Integrating Application With Parallels Automation by APS 54

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Integrating Application

with Parallels

Automation by APSDeveloper's Guide

Revision 1.0.07

Copyright 1999-2011 by Parallels Holdings Ltd. and its affiliates. Alli ht d


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Contents

Chapter 1 Overview 4

Chapter 2 Integrating Application via APS 5

Chapter 3 Declaring Application Objects 6Services ......................................................................................................................................................... 6Resources ...................................................................................................................................................... 6License Keys ................................................................................................................................................. 7

Chapter 4 Control Panel of Customer 8Application Online Store .............................................................................................................................. 8Application Management .......... .......... ........... ........... .......... ........... .......... ........... .......... .......... ........... ........... 9

Ordering of Service Instances .......................................................................................................... 10


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Contents 3

Chapter 5 Control Panel of Provider 11Application Configuration .......................................................................................................................... 11Application Management .......... .......... ........... ........... .......... ........... .......... ........... .......... .......... ........... ......... 12

Chapter 6 Control Panel of Reseller 13

Chapter 7 Data Embedding in Application 14Service Users .............................................................................................................................................. 14Mailboxes ................................................................................................................................................... 14Domains ...................................................................................................................................................... 15Environment ............................................................................................................................................... 15Trial Subscription ....................................................................................................................................... 15Action Links ............................................................................................................................................... 16

Chapter 8 Next Steps 19

Appendix A PA-specific APS Classes 21

PPP/PSBP-specific Classes 22

Index 24


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The document contains description and guidelines for integration of 3rd party SaaS applicationswith the Parallels Automation cloud platform. The integration is based on Application PackagingStandard (APS) http://www.apsstandard.org/r/doc/package-format-specification-1.2/ technology,with the implementation details described below.

C H A P T E R 1

Overview
http://www.apsstandard.org/r/doc/package-format-specification-1.2/http://www.apsstandard.org/r/doc/package-format-specification-1.2/


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An application may be integrated with Parallels Automation (PA) in several different ways. Anapplication represents a resource which may be combined with other resources in a pack andcan be offered as single product or as a bundle of products or services. Parallels Automationuses APS technology for application delivery. Its done in two models:

Internally hosted applications: application files and users data are located inside ofCustomers space. APS package contains application files and provisioning logic. Dependingon the space, there are two alternatives:

Shared hosting applications being deployed in a web space.

VPS hosting applications being deployed in a Parallels Virtuozzo Containershttp://www.parallels.com/products/pvc/ VPS.

Externally hosted applications application files and users data are located outside ofCustomers space, at dedicated multi-tenant application server/cluster. APS packagecontains provisioning logic only. The multi-tenant server may be located either in Internet orinside of PA infrastructure, but is not managed by PA.

When selecting the means of application delivery in APS, its necessary to consider the overallsales model and the necessary supporting technologies. For example, Java-based applicationscannot be deployed in a web space and require a dedicated container. In this case applicationshould be packaged as internally hosted VPS one or, if the application supports multi-tenancy,as externally hosted one. APS Questionnaire http://survey.apsstandard.org/index.php?sid=2

may be used to decide about right packaging method.

C H A P T E R 2

Integrating Application via APS
http://www.parallels.com/products/pvc/http://survey.apsstandard.org/index.php?sid=2http://survey.apsstandard.org/index.php?sid=2http://www.parallels.com/products/pvc/


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From APS point of view, an application consists of a main component and those additional ones.The main component is responsible for core functionality of the application, while additionalcomponents may refer to extra features. This way, an email application may feature mobileaccess for on-the-road users. Upon the Provider's discretion, this option may be offeredseparately at an additional cost or free of charge.

Services

Each application component is represented by a service metadata object of APS. APS servicesrepresent a hierarchy which reflects logical structure of application. For example, let's consider amulti-tenant externally hosted application. The top-level application service represents a tenant.

