How many Server RAM Hours you have used month-to-date.
- GB Hours - Projected RAM GB Hrs that will be used in current billing period
- RAM Overage - Projected total of dollars spent on RAM overages in current billing period
- RAM Total - Projected total of dollars spent on RAM in current billing period
- Transfer Plan - Displays the transfer plan you have chosen (Trial Grid, Business Grid, Advanced Grid or Enterprise Grid).
- Transfer Allotment - The number GB of transfer allotted to your account. All inbound transfer is FREE.
- GB Transfer to Date - How many GB of transfer you have used month-to-date.
- GB Transfer - Projected Transfer in GB that will be used in current billing period
- Transfer Overage - Projected total of dollars spent on Transfer overages in current billing period
- Transfer Total - Projected total of dollars spent on Transfer in current billing period
NOTE: To avoid overage charges, you can upgrade your account at any time by going to the “Billing” tab, then by clicking on “Upgrade/Downgrade Plan” to send an email to our billing department.
Logging in to Your Server
You can log into your server by using SSH for Linux servers or Remote Desktop for Windows servers. Any third party remote connectivity client, such as PuTTY, will also work.
Windows Servers
For Windows servers, the default user name is "Administrator". The server password is generated randomly and is stored in the GoGrid user interface. You can access the server's password by clicking on the server and selecting "Password" in the left pane, or by clicking on the "Support" navigation button and then on the "Passwords" tab.
You can change your passwords on the server once you have logged into your servers, but please note that these are not reflected in the GoGrid user interface unless you manually update your passwords by editing the password in the user interface. Not updating the password management interface in the GoGrid user interface may result in serious delays in Support if we are unable to log into your servers.
Linux Servers
For Linux servers (CentOS and Red Hat) the default user name is "root". The server password is generated randomly and is stored in the GoGrid user interface. You can access the server's password by right-clicking on the server and selecting "Password" in the left pane, or by clicking on the "Support" navigation button and then on the "Passwords" tab.
You can change your passwords on the server once you have logged into your servers, but please note that these are not reflected in the GoGrid user interface unless you manually update your passwords by editing the password in the user interface. Not updating the password management interface in the GoGrid user interface may result in serious delays in Support if we are unable to log into your servers.
