Open-Source Cloud Architecture: OpenStack vs OpenShift

This educational blog presents a high-level overview of OpenStack and OpenShift environments for private clouds. For more complete and technical information on OpenStack start with Lightbits Storage for OpenStack.

Cloud architecture is gaining significant momentum in data centers as many organizations are repatriating their public cloud workloads back on-premises¹, modernizing their data center, or building specialized cloud services².  Their data center strategy is to integrate the best capability and efficiency aspects of the public cloud with on-premises control. Several key aspects of the public cloud are driving organizations towards modeling cloud architectures on-premises efficiency, scalability, flexibility, automation, and agility.

Technologies that have emerged as key components of cloud architecture and enablers of efficiency, flexibility, agility, and scalability are software-defined storage and open-source orchestrators such as OpenStack and OpenShift Virtualization. All are gaining popularity as foundational components of modern cloud architecture.

Openshift Virtualization is a feature of Red Hat® OpenShift®, also referred to as OpenShift Cloud, which is Red Hat’s Kubernetes-based platform for container orchestration and management. OpenShift Virtualization was introduced by Red Hat to bring virtual machines (VMs) into the Kubernetes environment, enabling users to run VMs alongside containerized workloads on the same platform. It leverages the KubeVirt project, an open-source initiative designed to bring virtualization to Kubernetes, but Red Hat integrates it into OpenShift to provide a seamless user experience. Red Hat is responsible for both the development and enterprise-level support of OpenShift Virtualization.

OpenStack is an open-source project, which means it relies heavily on contributions from a global community of developers, engineers, and organizations.  While the Open Infrastructure Foundation provides the governance and coordination for OpenStack, contributions come from individuals and companies, including major cloud providers and technology companies such as Red Hat, Canonical, Huawei, Intel, Mirantis, and IBM.

What is the Importance of OpenStack and OpenShift in Cloud Computing

Open-source technologies, such as OpenStack and OpenShift, are gaining significant popularity in data centers, reflecting the need for greater flexibility, innovation, and cost savings in handling today’s complex workloads. As cloud-native application development accelerates so does the desire for on-premises cloud architecture and hybrid cloud strategies, where open-source software plays a crucial role in managing diverse environments, offering interoperability across different platforms. The flexibility afforded by open-source solutions like OpenStack and OpenShift allows data centers to be more flexible, offering greater control over how infrastructure is deployed and managed, without being locked into a single vendor’s ecosystem.

Cloud architectures that integrate OpenShift for platform services and OpenStack for infrastructure services introduce the benefits of automation, orchestration, and self-service capabilities, which can streamline operations and enable faster deployment of applications. For these reasons and more, OpenStack and OpenShift become highly compelling solutions in cloud computing.

Can OpenStack and OpenShift be Used Together in Cloud Computing?

Yes, OpenStack and OpenShift can be implemented together in the same data center, but they serve different purposes. The combination is appealing to organizations looking to unify their cloud strategy while balancing traditional virtualized applications and modern containerized workloads; producing a synergy in cloud-native architectures. OpenStack handles the virtualized infrastructure, offering compute and storage resources that can be utilized by OpenShift. In such setups, OpenShift runs on top of OpenStack’s virtualized environment, deploying applications as containers while OpenStack manages the underlying resources. This allows companies to manage both their VMs and containers within the same data center, enabling hybrid cloud or multi-cloud deployments.

Using OpenStack to manage infrastructure with OpenShift to orchestrate applications gives data centers more flexibility. OpenStack’s scalability allows it to manage workloads, while OpenShift’s orchestration of microservices and containers provides an efficient platform for modern application development. We often see this combination in large enterprise organizations using OpenStack for managing their vast infrastructure resources, and OpenShift to manage their application delivery and deployment at scale.

What is the Importance of OpenStack in Cloud Computing?

OpenStack is a widely adopted open-source cloud computing platform that enables you to build and manage a private or public cloud service. By offering a suite of tools for managing compute, storage, and networking resources, OpenStack empowers organizations to deploy infrastructure as a service (IaaS) on a large scale. Developed by a vast community of contributors from around the globe, OpenStack is known for its flexibility, scalability, and openness, making it a go-to solution for many enterprises and service providers seeking to create their own cloud infrastructure.

