Grouper Training Environment

Welcome to Virtual Grouper training. 

The Grouper Training Environment (GTE) is a set of lesson plans, training exercises, and supporting Docker modules. Students are able to bring up a full training environment by running a simple command. The GTE provides all the necessary components and configuration to go from learning basic Grouper operations, to exploring the access governance concepts presented in the Grouper Deployment Guide (GDG). The focus of the GTE is Grouper installation, configuration, design, and operation. Little to no technical experience is required to complete the Grouper training.

The training environment will be made available to students via Amazon Web Services (AWS).  The student will only need a connection to the Internet and a suitable SSH client (e.g. OpenSSH on UNIX/Linux/Mac systems or PuTTY on Windows).  IP addresses and credentials will be provided during the class.

Session information

• We will be taking short breaks throughout the day
• To keep things flowing well, please refrain from using the Zoom chat window. Instead, use the dedicated Slack channel for your discussions!
• VMs will be opened up several days before the class. They will remain open for two weeks after the class so that you can practice the lab exercises.
• Ask ALL of your questions. There are no dumb questions.

Pre-work

1. Connect to your AWS instance from your computer
2. Install "Kahoot!" (learning and trivia app) on your phone or preferably a device not used by zoom
3. Install the Zoom app if you do not already have it
   1. It is nice if you have a camera available that you can turn on from time to time so we can all put names to faces
4. Install the Slack app if you do not already have it and make sure you are in the grouper-training-spring2020 channel
5. Review these commands that you will need (located in the GTE)
6. If you do not know linux, here is a 5 minute lesson
7. Unix text editor, you need to be able to edit a file (there are only a few exercises that require this) with nano, vi, or emacs.  If you know how to use one of these, then you are good.  If not:
   1. "nano" is easiest, here is a 2 minute lesson
   2. If you prefer “vi”, here is an 8 minute lesson
8. Read the Grouper Deployment Guide

Computer setup the morning of training

1. If you have a phone or device not used for zoom, have that available with Kahoot! running. 
   1. You do not need to sign in to Kahoot but when using it please enter your real first and last name
2. If you have multiple monitors available, that would be useful but not required
   
   1. Might be nice to not use a separate computer for Zoom and exercises, so you can share your screen if needed
3. Open the Slack app to the class channel
4. Open the Zoom app and connect to the Main zoom meeting (pinned from slack channel)
   1. Please mute yourself and either keep your camera on or be prepared to turn it on while speaking so we can put names to faces
5. Open your terminal or SSH client (from pre-work <above> and slack pin) and connect to your GTE instance
   

   1. Run this command
      
      

      ./gte 101.1.1

   2. Leave that terminal/ssh window open.  Be prepared to reconnect if your SSH tunnel disconnects (e.g. when your browser stops working)
6. Close all your browsers and tabs
7. Open Chrome (or firefox if you don't have Chrome)
   1. Tab 1: GTE Jump page: https://localhost:8443/
   2. Tab 2: Grouper admin account:  https://localhost:8443/grouper/   (banderson/password)
   3. Tab 3: Text to copy/paste
   4. Tab 4: GTE commands
   5. Tab 5: SQL manager: https://localhost:8443/phpmyadmin/   (root/<no password>)
   6. Tab 6: LDAP manager: https://localhost:8443/phpldapadmin/  (cn=root,dc=internet2,dc=edu/password)
8. We need another Grouper non-admin session.  Either open an incognito Chrome window (if other tabs are not incognito), or open a different browser (e.g. Firefox instead of Chrome)
   1. Tab 1: Grouper non-admin account:  https://localhost:8443/grouper/   (jsmith/password)
9. Open a text editor e.g. notepad (windows) or notes (mac)

Important links

GTE commands - Simple commands to run GTE courses and interact with the environment

Text to copy/paste - Text from slides to copy and paste easily

Grouper Deployment Guide - Grouper concepts, standards, and best practices

GTE app links (once connected and a lesson is started)

Other info linked from slack "pin" to keep private

• SSH IPs and credentials
• Zoom teleconference coordinates
• Canvas
• This wiki

Corrections on 101 material

The slides are generally up to date, but the movies are out of date.  Thanks for your patience.

• 101.1 - The app/slides are different than the movie, but it's ok.  Note the differences
• 101.3 - Uncheck the checkbox for "set alternate name" when moving the group.  If you do not do this you will get a validation error on the copy.  This is fixed in the next version of Grouper.
• 101.4 - The ID and Name fields in the attribute def name are backwards.  If you create it like the movie you will get a validation error.  Use group "ref:role:Employee By Role" to view attribute assignments, the one in the movie does not exist anymore.
• 101.5.1 - Skip the hands on or patch your container (and dont run "gte" again or it will revert): jira GRP-3635
• 101.8 - The user in the movie does not exist, use "John Patterson" instead (or any user you find)
• 101.9 - jsmith is Joel Smith and not John Smith so the slides do not exactly match
• 101.9.1 - The query is a little different: SELECT subject_id, subject_source subject_source_id FROM grouper_members WHERE subject_id like '800001%'
• 101.9.2 - Skip the hands on, it no longer works, just watch the lesson
• 101.11 - Skip the hands on, it no longer works, just watch the lesson
• 101.11.1 - Use another group for attestation, e.g.  test:testGroup
• 101.12 - Visualization looks a little different but you get the idea
• 101.13 - Just pick different people who exist.  Group hasBeenTrained should have banderson and jpatters.  teamMember should have banderson and abentley
• 101.14 - The slides are updated and we need another movie CBT

Improved database browser and LDAP browser

The ldap/database browsers in the GTE are web based browser and might not be the easiest to use or might not be what you are familiar with.  If you have a MySQL admin tool you can use that, or if you want a suggestion, install DBeaver community edition (free).  If you have an LDAP browser you can use that, or if you want a suggestion, install Apache Directory Studio (free).

1. Make sure you dont have anything listening on 3306 or 8389 on your computer (or map other ports)

2. You will want to change your connection string to tunnel the port to your computer
   
   FROM

   ssh -L 8443:localhost:8443 -l student <ip address>

   TO

   ssh -L 8443:localhost:8443 -L 3306:localhost:3306 -L 8389:localhost:389 -l student <ip address>

3. When starting a GTE module, tell it to expose mysql/ldap from the container
   
   FROM

   gte <container name>

   TO

   gte --sql --ldap <container name>

4. Connect to mysql from DBeaver or another mysql browser
   
   

   localhost
   3306
   root
   <no password>

5. Connect to ldap from Apache directory studio or another ldap browser
   
   

   localhost
   8389
   cn=root,dc=internet2,dc=edu
   password

Help

If you have any questions about the workshop or its technical content, please send a note to Erin at  emurtha@internet2.edu .

You can also use the dedicated Slack channel for an even faster response.

Run locally

1. First install docker on mac or docker desktop on windows
2. Then spin up one of the versions: e.g.

C:\Users\mchyzer-local> docker run -d -p 8443:443 --name 101.1.1 tier/gte:101.1.1-202109
a282e12af384105b810fb2d1fd67ad450a3ef1fa0ea039c6083348a979cef3d5