OpenStack is a cloud operating system that controls large pools of compute, storage, and networking resources throughout a datacenter, all managed through a dashboard that gives administrators control while empowering their users to provision resources through a web interface.
The OpenStack project is a global collaboration of developers and cloud computing technologists producing the open standard cloud computing platform for both public and private clouds. The project aims to deliver solutions for all types of clouds by being simple to implement, massively scalable, and feature rich. The technology consists of a series of interrelated programs delivering various components for a cloud infrastructure solution.
The OpenStack project is organised around three major concepts (compute, storage, networking) and shared services.
– OpenStack Compute : Provision and manage large networks of virtual machines (codename Nova)
– OpenStack Storage : Object storage (codename Swift) and Block storage (codename Cinder)
– OpenStack Networking : Pluggable, scalable, API-driven network IP management (codename Neutron)
OpenStack has several shared services that span the three pillars of compute, storage and networking, making it easier to implement and operate your cloud. These services including identity, image management, a web interface and many more, integrate the OpenStack components with each other as well as external systems to provide a unified experience for users as they interact with different cloud resources.