OpenStack

OpenStack is an open-source cloud computing platform for building and managing private and public clouds. It provides infrastructure-as-a-service (IaaS) capabilities including compute, networking, and storage.

Overview

OpenStack was launched in 2010 by Rackspace and NASA. It is a collection of interconnected projects that work together to provide a scalable cloud infrastructure. OpenStack is widely used by service providers, enterprises, and governments for private cloud deployments.

Key Projects

  • Nova: Compute (virtual machine management)
  • Neutron: Networking (SDN, load balancing, firewalls)
  • Cinder: Block storage
  • Swift: Object storage
  • Keystone: Identity and access management
  • Glance: Image service
  • Horizon: Web-based dashboard (GUI)
  • Heat: Orchestration (CloudFormation-compatible)

Licensing

OpenStack is released under the Apache License 2.0, a permissive open-source license approved by the Open Source Initiative.

See OpenStack Licensing for details.

Official Resources