(WEB HOST INDUSTRY REVIEW) — Microsoft (www.microsoft.com) has enlisted the help of software developer Cloud.com (www.cloud.com) to integrate and support the new open-source cloud computing platform, OpenStack (www.openstack.org), with Windows Server 2008 R2 Hyper-V.
Designed to foster technology standards and cloud interoperability in both the hosting industry and the enterprise, the CloudStack initiative was spearheaded by cloud hosting provider Rackspace (www.rackspace.com) when it released the source code for its cloud platform in July. CloudStack also features key contributions from NASA’s Nebula platform, as well as broad industry support from technology companies such as Citrix (www.citrix.com).
According to Microsoft’s announcement last week, its addition of Windows Server 2008 R2 Hyper-V will give organizations and service providers using OpenStack greater flexibility in their running of a mix of Microsoft and non-Microsoft infrastructure.
OpenStack general manager and “Chief Stacker” Jim Curry said he’s very pleased with Microsoft’s participation in the OpenStack community. “Its contributions to the open cloud platform will expand the opportunities for customers, vendors and channel partners,” he said.
As part of the collaboration, Microsoft will provide architectural and technical guidance to Cloud.com, which will, in turn, develop the code to support OpenStack on Windows Server 2008 R2 Hyper-V. Once complete, the code created will be made openly available to at the OpenStack repository.
“As the demand for cloud computing continues to grow throughout the industry, there is an increased demand from customers for support of their existing technologies, such as Windows Server 2008 R2 Hyper-V,” Cloud.com chief executive officer Sheng Liang said in a statement. “Microsoft’s support for both the OpenStack project and Cloud.com’s CloudStack underscores its commitment to providing customers with technologies that promote interoperability and openness in the cloud ecosystem.”
Last week, OpenStack reached a major milestone when it had its initial release. The new code release, named “Austin”, makes the platform easier to install and deploy, and has dozens of bug fixes as well as new features such as a statistics processor, enhanced access control and user-defined metadata.
By efficiently enabling multiple different operating systems to run in parallel, Microsoft’s virtualization product would enable customers to reach economies of scale when running both Windows and Linux-based virtual machines on standard hardware.
“Support for Windows Server Hyper-V on OpenStack reinforces Microsoft’s commitment to delivering choice and flexibility to customers in the cloud, Microsoft Open Solutions Group general manager Ted MacLean said in a statement. Giving customers the option to use Microsoft’s enterprise-ready virtualization platform, Windows Server 2008 R2 Hyper-V, when they deploy OpenStack as their cloud solution is a win for all.
OpenStack is now supported by 35 software and hardware providers from across the IT industry.
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