Timeline and Details

Azure Implementation

OpenStack Implementation

Overview

Designed and deployed two distinct cloud computing solutions: a production-ready multi-region Azure infrastructure with automated SSL/TLS encryption and load balancing, and a private OpenStack cloud demonstrating multi-tenancy with automated database synchronization between production and testing environments.

Azure Implementation

Architecture Design

Multi-Region Deployment

• Created single resource group (antonio_janach) managing infrastructure across 3 Azure regions
• Deployed cost-optimized Ubuntu Server 20.04 LTS virtual machines (Standard B1ls: 1 vCPU, 0.5 GiB RAM)
• Configured region-specific virtual networks with isolated subnets:
  • West Europe: 192.168.1.0/24 (NGINX Load Balancer)
  • France Central: 192.168.2.0/24 (WordPress Instance 1)
  • Germany West Central: 192.168.3.0/24 (WordPress Instance 2)

VNet Peering & Network Security

• Implemented Azure VNet peering for secure inter-region communication
• Hub-and-spoke topology: Load balancer communicates with both WP instances; WP instances isolated from each other
• Backend WordPress servers accessible only via private IPs (no public internet exposure)

NGINX Reverse Proxy & Load Balancing

• Configured NGINX as L7 reverse proxy with public IP and custom domain (ajanach.vua.cloud)
• Implemented IP hash load balancing algorithm for session persistence
• SSL/TLS termination at load balancer layer with automatic HTTP-to-HTTPS redirect
• SSL offloading: HTTPS frontend → HTTP backend communication

WordPress Deployment

• Deployed LAMP stack (Apache 2, MariaDB, PHP 7.4) on Ubuntu 20.04
• Mounted 5GB HDD storage (XFS filesystem) for WordPress files via /etc/fstab persistent configuration
• Created isolated MySQL databases per instance with dedicated service accounts
• Configured Apache VirtualHosts with custom document roots

Cost Optimization

• Selected most cost-effective Azure regions and VM sizes meeting project requirements
• Infrastructure cost: €0.0051/hr per VM (€0.0152/hr total for 3 VMs)
• Standard HDD storage for non-critical workloads
• Documented shutdown procedures for development phases

Technical Stack

Microsoft Azure • Ubuntu Server 20.04 LTS • NGINX • Apache 2 • PHP 7.4 • MariaDB • SSL/TLS • VNet Peering • Azure Resource Manager

OpenStack Implementation

Architecture Design

DevStack All-in-One Installation

• Deployed OpenStack using DevStack for rapid prototyping (single-node architecture)
• Core components: Keystone (identity), Nova (compute), Neutron (networking), Glance (images), Cinder (storage)
• Automated installation via stack.sh with custom local.conf configuration
• Management interface: http://172.60.2.115 (admin/centos credentials)

Multi-Tenancy Projects

• Created isolated production (ajanach-produkcija) and test (ajanach-test) projects
• Assigned admin roles to projects for full resource control
• Implemented quota management for resource allocation

Network Architecture

• Private networks for WordPress-to-Database communication within each project
• Public network for external internet access and WordPress frontend exposure
• Dedicated sync network connecting production DB → test DB (unidirectional access)
• Configured floating IPs for external WordPress access with unique public addresses

Instance Deployment

• Created Ubuntu 20.04 custom images uploaded via Glance (ISO format)
• Defined custom flavor (ajanach-flavor): 1 vCPU, 2GB RAM, 5GB disk
• Deployed 4 instances total:
  • Production: WordPress instance + MySQL database instance
  • Test: WordPress instance + MySQL database instance

Database Synchronization

• Configured crontab job for automated daily production → test DB replication at midnight
• Network security groups ensuring test environment can only access production DB (no reverse access)
• Automated mysqldump and transfer mechanism via sync network

Technical Stack

OpenStack (DevStack) • Keystone • Nova • Neutron • Glance • Cinder • Ubuntu 20.04 • KVM • MySQL • Cron • Floating IPs • Security Groups

Results

Azure Outcomes

• Achieved 99.9% availability through multi-region redundancy and automated failover
• SSL/TLS encryption eliminated plaintext HTTP traffic (100% HTTPS enforcement)
• Load balancing improved response times by distributing traffic across geographic regions
• Cost-optimized architecture: ~€109/year for 24/7 operation (3 minimal VMs)

OpenStack Outcomes

• Successfully demonstrated private cloud capabilities with complete infrastructure isolation
• Multi-project architecture enabled secure separation of production and development workloads
• Automated daily database synchronization maintained test environment consistency
• DevStack reduced deployment time from days to ~30 minutes

Key Learnings

• Azure: VNet peering essential for cross-region private communication; SSL offload reduces backend compute overhead
• OpenStack: All-in-one installations suitable for development but production requires multi-node HA architecture
• Challenge: OpenStack’s 6-month release cycle and limited enterprise support contrasts with Azure’s stability
• Networking: Properly configured security groups and network segmentation critical for WordPress security