A user of the application, who is created inside of the tenant is declared as second-level service.Additionally applications may declare a number of user features (third-level services), which maybe available to a user of application. More specifically, a mail application may define itscomponents as: mail organization at top-level, users mailbox and mail lists at second-level andprotection for mailbox at third level of service hierarchy. For more details see APS Format 1.2:

Application Packaging Guidehttp://www.apsstandard.org/r/doc/aps-format-1.2-packaging-guide/index.htm.

Resources

APS defines metrics for resources which are consumed by the application, such as disk spaceusage, number of processed requests or number of filtered emails. As direct result, customers ofPA may be charged for usage of these application resources. When a customer buys anadditional amount of a resource, PA will notify application, if its declared by APS. For moreinformation see Resourceshttp://www.apsstandard.org/r/doc/package-format-specification-1.2/index.html#s.metadata.service.resources in the APS Format Specification 1.2.

C H A P T E R 3

Declaring Application Objects
http://www.apsstandard.org/r/doc/aps-format-1.2-packaging-guide/index.htmhttp://www.apsstandard.org/r/doc/package-format-specification-1.2/index.html#s.metadata.service.resourceshttp://www.apsstandard.org/r/doc/package-format-specification-1.2/index.html#s.metadata.service.resourceshttp://www.apsstandard.org/r/doc/package-format-specification-1.2/index.html#s.metadata.service.resourceshttp://www.apsstandard.org/r/doc/package-format-specification-1.2/index.html#s.metadata.service.resourceshttp://www.apsstandard.org/r/doc/aps-format-1.2-packaging-guide/index.htm


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Declaring Application Objects 7

License Keys

APS defines provisioning of licensed applications. The lifecycle of a licensed application isshown in the picture below.

An APS controller processes a packaged APS application to make it available for sale in thePBA Online Store. To purchase this application, a Customer accepts terms of the licenseagreement (EULA). Upon installation of the application a license request is submitted to the Key

Administrator - the component which manages all licensing-related operations. Once the licensekey is delivered to the application, the application becomes available to end users.

License keys with different application features may be offered to customers in PA store. Toupgrade an Application to a more advanced version, you have to upgrade the key. For moredetails see APS Format 1.2: Licensing Aspect specification

http://www.apsstandard.org/r/doc/aspect-licensing-1.2/.
http://www.apsstandard.org/r/doc/aspect-licensing-1.2/http://www.apsstandard.org/r/doc/aspect-licensing-1.2/


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Application Online Store

From the customers point of view, PA provides a web store with the providers product offeringand a control panel to manage subscriptions with applications and services which have beenpurchased through the store. An APS application may be presented in the store as a singleproduct or as a part of a bundle with other products. Application product may include a differentnumber of application components (APS services) as well as a set of allowed features (APS

licenses) and consumption limits for internal resources (APS resources). All these componentsand limits can be purchased as a whole or as different parts, and by different prices as well.Considering the example with the mail application discussed above, a customer will be able topurchase one mail application with 10 mailboxes and 2 mail lists initially, where 4 mailboxes willhave anti-spam/anti-virus protection and 6 wont have. At a later time, the customer will be ableto buy additional mailboxes/mail lists as their need grows.

C H A P T E R 4

Control Panel of Customer


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Control Panel of Customer 9

Application Management

PA provides a unified interface for all types of applications whether external or shared. Thismeans that such applications are displayed and managed by customers in the same way. Oncean application is paid and installed, a customer can add and remove application users, otherservices or switch to a different edition if such have been purchased and made available to thecustomer. All used and unused resources and services are displayed in the Control Panel.

Application resources and services defined in an APS package are represented in PA asresources of various types. A resource in terms of PA is the minimum sellable unit. By selling aresource you may sell an application as a whole or as a limited combination of services offeredas an edition. This said, a resource in terms of APS are different from a resource in PA in a waythat the former one defines a particular component of the application, while a Resource Typemay be parameterized with usage limits, rates, etc. This way PA makes it unnecessary to define

pricing, resource limits or any billing specifics in the APS package. Once a Package issuccessfully imported in PA, it automatically becomes a sales item and can be provided tocustomers based on the terms defined in the service plan.

