robot-server.md

Playbook robot-server

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Summary

Deploys a robot server, that other workspaces can connect to (see robotuser).

Requires

Debian-like OS

Description

Deploys a robot server, that other workspaces can connect to (see robotuser). Will create a fresh SSH keypair that workspaces will use to communicate with the robot server.

Redeployment

It is good practice to redeploy the robot server periodically. This ensures the catalog item is functional, and rotates the used SSH keys. After redployment, the client components need to be updated with the new SSH key for the robotuser!

Steps:

1. Delete current robot-server workspace (need to free the reserve IP address)
2. Create new workspace
   • attach the robotserver storage
   • attach the reserved IP for the robotserver
   • CO: ResearchCloud Development
   • Wallet: "SRC account for ResearchCloud Development, Roboserver Image"
   • Ensure deletion time far in the future :)
3. Update private key in robot client components: robot-client, Robot Copy
   • connect to the new robot server via SSH. This will throw a warning about the fact that the server's host key has changed, if you had previously connected to the old server!
   • [sudo] cat /home/uurobot/.ssh/id_rsa
   • copy and update components
   • don't forget to promote the new Development versions of the component to Live!
4. Test: roll out a catalog item that uses the robot server (e.g. SAS, Matlab)

Variables

robotuser_name: String. Default: `uurobot`. Name of the user that workspaces can connect to this server as.
robotuser_generate_ssh_key: Boolean. Default: `true`. Whether to generate a fresh SSH keypair.

See also

Role sshfs_configrobot robot used to mount remote filesystem Playbook robotuser playbook used to connect to a robotserver

History

2021-2025 Written by Ton Smeele and Dawa Ometto (Utrecht University)

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