vCD 9.5 (vCD 8.20) when we need RabbitMQ ? and when we can skip this component ?

[SebastianGrugel]

     Today we use:

vCD 8.20 (Cell01, Cell02)  and Onapp application for billing needs.

IN this month we would like upgrade vCD to 9.5 and next resign with Onapp because we are during developing our solution.

Im so fresh in vCD and honestly im not sure how this is now working...

In vCD configuration i see in EXTENSIBILITY TAB > AMQP HOST:  ip of Onapp...

Then question what when we shutdown onapp. Should we use some other AMQP solution ? (RabbitMQ) ?

When RabbitMQ should be used ? I need some 101 explanation....

Thanks]

Sebastian

[sk84]

If you have multiple vCD cells you need a messaging infrastructure for exchanging information between the cells (task information, event notifications, etc.). For this, vCD uses AMQP (Advanced Message Queuing Protocol). You can use any software that can handle AMQP, but the most common is RabbitMQ.

See: vCloud Director for Service Providers (VCD-SP) and RabbitMQ Security - vCloud Architecture Toolkit (...

Edit: I forgot to mention that AMQP is also used by extension services. So it is not only needed in a multi-cell environment, but also if you use services that extend vCD (for example container management solutions like Kubernetes-as-a-Service, etc.).

[vMarkusK1985]

sk84​ Are you sure about that statement?

"If you have multiple vCD cells you need a messaging infrastructure for exchanging information between the cells (task information, event notifications, etc.). "

I never used RabbitMQ in a pure vCD environment. AMQP is in my case only used to exchange with External Application, like vRops Renant App, CSE or it is used for vRO and other Automation integration.

[sk84]

Yes, this is evident from several places in the text I have linked to and also from some other documentations and the vCloud Architecture Toolkit.

In a vCloud Director for Service Provider deployment, VCD-SP uses the open standard AMQP protocol to publish messages associated with Blocking Tasks or Notifications.

Clients (in this case vCloud Director for Service Provider cells belonging to the vCloud Director Service Provider (VCD-SP) infrastructure itself, as well as other applications interested in notifications) connect to the RabbitMQ broker. Such clients then publish messages to, or consume messages from the broker.

Messages published on an AMQP broker like RabbitMQ are sent for events that happen when something in vCloud Director for Service Provider changes and thus may include sensitive information.

Source: vCloud Director for Service Providers (VCD-SP) and RabbitMQ Security - vCloud Architecture Toolkit (...

vCloud Director uses the RabbitMQ AMQP broker to provide the message bus used by extension services, object extensions, and notifications.

Source: Install and Configure a RabbitMQ AMQP Broker

The cells communicate with each other through an ActiveMQ message bus on the primary interface.

Source: https://www.vmware.com/content/dam/digitalmarketing/vmware/en/pdf/vcat/vmware-architecting-a-vcloud-...

A vCloud Director infrastructure can contain one or more cells. Multi-cell communication is achieved by using a Message Bus.

Source: VMware Knowledge Base (Obsolete, but the communication principle between the cells has not changed)

[vMarkusK1985]

Hi sk84​

We've talked past each other. We are both right...

YES, vCD need AMQP betwenn the Cell (Out of the box)

And YES, an external AMQP (typically RabbitMQ) is only needed for third Party integration.

Are we clear now?

[sk84]

Okay, I get it. I guess in that case we're both right.

[Karolzzz]

Hello vMarkusK1985

I read  the documentation and I know that we don't need an AMQP(rabbit) for communication between cells, the cells have own cluster communication bus

in document

https://docs.vmware.com/en/vCloud-Director/9.7/com.vmware.vcloud.install.doc/GUID-8E4DD1BC-E038-499B...

you have information

vCloud Director uses the RabbitMQ AMQP broker to provide the message bus used by extension services, object extensions, and notifications.

karol