OpenStack is a cloud management platform which allows users to create virtual machines according to physical criteria (number of CPUs, amount of memory, disk storage etc.) and a base image that can provide the operating system and the most suitable software. It also has features volume demand (such as Amazon EBS) via Cinder (block storage), network on demand via quantum of cloud storage mode via Swift (a scalable redundant storage system).
Interoperability
As we all know OpenStack is based solely on open source tools: Linux, Libvirt, QEMU / KVM and is written in Python. It meets many standards ovf (open virtual machine format), qcow2 (to create a snapshot of existing files), EC2 or S3, and specific APIs (Nova).
Limitations and difficulties uncovered important features
Although it is highly evolved, but it does not implement advanced functions like VMware HA / FT or the charge distribution like VMware DRS.
Usual Features
- You can connect via a Web browser on a dashboard.
- You are able to create virtual machines, OS images, snapshots, manage network, etc.
- You can also create a virtual machine from a template, and assign a public IP address.
- You can access your virtual machine via SSH and root access to the system.
- You can see how much resource used and how much it will cost by the end of the month for its use.
- The virtual machine can be rebooted / shutdown.
You will find several interesting features in OpenStack, but the most remarkable features are; you can access the dashboard from a web browser. Second, standard billing which is ideal for a company that charges its customers based on its use. Third, all the major tools are free and open; they are also compatible with the APIs of another system, e.g. Xen, VMware etc.
