Documentation – OpenMetal Cloud

These guides cover usage and management of the OpenMetal Cloud product and are intended for:

  • Administrators of an OpenMetal Cloud Core and any expansion nodes
  • Any system administrator running their first OpenStack and Ceph public or private cloud
  • Users of the cloud resources (projects/virtual private cloud) within your public or private cloud
  • Users who will be automating against a project/virtual private cloud

New to OpenMetal?

Explore the power of your own cloud. See it in action as a hosted private cloud, for SaaS companies, for hosting and cloud providers and much more. Check out transparent pricing, and even try a free trial.

Product Manuals

Manuals are available for cloud operators, users of projects/virtual private clouds, and more.

Product Manuals

Specific Goal Tutorials

Included in the documentation is a collection of tutorials, helping guide you through common use cases of the OpenMetal platform, including how to provision a Kubernetes cluster.

View the Tutorials

Educational Articles

The manuals should be your first stop when using an OpenMetal cloud but we also have more general OpenStack content.

Here are a set of articles that can help you determine the makeup and size of your clusters.

Kubernetes

These guides are intended to be used as a reference for how to deploy Kubernetes clusters on OpenStack. We’ve documented the steps we took to deploy Kubernetes clusters with the major Kubernetes distributions on OpenStack.

Engineer’s Notes

The OpenMetal team is often doing things that have not been done commonly or may not have documentation online. We are going to publish these notes from those engineers solving real world problems as they occur. These notes are only a first cut on a subject area that can help get a key technical question answered.

 

 

OpenMetal private clouds use two powerful open source tools, OpenStack and Ceph. OpenStack provides the control plane, compute, networking, and APIs. Ceph supplies high-availability block storage, object storage, and, optionally, file storage.  Explore the power of an OpenStack private cloud, check out transparent pricing, and even try a free trial.

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Browse All OpenMetal Education Categories

We are always looking for suggestions to improve our Learning Center. Just email us at learn-suggestions@openmetal.io with yours!

New Educational Content

Jul
09

Running Llama 3.3 70B on an OpenMetal H200

Yes, Llama 3.3 70B runs on a single OpenMetal H200 at FP8 with full 128K context. See the VRAM fit math, KV-cache budget, and vLLM setup.

Jul
09

Day-2 for a Single-Tenant H200 GPU Node: Provisioning, Drivers, and Blast Radius

An ordered Day-2 playbook for a single-tenant H200: full root and IPMI, owning the CUDA stack, boot-data isolation, and a node-bounded blast radius.

Jul
09

Why MEV Block Building Infrastructure Is Moving to TDX Bare Metal

The operator trust problem in MEV block building has a hardware solution. This article explains why Intel TDX has become the substrate of choice for confidential block building, and what bare metal adds that cloud TDX doesn’t.

Jul
08

How to Prevent Private Cloud Migration Delays

Planning a private cloud project? Organizing well from the start can prevent expensive and time-consuming delays. Our guide explains why hosted private cloud projects stall across migration and day two operations and shows how to prevent delays with better planning, architecture, ownership, and operational readiness.

Jul
08

OpenMetal XL v5 Adds No Cores over XL v4. It Reworks Everything Around Them

OpenMetal XL v5 keeps 64 cores but changes node, memory, I/O, power, AMX, and TDX readiness. Where v5 wins, and the one spec that regresses.

Jul
08

OpenMetal XL v5 vs XL v4 — Same 64 Cores, Different Generation: How to Choose

OpenMetal XL v5 vs XL v4: same 64 cores, but v5 adds 33% memory bandwidth, more PCIe lanes and drive bays, and CPU-side AI; v4 keeps more L3 cache.

Jul
06

Top 8 Reasons Companies Leave Public Cloud in 2026

A skimmable breakdown of the main business and technical drivers pushing companies from public cloud to hosted private cloud, covering cost control, compliance, performance, and operational control.

Jul
02

What HIPAA Requires from the Infrastructure Running Your Healthcare AI Workloads

Healthcare AI workloads carry the same HIPAA obligations as any system touching PHI. This article covers what the 2026 Security Rule update requires from AI infrastructure, why vector embeddings count as PHI, and how dedicated private cloud simplifies the compliance documentation burden.

Jul
01

What AI Startups Need to Plan for Before Their Cloud Credits Run Out

Hyperscaler credits are worth taking, but the architecture built during the subsidized period determines your real cost when billing starts. This covers the credit lifecycle, which decisions create long-term cost exposure, and when private infrastructure makes sense for AI startups in production.

