Create an Alibaba Cloud Elasticsearch index documentation with WPSOLR

Setup WPSOLR and Alibaba Cloud

This video suppose you already have an account at Alibaba Cloud.

You will see how to create an Alibaba Cloud index with a few clicks.

What is Alibaba Cloud?

Alibaba Cloud is a service to host Elasticsearch indexes, among (many) others. Rather than installing Elasticsearch on your own servers, you get a subscription and let the service manage your indexes on your behalf. No need of manpower, or servers, anymore.

Here is the video tutorial:

1 – Signup for a free trial at Alibaba Cloud

2 – Navigate to your Alibaba Cloud dashboard

3 – Create your first Alibaba Cloud cluster

3.1 – Create a dummy VPC

Alibaba Cloud Elasticsearch: create dummy VPC

Each Elasticsearch cluster requires a VPC. Create a dummy VPC for that purpose. Then open the cluster to public access.

3.2 – Navigate to the cluster menu

Alibaba Cloud Elasticsearch: new cluster menu

3.3 – Fill the new Cluster details

Alibaba Cloud Elasticsearch: new cluster

(1) Select a region (where your nodes/VMs are)

(2) Select a zone (where your nodes/VMs are in the region)

(3) Select the Elasticsearch version

(4) Network type (VPC, read-only)

(5) Select your dummy VPC

(6) Select your dummy VPC’s switch

(7) Select a node/VM size

(8) Username (readonly)

(9) Set a username’s password

Alibaba Cloud Elasticsearch: new cluster user/password

3.4 Create the cluster

Alibaba Cloud Elasticsearch: new cluster creating

Wait a few moments, until your cluster is ready to accept your first index.

Alibaba Cloud Elasticsearch: new cluster created

3.5 Enable public access (if your WordPress is outside the Alibaba Cloud VPC)

1) Click on the cluster details

Alibaba Cloud Elasticsearch: open cluster settings

2) Click on the public access details

Alibaba Cloud Elasticsearch: edit cluster settings

3) Open the public access, then update the IP whitelist with your WordPress site IP

Alibaba Cloud Elasticsearch: edit cluster public access

3.6 Copy the cluster public address (to paste in WPSOLR index admin)

Alibaba Cloud Elasticsearch: copy cluster public domain and port

Important ! This tutorial shows a public domain on HTTP/9200. Please secure it with HTTPS/443 instead.

4 – Create the Alibaba Cloud Elasticsearch index from WPSOLR admin

4.1 The WPSOLR new index form

Alibaba Cloud Elasticsearch: new index

(1), (2), then (3) to edit a new index
(4) Select “Elasticsearch” among index types
(5) Select “Alibaba Cloud” among Hosting Services
(6) Set a name for you index, visible in WPSOLR admin
(7) Set a name for your index, visible in Alibaba Cloud Kibana admin (only letters and “_”, no whitespaces)
(8) select http. Better is https if you configured your cluster with https.
(9) Paste the Alibaba Cloud public address copied from the Alibaba Cloud console:

Alibaba Cloud Elasticsearch: copy cluster public domain and port

(10) Paste the Alibaba Cloud port copied from the Alibaba Cloud console. 9200 if http. 443 if https.
(11) Paste username “elastic”

Alibaba Cloud Elasticsearch: cluster user ready

(12) Paste “elastic” password
(13) Create the index. Done!
Alibaba Cloud Elasticsearch: index created

4.2 Index your data

Alibaba Cloud Elasticsearch: index indexed