OpenStack vs OpenShift: Understanding The Differences And Choosing The Right Platform For Your Business

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In this blog:

Understanding The Differences Between Two Open Source Cloud Computing Platforms
What Is OpenStack?
Advantages Of OpenStack
What Is OpenShift?
Advantages Of OpenShift
Disadvantages Of OpenStack
Disadvantages Of OpenShift
Combining OpenStack And OpenShift For A Robust Cloud Computing Solution

Introduction: Understanding The Differences Between Two Open Source Cloud Computing Platforms

Cloud computing has revolutionized the way we store, manage, and access data. And with profitability top of mind, many organizations are looking for efficient and cost-effective platforms to host their cloud applications. Open source solutions like OpenStack and OpenShift are becoming more popular because platforms offer flexible and scalable cloud computing solutions. However, each is better suited for specific use cases. They have distinct differences in terms of their architecture, deployment, scalability, and application support.

This blog post will provide a thorough overview of OpenStack and OpenShift which will help you choose the platform that is best for your organization’s needs. I’ll cover the architectures and deployment models of both platforms, as well as their key features. I will also discuss the pros and cons of each platform. This blog will provide valuable insights to help you select the right platform for your organization.

What Is OpenStack?

OpenStack is an open source cloud management platform. It allows users to provision virtual compute, network, and storage resources as needed. It manages distributed resources by aggregating them into resource pools for efficient management. We use OpenStack in our core Platform.

Purpose:
OpenStack is a cloud platform. It helps build clouds. It provides compute, storage, and networking resources.

Architecture:
OpenStack is based on a modular architecture. OpenStack is made of independent projects. Projects can be used independently or in combination to provide different cloud services. Some of these projects are: Nova (compute), Cinder (storage), and Neutron (networking).

Deployment:
OpenStack can be deployed through various models. With OpenMetal your OpenStack is deployed on a minimum of 3 physical servers.

Scalability:
OpenStack is highly scalable. It can add or remove resources to meet changing demands.

Application support:
OpenStack provides support for a range of applications. This includes traditional virtual machines and containerized applications.

OpenStack provides Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) for managing cloud computing infrastructure. It has modular services for computing, storage, networking, and security. These can be combined to create a custom cloud platform. OpenStack is scalable and flexible. This makes it ideal for different kinds of cloud environments. It can work with different hypervisors and storage solutions.

What Is OpenShift?

OpenShift is a suite of proprietary software products developed by Red Hat. OpenShift is based on Kubernetes, a popular open source container orchestration system. OpenShift helps build, deploy, and manage applications. It works in a container-based environment.

Purpose:
OpenShift, is a container application platform. It provides tools for building, deploying, and managing containerized applications.

Architecture:
OpenShift, has a master-worker architecture. The master manages the cluster while the workers run the applications.

Deployment:
OpenShift itself is typically deployed as a set of containers running on a Kubernetes cluster. This containers are managed by OpenShift. OpenShift extends Kubernetes by adding additional features and functionality. This includes integrated application builds, image management, and a web console for managing and monitoring the cluster.

Scalability:
OpenShift is also highly scalable. However, it is primarily designed for scaling containerized applications.

Application support:
OpenShift, is specifically designed for containerized applications. It provides a range of tools and features for building, deploying, and managing them.

OpenShift is a platform-as-a-service (PaaS) solution. It focuses on container orchestration and streamlining application development, deployment, and management. With OpenShift, developers can build and deploy applications in a containerized environment. This allows for easy scaling and management. OpenShift is great for organizations needing a comprehensive platform. But you will need an IaaS layer to run OpenShift.

Advantages Of OpenStack

Cost-effective:
OpenStack is a free, open source platform. This can reduce the cost of building and managing cloud infrastructure. And even if you use a managed OpenStack solution, the savings are still significant when compared to public clouds.

Flexibility:
OpenStack is flexible and can be deployed in a variety of environments. Including public, private, and hybrid clouds.
Scalability:
OpenStack is designed to be highly scalable. This allows you to easily add or remove compute, storage, and network resources as needed. When you need more resources, you can add them by adding additional nodes to your OpenStack Deployment. This allows you to scale specific services independently. If you need more storage, you can add only storage to your cloud.
Customization:
OpenStack provides a range of APIs and tools that enable organizations to customize the platform. These enable organizations to create a cloud infrastructure that meets their specific business needs.
Large and active community:
OpenStack has a large and active community of developers and users. The community provides support, documentation, and a range of add-ons and extensions to the platform.