Based on the number of licenses sold by the provider the fees become payable to the softwarevendor. PA supports two methods of license delivery and reporting:

Manual: Licenses are issued by ISV and supplied to the Provider in bulk. The delivery methodis agreed between the vendor and a provider and is beyond the scope of PA. This method isthe fastest way to sell cloud services drawback of this option is that it works only withexternal applications.

Automated: Licenses are issued through Parallels Key Administrator, which is integrated with

PA. This option requires integration with the Key Administrator on the vendor end.


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10 Integrating Application with Parallels Automation by APS Application Packaging Standard

Ordering of Service Instances

An application may allow to order its service instances. This feature may be used for a number

of different purposes, for example, a telephony service where incoming calls are distributedbetween subscribers. PA allows to order service instances by order numbers which are stored ina designated setting. When a value of this setting is increased or decreased by one, therespective service is placed up before the preceeding or down below the following serviceinstance in the list.

To enable sorting of instances for a service, order class is used (see PA-specific APSClasses). For more details on packaging and testing see Ordering Application Service Instances inAPS Certification Guide.

To enable service order, a setting oforder class is used (see PA-specific APS Classes). This

setting should also have generate=sequence attribute, which means that this setting is

used to store order numbers for list items.

Order


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Deployment of an APS application in PA by a service provider consists of two parts: preparationof hosting environment for application instances and definition of application feature sets forsale. The first part is mostly related to satisfying the technical requirements of the application.The second part is about selection of models, in which the provider wants to offer applicationand its components/resources to customers. The second scenario will be explored in moredetail.

Application ConfigurationUsing PA, the provider can define configurations of application features, which will be availableto customers. This is done by setting up several parameters in the application:

APS global settings parameters which are common for all application instances,

Hidden settings of APS services parameters of application components which may bepurchased by customer as an option.

After definition of component parameters, provider may combine application components inmultiple offers with different prices for different application features.

Considering example with the mail application discussed above, the provider may sell a singleAPS application as two offers: simple email and business email. Simple email will containmailboxes without task manager features, while business email users will include it. Availabilityof the task manager will be triggered by hidden settings of the mailbox (APS service), which willbe predefined by provider per offer. Customers will be able to buy simple email first, then theycan choose to buy an upgrade to business email and to switch existing mailbox to new featureset effectively it will mean reconfiguration of existing mailbox (APS service) with a different setof values in hidden settings.

Its important to note in the example above, that when buying an upgrade, the customer buysadditional mailboxes, increasing total number of owned mailboxes. If its necessary to keep thetotal number of mailboxes constant during such upgrade, APS metadata of the application must

be different: task manager feature must be triggered by application child -component taskmanager (APS service) instead of hidden setting of mailbox. Thus, its important to consider inadvance, how each application feature will be sold: either as setting of application component oras its child-component.

C H A P T E R 5

Control Panel of Provider


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Application Management

The provider can manage by availability of application upgrade for customers. Upgrade ofapplication itself cannot be sold if its enabled its available for all customers, but the upgradeof license keys can. Provider can change multiple application ins tances at once. Its done byupdate of a parameter (APS global setting) in application configuration, which, in turn,reconfigures all application instances bound to it.


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The reseller in PA has an account, like the providers one, but without management permissionsfor hosting resources. Reseller has ability to combine applications and theircomponents/resources, which are pre-defined by provider, into different bundles and to assigndifferent prices to them. Reseller cannot redefine application settings or feature sets.

Parallels Automation allows Reseller to hide application identity through its own brand. Its doneby customization of a URL and branding parameters of externally hosted applications.Declaration of branding support may be included in APS metadata of application. To bebranded, an APS global setting must belong to setting group of class branding. To get a URL

branded, the application must declare global setting for URL, having class access_point, withinthe group.