OpenStack’s importance in cloud computing cannot be overstated. It’s a powerful choice for building robust cloud environments. It allows you to leverage cloud capabilities without compromising control or flexibility, standing as a cornerstone of modern cloud architecture. Here are a few reasons why building an OpenStack private cloud is so appealing: cost-efficiency, vendor independence, scalability, interoperability and flexibility, and role-based access control (RBAC) for security and control. It is an ideal open-source solution for companies in industries like finance, healthcare, and government, where data privacy and control are critical.

Why Integrate OpenStack and Kubernetes?

OpenStack can be integrated with Kubernetes. OpenStack Kubernetes enables IT teams to build a more flexible, scalable, and integrated cloud environment that supports both traditional virtualized applications and modern containerized workloads. OpenStack provides the private cloud infrastructure (VMs, storage, networking), while Kubernetes handles the container orchestration on top, enabling hybrid environments across private and public cloud resources.

Why Use OpenStack and KVM together?

OpenStack and KVM (Kernel-based Virtual Machine) are often used together and are a powerful combination for building and managing private or hybrid cloud infrastructures. KVM is an open-source hypervisor built into the Linux kernel that allows a Linux machine to act as a host for running multiple VMs. In an OpenStack cloud, KVM provides the virtualization layer, allowing OpenStack to spin up and manage VMs efficiently. KVM enables resource isolation, meaning multiple VMs can run on the same physical host without interfering with each other. OpenStack uses KVM to create scalable, flexible, and multi-tenant cloud environments, making it an ideal solution for organizations and service providers wanting to build private or hybrid clouds.

What is the Importance of OpenShift Virtualization in Cloud Computing?

OpenShift Virtualization plays an important role in cloud computing by allowing you to adopt cloud-native strategies without abandoning your existing virtualized infrastructure; it bridges the gap between traditional VMs and modern containerized applications. This flexibility enhances operational efficiency, accelerates digital transformation, and enables seamless management of mixed workloads across diverse environments. Here are a few key reasons why OpenShift Virtualization is vital in cloud computing:

• Unified Management for VMs and Containers: allowing you to run both virtual machines and containers side-by-side on a single platform. This unification simplifies management by allowing you to use Kubernetes as the central control plane for both workloads, reducing the need for separate infrastructure management systems for VMs and containers.
• Migration to Cloud-Native Applications: it facilitates the gradual migration of traditional VM-based applications to containerized, cloud-native architectures. You can modernize your legacy applications without needing to completely rewrite them from scratch. VMs can continue to run on the same platform as newer, containerized applications, making it easier for you to move to execute a cloud-native strategy.
• Efficient Use of Resources: Traditional virtualization often leads to resource underutilization, especially when different workloads run on separate infrastructures. With OpenShift Virtualization, workloads are consolidated on a Kubernetes-based platform, enabling more efficient use of computing resources. This helps reduce overhead and improve infrastructure efficiency.
• Modernizing Legacy Applications: OpenShift Virtualization is a key tool for companies that rely on legacy applications but want to benefit from cloud-native technologies. It allows you to move existing VMs into a Kubernetes environment while still preparing for future containerization. This future-proofs your applications without forcing an immediate, large-scale transformation.

Red Hat OpenStack vs OpenShift Differences

OpenShift is ideal for managing containerized applications and supporting microservices-based architectures, making it a favorite for DevOps and developer teams. OpenStack, on the other hand, is focused on managing infrastructure and is often used for building private clouds, giving IT administrators full control over compute, storage, and networking resources. High-performance block storage for OpenStack and Red Hat OpenShift is an ideal choice for accelerating I/O-intensive real-time analytics and transactional workloads at scale.

Here’s a comparison table highlighting the key differences between OpenShift and OpenStack:

Use Cases for OpenShift Virtualization

OpenShift Virtualization is particularly useful for companies that are transitioning from traditional VM-based infrastructure to a modern, containerized, and cloud-native architecture. It offers flexibility, gradual modernization, efficient use of resources, and unified management, making it a valuable tool for hybrid cloud, DevOps, and multi-cloud strategies. Here are some key use cases for OpenShift Virtualization:

