Overview

OpenStack

Stacks792

Followers1.2K

Votes138

Apache CloudStack

Stacks67

Followers250

Votes95

GitHub Stars2.7K

Forks1.2K

Apache CloudStack vs OpenStack: What are the differences?

Introduction:

Apache CloudStack and OpenStack are both popular open-source cloud computing platforms that offer Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) capabilities. However, there are key differences between the two platforms that set them apart. Let's explore these differences in more detail:

Architecture: One of the primary differences between Apache CloudStack and OpenStack lies in their underlying architecture. Apache CloudStack follows a more centralized approach where it utilizes a single management server to control and manage all resources within the cloud infrastructure. On the other hand, OpenStack follows a more distributed architecture where different services run on separate nodes, contributing to a more scalable and fault-tolerant system.
Hypervisor Support: Another significant difference between Apache CloudStack and OpenStack is the hypervisor support. Apache CloudStack offers support for a wide range of hypervisors, including VMware, XenServer, KVM, and Hyper-V, allowing users to choose the most suitable option for their needs. OpenStack, on the other hand, primarily focuses on supporting the KVM hypervisor, although it can also integrate with other hypervisors through specific drivers.
Maturity and Popularity: When it comes to maturity and popularity, OpenStack generally has a more extensive and vibrant user community compared to Apache CloudStack. OpenStack enjoys the backing of several leading technology companies, resulting in a broader adoption and ecosystem. Apache CloudStack, while still widely used in many organizations, may have a smaller community in comparison.
Ease of Deployment: Apache CloudStack is generally considered to be more straightforward to deploy compared to OpenStack. With its centralized architecture and simplified installation process, Apache CloudStack can offer faster deployment times for organizations looking for a quick setup. OpenStack, on the other hand, may require more planning and configuration due to its distributed nature, making it suitable for organizations with more extensive and complex infrastructure requirements.
Documentation and Support: Apache CloudStack provides comprehensive documentation, including installation guides, user guides, and API references, making it relatively easy for users to find the resources they need. OpenStack also offers extensive documentation, but due to its more complex nature, finding relevant information or getting support may require more effort, particularly for less experienced users.
Integration and Ecosystem: OpenStack has a vast ecosystem of third-party plugins and extensions, allowing users to integrate with a wide range of complementary tools and services. This extensive integration capability makes OpenStack a highly flexible and customizable platform. While Apache CloudStack also supports integration with additional modules, its ecosystem may be more limited in comparison, potentially offering fewer options for customizations and specialized use cases.

In summary, Apache CloudStack and OpenStack differ in their architecture, hypervisor support, maturity, ease of deployment, documentation and support, as well as integration capabilities. Organizations should consider their specific infrastructure needs and requirements when choosing between these two cloud computing platforms.

Advice on OpenStack, Apache CloudStack

Roger

Aug 2, 2021

Needs advice

Currently using Xencenter "Free Version" - didn't realize that after 90 days, the Premium Features disable themselves, and it basically has cut off any NFS connections.

I am looking for a system to migrate my Xencenter Infrastructure into that won't be as restrictive as Xencenter. Xencenters licensing doesn't allow a Hybrid Environment - so if 1 server isn't licensed, it deems them all unlicensed.

6.32k views6.32k

Comments

Detailed Comparison

OpenStack	Apache CloudStack
OpenStack is a cloud operating system that controls large pools of compute, storage, and networking resources throughout a datacenter, all managed through a dashboard that gives administrators control while empowering their users to provision resources through a web interface.	CloudStack is open source software designed to deploy and manage large networks of virtual machines, as a highly available, highly scalable Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) cloud computing platform.
Compute;Storage;Networking;Dashboard;Shared Services	Works with hosts running KVM, XenServer/XCP-ng, VMware ESXi with vSphere and HyperV; Provides a friendly Web-based UI for managing the cloud; Provides a native API; Manages storage for instances running on the hypervisors (primary storage) as well as templates, snapshots, and ISO images (secondary storage); Orchestrates network services from the data link layer (L2) to some application layer (L7) services, such as DHCP, NAT, firewall, VPN, and so on; Accounting of network, compute, and storage resources; Multi-tenancy/account separation; User management; Supports Kubernetes, Terraform, Ansible
Statistics
GitHub Stars -	GitHub Stars 2.7K
GitHub Forks -	GitHub Forks 1.2K
Stacks 792	Stacks 67
Followers 1.2K	Followers 250
Votes 138	Votes 95
Pros & Cons
Pros 60 Private cloud 39 Avoid vendor lock-in 23 Flexible in use 7 Industry leader 5 Robust architecture	Pros 15 Apache CloudStack works 13 Multi hypervisor 10 Easy setup 9 Open architecture 9 Real open source software

What are some alternatives to OpenStack, Apache CloudStack?

VirtKick

Software as a service platform for hosting providers.

OpenNebula

It provides a simple but feature-rich and flexible solution for the comprehensive management of virtualized data centers to enable on-premise enterprise clouds in existing infrastructures. It can be primarily used as a virtualization tool to manage your virtual infrastructure in the data-center or cluster, which is usually referred as Private Cloud. It supports Hybrid Cloud to combine local infrastructure with public cloud-based infrastructure, enabling highly scalable hosting environments.

Eucalyptus

Eucalyptus is open source software for building private, AWS-compatible IT, QA, and developer clouds. It makes it easy to deliver cloud computing, just like AWS, from within your data center.

Ubicloud

It is an open, free, and portable cloud. Think of it as an open alternative to cloud providers, like what Linux is to proprietary operating systems. It provides IaaS cloud features on bare metal providers, such as Hetzner, OVH, and AWS Bare Metal.