OpenStack® is one of many cloud platforms that provide elasticity and on-demand usage. But one reason OpenStack is particularly compelling is the high level of flexibility and customization offered by open source cloud solutions.
Customization and extendability
OpenStack cloud offers access to APIs and source code, along with portability and extendability, which enable you to modify the platform to meet your use case needs. For example, if you require a high-performance computing cluster with extreme parallelization, you can extend and modify OpenStack and implement it in a way that meets the specific needs of your use case. The same goes for web scale or general business applications, and you can also build and implement OpenStack in a way that best suits your requirements.
Flexible implementation
OpenStack offers more flexibility than commercial cloud platforms because it allows you to implement a subset of functionality based on your requirements. This means if you don’t need block storage or the big data service, you don’t have to implement it. In addition, the interoperability offered by OpenStack allows you to move workloads between public and private clouds and even between different providers.
The OpenStack ecosystem
When OpenStack celebrated its fifth birthday back in June 2015, the project was backed by more than 20,000 members across 500 companies. Being part of such a large and dedicated global community brings access to extensive documentation and support that simply isn’t available from other types of cloud solutions.
When comparing open source cloud computing products, the choice ultimately comes down to your technical preference and which one best meets the needs of your use case. The ability to customize your OpenStack implementation is an advantage over commercial platforms that simply hand you a reference architecture and a list of best practices, and then instruct you to implement their solution in a particular way.
Watch our cloud expert discuss more advantages of OpenStack cloud in our Ask The Expert video.
