Denodo Platform for AWS 6.0 - Quick Start Guide

Thank you for your confidence in Denodo and choosing the Denodo Platform for AWS as your data virtualization technology!

This quick start guide will give you an overview of the Denodo Platform and how to quickly start building data virtualization solutions on AWS.

Denodo Platform for AWS Architecture Overview

The Denodo Platform for AWS is derived from our enterprise-class product, the Denodo Platform, and they share the same main building blocks:

Virtual DataPort (VDP): this is the main data virtualization product, that allows to connect to a variety of data sources, combine their data and publish the results for client applications to consume. It’s composed of a server (VDP server or VQL server), the VDP Administration Tool (a desktop client that you will use for both administration of the server and development of data virtualization solutions) and the Self-Service Information Tool (a browser-based tool that allows end users to easily consume data services).
ITPilot (ITP): this is the semi-structured information module. It is normally used for web automation, mainly for accessing web pages and extracting information from them.
Aracne (ARN): the unstructured data module, used for indexing documents so they are available to enrich other structured sources in your organization.
Scheduler (SCHED): this is our batch processing tool, that connects to data sources and the VDP server and allows to regularly run data exports, refresh and/or invalidate caches, etc. It is composed of the Scheduler server and the Scheduler Administration Tool (a web application).

Usage Instructions

Once the Denodo Platform for AWS instance is running, you must download and install the Denodo Platform client to access it.

The Denodo Platform follows a client-server architecture, with the server (VDP) running in the AWS instance, and the client (VDP Administration Tool) running in your local computer.

The client installer is distributed from the running instance; you can find links to the installers and step-by-step installation instructions from your running Denodo Platform for AWS instance's web server, use your Internet browser pointing to your instance's public Internet name or IP address (screenshot below).

Once the graphical administration tool starts, it will prompt you for the connection details for the remote Denodo Platform server.

Use the following details:

Username: admin
Password: the running Amazon instance ID
Server URI: replace "localhost" with your running Amazon instance's public internet name or IP address

Remember to follow the recommended security configuration settings below, in particular changing the default administrator password.

Security Configuration

There are a couple of optional steps that we recommend you to take to improve the security of your AWS deployment.

Changing the Default VDP Administration Password

As the first step of the configuration of your new Denodo Platform instance you should change the administrator password. The current password was generated automatically and matches your Amazon instance ID. It is extremely important that you change this default password to ensure that you are operating under a secure environment.

Configuring the Security Groups

When a new virtual image is started Amazon creates by default a new security group. This group contains all TCP ports that the Denodo Platform may need to use plus the ssh (for server administration) and http (for the quickstart guide and client installers). The default values specify that all those ports can be reached from any IP addresses - our strong recommendation is to modify the groups to:

Remove the HTTP port.
Configure the rest of security groups so they can only be accessed from the range of authorized IP addresses that you control instead of being publicly accessible.

To do this, follow the steps in the Amazon guide located at: http://docs.aws.amazon.com/AWSEC2/latest/UserGuide/using-network-security.html.

The general documentation about running your EC2 instances in Amazon is available at: http://docs.aws.amazon.com/AWSEC2/latest/UserGuide/launching-instance.html.

Disabling the Public Web Server

The Denodo instance that you are currently connected to is using a public httpd server to display this page, which contains instructions and installers. When you are done setting up your client installation we recommend you to disable the server. This is accomplished in two steps:

1. Connect to the Denodo instance using ssh. Follow the steps described in Amazon's documentation at: http://docs.aws.amazon.com/AWSEC2/latest/UserGuide/AccessingInstances.html.

2. After opening a remote command line through ssh or PuTTY, type these commands to disable the httpd server:

sudo service httpd stop
sudo chkconfig httpd off

Further Steps

Once you are all set to start building your data virtualization solutions on AWS, we recommend that you check out all the available information:

If you want to move on to professionally guided training you can always check our course offerings on our training site.

To get up and running on the Denodo Platform for AWS 6.0 in the quickest time, we recommend that you take advantage of Denodo Professional Services.

Support

Denodo is committed to helping you succeed with the Denodo Platform through our comprehensive network of technical support and services.

Denodo Platform for AWS Premium Support is available for all subscribers*. To access this service, you must first register here. After you have signed-up, you will have access to the Denodo Support Site where you can get web-based support, software updates and DenodoConnects which will improve your data virtualization experience. Denodo version upgrades are not included as upgrades require migration between Amazon instances.

Denodo web-based support may be subject to reduced availability for hourly based subscriptions. You can always post your question directly on the Q&A section, a moderated forum on our Community Site, where data virtualization professionals and enthusiasts will assist you. Our community is knowledgeable and tenacious and there's no question without a valid answer. Technical resources such as product documentation, Knowledge Base articles, step-by-step tutorials, and how-to videos are also available.

