N9 Home

N9 (pronounced as "Number Nine" - respects to Brian Adams ;)) is a complex virtualization management system originally aimed to control QEMU virtual machines and written in Python. In future releases it will supports managing OpenVZ, Microsoft Virtual Server and Amazon EC2. Central idea of N9 is a unified control and deployment method for different virtualization platforms, independent of interface and platform.

N9 deploys virtual machines in packages. Package is deployment unit, consisted as single file. Well, it's simple gzipped TAR package, likely OpenVZ VPS Template. Package contains all required data for running virtual machine under control of one of virtualization layers. Before package used, it must be installed, i.e placed to N9 package store folder. After installing package may be instanced to virtual machine. You may have more one instances from one package. Virtual machine also can be exported to package for transfer or backup. And finally, you may "run" package without installing. In this case it will be instanced to the N9 temporary folder and deleted after shutdown.

N9 consists from some parts:

N9 Core

- this is a library of python functions and set of base command-line utilities

N9 Plugins

- set of python classes for managing virtualization system other than QEMU.

N9 Front-End

- set of GUI applications for more usable desktop control.

N9 Server

- a CGI scripts for organizing web interface for N9

N9 RPC

- a XML-RPC service for remote programmatic access to N9

N9 Grid Builder

- set of utilities for build completed self-bootable virtualized environments for Live CDs or USB pendrives

N9 Mobile

- subset of N9, combined with EXE-launcher for using N9 virtual machine from USB pendrives using QEMU for Windows or Portable VirtualBox for Windows

N9 Mobile Builder

- utility for easy making N9-powered USB pendrive

Essential documentation included into distributive packages (more in readme files and in usage screens of core tools). Coming soon for more documentation, or submit it to me (blaxxun [at] list [dot] ru) if you experienced N9 and make interesting appliance or found bug.
This version built around Python 2.3. It must be compatible with future releases of python, but I can't guarantee this one. Under Windows you may need PyWin32 and Py2EXE Python packages. I was design N9 mostly without additional packages for same easyness run it as freezed and sources.

N9 Core

[Python sources (21 Kb)]

[Windows EXE (4,19 Mb)]

N9 Plugins

in development stage

N9 Front-End

in development stage

N9 Server

refactoring

N9 RPC

refactoring

N9 Grid Builder

in design stage

N9 Mobile

in testing stage

N9 Mobile Builder

in design stage

N9 licensed under GPL v.2 license, excepts OpenVZ Plugin, MS Virtual Server Plugin, and Amazon EC2 Plugin. See appropriated license of vendor.

VAD (Virtualized Applications Deployment)

- a toolbox wriiten on Delphi and VBScript used for packaging and deployment VMware and Virtual PC machines. An ideological precursor of N9.

VS Console

- a tool for managing Virtual Server without installing website. In development stage.

EC2 Client

- ActiveX control and commandline client for control Amazon EC2. In development stage.