Configuring the Self Service Portal (SSP) on Nutanix AHV and AOS 5.1

This lesson will show how to configure the Self Service Portal (SSP) on Nutanix AHV running AOS 5.1.x. The Prism Self Service Portal (SSP) enables the consumers of IT infrastructure within an enterprise (individual users or teams such as development, test, and DevOps) to provision and manage virtual machines in a self-service manner, without having to engage IT in day-to-day operations.

Navigating to the Self Service Portal (SSP)

Launch the Self Service Portal by clicking on the menu in Prism (1), and then select "Self Service" (2) from the dropdown.

Self-Service Portal for Prism

Clicking on the menu item will open a new web browser window, which will take you to the URL https://cluster-vip:9440/ssp/#login which you can also access directly if you would like.

To login as the Self Service Portal admin, use the Prism admin credentials:

Login: admin
Password: your-prism-admin-password

Configuration Wizard – Connect to Directory Service

Once you login, a configuration wizard will launch asking for your Active Directory information.

(1) First, type in a name for the connection

(2) Type in the fully qualified domain name for your Active Directory Domain.

(3) Enter the Active Directory URL, using the format of "ldap://domain-controller-ip:389"

(4) Then enter your Active Directory credentials, preferably a domain administrator service account, with no time limit on password expiration.

Once everything has been entered, click on the "Next" button to proceed.

Configuration Wizard – Self Service Administrator

The next step is to designate a user or a group of users as the Self Service Administrator. Some notes about this role are mentioned on this screen.

Click on the "Add User" blue link to add an user or a group.

In the box that appears, start typing in the user (or group) that you would like to specify as a Self Service Administrator, and the system will query Active Directory and provide a drop-down of users/groups that match.

Once you find the user/group you would like to use, select it, and then press the "Save" button.

Self Service Portal (SSP) Setup Successful

Once you have completed the wizard successfully, you will be logged into the Self Service Portal and a confirmation will be shown at the top of the screen.

Self Service Portal

Now you can create a "Project", assign users to the project and don’t forget to add the images you already have into the "Catalog" so that project users can access them. In the next step below, I’ll show you how to add existing Virtual Machines to the Catalog, so that your Self Service users can deploy from them.

Adding an Existing Virtual Machine (VM) to the SSP Catalog

If you have a "template" virtual machine (VM), or a "gold master" VM, you’ll want to add this VM to the Self Service Portal catalog, so that Project users can deploy VM’s from that catalog image. To add an existing VM into the catalog, follow these steps:

(1) Under the "VMs" section in the Self Service Portal, click the check-mark box on the VM that you want to add.

(2) Click the "Actions" menu.

(3) Click on "Add to Catalog".

You will be prompted to give the image a name (1), which your Self Service Portal users will see. You can also type in a description in the box, which is a good place to put notes about the image (eg: latest updates applied, which apps are installed, etc). Once done, click on the "Save" button to continue (2).

Confirming the VM Template is Now in the Catalog

You can confirm that the VM has been added into the catalog, by selecting the "Catalog Items" menu (1). You should now see the VM that was added (2).

Logging in with a Project User

Users that you have added to "Projects" can log directly into the Self Service Portal by using their active directory login.

In the example below, our user called "tenant1" is going to log in.

Project User – Virtual Machine View

Once logged in, the Project user can see any VM’s that belong to them. They can also use the "Create VM" button to create new virtual machines from the catalog resources that are available (as long as their SSP permissions, called Roles, allow them to see the the resources).

Project User – Containers View

Project users can also click on the "Containers" menu and see any Docker containers that they have access to. Here they can also deploy new Docker based containers by selecting the "Deploy Containers" button. For more information on working with Docker Containers in the Self Service Portal, please review the admin guide located at: https://portal.nutanix.com/#/page/docs/details?targetId=Docker-Guide-ACS-v10:doc-docker-container-deploy-t.html

Completed!

That’s it! Now you have a fully configured Self Service Portal. I think that deserves a coffee break! 😉

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