As a Denodo Platform for AWS customer you have the option to upgrade from the included Premium Support to a higher level of support. Support level upgrades can be requested directly to Denodo. Please contact support@denodo.com to get more information.

*All customers who purchased subscriptions before February 1st, 2017 have the option to upgrade from the included Basic Support to Premium Support or a higher level of support. Support level upgrades can be requested directly to Denodo. Please contact support@denodo.com to get more information.

Customer will use commercially reasonable efforts to resolve issues before escalating them to Denodo. Denodo will make a commercially reasonable effort to provide support to customer and reserves the right to refuse providing Maintenance and Support Services for customers who do not reach a minimum commercially reasonable level of monthly usage of any of the Denodo Platform for AWS products.

FAQ

What is Amazon EC2?

Amazon Elastic Cloud Compute (EC2) presents a true virtual computing environment, allowing customers to use web service interfaces to launch instances with a variety of operating systems, load them with a custom application environment, manage network access permissions, and run an image using as many or few systems as desired. To use Amazon EC2, customers simply:

Select a preconfigured, templated Amazon Machine Image (AMI) to get up and running immediately.
Choose which instance type(s), then start, terminate, and monitor as many instances of the AMI as needed, using the web service APIs or the variety of management tools provided.
Pay only for the resources actually consumed, like instance-hours or data transfer.

What is AWS Marketplace?

Amazon Web Services (AWS) Marketplace is an online store that makes it easy for customers to find, compare, and immediately start using the software and services that run on the AWS Cloud that they need to build products and run their businesses. Visitors to the marketplace can use AWS Marketplace’s 1-Click deployment to quickly launch pre-configured software and pay only for what they use, by the hour or month. AWS handles billing and payments, and software charges appear on customers’ AWS bill.

Who is the intended customer base for the Denodo Platform for AWS?

Literally any organization of any size can use and benefit from the Denodo Platform for AWS.

What do I need to buy the Denodo Platform for AWS on AWS Marketplace?

Any customer eligible to use AWS products is also able to shop on AWS Marketplace. Customers must have an Amazon EC2 account.

Does AWS Marketplace also sell software for customers to install on on-premises servers or PCs?

No. The software listed in AWS Marketplace is only available to run on Amazon EC2. It is not available for download.

What happens when Denodo updates their product?

Denodo will deliver updates for the Denodo Platform for AWS in two ways:

Publishing an updated Denodo Platform for AWS AMI. When Denodo publishes an AMI with an update to a Denodo Platform for AWS you are subscribed to, you should receive a notification email from AWS Marketplace that contains information about the update and provides migration instructions. You can always visit the Your Software page to find the latest version provided by the vendor.
Publishing a Denodo Platform update in the Denodo Support Site. If you are registered for Denodo Support, Denodo Platform updates will be available from the Denodo Support Site. You can download updates to be applied to a Denodo Platform for AWS instance of which you are subscribed to, without the need to migrate between your current instance and an updated one.

How am I billed for the Denodo Platform for AWS?

If you are using a Denodo Platform for AWS AMI product that has an hourly or annual fee, you will be billed by AWS for your use of this software. You will receive a bill for the software at the same time that you receive your monthly AWS infrastructure bill.

What privacy options are available with AWS instances?

Amazon Virtual Private Cloud (Amazon VPC) lets customers provision a logically isolated section of the AWS Cloud where AWS resources may be launched in a virtual network that the customer defines. The customer has complete control over the virtual networking environment, including selection of IP address range, creation of subnets, and configuration of route tables and network gateways. Customers can also create a Hardware Virtual Private Network (VPN) connection between a corporate datacenter and a VPC and leverage the AWS cloud as an extension of the corporate datacenter.

What application monitoring capabilities are available for customers?

Amazon CloudWatch is a web service that provides monitoring for AWS cloud resources and applications, starting with Amazon EC2. It provides customers with visibility into resource utilization, operational performance, and overall demand patterns – including metrics such as CPU utilization, disk reads and writes, and network traffic. Customers can get statistics, view graphs, and set alarms for metric data. Amazon CloudWatch aggregates and stores monitoring data that can be accessed using web service APIs or Command Line Tools.

Can customers arrange for high-performance network connectivity to their EC2 instance?

Enhanced Networking enables customers to get significantly higher packet per second (PPS) performance, lower network jitter, and lower latencies. This feature uses a new network virtualization stack that provides higher I/O performance and lower CPU utilization compared to traditional implementations.