Adopting a hybrid cloud strategy is becoming a popular choice for many organizations looking to balance the benefits of public and private cloud environments. Azure Stack, as a business solution, provides an alternative to OpenStack when it comes to deploying a hybrid cloud.
If you are looking to adopt a hybrid-cloud strategy, you might need to value options to OpenStack. in this article we will explore OpenStack and how we could host it on Microsoft Azure, also we will discuss the benefits and considerations of deploying OpenStack on Azure.
What is OpenStack and how can we host it on Microsoft Azure?
OpenStack is an open-source platform that offers a comprehensive framework to build and control both public and private cloud infrastructures.
The collection of tools and modules that make up the OpenStack platform, known as "projects," centralize resources to provide essential cloud computing services such as compute, storage, networking, identification, and image services.
OpenStack is ready for deployment and has the potential to change the way businesses operate for the better. however there are various options to deploy OpenStack on Microsoft Azure, such as:
The real value of OpenStack is in the private or hybrid cloud deployment categories, the two uses that dominate among various companies to provide services that intersect with the businesses of AWS, GCE and Azure.
Key features of openstack and how they compare to other cloud providers
OpenStack features, including portability, security and storage are prompting vendors and IT pros alike to support the open source cloud platform.
Here are a few OpenStack features that especially stand out:
Examples of common use cases of OpenStack on Microsoft Azure
One might argue what is the point in running a cloud infrastructure software like OpenStack on top of another one, namely the Azure public cloud.
The main use cases are typically testing and API compatibility, but as Azure nested virtualization and pass-through features came a long way recently in terms of performance.
Other more advanced use cases are viable, especially in areas where OpenStack has a strong user base (e.g. Telcos).OpenStack is running a number of use-cases for clouds that use this software package including:
Applications that are best suited for running on an openstack environment
OpenStack offers API-driven access to computing, storage, and networking resources through a modular, open architecture. You may deploy bare metal, virtual machines, and container resources using the adaptable platform, all on the same network.
It makes horizontal scaling easy, which means that tasks that benefit from running concurrently can easily serve more or fewer users on the fly by just spinning up more instances. So the universe of applications running on an OpenStack backend is ever-expanding currently including:
Steps to install and configure OpenStack cloud in Microsoft Azure
While OpenStack is widely known as a private cloud platform, you can access the same open infrastructure immediately from dozens of public cloud providers around the world.
Whether you want to run containerized applications on bare metal or VMs, OpenStack lets you run containers the best way for your business. The general procedures to install and set up OpenStack cloud in Microsoft Azure are as follows:
- 1
Establish an Azure account then create a virtual network in Azure to host the OpenStack cloud.
- 2
Install OpenStack infrastructure components, such as the control node and network node, using the deployment tools for OpenStack.
- 3
Set up OpenStack components, such as Keystone (identity service), Glance (image service), Nova (compute service), Neutron (network service), and Horizon (dashboard).
- 4
Configure Azure resources, such as virtual machines, storage, and security groups, as well as virtual networks.
- 5
Setup a server and attach a floating IP address, then use SSH to connect to the instance to test the OpenStack deployment.
- 6
Monitoring and supporting the OpenStack deployment on a regular basis is necessary to guarantee its stability and security.
However, for a multi-node deployment, more virtual machines can be added, depending on how many virtual machines are to be supported by the deployment then the method may differ based on the particular needs and the specific OpenStack distribution being used.
OpenStack vs Azure Stack: 5 Key Differences
When you're considering a hybrid cloud approach, it's a good idea to look at options other than OpenStack. One popular alternative is Azure Stack.
the following key differences may help you evaluate Azure Stack as an alternative to OpenStack hybrid cloud deployments:
Azure Stack | OpenStack |
|---|---|
Architecture | |
Public cloud services extended into data centers on-premises | Not tied to any specific public cloud, allows organizations to run their own cloud services. |
Storage Options | |
Blob storage, Table storage, Queue storage | Object Storage, Block Storage, Shared File Systems (Swift, Cinder, Manila). |
Cost | |
Cloud services charges, typically lower than public Azure but with other typical cloud costs. Total cost is likely to be higher than OpenStack. | Open source, free to download and use. Lower licensing and service fees compared to Azure Stack, but requires a major undertaking for deployment. |
Hardware compatibility | |
Requires certified hardware | Runs on any hardware |
Multi-cloud support | |
Only supports Azure | Runs on any on-premise data center infrastructure |
Pros and Cons of using OpenStack on Microsoft Azure
When it comes to deciding on the best suitable hybrid or multi-cloud strategy, the use of OpenStack on Microsoft Azure is a topic worth discussing. On one hand, OpenStack on Azure offers benefits such as:
Pros
Cons
Tips on how to maximize your productivity with Azure OpenStack
Microsoft Azure simplifies building, deploying, and managing your cloud resources. You can get the most out of it when you use these tips while using the Azure OpenStack. These many tips are based off of practical real-world scenarios to help you boost your productivity with Azure including:
Conclusion
OpenStack is a key enabler in the adoption of cloud technology and has several common deployment use cases: Public, Private, and Hybrid models, providing a software suite to set up a personal Cloud environment.
Deploying OpenStack on Azure requires some changes to enable inbound traffic.
The main changes include adding a static IP for the OpenStack API, setting the OpenStack Controller's FQDN to the hostname, creating a dummy interface for the br-ex external port, and adding iptables NAT rules for outbound connectivity.
