Control panels

Install SolusVM 1 master and slave nodes on AlmaLinux or CentOS

Install the SolusVM 1 master control panel and KVM slave nodes, connect them, and understand when the newer SolusVM 2 or Virtualizor is the better choice.

AdvancedDedicated servers3 min read

SolusVM is a VPS management panel. In SolusVM 1 the master is the web panel where you create plans and virtual servers, and slaves are the hypervisor nodes (KVM, OpenVZ or Xen) that actually run them. This guide covers a classic SolusVM 1 installation.

Before you choose SolusVM 1: it is a legacy product. New deployments are usually better on SolusVM 2, which has a completely different installer and architecture, or on Virtualizor. Use this guide for maintaining or extending an existing SolusVM 1 cluster.

Before you start

  • A licence for SolusVM 1 for each master and slave.
  • Fresh minimal installs of AlmaLinux 8 (or CentOS Stream 8 / CentOS 7 for older clusters). Do not install a web panel or other software first.
  • Root SSH access, a static public IP and a fully qualified hostname on each server.
  • For KVM slaves: CPU virtualisation enabled in the BIOS and a spare disk or volume group for the VPS storage (LVM).

Install the master

  1. Connect to the master server as root over SSH.
  2. Update the system: dnf -y update, then reboot if a new kernel was installed.
  3. Download and start the installer. For AlmaLinux 8 / CentOS Stream 8:
    curl -o installer https://files.soluslabs.com/solusvmphp7/install/installer && chmod +x installer && ./installer
    For CentOS 7:
    curl -o install.sh https://files.solusvm.com/install.sh && sh install.sh
  4. When asked for the install type, choose 1 (Master).
  5. When prompted for the virtualisation type, choose the one your slaves will run (for KVM choose the KVM option).
  6. Wait for the installer to finish. It prints the admin URL (port 5656 over HTTPS, for example https://master-ip:5656/admincp) with the admin username and password. Save them.

Install a slave (KVM)

  1. Connect to the slave server as root and update it.
  2. Create the LVM volume group for VPS disks if the installer will not, for example a group named vg_kvm on the spare disk.
  3. Run the same installer and choose the Slave option for your virtualisation type (for example KVM Slave).
  4. At the end, the installer shows the slave's ID Key and ID Password. Copy both.
  5. Set up a network bridge (usually br0) on the slave's main interface so VPSs get public IPs. Do this from the server console, because a mistake cuts SSH access.
  6. Reboot the slave.

Add the slave to the master

  1. Log in to the master admin area.
  2. Go to Nodes → Add Node.
  3. Enter a name, the slave's IP and hostname, the SSH port and the ID Key and ID Password.
  4. Set the virtualisation type, the volume group name and the bridge name.
  5. Save. The node status should turn online.

Next, add an IP block under IP Blocks, assign it to the node, create plans and upload or sync OS templates. Then you can create the first VPS.

Troubleshooting

  • Node shows offline: allow the master IP to reach the slave on the SolusVM ports (5656 and SSH) in the slave firewall, and check the ID key and password.
  • VPS has no network: the bridge name in the node settings does not match the bridge on the slave.
  • Licence error: the licence must be issued for the server's main IP.

Next steps

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