IBM Cloud tutorial

A tutorial for deploying number-crunching Python applications to IBM Cloud.

Introduction

This tutorial illustrates typical work-flows and tools in cloud computing, addressing key concepts and technologies. By the end of this tutorial you should be able to deploy a Python application to the cloud, both as a Cloud Foundry app and as a Kubernetes pod. You will also gain some familiarity with

• GitHub
• IBM Cloud
• Docker containers
• Visual Studio Code
• Continuous Delivery
• Kubernetes containers
• Microservice Starter Kits
• Cloud Foundry applications

Prerequisites

• Internet access
• A computer running either MacOS, Windows or Linux

Estimated time

From 1h to 2h, depending on the familiarity of the reader with the concepts.

Steps

1. Read Installing developer tools and environments and follow the steps.

   1. Setting up IBM Cloud environment
   2. Setting up GitHub environment
   3. Installing IBM Cloud CLI
   4. Installing Docker Community Edition
   5. Installing Kubernetes client
   6. Installing Visual Studio Code

2. Read Configuring DevOps tools and follow the steps.

   1. Creating a Python Starter Kit
   2. Creating GitHub repository
   3. Configuring Continuous Delivery Pipeline

3. Read Playing with your Python application and follow the steps.

   1. Cloning the repository
   2. Testing the example implementation
   3. Customizing the example implementation
   4. Customizing the example implementation again
   5. In the end, your file should look like app/custom-health.py

4. Read Developing a number-crunching application and follow the steps.

   1. Generating a Swagger API documentation
   2. Exploring the Swagger API documentation
   3. Creating number-crunching services
   4. Configuring Python deployment environment
   5. Linking number-crunching services to API resources

5. Read Containerising the Python application and follow the steps.

   1. Setting up a private registry namespace
   2. Creating a new Kubernetes-based toolchain
   3. Deploying a container with Continuous Delivery Pipeline
   4. Accessing the containerised application
   5. Deploying a container manually using the command-line

Summary

Congratulations, you have now deployed you own Python application to IBM Cloud using two deployment modes: Cloud Foundry apps and Kubernetes pods. You have also learned how to document your API using the Swagger specification. If you want to learn more ways to deploy your Python application in the cloud, take a look at the link below.

Related links

• Three ways to deploy a Python app into an OpenShift cluster