Opening Up for OpenStack

The cloud computing world is opening up for the OpenStack. This open source project, launched by NASA and Rackspace in late 2010, is assembling a private cloud "operating system" for the data center that promises vast increases in operational efficiency. The momentum behind it is phenomenal ; at last count more than 150 companies back the project including CISCO, Citrix, Dell, HP and Intel. With OpenStack, there is a vibrant, fast growing open source project for creating private cloud, flanked by VMware that offers a proprietary portfolio of private cloud software. OpenStack private cloud is compelling in part because it follows a Linux like open source model. Today, under an Apache license , the OpenStack "kernel" has three components:

• Compute( for managing large networks of Virtual Machines)
• Object Storage ( for massive storage clusters)
• Image Service ( for managing virtual disk images).

Around this kernel- with Linux distros (distribution) - vendors add value. Since its debut in October 2010, OpenStack has already undergone  four revisions. The fifth, code named Essex was released in 2012 and includes the following new components

• Identity- for authentication and authorization
• Dashboard - UI for managing OpenStack services