OpenStack has caught the fancy of enterprise data centers (EDCs) as they look to move their virtualized applications in and out of the cloud. However when it comes to storage and enterprise storage in particular, OpenStack still lacks a number of block-based storage capabilities which it must offer in order for enterprise data centers (EDCs) and service providers to view it as a viable cloud option. The availability of OpenStack block storage services in HP 3PAR StoreServ Storage alleviates these concerns as they pave the way for EDC OpenStack adoption.
OpenStack’s Roots
OpenStack originated in the open-source world among organizations looking to offer cloud computing services that ran on standard server and storage hardware. Perhaps OpenStack’s largest and most influential set of early adopters was hosting providers. They sought out OpenStack as a means to create cost-effective, scale-out cloud computing environments.
They typically run Linux or Linux with kernel-based virtual machines (KVMs) on the server hardware. They then used the OpenStack block-based iSCSI driver to connect performance intensive applications to low cost, SATA-based storage systems.
This combination gave these hosting providers the affordable application performance, data protection and data redundancy they needed. OpenStack spreads data as it writes it across multiple HDDs to ensure its integrity as well as improve the application’s read performance. They also leveraged OpenStack’s snapshot capabilities to non-disruptively protect the virtual machines (VMs) hosted in their environments.
These OpenStack options led to its popularity among hosting providers. Using it they store archiving and backup data, host VMs and even run performance intensive database applications. However moving OpenStack up the proverbial stack from hosting providers up to the point where it is suitable for use by EDCs and large service providers requires that it deliver added storage services.
OpenStack’s EDC Appeal
OpenStack’s success among hosting providers has EDCs and large service providers evaluating OpenStack for use in their production environments. While OpenStack’s low costs certainly gets their attention, OpenStack’s flexibility, maturity, scalability, support and broad use among hosting providers are equally attractive.
EDCs and large service providers recognize their need a new architecture that will facilitate their creation of next generation private and hybrid clouds and OpenStack aligns well with these needs. This has already led to a number of storage vendors to add OpenStack block-based storage services to their existing arrays as it enables EDCs and large service providers to start building out these next generation cloud infrastructures.
One immediate advantage that both EDCs and large service providers gain by using storage systems with OpenStack block-based storage services is the flexibility to more closely tie their respective infrastructures together. EDCs may bring up applications in a provider’s cloud should a disaster occur at the EDC’s site. EDCs may also leverage OpenStack to gain access to excess processing or storage resources in a service provider’s cloud when an EDC experiences periods of peak demand.
These benefits of OpenStack have them dreaming big. Local and cloud storage may function as a single, logical storage pool that facilitates the migration of applications and data between them as business demands dictate. EDCs may also optionally bring up applications in a service provider cloud should a disaster occur or during periods of peak demand. Yet in spite of OpenStack’s many benefits, they need additional features in OpenStack if they are to implement it more broadly.
Specific EDC Requirements
Externally-attached storage systems have been in use for at least twenty years so both EDCs and large service providers have a good handle on what they need these arrays to provide. As such, they expect any storage system – to include OpenStack-enabled ones – to offer specific block storage services that put OpenStack-enabled arrays on par with existing production storage arrays.
To help move OpenStack block storage down that path, a dedicated core project within the open source OpenStack community known as Cinder exists. This project focuses on establishing goals and milestones to introduce functionality commonly found on existing storage arrays into OpenStack block storage. This initiative has already led to a standard in how array volumes and volume snapshots are created and deleted on different OpenStack-enabled vendors’ storage arrays.
While a good start, OpenStack block storage needs more feature functionality to get sign-off from both EDCs and large service providers. For instance, OpenStack needs to differentiate storage capacity by volume types and sizes. Right now when OpenStack creates a volume, OpenStack allocates whatever storage capacity is available on whatever array to the volume.
EDCs need more control than this. They typically provision volumes of varying sizes that reside on storage arrays with multiple tiers of storage (SSD, FC and SATA) connected via various block storage protocols (iSCSI, FC) to storage arrays from different vendors to a host. OpenStack must give them the flexibility to specify the volume size using the storage capacity on a specific storage system that is connected via the storage networking protocol of their choice.
Another key OpenStack block storage component missing from many storage arrays is FC support. At this stage of the game, only two storage systems offer OpenStack FC block storage services despite FC’s predominance in EDCs. For many EDCs, unless the storage system includes the OpenStack FC block storage services, OpenStack is really not a viable option for them.
Then should a storage array deliver on these prerequisites, EDCs still need confidence that the provider can offer the support they need to justify hosting their business and mission critical applications on OpenStack. Other options that vendors need to offer in addition to the core OpenStack block storage features include:
- Enterprise distribution releases. Storage vendors provide distribution releases that include all of the standard features present in each successive generation of OpenStack block storage. These releases may also include specific array functionality to enhance OpenStack’s core feature set.
- Hypervisors other than Linux KVM. OpenStack block storage services are still maturing in Microsoft Hyper-V and VMware vSphere. However when they are ready to ship for these hypervisors, EDCs expect storage providers to be ready to support it.
- Interoperability matrices. Few if any EDC will host any business or mission critical application on any storage solution unless the application is formally supported by the provider. A formal vendor OpenStack interoperability matrix indicates to an EDC that the provider is ready to do so.
- Contract support. EDCs expect to turn to their storage providers to handle any support calls and troubleshoot issues that may arise. As such, vendors need to formally offer OpenStack support as part of their maintenance agreement.
Bring Up Applications in the Cloud Now with HP 3PAR StoreServ Storage
EDCs wanting to bring up applications in the cloud using OpenStack block storage services need look no further than HP. HP 3PAR StoreServ already offers an OpenStack Cinder driver for FC that EDCs need to justify OpenStack’s deployment. Further
, HP blueprints for its FC imp
lementation have been formally approval and are scheduled for inclusion in the next general release of the OpenStack block storage standard. This complements the HP iSCSI driver that has been part of OpenStack almost since its inception.
HP’s support for these OpenStack block storage Cinder drivers on both its 3PAR (FC and iSCSI) and StoreVirtual (iSCSI) storage arrays coupled with its support matrices, close alliances with hypervisor providers, backend support and the wide use of HP 3PAR StoreServ by top service providers (approximately 75% use HP 3PAR) indicates that EDCs no longer need to wait on OpenStack. Rather EDCs and large service providers may leverage HP Storage support for OpenStack implementation to turn OpenStack’s promise into a reality.
HP Storage support for OpenStack lowers their costs, better manages their environment and ultimately facilitates their ability to bring up applications in the cloud to create the flexible infrastructures and achieve the higher levels of performance and uptime that they want.