C H A P T E R 6

Control Panel of Reseller


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Parallels Automation may embed some objects, which are managed from customers controlpanel, into APS applications. List of such objects includes:

Users of customers account (service users)

Mailboxes of users (Linux mail hosting)

Domains of customer

Details of customers account

Trial flag of customer's subscription

Service Users

Customers in PA may have additional users with personal control panels and personalapplications which they are allowed to use. These users can be created in the application ofcustomers automatically, if it declares correspondent component (APS service withid=account). PA performs it by filling APS service settings, which have standard APS classes,see Settings Semanticshttp://www.apsstandard.org/r/doc/package-format-specification-1.2/index.html#s.metadata.service.settings.semantics. Besides standard classes, PA defines custom ones and propagates

additional information about a user with them. See the appendix for more details. All usersinformation is synchronized between control panel and application automatically.

Mailboxes

If customers user has a mailbox, an application may require access to it. To do it, applicationmust declare correspondent requirement in APS metadata, see Mail Aspecthttp://www.apsstandard.org/r/doc/package-format-specification-1.2/index.html#s.aspects.mail formore information.

C H A P T E R 7

Data Embedding in Application
http://www.apsstandard.org/r/doc/package-format-specification-1.2/index.html#s.metadata.service.settings.semanticshttp://www.apsstandard.org/r/doc/package-format-specification-1.2/index.html#s.metadata.service.settings.semanticshttp://www.apsstandard.org/r/doc/package-format-specification-1.2/index.html#s.aspects.mailhttp://www.apsstandard.org/r/doc/package-format-specification-1.2/index.html#s.aspects.mailhttp://www.apsstandard.org/r/doc/package-format-specification-1.2/index.html#s.metadata.service.settings.semanticshttp://www.apsstandard.org/r/doc/package-format-specification-1.2/index.html#s.metadata.service.settings.semantics


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Data Embedding in Application 15

Domains

Applications may use and modify customers domain in PA. For example, being installed on adomain, externally hosted applications may create additional DNS records, pointing to anexternal multi-tenant server, in the domain and propagate the domain into a correspondenttenant of the application, see DNS Zonehttp://www.apsstandard.org/r/doc/package-format-specification-1.2/index.html#s.aspects.dns infor details. Shared and VPS hosting applications can get domain name by URL Mappinghttp://www.apsstandard.org/r/doc/package-format-specification-1.2/index.html#s.metadata.provision.mapping declaration. For externally hosted applications containing no URL mapping, PAdefines the setting with a special class, see Service Settings, Data Typeshttp://www.apsstandard.org/r/doc/package-format-specification-1.2/index.html#s.metadata.service.settings.types for details.

Environment

Parallels Automation may propagate information about a customers environment, such as login,password or language, into the application. Its done through standard classes of settings. SeeService Settings, Settings Semanticshttp://www.apsstandard.org/r/doc/package-format-specification-1.2/index.html#s.metadata.service.settings.semantics for details. In addition, PA can deliver information about customers timezone into application. Its done by setting in APS metadata with special class tz.

Trial Subscription

PA can deliver services and applications under a trial subscription. For example, you may letusers evaluate your application for one month. When the evaluation period is expired, theapplication will be reconfigured automatically.