Jun
29

How Nutanix and OpenMetal Compare as VMware Alternatives for Mid-Market IT Teams

Nutanix is a legitimate VMware alternative with real advantages. But its per-core subscription model has cost implications that compound at scale. This article compares both platforms honestly across pricing, operations, migration tooling, and use case fit.

Jun
26

Why MSPs Should Own Their Cloud Infrastructure Instead of Reselling It

Azure CSP resale margins are thin and getting thinner as Microsoft shifts incentives away from transaction volume. This article covers the commercial model for MSPs who own their infrastructure instead, how OpenStack multi-tenancy enables per-client isolation on shared hardware, and what the right client segment looks like.

Jun
24

How the H200 Is Built for Memory-Bound AI Workloads

The H200 is a memory upgrade on the Hopper architecture, not a new compute platform. This article covers why bandwidth matters as much as VRAM capacity, where the 141GB floor changes what fits on a single GPU, and how the NVL PCIe variant differs from the SXM5 for dedicated private infrastructure.

Jun
22

When Running Apache Spark and Delta Lake Without Databricks Makes Financial Sense

Databricks’ Standard tier is being retired, forcing Premium upgrades with higher DBU rates. This article covers how the DBU billing model works, what the open-source stack underneath Databricks looks like, what you give up by self-managing it, and when private cloud infrastructure changes the economics.

Jun
19

Why 96GB VRAM Changes the Economics of Private LLM Inference

The RTX PRO 6000’s 96GB VRAM fits 70B models at FP8 on a single card with real KV cache headroom. This article covers what that unlocks, how dedicated fixed-cost GPU infrastructure compares structurally to cloud rental, and where the H200 is the better choice.

Jun
18

NVIDIA H200 vs H100 — GPU Comparison for AI Training and Inference

NVIDIA H200 vs H100 for AI training and inference: 141GB HBM3e vs 80–94GB, same Hopper compute with more memory. OpenMetal runs the H200 on bare metal.

Jun
18

NVIDIA RTX Pro 6000 vs H200 — Which OpenMetal GPU Server Should You Choose?

NVIDIA RTX Pro 6000 vs H200 on OpenMetal: 96GB GDDR7 + FP4 for cost-efficient AI vs 141GB HBM3e for the largest models. Both single-tenant bare metal.

Jun
18

Bare Metal GPU Server — NVIDIA H200 NVL — Dual Intel Xeon 6530P, 1TB DDR5, 141GB HBM3e

OpenMetal NVIDIA H200 bare metal GPU server: 141GB HBM3e, dual Xeon 6530P, 1TB DDR5. Single-tenant bare metal, fixed monthly pricing.

Jun
18

OpenMetal GPU Clusters — Dedicated Multi-GPU Infrastructure for AI Training and Inference

OpenMetal GPU clusters: dedicated single-tenant multi-GPU infrastructure. All-RP6000, all-H200, or mixed on a private 40 Gbps mesh, fixed monthly pricing.

Jun
18

Bare Metal GPU Server — NVIDIA RTX Pro 6000 Blackwell SE — Dual Intel Xeon 6530P, 1TB DDR5, 96GB GDDR7

OpenMetal NVIDIA RTX Pro 6000 GPU server: 96GB GDDR7, FP4, dual Xeon 6530P, 1TB DDR5. Training and inference, single-tenant, fixed monthly pricing.

Jun
18

NVIDIA RTX Pro 6000 vs H100: Key Differences

Q: What is the difference between the NVIDIA RTX Pro 6000 and H100? The RTX Pro 6000 is a Blackwell GPU with 96GB of GDDR7 and native FP4, while the

Jun
18

Is the RTX Pro 6000 Better Than the L40S?

Q: Is the RTX Pro 6000 better than the L40S for AI inference and training? For most training and inference the RTX Pro 6000 outperforms the L40S on a single

Jun
18

Add GPU Servers to Your Existing OpenMetal Cloud or Bare Metal Deployment

Add NVIDIA RTX Pro 6000 or H200 GPU servers to an existing OpenMetal cloud or bare metal deployment – same private network, fixed monthly pricing.

Jun
18

NVIDIA RTX Pro 6000 vs H100 — Specs, Cost, and Deployment Fit

NVIDIA RTX Pro 6000 vs H100: specs, cost, deployment fit. 96GB GDDR7 + FP4 vs 80–94GB HBM3. OpenMetal offers the RP6000 and H200 on bare metal.