1. Optimizing Cloud Resources and Costs: By running both VMs and containers on the same infrastructure, you can optimize resource utilization, reduce cloud infrastructure costs, and avoid duplication of infrastructure when handling mixed workloads.
2. Containerizing Monolithic Applications: Some organizations run monolithic applications that are difficult to containerize. OpenShift Virtualization allows these applications to continue running in VMs while new services and microservices can be built around them using containers. This side-by-side deployment allows for modernization without disruption, with a future path to fully containerize the monolithic application when you’re ready.
3. Managing Infrastructure-as-Code for VMs: With OpenShift Virtualization, you can define VMs as Kubernetes resources, which brings the advantages of infrastructure-as-code to VM management. This allows you to automate the deployment, configuration, and scaling of VM. This makes VM management more dynamic, enabling better integration with modern cloud-native practices.
4. Test/Dev: In DevOps and CI/CD processes, developers often need access to multiple environments that include both VMs and containers for testing and development. OpenShift Virtualization provides the flexibility to spin up VM-based test environments while maintaining consistent Kubernetes-based infrastructure for both containers and VMs. This is especially useful when legacy applications (running in VMs) need to be integrated or tested with new containerized services.
5. Gradual Modernization of Legacy Applications: Many organizations run legacy applications on VMs and face challenges when trying to modernize these workloads. OpenShift Virtualization enables the coexistence of VMs and containers on a single platform, allowing you to gradually migrate your traditional applications to a cloud-native, containerized architecture. This helps reduce the risks and costs associated with large-scale migration projects by letting teams modernize applications incrementally.
6. Hybrid Cloud and Multi-Cloud Flexibility: OpenShift Virtualization allows you to run a mix of VMs and containers across hybrid or multi-cloud environments, providing flexibility and ensuring that different workloads can coexist. By managing both VM-based and containerized applications using Kubernetes across different clouds (public or private), you can deploy workloads based on business needs without infrastructure constraints.
7. Consolidation of VM and Container Workloads: Organizations that rely on both VMs and containers can reduce infrastructure complexity and optimize their resources by consolidating them onto a single platform—OpenShift. This consolidation simplifies infrastructure management, reduces operational overhead, and improves resource utilization.

Use Cases for OpenStack

OpenStack offers a versatile cloud platform that can meet the needs of a wide range of industries. Its open-source nature, flexibility, scalability, and ability to support both traditional and cloud-native applications make it a popular choice for building private, public, and hybrid clouds in diverse environments. Below are some common use cases for OpenStack:

