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An OpenStack management guide for the enterprise
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Ease OpenStack deployment, management with Ansible playbooks
OpenStack installation can be a complex and time-consuming process. Learn how Red Hat Ansible playbooks use automation to lift deployment and management burdens off IT's shoulders. Read Now
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Red Hat OpenStack Platform Director simplifies OpenStack operations
Red Hat OpenStack Platform Director assists teams from the OpenStack planning stage through production. Explore how the tool can keep your OpenStack environment running smoothly. Read Now
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Four ways to manage OpenStack instances
Admins have four options to stop and restart a Nova compute instance in OpenStack: pause, suspend, shelve or stop. An incorrect action, however, could waste resources or even make the instance unrestorable. Read Now
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Customize OpenStack Horizon to suit your management needs
OpenStack management is easier when admins can view information about their cloud resources that's most meaningful to them. Learn how to customize aspects of the OpenStack Horizon dashboard, such as themes, navigation and alerts. Read Now
Editor's note
Unlike AWS, Azure and Google, OpenStack is an open source cloud computing platform. This offers an enterprise more flexibility in terms of cloud infrastructure deployment and can help alleviate vendor lock-in concerns.
This flexibility, however, often comes at the cost of complex OpenStack management challenges. In addition to being more of a DIY cloud platform for enterprises, OpenStack constantly evolves. While this means new functionality around containers, security and more, it also introduces more moving parts for cloud admins to manage.
Fortunately, there are a number of native OpenStack management services, third-party tools and best practices that can help simplify the deployment and ongoing operation of the platform. Use this comprehensive guide to navigate the ins and outs of the OpenStack platform and overcome the toughest management hurdles.
1Container management on OpenStack
As enterprises seek greater workload portability across hybrid and multi-cloud models, containers are often the answer. With the popularity of Docker and Kubernetes, the OpenStack community has evolved the platform to support these services, alongside some native container tools. Through Magnum, for example, users have access to popular container orchestration engines, including Kubernetes. Additional tools, such as Kolla and Kuryr, enable enterprises to deploy production-ready containers and connect them to other containers and VM instances. However, some of these container services still have some growing up to do.
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OpenStack Kolla and Kuryr expand container support
As enterprise interest in containers grows, the OpenStack community continues to add and expand more services, such as Kolla and Kuryr, to support them. Read Now
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OpenShift on OpenStack can combat container management challenges
For many IT teams, the introduction of containers into an existing virtualized environment brings a new set of management challenges. The OpenShift platform, according to Red Hat, is one way to address these issues on OpenStack. Read Now
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Use container orchestration engines through OpenStack Magnum
Container orchestration tools help enterprises monitor and manage clusters of containers. OpenStack Magnum supports three of the most popular container orchestration engines, including Kubernetes. Read Now
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Access production-ready container images with OpenStack Kolla
OpenStack Kolla and other subprojects associated with it work to create a more consistent container deployment process for admins, but they still need more work. Read Now
2Manage OpenStack security and testing
There are potential risks with any cloud platform, but OpenStack security challenges are especially unique, given the technology's open source nature. What's more, some of the platform's security components are still relatively immature -- though admins should expect new functionality in the future. Either way, with proper testing strategies and a large community to turn to, enterprises can protect their OpenStack cloud from threats and downtime.
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Build a winning OpenStack security strategy
Security is a top concern when an enterprise moves to any cloud platform, and OpenStack is no exception. Follow these best practices around authentication certificates, operational policies and more to keep your deployment secure. Read Now
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Perform OpenStack updates with minimal risk and downtime
Regular OpenStack updates are critical to ensure operations stay stable and bug-free. Explore automation tools and these tips to minimize downtime and risks during the update process. Read Now
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How to alter default OpenStack security group rules
Standard rules within default OpenStack security groups don't always align with how an enterprise wants to manage access to instances. Follow these steps to customize and add your own rules. Read Now
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Test your OpenStack platform with Tempest
Given OpenStack's ever-evolving nature, enterprises need to perform tests to ensure their deployments work as expected. The Tempest tool and its three testing models -- API, Scenario and Unit -- can help. Read Now
6 Multi-Cloud Management Tool Must-Haves
To address issues with managing multi-cloud environments, some teams are turning to a cloud management platform to bring disparate environments under control. In this expert guide, explore key features your tool should have to ensure it can meet your organization’s specific requirements.
3How much do you know about OpenStack?
OpenStack has many components, such as Nova, Heat and Glance, that cover a range of services -- but do you know what each of them does? Put your knowledge to the test.