To enable trial subscription for your application, you will have to add necessary settings to theapplication metadata (see PA-specific APS Classes) and edit the configuration script to processthe trial option. Parallels Automation will automatically synchronize the application trial settingwith the application.
http://www.apsstandard.org/r/doc/package-format-specification-1.2/index.html#s.aspects.dnshttp://www.apsstandard.org/r/doc/package-format-specification-1.2/index.html#s.metadata.provision.mappinghttp://www.apsstandard.org/r/doc/package-format-specification-1.2/index.html#s.metadata.provision.mappinghttp://www.apsstandard.org/r/doc/package-format-specification-1.2/index.html#s.metadata.service.settings.typeshttp://www.apsstandard.org/r/doc/package-format-specification-1.2/index.html#s.metadata.service.settings.typeshttp://www.apsstandard.org/r/doc/package-format-specification-1.2/index.html#s.metadata.service.settings.semanticshttp://www.apsstandard.org/r/doc/package-format-specification-1.2/index.html#s.metadata.service.settings.semanticshttp://www.apsstandard.org/r/doc/package-format-specification-1.2/index.html#s.metadata.service.settings.semanticshttp://www.apsstandard.org/r/doc/package-format-specification-1.2/index.html#s.metadata.service.settings.semanticshttp://www.apsstandard.org/r/doc/package-format-specification-1.2/index.html#s.metadata.service.settings.typeshttp://www.apsstandard.org/r/doc/package-format-specification-1.2/index.html#s.metadata.service.settings.typeshttp://www.apsstandard.org/r/doc/package-format-specification-1.2/index.html#s.metadata.provision.mappinghttp://www.apsstandard.org/r/doc/package-format-specification-1.2/index.html#s.metadata.provision.mappinghttp://www.apsstandard.org/r/doc/package-format-specification-1.2/index.html#s.aspects.dns


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Action Links

Some applications may offer features that are activated by respective entry points (action links).Such links are used to perform specific actions at an external application service. Action linksmay have various statuses representing the current status or operation. Embedding action linksallows for easy access to application components and features from within end-user interface.For example, action links may be used in mobile management software which enables anadministrator to wipe data off a phone lost by an employee. Also, a virtual machine managementapplication may enable an administrator to remotely run and stop virtual machines. Suchapplication will offer a list of instances, each associated with a virtual machine. Each instancewill display action links used to start, stop and restart a virtual machine and also a field showingthe current status. This example will serve here to show how to package an application withaction links.

To add an action link to your application, you have to define two things:

Entry points with action class.

Each entry point has to include the following details:

an entry point with action class - notifies the Controller that this entry point is an actionlink.

a variable with status class - notifies the Controller that this value should substitute'configure' in the configuration script.

a variable with status_condition class - notifies the Controller on the state when this

entry point should be displayed.


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Data Embedding in Application 17

Guided by these requirements, you can create an action link that, for example, start a virtualmachine, as shown below. The example below is given just for reference. See inline commentsfor better understanding.

...

Start

Start

Starting

PowerOff

...

To have an external service perform a specific action at a click of a link, a configuration scripthas to be executed with a specific value. This value is retrieved from a variable ofstatus class

defined for each action link (see above). The variable value is not passed to the script directly,rather it is submitted as a value of a setting with the status class (see below).

Current Service Status

Current servicestatus


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Running{color:green}

Running{color:green}

Failed to start! Tryagain.{color:red}

Failed to start!Try again.{color:red}

Stopped{color:red}

Stopped{color:red}

Starting{color:yellow}

Starting{color:yellow}

Besides starting a virtual machine you may want to enable an administrator with an ability tostop, suspend and restart VM's. In all these cases the same setting is used to take on values ofvarious action links and thus perform various operations with VM's.

Note: When an external service has completed an action or changed a state, it may return the

updated status as structured output. Parsing output values is performed by the APS Controller.


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Read APS Format 1.2: Application Packaging Guidehttp://www.apsstandard.org/r/doc/aps-format-1.2-packaging-guide/index.htm, look atexamples and package your application in APS

Consult with Application Packaging Standard (APS) Format Specification v1.2http://www.apsstandard.org/r/doc/package-format-specification-1.2/ about specific details

Test your application with APS-compliant control panels as described in APS PackageCertification Guidehttp://www.apsstandard.org/r/doc/APS_Package_Certification_Guide/index.htm

Publish your application in APS Catalog (http://www.apsstandard.org/app) (contact APS

team to get access)

