OpenStack

OpenStack is an open-source cloud computing platform that enables organizations to build and manage public, private, and hybrid clouds. It provides infrastructure-as-a-service capabilities through a suite of interoperable components that handle compute, storage, networking, and identity services, all accessible via a common REST API. OpenStack is designed to run on commodity hardware and scale from small deployments to large data centers.

Originating in 2010 as a collaboration between Rackspace Hosting and NASA, OpenStack grew into a broad community-driven project with contributions from numerous technology companies and individuals. The governing body, the Open Infrastructure Foundation, oversees development and stewardship of the project.

OpenStack is built as a modular set of projects that interact through standard interfaces. Core components include Nova for compute, Glance for image services, Swift for object storage, Cinder for block storage, Neutron for networking, and Keystone for identity management. The Horizon project provides a web-based dashboard, while Heat handles orchestration. Other projects cover telemetry, deployment tooling, data services, and more, enabling a multi-tenant cloud with isolated projects and users.

Deployments rely on open APIs, support for multiple hypervisors, and integration with external storage and networking systems. Administrators typically use configuration management and automation tools to deploy and upgrade OpenStack services, and many Linux distributions and vendors provide packaged deployments.

OpenStack has been widely adopted by service providers and enterprises to operate private clouds and, in some cases, as the foundation for public cloud services. It maintains an active ecosystem, regular conferences, and broad community participation.