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Tech Glossary

OpenStack

OpenStack is an open-source cloud computing platform that enables users to build and manage both public and private cloud environments. It provides a suite of services for Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), giving organizations control over large pools of computing, storage, and networking resources, all managed through a dashboard, command-line interface, or RESTful APIs. OpenStack is widely used in enterprise and research environments as it offers scalability, flexibility, and cost-effectiveness in cloud deployment.

OpenStack’s architecture consists of several key components:

Compute (Nova): Nova provides virtual servers and supports hypervisors like KVM and VMware. It’s the core component responsible for managing the lifecycle of compute instances in an OpenStack environment.
Storage (Swift and Cinder): Swift offers object storage, similar to Amazon S3, and is suitable for storing unstructured data. Cinder provides block storage, allowing users to attach persistent storage volumes to virtual machines.
Networking (Neutron): Neutron allows for advanced networking services, such as IP address management, routing, and security groups. It enables network segmentation and supports virtual networks and firewalls.
OpenStack is built on a modular architecture, meaning organizations can select the components they need, making it highly adaptable to diverse workloads. Due to its open-source nature, OpenStack fosters an extensive ecosystem of community contributions, including additional services for identity management (Keystone), image service (Glance), and orchestration (Heat).

With broad support for hybrid and multi-cloud deployments, OpenStack has gained traction among businesses looking to avoid vendor lock-in and maintain greater control over their infrastructure. Although OpenStack can be complex to set up and manage, it is highly customizable, and vendors like Red Hat and Mirantis provide commercial support to streamline deployment and maintenance. OpenStack’s flexibility, coupled with its cost savings, has made it a popular choice for organizations seeking an open, customizable cloud solution.

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