Configuring prestashop in multiple stateless servers (scalable) with ansible

This repository (https://github.com/rrodolfos/prestashop-nginx-scalable-vagrant-ansible.git) contains vagrant and ansible configuration to deploy and provision prestashop in multiple stateless servers (scalable) with mysql (mariadb), redis, nfs, nginx and php (fpm):

• Prestashop
• MariaDB or MySQL
• Redis
• NFS (Network File System)
• NGINX
• php

DISCLAIMER

This implementation is intended for testing / PoC / educational purposes only, this solution is not scalable or secure enough for live / production environments. Use it at your own risk. Have fun!.

Requirements

The below requirements are needed to deploy and provision Shop and PrestaShop VMs.

• VirtualBox
• Vagrant
• Ansible
• MySQL collection for Ansible

what did I use for this?

• MacBook Pro 2015 CPU Core i5 8GB RAM
• OS GNU Linux/Debian 12 Bookworm 64bits
• VirtualBox 6.1.32
• Vagrant 2.2.19
  • Vagrant box debian/bullseye64
• Ansible 2.12.3
• MySQL collection for Ansible 2.1.0

Included content

• Vagrantfile
• ansible.cfg
• Collections
  • mysql
• Playbook.yml
• Roles
  • common
  • prestashop
  • shop

Vagrantfile

VM machines definition as follow:

• shop

  • 2 vcpu
  • 1024 RAM
  • 192.168.33.13 VM ip address

• prestashop-1

  • 2 vcpu
  • 1024 RAM
  • 192.168.33.14 VM ip address

• prestashop-2

  • 2 vcpu
  • 1024 RAM
  • 192.168.33.15 VM ip address

Architecture

In a nutshell

shop VM

This VM has all stateful services and a NGINX reverse proxy. So this machine will act as a cloud-ish infrastructure for our stateless prestashop nodes. Services included in this VM are:

• NGINX as reverse proxy
• Redis as session handler for php
• NFS as PrestaShop common web files storage
• MariaDB as usual

Note: PrestaShop does not use php sessions instead it uses cookies. However, in How to make PrestaShop scale official documentation they does mention Redis to store sessions so there it is. If by any chance you know why please let me know.

prestashop-{1,2} VMs

These VMs have all stateless PrestaShop services. They contain a web server with php, and some web files. Services included in these VMs are:

• NGINX as web server
  • Stateful web files are stored in NFS
• php-fpm
  • Sessions are handled by Redis

How to build it

Shop

This VM deploys stateful services for PrestaShop server with mariadb, redis, nfs, nginx and php as follow (by ansible):

• Install MariaDB server
• Install NGINX and configure as reverse proxy
• Install NFS server and configure exports
• Install and configure Redis

Prestashop{1,2}

These VMs deploy stateless PrestaShop nodes (servers) with nginx and php as follow (by ansible):

• Install php
• Install Redis tools (client)
• Install MariaDB client
  • Create prestashop database
  • Create prestashop user and its privileges
• Install NFS client
  • Mount prestashop shared files
• Install NGINX
  • Download and install prestashop
  • Configure NGINX prestashop server
• Print shop URL
• Print prestashop{1,2} URLs
• Have fun!

Clone this repository

  $ git clone https://github.com/rrodolfos/prestashop-nginx-scalable-vagrant-ansible.git

Change to the cloned repository directory

  $ cd prestashop-nginx-scalable-vagrant-ansible

Create vagrant VMs and deploy PrestaShop

To start up the VM

  $ vagrant up

Coffee time!. On a MacBook Pro 2015 and 50Mbps bandwidth it took ~15 minutes. Vagrant box (base linux distro) downloading time not included.

Check VMs

To connect to the VM (ssh)

  $ vagrant ssh {shop,prestashop-1,prestashop-2}

Connect to PrestaShop

Shop

  http://shop.local

To connect as a customer via web browser

  http://shop.local/en/login

Username: pub@prestashop.com Password: 123456789

To connect as a administrator (employee) via web browser

  http://shop.local/admin56

Username: john.doe@foo.foo Password: 0123456789

Destroy vagrant VM

To destroy the VM

  $ vagrant destroy

Notes

• Be sure the VM has the package acl is installed (Ansible should do it for you ;-)

• To change paths, user names, passwords and prestashop installation values check: prestashop-nginx-scalable-vagrant-ansible/provisioning/vars/main.yml

• When use $ vagrant ssh. It sholud have a VM name. Eg:

  $ vagrant ssh shop
  $ vagrant ssh prestashop-1
  $ vagrant ssh prestashop-2
  

• To show prestashop cookies check: http://shop.local/admin56/cookies.php

• Please feel free to let me know any question, error, improvement or opinion by email

Author

Rodolfo Sauce-Guinand - rrodolfos gmail com