Security:
OpenStack provides a range of security features, including: identity and access management, encryption, and network isolation. This can help organizations ensure the security of their cloud infrastructure and data.

Advantages Of OpenShift

Ease of deployment:
OpenShift simplifies the deployment of applications. This is accomplished with a container-based environment, preconfigured templates, and an easy-to-use console. This eliminates the need for extensive infrastructure management. And enables quick deployment and scaling of applications.

Scalability:
OpenShift is scalable. This allows organizations to scale applications up or down as needed. This guarantees that applications can handle increased traffic and demand. It also saves on infrastructure costs.

Flexibility:
OpenShift can run on a variety of infrastructure.

Multiple programming languages and frameworks:
OpenShift supports many programming languages and frameworks. This allows developers to work with the tools they are most comfortable with.

Security:
OpenShift provides a range of security features, including role-based access control, network isolation, and automated security updates. This ensures that applications are secure and compliant with industry regulations.

Community support:
OpenShift is an open source platform with a large and active community of developers and contributors. Organizations can leverage the expertise of others in the community and contribute to the development of the platform themselves.

Disadvantages Of OpenStack

While OpenStack provides many benefits, there are also some potential disadvantages to consider:

Complexity:
OpenStack’s many components can make it difficult for some organizations to set up and manage. This requires investment in training and support.
Resource requirements:
OpenStack requires significant hardware resources. This expensive to deploy and maintain versus choosing a hosted OpenStack Solution.

Skillset:
OpenStack requires specialized skills and knowledge to manage effectively. This can be a challenge for organizations without the necessary expertise in-house.

Keep in mind that if you are using our OpenStack Private Cloud we have eliminated most disadvantages of OpenStack.

Disadvantages Of OpenShift

While OpenShift has many benefits, there are also some potential disadvantages to consider:

Complexity:
OpenShift is a complex platform with many components. This can make it difficult for some organizations to set up and manage. Organizations may need to invest in training and support to fully leverage the platform’s capabilities.
Cost:
OpenShift is a commercial product that requires a subscription or license to use. This can make it more expensive than some other open source cloud application platforms.
Vendor lock-in:
While OpenShift is it is a product of Red Hat. This may create vendor lock-in concerns for some organizations.
Limited support for some programming languages and frameworks:
OpenShift supports many popular programming languages and frameworks. However, it may not support all of the tools that some organizations prefer to work with.

Combining OpenStack And OpenShift For A Robust Cloud Computing Solution

While OpenStack and OpenShift have some overlapping functionality, they are not direct competitors. Instead, they complement each other. And can work together to provide a comprehensive solution for cloud computing. OpenStack can provide the infrastructure layer which OpenShift needs to run on. And OpenShift can help manage the deployment and scaling of applications running on OpenStack. These two opens source solutions are designed to work together and solve different problems. When integrated they provide a complete solution for cloud computing needs.

Combining OpenStack and OpenShift can create a robust cloud computing solution. One that offers scalability, flexibility, cost savings, self-service, and top-notch security features. OpenStack has ability to scale infrastructure resources as needed and OpenShift can quickly scale containerized applications by adding or removing resources. Integrated, these two make your cloud infrastructure adaptable to your needs.

This duo allow developers to easily provision and manage their containerized applications which can increase productivity and efficiency. Meanwhile, IT teams can enjoy reduced workload in managing developer requests. Finally, OpenShift and OpenStack’s robust security features can protect your applications and data. Running OpenShift on OpenStack ensures the safety and integrity of your cloud infrastructure.

Test OpenShift On OpenStack

Not sure if running OpenShift on OpenStack is the right fit for your organization? Deploy your very own complimentary OpenMetal On-Demand OpenStack cloud and follow this guide created by our OpenMetal Engineers. Experience the powerhouse combo of OpenShift on OpenStack for yourself!

Deploy a Cloud OpenShift Guide