The RightScale server templates publish server images to launch. It is advisable to create your own server image because the cloud providers can remove their published images anytime. If you generate your own image, you control the lifecycle of those.

Create your own server image

Use Packer to create a new server image.

Install RightLink.

On Windows

Create a PowerShell script and save it as install-rightlink.ps1

$wc = New-Object System.Net.Webclient
$wc.DownloadFile("https://rightlink.rightscale.com/rll/10/rightlink.install.ps1",
   "$pwd\rightlink.install.ps1")
Powershell -ExecutionPolicy Unrestricted -File rightlink.install.ps1

Execute it from the Packer template

"provisioners": [
  {
    "type": "powershell",
    "pause_before":"10s",
    "scripts": [
    "install-rightlink.ps1"
    ]
  }
]

For more information see “Create Custom Images with RightLink” at http://docs.rightscale.com/rl10/getting_started.html

Make the image public, so RightScale can see it
1. Open the AWS console
2. On the EC2 Dashboard select AMIs
3. Find the image by AMI resource ID
4. On the Permission tab click the Edit button
5. Keep the image private, but share it with the AWs account you create the server template in.

Attach the image to your RightScale server template

Make sure the image is visible in RightScale.

It can take 30 minutes for the new image to appear in the list.

Open the RightScale Cloud Management console
In the upper right corner select the account you want to work in,
In the Clouds menu find the region where you created the image and click the Images link
Search for the image

If you have an existing MultiCloud image and want to update the server image in it

In the Design menu select the MultiCloud Images link
Find the existing image by name
Click the name of the image to open it
On the Clouds tab select region, you are working in and click the pencil icon
Click the Edit Image button
Type a part of the name of the new server image you have just created to find it
Click the name of the image to select it
Click the Save button to add it to the MultiCloud image
Click the Update button to save the MultiCloud image

Test the new MultiColud Image

Set the MultiCloud image version in the Server Template

Test the new MultiCloud image by TEMPORARILY using the HEAD revision of the Server Template and the MultiCloud image

To test the new image TEMPORARILY select the HEAD revision of the MultiCloud image to be used by the Server Template

In the Design menu select the ServerTemplates link
Find your Server Template
Click the name of the template to open the info page
Select the HEAD revision of the Server Template
On the Images tab click the pencil to set the revision of the MultiCloud image to use
TEMPORARILY select the HEAD revision for the MultiCloud Image and click the green check mark to save the selection.

In your CAT file set revision 0 to use the HEAD revision of the Server Template

Launch a new server using Self Service with the HEAD revision of the Server Template

Create the new version of the MultiCloud Image

When you have successfully tested the new MultiCloud Image create a new version of it.

Find your MultiCloud Image in Desing, MultiCloud Images
Click the Commit button and enter a description for the change

Create the new version of the Server Template

Save a new version of the Server Template

Find your Server Template in Design, ServerTemplates
Click the Commit button

Publish the Server Template

Select the last revision and click the Publish to MultiCloud Marketplace button
Keep it private
Select the account group to share with and click the DESCRIPTIONS button
Click the PREVIEW button
Click the PUBLISH button

Import the Server Image to the other accounts you use

To be able to use the new version of the Server Image switch to the other accounts and import the template

In the Design menu under MultiCloud Marketplace select the ServerTemplates link
Enter a portion of the Server Template name in the Keyword box and click the GO button
Click the name of the template
Click the Import button

If you want to use a new MultiCloud image in the Server Template

To create a new MultiCloud image

Add the new MultiCloud image to the server template

Open the RightScale Cloud Management console
In the Design menu select ServerTemplates
Find your server template
On the Images tab click the Add MultiCloud Image button

Create a new server image for a RightScale server template