Creating new networks
Before creating a server in Breqwatr Cloud, you need at least one network to make the new server a member of. Since you may have more than one network per region, let us now walk through creating a new network using the Breqwatr Cloud Management Panel, or using the OpenStack CLI.
Prerequisites
Whether you choose to work from the Breqwatr Cloud Management Panel or with the OpenStack CLI, you need to have an account in Breqwatr Cloud. Additionally, to use the OpenStack CLI make sure to enable it first.
Creating a network
To create a network from the Breqwatr Cloud Management Panel, fire up your favorite web browser, navigate to the Breqwatr Cloud start page, and login into your Breqwatr Cloud account. On the other hand, if you prefer to work with OpenStack CLI, please do not forget to source the RC file first.
=== "Breqwatr Cloud Management Panel" On the top right-hand side of the Breqwatr Cloud Management Panel, click the Create button. A new pane will slide into view from the right-hand side of the browser window, titled Create.
You will notice several rounded boxes prominently displayed on that
pane, each for defining, configuring, and instantiating a different
Breqwatr Cloud object. Go ahead and click the _Network_ box. A
new pane titled _Create Network_ will slide over. At the top, type
in a name and select one of the available regions for the new
network.
=== "OpenStack CLI"
Start by creating a new network, named nordostbahnhof:
```bash
openstack network create nordostbahnhof
```
By issuing the command above, you immediately get information
regarding the new network:
```plain
+---------------------------+--------------------------------------+
| Field | Value |
+---------------------------+--------------------------------------+
| admin_state_up | UP |
| availability_zone_hints | |
| availability_zones | |
| created_at | 2022-10-30T14:31:49Z |
| description | |
| dns_domain | None |
| id | 201d458b-9b47-4408-9736-980bec77d405 |
| ipv4_address_scope | None |
| ipv6_address_scope | None |
| is_default | False |
| is_vlan_transparent | None |
| mtu | 1500 |
| name | nordostbahnhof |
| port_security_enabled | True |
| project_id | dfc700467396428bacba4376e72cc3e9 |
| provider:network_type | None |
| provider:physical_network | None |
| provider:segmentation_id | None |
| qos_policy_id | None |
| revision_number | 1 |
| router:external | Internal |
| segments | None |
| shared | False |
| status | ACTIVE |
| subnets | |
| tags | |
| updated_at | 2022-10-30T14:31:50Z |
+---------------------------+--------------------------------------+
```
Adding a subnet and a router
Creating a new network does not necessarily mean it has all the features you most likely would expect. Unless you work from the Breqwatr Cloud Management Panel, where almost every component is activated for you with a few clicks here and there, when you use the OpenStack CLI there is some extra work you need to do before you get a network you would characterize as useful.
=== "Breqwatr Cloud Management Panel" Expand the Advanced Options section below, make sure Port Security is enabled, and leave the MTU parameter blank.
You probably want a full-featured network for your cloud servers, so
please activate the _Create a complete network containing a subnet
and a router_ option. You will notice that [a network address in
CIDR notation](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Classless_Inter-Domain_Routing#CIDR_notation)
is pre-configured for your network. You also get a couple of DNS
servers, a Gateway, and a DHCP server.
Scroll down a little bit if you have to. Assuming you want your cloud
servers to reach hosts on the Internet, for the _External network_
parameter make sure you select _ext-net_. Then, click the green
_Create_ button to initialize the new network. In a few seconds,
the new network will be readily available.
=== "OpenStack CLI"
You now have to create a subnet for the new network. Let us call
this subnet nordostbahnhof-subnet:
```bash
openstack subnet create nordostbahnhof-subnet \
--network nordostbahnhof --subnet-range 10.20.30.0/24
```
Again, you get detailed information regarding the new subnet:
```plain
+----------------------+--------------------------------------+
| Field | Value |
+----------------------+--------------------------------------+
| allocation_pools | 10.20.30.2-10.20.30.254 |
| cidr | 10.20.30.0/24 |
| created_at | 2022-10-30T14:47:40Z |
| description | |
| dns_nameservers | |
| dns_publish_fixed_ip | None |
| enable_dhcp | True |
| gateway_ip | 10.20.30.1 |
| host_routes | |
| id | 1b0822b3-62e8-4b40-92e8-8544c72d4c15 |
| ip_version | 4 |
| ipv6_address_mode | None |
| ipv6_ra_mode | None |
| name | nordostbahnhof-subnet |
| network_id | 201d458b-9b47-4408-9736-980bec77d405 |
| project_id | dfc700467396428bacba4376e72cc3e9 |
| revision_number | 0 |
| segment_id | None |
| service_types | |
| subnetpool_id | None |
| tags | |
| updated_at | 2022-10-30T14:47:40Z |
+----------------------+--------------------------------------+
```
If you want servers connected to the `nordostbahnhof` network to have
Internet access, you need a router in front of the network. Following
our unofficial naming convention, go ahead and create a new router
called `nordostbahnhof-router`:
```bash
openstack router create nordostbahnhof-router
```
As expected, you will see lots of information regarding the new router:
```plain
+-------------------------+--------------------------------------+
| Field | Value |
+-------------------------+--------------------------------------+
| admin_state_up | UP |
| availability_zone_hints | |
| availability_zones | |
| created_at | 2022-10-30T15:36:26Z |
| description | |
| enable_ndp_proxy | None |
| external_gateway_info | null |
| flavor_id | None |
| ha | True |
| id | 566de991-fc0e-4f85-b6c4-5c87694781f7 |
| name | nordostbahnhof-router |
| project_id | dfc700467396428bacba4376e72cc3e9 |
| revision_number | 1 |
| routes | |
| status | ACTIVE |
| tags | |
| tenant_id | dfc700467396428bacba4376e72cc3e9 |
| updated_at | 2022-10-30T15:36:26Z |
+-------------------------+--------------------------------------+
```
You want the `nordostbahnhof-router` connected to the external
network. The name of this network is `ext-net`:
```bash
openstack router set nordostbahnhof-router --external-gateway ext-net
```
Please note that if the command above is successful, you will get
no output on your terminal. There is one last step to take, and
that is to connect router `nordostbahnhof-router` to the subnet
`nordostbahnhof-subnet` of network `nordostbahnhof`:
```bash
openstack router add subnet nordostbahnhof-router nordostbahnhof-subnet
```
Again, if the command above is successful, you will get no output.
Listing networks and getting information
At any time, you may connect to the Breqwatr Cloud Management Panel, list all networks you have already created, and get detailed information for any of these networks. Alternatively, you may get all that information using the OpenStack CLI.
=== "Breqwatr Cloud Management Panel" You may see all defined networks, in all supported regions, by selecting Networking > Networks (see the left-hand side pane on the Breqwatr Cloud Management Panel).
For more information regarding a specific network, click the
corresponding three-dot icon (right-hand side) and select _View
details_. Then, you can glance over all the details regarding the
selected network's ports, subnets, and routers.
=== "OpenStack CLI" To list all available networks in a specific region, just type:
```bash
openstack network list
```
You can always ask for more specific results. For instance, to see
all internal networks only, type the following:
```bash
openstack network list --internal
```
You can also get detailed information about a specific network:
```bash
openstack network show nordostbahnhof
```
At any time, type `openstack network list --help` or
`openstack network show --help` to see how to get information
regarding networks, and what specific pieces of information you
can have.