OpenShift and OpenStack are both open-source software platforms used to build and manage cloud infrastructure. Although they share similar names and are often used together, they have distinct differences in their intended purposes and functionalities.
OpenShift is a container application platform developed by Red Hat, which is designed to simplify the development, deployment, and scaling of containerized applications. It uses Kubernetes as its underlying orchestration engine, but also adds additional features and capabilities to the platform, such as an integrated CI/CD pipeline, automatic scaling, and built-in security features.
OpenShift is primarily used by developers and IT teams to create and manage modern cloud-native applications, and it is particularly well-suited for use in multi-cloud and hybrid cloud environments.
To learn more about Red Hat Cloud Product and how to protect your workloads on it follow these links.
Initiatives OpenShift can help you with
Container Orchestration
One of the primary use cases for OpenShift is container orchestration. OpenShift uses Kubernetes as its underlying container orchestration engine, which enables it to manage the deployment and scaling of containerized applications across multiple nodes. OpenShift provides a user-friendly interface for managing Kubernetes clusters, enabling organizations to easily deploy and manage containerized applications at scale.
Hybrid Cloud
OpenShift can be used to build a hybrid cloud environment by integrating a private cloud infrastructure with public cloud services. This involves deploying OpenShift on-premises and using it to manage containerized applications across both private and public cloud environments. OpenShift provides the necessary tools and services for managing containers across multiple cloud environments, enabling organizations to achieve a seamless and integrated hybrid cloud environment.
DevOps
OpenShift is also an ideal platform for DevOps. It provides a set of tools and services that enable developers to rapidly build, test, and deploy containerized applications. OpenShift’s automated deployment and management features enable organizations to streamline their development workflows, reducing time to market and improving application quality.
Microservices
OpenShift is well-suited for building microservices-based architectures. It provides the necessary tools and services for deploying and managing microservices, enabling organizations to build highly scalable and resilient applications. OpenShift’s containerized architecture enables microservices to be deployed and scaled independently, improving application performance and reducing downtime.
Application Modernization
OpenShift can be used to modernize legacy applications by containerizing them and deploying them on a modern application platform. This enables organizations to improve application performance, scalability, and security while reducing infrastructure costs. OpenShift provides the necessary tools and services for containerizing legacy applications and deploying them on a modern application platform, enabling organizations to achieve a seamless application modernization process.
Big Data
OpenShift can also be used for big data processing. OpenShift’s containerized architecture provides a scalable and flexible platform for deploying big data processing frameworks, such as Hadoop and Spark. OpenShift’s container orchestration capabilities enable organizations to easily manage and scale big data processing workloads, improving performance and reducing costs.
OpenStack, on the other hand, is a cloud infrastructure platform that provides a set of modular, open-source tools for building and managing private and public clouds. It is comprised of several different services, including computing, storage, networking, and identity management, and is intended to provide a comprehensive and flexible cloud infrastructure solution that can be customized to meet the needs of individual organizations.
OpenStack is primarily used by system administrators to create and manage cloud infrastructure, and it is particularly well-suited for use in private cloud deployments.
To learn more about OpenStack and how to protect your workloads on it – check out these links.
Initiatives OpenStack can help you with
Private Cloud
One of the most common use cases for OpenStack is to build a private cloud infrastructure. Organizations can use OpenStack to create a cloud environment that is dedicated to their own operations and applications. This enables them to leverage the benefits of cloud computing, such as scalability and flexibility while maintaining complete control over their data and resources.
Hybrid Cloud
Another use case for OpenStack is to build a hybrid cloud environment. This involves integrating a private cloud infrastructure with public cloud services, such as Amazon Web Services (AWS) or Microsoft Azure. OpenStack provides the tools and services to enable seamless integration and management of resources across different cloud environments.
Public Cloud
OpenStack can also be used to build a public cloud infrastructure. This involves creating a cloud environment that is accessible to the general public, similar to AWS or Google Cloud Platform (GCP). OpenStack provides the necessary tools and services to build a scalable, reliable, and secure public cloud infrastructure.
DevOps
OpenStack is increasingly being used by organizations as a platform for DevOps. It provides a set of tools and services that enable developers to rapidly provision and manage cloud resources, enabling them to focus on writing code and building applications. OpenStack’s API-driven architecture also enables it to integrate with a wide range of DevOps tools and platforms.
Big Data
OpenStack is an ideal platform for building big data infrastructure. Its flexible and scalable architecture enables organizations to build a distributed computing environment that can process and analyze large volumes of data. OpenStack can be integrated with a range of big data tools and frameworks, such as Hadoop and Spark, to enable high-performance computing and data processing.
High-Performance Computing
OpenStack can also be used to build a high-performance computing (HPC) environment. This involves creating a distributed computing infrastructure that can process large amounts of data and perform complex calculations. OpenStack provides the necessary tools and services to enable the deployment and management of HPC clusters, enabling organizations to perform complex scientific and engineering simulations.
