OpenStack vs Red Hat OpenShift: What are the differences?

Introduction

OpenStack and Red Hat OpenShift are two popular open-source platforms used for cloud computing and container management, respectively. While both have overlapping functionalities, there are key differences that set them apart. In this article, we will explore the main differences between OpenStack and Red Hat OpenShift.

1. Architecture: OpenStack is a cloud computing platform that provides Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) capabilities. It enables users to manage and provision virtualized infrastructure resources such as compute, storage, and networking. On the other hand, Red Hat OpenShift is a platform as a service (PaaS) solution that focuses on containerized applications and leverages Kubernetes for container orchestration. The architecture of OpenStack is more focused on infrastructure provisioning, while OpenShift is designed for application deployment and management.

2. Scalability: OpenStack is designed to scale horizontally by adding more compute, networking, or storage nodes to the cluster, allowing it to handle large workloads. The scaling in OpenStack is done manually or through automated systems. In contrast, Red Hat OpenShift leverages the scalability features of Kubernetes, allowing applications to scale automatically based on predefined rules or metrics such as CPU usage or memory consumption. OpenShift provides a more dynamic and automated scaling mechanism for application workloads.

3. Container Orchestration: OpenStack primarily focuses on the infrastructure layer and does not offer built-in container orchestration capabilities. While it is possible to run containers on OpenStack, managing the containers and their lifecycle is left to the users or can be integrated with other container orchestration platforms such as Kubernetes. On the other hand, Red Hat OpenShift is built on top of Kubernetes and provides a fully integrated and managed container orchestration platform. OpenShift simplifies the deployment, scaling, and management of containerized applications by providing built-in container orchestration features.

4. Application Development: OpenStack provides a flexible platform for infrastructure provisioning and resource management, making it suitable for a wide variety of use cases and workloads. It is often used by cloud service providers to offer IaaS solutions to their customers. In contrast, Red Hat OpenShift focuses on application development and deployment. It provides a streamlined developer experience with features such as built-in CI/CD pipelines, source code integration, and built-in developer tools. OpenShift is designed to accelerate the application development and deployment process.

5. Community and Vendor Support: OpenStack has a large and diverse community of contributors and users, with support from various vendors. It is backed by the OpenStack Foundation, which ensures the project's governance and promotes collaboration. Red Hat OpenShift also has a strong community and vendor support, with Red Hat being a leading contributor to the Kubernetes project, which forms the core of OpenShift. Red Hat provides enterprise support and additional features for OpenShift, making it a popular choice for organizations seeking a commercially supported container platform.

6. Use Case Focus: OpenStack is more suited for organizations that require a highly customizable and scalable infrastructure platform for running virtualized workloads. It is commonly used by cloud service providers, telecom operators, and enterprises with large-scale infrastructure needs. On the other hand, Red Hat OpenShift is ideal for organizations that want a streamlined and managed platform for running containerized applications. It is useful for developers and teams focusing on application development, deployment, and continuous integration/continuous deployment (CI/CD) pipelines.

In Summary, OpenStack is a cloud computing platform focused on infrastructure provisioning and scalability, while Red Hat OpenShift is a fully managed and integrated container platform for application deployment and management. OpenStack provides flexibility and broad use case support, while OpenShift streamlines the application development process with built-in CI/CD pipelines and developer tools. Both platforms have strong community and vendor support and are suited for different cloud computing and container management requirements.