1. Private Cloud Infrastructure: Organizations can use OpenStack to build and manage private clouds for greater control over data and workloads. This is ideal when you need more security, customization, and cost management than what public clouds offer. Benefits include flexibility, reduced cost, improved security, and adherence to regulatory requirements while maintaining the scalability and agility of cloud infrastructure.
2. Financial Services and High-Frequency Trading: Financial services institutions use OpenStack for running applications such as high-frequency trading (HFT), fraud detection, and large-scale data analytics. OpenStack’s flexible infrastructure and customization allow financial institutions to optimize their cloud environments for low-latency processing and compliance needs.
3. Public Cloud Service Providers: OpenStack can enable organizations to offer cloud services to external customers. Some companies use OpenStack to create public cloud offerings similar to AWS or Google Cloud, either on a local or regional scale. Benefits include open-source flexibility, lower entry costs, and the ability to build differentiated cloud services tailored to regional needs or specialized industries. Read the case study FI-TS Delivers Disaggregated Storage Platform.
4. SaaS, PaaS, and IaaS Providers: Service providers use OpenStack to deliver SaaS (Software as a Service), PaaS (Platform as a Service), and IaaS (Infrastructure as a Service) solutions to their customers. OpenStack allows them to offer customizable, scalable services across various industries. OpenStack’s flexibility, modular architecture, and cost-effectiveness make it an attractive option for delivering a wide range of cloud services to clients. Read the case study Nebul Delivers a Powerful Cloud Platform that’s Sovereign to the EU.
5. AI/ML: Enterprises can build AI-as-a-Service (AIaaS) platforms using OpenStack. With OpenStack, organizations can offer AI model training and inference as a service to internal teams or external customers. Benefits include flexibility, cost efficiency, and scalability, with the ability to move AI/ML workloads between cloud environments as needed. Reduced latency, faster decision-making at the edge, and optimized infrastructure for real-time AI/ML processing in distributed environments. Read the case study Crusoe Builds an AI Cloud with Power for the Future.
6. High-Performance Computing (HPC): OpenStack is used by research institutions, universities, and industries that require high-performance computing (HPC) for simulations, data processing, and computational tasks. HPC clusters can be built on OpenStack to perform resource-intensive tasks. OpenStack’s modular architecture allows for a flexible and scalable cloud that can be optimized for intensive compute workloads with significant parallel processing needs.
7. Edge Computing: OpenStack is used to support edge computing environments, especially in industries like telecom, manufacturing, and autonomous vehicles. These environments require computing resources to be placed closer to data sources (edge devices) to reduce latency and improve real-time processing. Benefits include lower latency, faster processing, improved network efficiency, and the ability to manage distributed infrastructure through a centralized OpenStack control plane.
8. Internet of Things (IoT) Platforms: OpenStack can serve as the backend for IoT platforms, helping organizations manage the data generated from a large number of IoT devices. It provides the infrastructure needed for processing and analyzing data streams from IoT sensors and devices in real time. OpenStack delivers the scalability and support for distributed computing architectures that IoT workloads typically require.
9. Big Data Analytics and Data Lakes: Organizations handling large amounts of data can use OpenStack to build big data analytics platforms or data lakes. OpenStack’s block storage Cinder services make it well-suited for storing and processing big data workloads. The benefits include scalable, cost-effective storage and compute resources, enabling you to manage, analyze, and derive insights from massive datasets.
10. Healthcare and Life Sciences: Healthcare organizations use OpenStack to manage data, including electronic medical records (EMRs) and large medical datasets such as MRI scans and genomic data. OpenStack provides a secure, scalable infrastructure that meets healthcare-related compliance standards. Benefits include security, scalability, cost-efficiency, and flexibility to meet the data-intensive and regulatory requirements of the healthcare industry.
11. Telcos: Telco providers often use OpenStack to virtualize core network services (firewalls, load balancers, etc.) and deliver them as software, reducing reliance on hardware appliances. The benefits of OpenStack for Telcos are scalability, flexibility in service delivery, lower capital expenditures, and improved agility in rolling out new services.
12. Government and Defense Cloud Deployments: Government agencies and defense organizations use OpenStack to have full control over sensitive data while providing flexibility and scalability for mission-critical applications. Benefits include data sovereignty, security, control, and the ability to meet strict regulatory requirements for defense and government cloud services.
13. Hybrid Cloud Deployments: OpenStack is frequently used to support hybrid cloud environments, where workloads are distributed between on-premises private clouds (using OpenStack) and public clouds like AWS or Microsoft Azure. Benefits include the flexibility to scale resources as needed, maintain data sovereignty for sensitive workloads, and leverage public cloud resources for overflow or less critical workloads.

Lightbits: Next-Gen Software-Defined Storage for OpenStack and OpenShift

Lightbits is a software-defined storage solution designed for high performance, scale, efficiency, and flexibility. Lightbits is architected from the ground up to deliver the speed and efficiency of direct-attached SSDs with the flexibility and manageability of networked storage. Our secret sauce? We’re the inventors of NVMe® over TCP, a protocol that allows you to get near-local NVMe performance over standard TCP/IP networks. This means you can have your cake and eat it too – enjoy the performance of local SSDs with the scalability and ease of management of networked storage, all without specialized networking hardware.

The Lightbits OpenStack Cinder driver enables seamless integration into your cloud while high availability, reliability, and QoS ensure consistent user experience, making Lightbits the fastest most scalable OpenStack storage solution.

At Lightbits, we believe in the power of open source. That’s why we’ve developed an open-source Container Storage Interface (CSI) plugin that integrates seamlessly with OpenShift Virtualization. (Diagram 1) This plugin allows you to easily provision and manage high-performance persistent storage for your virtual machines, making deployment and scaling a breeze. With our CSI plugin, you can leverage the full power of Lightbits storage within your private or public environment, ensuring that your virtualized workloads have access to the performance and features they need to thrive.

Diagram 1: How Lightbits integrates with OpenShift

Ready to supercharge your OpenStack and OpenShift Cloud with Lightbits? Contact us today for a personalized demo and see the difference for yourself!

¹ AWS claims customers are packing bags and heading back on-prem, The Register, September 17, 2024.

² Nebul Delivers a Powerful AI Cloud Data Platform That’s Sovereign to the EU, Lightbits Labs