Comparison Table
| Features | OpenShift | OpenStack |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | A container application platform | A cloud computing platform |
| Architecture | Built on top of Kubernetes | Similar supports for containerization technologies such as Docker and Kubernetes (e.g. Magnum Service) Check this interesting Article about OpenStack and Containers:https://www.openstack.org/use-cases/containers/ |
| Containerization | Can be deployed on-premises, in the cloud, or in hybrid environments | Can be deployed on-premises, in the cloud, or in hybrid environments |
| Orchestration | Built-in orchestration and management of containerized applications | Orchestration of virtual machines, computing, storage, etc. |
| Deployment | Can be deployed on-premises, in the cloud, or on hybrid environments | Can be deployed on-premises, in the cloud, or in hybrid environments |
| Scalability | Allows for horizontal and vertical scaling of containerized applications | Allows for horizontal and vertical scaling of virtual machines |
| Security | Offers security features such as network policy, role-based access control, and image security scanning | Offers security features such as firewall, identity management, and encryption |
| Ease of use | Provides a user-friendly web console for platform management | Requires much more technical expertise |
| Purpose | Ideal for containerized applications and microservices architecture | Ideal for managing cloud infrastructure and virtual machines |
| Market share | Has a significant market share in the container application platform space | Has a significant market share in the cloud computing platform space |
| Vendor support | Developed and supported by Red Hat, with commercial support options available | Developed and supported by the OpenStack Foundation, with commercial support options available. Red Hat has its own Red Hat OpenStack Distribution available |
| Community support | Red Hat OpenStack or other distributions have a paid model with support included. Vanilla OpenStack is open source and free to use but may require third-party support and services. | Has a large community of users and contributors |
| Cost | OpenShift has a subscription-based model, with various pricing tiers | Red Hat OpenStack or other distributions have a paid model with support included. Vanilla OpenStack is open source and free to use, but may require third-party support and services. |
Conclusion
While both OpenShift and OpenStack are open-source platforms used for cloud computing, they differ in their intended purposes and functionalities. OpenShift is a container application platform designed for developers, while OpenStack is a comprehensive cloud infrastructure platform designed for system administrators.
Depending on the specific needs of an organization, either platform may be a better fit for creating and managing cloud infrastructure.
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FAQs
I see the difference between OpenStack vs OpenShift, but can they work together? If so, how?
Yes, OpenStack and OpenShift can definitely work together to create a more comprehensive cloud solution. OpenStack provides the infrastructure layer (compute, storage, network) while OpenShift acts as a higher-level platform for managing containerized applications running on top of that infrastructure. A common use case is building a private cloud with OpenStack and then using OpenShift to orchestrate modern, cloud-native workloads within that environment.
I'm a developer focused on creating applications. Given that, should I care about OpenStack vs OpenShift, or is one much more relevant than the other?
Your primary focus would likely be on OpenShift. It’s built with developers in mind, providing tools for easy deployment, scaling, and management of containerized applications. While understanding the underlying infrastructure matters, you won’t usually interact with OpenStack directly, whereas OpenShift offers features directly impacting your coding and building processes.
The article mentions OpenStack vs OpenShift in the context of hybrid cloud. Could you elaborate on how a hybrid cloud setup with these technologies might look?
One way to build a hybrid cloud with OpenStack and OpenShift is to deploy OpenStack as your private cloud infrastructure and then integrate it with a public cloud provider (like AWS or Azure). OpenShift can then be deployed both on-premises and in the public cloud, providing a consistent platform for managing containerized applications across the entire hybrid environment.
Security is a concern for my organization. Do the differences between OpenStack vs OpenShift have any impact on security considerations?
Both OpenShift and OpenStack have security features, but the approach differs slightly. OpenShift security proactively safeguards containerized applications with integrated image scanning and container isolation. OpenStack offers security controls at the infrastructure level: firewalls, network segmentation, identity management, etc. When planning your cloud environment, you’ll need to consider security at both these layers.
Could I gradually adopt these technologies? For example, start with OpenShift and later add OpenStack for more infrastructure control?
Absolutely! This incremental approach is often a good strategy. Many organizations start by deploying OpenShift to modernize their application development processes and to gain experience with containers. Once they have a solid understanding of containerization, they might then expand by adding OpenStack to gain more granular control over their infrastructure and to potentially build a private or hybrid cloud environment.
What's the difference between OpenShift and OpenStack?
OpenStack and OpenShift are both open-source technologies used in cloud computing, but they serve different purposes. OpenStack is an Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) platform, providing a set of services for you to build and manage your own cloud infrastructure. Think of it as giving you the tools to create virtual machines, storage, and networking resources. OpenShift, on the other hand, is a Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) platform built on top of OpenStack (or other cloud platforms). It’s designed specifically for deploying and managing containerized applications and handles much of the automation involved, like scaling, security, and monitoring.
Is OpenStack owned by Red Hat?
While Red Hat offers a commercial distribution of OpenStack, OpenStack itself is an open-source project and not owned by any single company.
