Installing for evaluation

In this scenario, you do not plan to make any changes to the MFL API server but you need to have a local copy against which you can test a new API client or a new third party integration.

We recommend that you use Vagrant and Virtualbox to create a test server for yourself.

If you are an expert Vagrant user, you can substitute Virtualbox with VMWare Desktop / Player, HyperV etc. You’ll have an easier time if you are on a _nix e.g Ubuntu or OS X.

Deployment Assumptions

The deployment scripts will fail unless the following are true:

  • you are on a vagrant supported OS ( so far Ubuntu 14.04LTS has been tested )
  • you have run ssh-keygen and have a public key at $HOME/.ssh/id_rsa.pub

Vagrant

Before installation, you will need to have the vagrant-env plugin. The installation is as simple as running

vagrant plugin install vagrant-env

Ansible is used to provision the vagrant box. An understanding of ansible is recommended though not required.

Installation

  1. Ensure vagrant is installed

  2. Create a python virtual environment and activate the created virtual environment.

  3. Install ansible in the virtual environment.

  4. Set the following environment variables:

    • DATABASE_NAME the name of the database to user
    • DATABASE_USER the database user to use
    • DATABASE_PASSWORD the database password to use

  5. Run vagrant up. It shall download and setup everything in the virtual machine.

  6. The system is ready to use