Jun
18

NVIDIA RTX Pro 6000 vs L40S — GPU Comparison for AI Training and Inference

NVIDIA RTX Pro 6000 vs L40S for AI training and inference: 96GB GDDR7 + FP4 (Blackwell) vs 48GB GDDR6 (Ada). OpenMetal runs the RP6000 on bare metal.

Jun
18

Attaching RP6000 GPU Nodes to an Existing Deployment

Q: Can I attach RP6000 GPU nodes to an existing OpenMetal bare metal or Hosted Private Cloud deployment? Yes, you can attach RP6000 GPU nodes to an existing OpenMetal Hosted

Jun
18

NVIDIA RTX Pro 6000 vs L40S: Key Differences

Q: What is the difference between the NVIDIA RTX Pro 6000 and L40S? The RTX Pro 6000 is a newer Blackwell-generation GPU with 96GB of GDDR7 and native FP4, while

Jun
18

Mixed RP6000 and H200 GPU Clusters on OpenMetal

Q: Can I build a mixed GPU cluster with RP6000 and H200 servers? Yes, OpenMetal builds mixed GPU clusters that combine RP6000 and H200 nodes on the same private network,

Jun
18

What FP4 (NVFP4) Is and Why It Matters

Q: What is FP4 (NVFP4) and why does it matter for AI workloads? FP4 (NVFP4) is a Blackwell-native 4-bit floating-point format that increases low-precision inference throughput beyond the FP8 ceiling

Jun
18

How Fixed-Cost GPU Pricing Avoids the Idle Silicon Tax

Q: How does OpenMetal’s fixed-cost GPU pricing avoid the cloud “idle silicon tax”? OpenMetal charges a fixed monthly rate for a dedicated GPU server, so running the card at 100%

Jun
18

Training and Fine-Tuning on the OpenMetal RP6000

Q: Can I train and fine-tune AI models on the OpenMetal RP6000, or is it only for inference? Yes, the OpenMetal RP6000 trains and fine-tunes AI models as well as

Jun
18

GPU Memory on the OpenMetal RP6000

Q: How much GPU memory does the OpenMetal RP6000 have? Each OpenMetal RP6000 GPU carries 96GB of GDDR7 memory, and a server can hold one or two cards for up

Jun
18

GDDR7 vs HBM3 for AI Training and Inference

Q: GDDR7 vs HBM3: which matters for AI training and inference? GDDR7 offers high capacity at lower cost, while HBM3/HBM3e delivers much higher memory bandwidth; bandwidth is what matters most

Jun
18

Running a 70B LLM on a Single OpenMetal H200

Q: Can I run a 70B parameter LLM on a single OpenMetal H200? Yes, a single OpenMetal H200 runs a 70B-parameter model in 16-bit precision, because its 141GB of HBM3e

Jun
18

Building a Multi-GPU Cluster with OpenMetal H200s

Q: Can I build a multi-GPU cluster with OpenMetal H200 servers? Yes, OpenMetal builds dedicated multi-GPU clusters of H200 servers on a private mesh, built to order for distributed training

Jun
18

Adding GPU Servers to an Existing OpenMetal Deployment

Q: Can I add GPU servers to my existing OpenMetal cloud or bare metal deployment? Yes, you can add NVIDIA RTX Pro 6000 or H200 GPU servers to an existing

Jun
18

NVMe Storage in the OpenMetal H200 GPU Server

Q: What NVMe storage does the OpenMetal H200 GPU server use? The OpenMetal H200 GPU server uses a 6.4TB Micron 7500 MAX NVMe SSD for data, plus two 960GB NVMe

Jun
18

The CPU Paired with the OpenMetal H200

Q: What CPU is paired with the OpenMetal H200 GPU server? Each OpenMetal H200 GPU server pairs the GPU with two Intel Xeon 6530P processors (Granite Rapids), giving 64 cores

Jun
18

Choosing Between the OpenMetal RP6000 and H200

Q: Should I choose the RP6000 or the H200 for my workload? Choose the RP6000 for cost-efficient training, fine-tuning, and high-throughput inference that fit in 96GB, and the H200 when

Jun
18

OpenMetal GPU Pricing vs AWS GPU Instances

Q: How does OpenMetal GPU pricing compare to AWS GPU instances? OpenMetal prices GPU servers on a fixed monthly model with included egress, while AWS bills GPU instances per GPU-hour

Jun
18

NVIDIA H200 vs H100: Key Differences

Q: What is the difference between the NVIDIA H200 and H100? The H200 and H100 share the same Hopper compute architecture; the H200’s advantage is memory, with 141GB of HBM3e

Jun
18

Is the NVIDIA H200 Faster Than the H100 for Inference?

