Python bindings to the Rackspace Cloud Servers API

This is a client for Rackspace's Cloud Servers API. There's a Python API (the cloudservers module), and a command-line script (cloudservers). Each implements 100% of the Rackspace API.

Full documentation is available.

You'll also probably want to read Rackspace's API guide (PDF) -- the first bit, at least -- to get an idea of the concepts. Rackspace is doing the cloud hosting thing a bit differently from Amazon, and if you get the concepts this library should make more sense.

Development takes place on GitHub. Bug reports and patches may be filed there.

Contents:

• Command-line API
• Python API
• FAQ
• What's new?

Command-line API

Installing this package gets you a shell command, cloudservers, that you can use to interact with any Rackspace compatible API (including OpenStack).

You'll need to provide your Rackspace username and API key. You can do this with the --username and --apikey params, but it's easier to just set them as environment variables:

export CLOUD_SERVERS_USERNAME=jacobian
export CLOUD_SERVERS_API_KEY=yadayada

If you are using OpenStack or another Rackspace compatible API, you can optionally define its authentication url with --url. Or set it as an environment variable as well:

export CLOUD_SERVERS_URL=http://myserver:port/v1.0/

You'll find complete documentation on the shell by running cloudservers help:

usage: cloudservers [--username USERNAME] [--apikey APIKEY]
                    [--url AUTH_URL] <subcommand> ...

Command-line interface to the Cloud Servers API.

Positional arguments:
  <subcommand>
    backup-schedule     Show or edit the backup schedule for a server.
    backup-schedule-delete
                        Delete the backup schedule for a server.
    boot                Boot a new server.
    delete              Immediately shut down and delete a server.
    flavor-list         Print a list of available 'flavors' (sizes of
                        servers).
    help                Display help about this program or one of its
                        subcommands.
    image-create        Create a new image by taking a snapshot of a running
                        server.
    image-delete        Delete an image.
    image-list          Print a list of available images to boot from.
    ip-share            Share an IP address from the given IP group onto a
                        server.
    ip-unshare          Stop sharing an given address with a server.
    ipgroup-create      Create a new IP group.
    ipgroup-delete      Delete an IP group.
    ipgroup-list        Show IP groups.
    ipgroup-show        Show details about a particular IP group.
    list                List active servers.
    reboot              Reboot a server.
    rebuild             Shutdown, re-image, and re-boot a server.
    rename              Rename a server.
    resize              Resize a server.
    resize-confirm      Confirm a previous resize.
    resize-revert       Revert a previous resize (and return to the previous
                        VM).
    root-password       Change the root password for a server.
    show                Show details about the given server.

Optional arguments:
  --username USERNAME   Defaults to env[CLOUD_SERVERS_USERNAME].
  --apikey APIKEY       Defaults to env[CLOUD_SERVERS_API_KEY].
  --url AUTH_URL        Defaults to env[CLOUD_SERVERS_URL] or
                        https://auth.api.rackspacecloud.com/v1.0
                        if undefined.

See "cloudservers help COMMAND" for help on a specific command.

Python API

There's also a complete Python API.

By way of a quick-start:

>>> import cloudservers
>>> cs = cloudservers.CloudServers(USERNAME, API_KEY [, AUTH_URL])
>>> cs.flavors.list()
[...]
>>> cs.servers.list()
[...]
>>> s = cs.servers.create(image=2, flavor=1, name='myserver')

... time passes ...

>>> s.reboot()

... time passes ...

>>> s.delete()

FAQ

What's wrong with libcloud?

Nothing! However, as a cross-service binding it's by definition lowest common denominator; I needed access to the Rackspace-specific APIs (shared IP groups, image snapshots, resizing, etc.). I also wanted a command-line utility.

What's new?

See the release notes.