Ask any questions to APS Support http://www.apsstandard.org/feedback

C H A P T E R 8

Next Steps
http://www.apsstandard.org/r/doc/aps-format-1.2-packaging-guide/index.htmhttp://www.apsstandard.org/r/doc/package-format-specification-1.2/http://www.apsstandard.org/r/doc/APS_Package_Certification_Guide/index.htmhttp://www.apsstandard.org/apphttp://www.apsstandard.org/feedbackhttp://www.apsstandard.org/feedbackhttp://www.apsstandard.org/apphttp://www.apsstandard.org/r/doc/APS_Package_Certification_Guide/index.htmhttp://www.apsstandard.org/r/doc/package-format-specification-1.2/http://www.apsstandard.org/r/doc/aps-format-1.2-packaging-guide/index.htm


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Parallels Automation supports all standard classes from Application Packaging Standard(APS) Format Specification v1.2. The list below contains non-standard classes of settingsand their groups which are specific for APS Controller implementation in Parallels

Automation. Being directed by these classes, PA fills correspondent settings byappropriate data automatically.

Class APS Metadata Object Description

action Entry point Entry point with this class perform a specificaction or change a status of an externalservice.

display-name Setting Display name of a Service User

given-name Setting First part of display name of service user

family-name Setting Second part of display name of service user

organization-name Setting Name of customers organization

domain-name Setting Domain of application

access_point Setting URL for entry points building. The settingvalue may be overridden by branded URL ofapplication

status Setting A setting used to pass variable values ofaction links to a configuration script.

status_condition Setting

subscription_trial Setting Trial subscription flag (true or false).

subscription_id Setting Unique subscription ID.

tz Setting Time zone of customer in format of Olsondatabase.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tz_database

email-on-application-domain

Setting Email account. The username part isdefined by the user, and the domain part is

displayed as a dropdown box and initializedwith domains associated with theapplication.

A P P E N D I X A

PA-specific APS Classes
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managed-by-account Setting Service access level that enables a ServiceUser to activate a sub-service under a rootaccount service (a Customers record in PAthat keeps details on resources andtransactions related to all Service Users(employees) belonging to the same

Customer (organization).order Setting The order in which a service is distributed

among users.

branding Setting Group Group of setting, which values may becustomized in application brand.

instance-list Setting Group Group of setting, which values are displayedin list of service instances

As defined in the APS Specification, settings may be hidden and protected (see 5.2.5Service Settings in APS Specification) These attributes are common for any APS-complianthosting platforms, though combination of their values for the same setting may affect itsdisplay and initialization, which is specific only for PA. See example in PackagingSpamExperts Incoming Email Security Firewall Application.

Visibility Protected Setting Value

visibility='hidden' unspecified Default

visibility='hidden' protected='true' Initialized by the configurationscript

unspecified unspecified Default or input by the Customer

unspecified protected='true' Default

PPP/PSBP-specific Classes


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For applications requiring a license in Parallels Plesk Panel (PPP) and Small BusinessPanel (PSBP), license requirements defined in APP-META.xml should include typeattribute in the following format: urn:pla::.

1 must be an alphanumeric string allowing dashes. Example:parallels-plesk-panel.

2 must be a three-digit version in a dotted format, where second andthird digits are optional. Examples: 9.12.6 or 9.12 or 9.

Here is an example where this data needs to go in the full package metadata:

...

...

.........

...

...


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AAction Links - 16

Application Configuration - 11

Application Management - 9, 12Application Online Store - 8

CControl Panel of Customer - 8

Control Panel of Provider - 11

Control Panel of Reseller - 13

DData Embedding in Application - 14

Declaring Application Objects - 6Domains - 15

EEnvironment - 15

IIntegrating Application via APS - 5

LLicense Keys - 7

MMailboxes - 14

NNext Steps - 19

OOrdering of Service Instances - 10

Overview - 4

PPA-specific APS Classes - 21PPP/PSBP-specific Classes - 22

RResources - 6

SService Users - 14

Services - 6

TTrial Subscription - 15

Index

Integrating Application With Parallels Automation by APS 54

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