Q: Is the NVIDIA H200 faster than the H100 for AI inference? For memory-bound LLM inference, yes: the H200’s higher HBM3e bandwidth (4.8 TB/s vs 3.35-3.9 TB/s) directly raises tokens-per-second,

Jun
18

Why OpenMetal Offers the H200 Instead of the H100

Q: Why does OpenMetal offer the NVIDIA H200 instead of the H100? OpenMetal carries the H200 rather than the H100 because the H200 is the H100’s direct successor: 50% more

Jun
18

When Managed Kubernetes Gets Expensive Enough to Justify Running Your Own

The control plane fee is the smallest part of your managed Kubernetes bill. This article breaks down what EKS, GKE, and AKS actually charge across egress, storage, cross-zone transfer, and multi-cluster overhead, and where self-managed on dedicated bare metal makes the math work better.

Jun
17

What DORA’s ICT Concentration Risk Requirements Mean for EU Financial Infrastructure

DORA has been in force since January 2025, and the third-party ICT risk requirements are where infrastructure decisions land hardest. This article breaks down what Articles 28–30 require, why hyperscaler concentration is now a documented regulatory problem, and how private cloud in the EU changes the risk picture.

Jun
12

Why Your Egress Bill Is Higher Than Your Bandwidth Usage

Egress is the infrastructure cost most teams don’t model until it’s already on the bill. This article explains how per-GB and 95th percentile billing models work, why your 95th percentile figure isn’t your average usage, and how OpenMetal’s included allocation plus flat overage rate compares.

Jun
11

Enabling Intel SGX and TDX on OpenMetal v4 and v5 Servers: Hardware Requirements

Learn how to enable Intel SGX and TDX on OpenMetal’s v4 and v5 servers. This guide covers required memory configurations (full channel allotment and 1TB RAM), hardware prerequisites, and a detailed cost comparison for provisioning SGX/TDX-ready infrastructure.

Jun
11

What OpenMetal v5 Hardware’s Bandwidth Upgrades Actually Unlock

The v5 generation can be told as a cores-and-clocks story, but a significant change is bandwidth: the private fabric doubled to 40 Gbps, memory moved to DDR5-6400, and the lane budget grew to 88 PCIe 5.0 lanes.

Jun
11

Running Confidential AI Inference on Bare Metal TDX Servers

Running AI inference on sensitive data requires hardware-level isolation, not just software controls. This guide covers how to build a confidential inference pipeline on OpenMetal’s XL v5 using Intel TDX, including Trust Domain setup, vLLM deployment, attestation, and storage architecture.

Jun
10

OpenMetal’s v5 Hardware and Ceph: Where Intentional Design Meets Distributed Storage

All-NVMe OSDs, an isolated boot pool, a clean lane budget, and identical nodes: how OpenMetal’s v5 hardware makes Ceph behave predictably instead of needing tuning.

Jun
09

Is the OpenMetal XL v5 Server Right for Your Workload?

The OpenMetal XL v5 is built on dual Intel Xeon 6530P processors (Granite Rapids, Intel 3 process) with 1TB DDR5-6400, 25.6TB of Micron 7500 MAX NVMe, and full Intel TDX support as a base configuration. This article covers the workloads it’s built for, why TDX matters for specific use cases, how the private cloud and bare metal configurations compare, and where it fits in the v5 lineup relative to the Large.

Additional Resources

Account Management

If you are a current customer and need to connect with your account manager or dedicated support engineer, please log in to your OpenMetal Central account and navigate to the account services section.

OpenMetal Central Login

Pricing Estimator

Are you new to OpenMetal and need to estimate or compare costs? We stand for transparent pricing free of hidden costs and unnecessary license fees. Check out our online pricing estimator and then contact us if you have any questions.

View Pricing

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The Next Generation of Cloud Infrastructure Solutions

Cloud Cores

Start with all the top OpenMetal features in a highly available configuration.

Explore Cloud Cores

Cloud Expansion Nodes

Scale your cloud with flexible building blocks that fit your business.

Explore Cloud Expansion

Storage Clusters

Get high performance object, block, and file storage with fair egress at simple prices.

Explore Storage Clusters