OpenStack continues to revolutionize the platform-as-a-service sector by giving enterprises the tools they need to create flexible custom cloud architectures. Cloudscaling, a Seagate Cloud Alliance partner, has been at the forefront of the open source cloud movement, and recently announced the availability of a test environment for its Open Cloud System software.
OCSgo provides a full OpenStack test environment
Named OCSgo, the evaluation framework allows enterprises to test apps on a full OCS implementation. OCS is powered by OpenStack and offers companies a variety of cloud deployment options. Administrators can configure OCS as an elastic private cloud or integrate it with Amazon Web Services or Google Compute Engine to create a hybrid infrastructure.
Moreover, OCS streamlines the cloud setup process and makes it easier to perform a range of tasks including:
- Use Horizon, Euca2ools and/or the novaclient API to obtain IP addresses on-demand
- Revise applications designed for AWS and validate their performance
- Quickly spin up new server instances
OCSgo contains all features found in OCS 2.5, the most recent release. It runs on Quanta hardware in a data center that utilizes AWS Direct Connect.
“The best way to understand the power of a production-ready OpenStack private or hybrid cloud is to start using one,” stated Cloudscaling vice president of product management Azmir Mohamed. “OCSgo lets our prospects and partners start experiencing the power of a fully functional OCS deployment in the time it takes to set up an account and complete an orientation.”
ShutterStock demonstrates power of OpenStack infrastructure
Cloudscaling’s solutions may introduce many organizations to the benefits of OpenStack. Companies, such as online photo repository ShutterStock, have already seen how open source software tools empower them to build efficient cloud storage systems
TechWorld Australia’s Hamish Barwick explained that ShutterStock currently stores several petabytes of data and that it accumulates more than a terabyte of logs each day. Photographers upload images to the services so that they can be sold to customers seeking stock rights-free photos for websites and catalogs.
To meet its considerable requirements, ShutterStock needed to create a closely clustered environment that would work under low latency.
“A lot of the needs we have are solved by OpenStack,” stated Chris Fisher, ShutterStock vice president of technology operations. “They provide an environment that creates a usable cloud for developers but at the same time alleviate certain constraints that come from having an application that has been around since 2003.”
OpenStack is just one part of ShutterStock’s cloud setup. It also utilizes public cloud services as well as authentication solutions to keep its hybrid infrastructure secure.
Cloudscaling partners with New Relic to deliver superior hybrid cloud infrastructure
The updates to Cloudscaling OCS and the case of ShutterStock demonstrate the acute need for hybrid cloud solutions that scale to meet demand and accommodate applications. Cloudscaling announced a partnership with New Relic that will make it easier for enterprises to monitor application performance in hybrid clouds.
For example, if an organization has paired on-premises OCS with AWS, it can monitor all applications from a single view. Accordingly, managers can obtain key data points to improve performance and user experience.
“New Relic and Cloudscaling are expanding options for AWS users by giving them the ability to monitor application performance in both environments, AWS and Open Cloud System,” Bill Lapcevic, vice president of business development at New Relic, said. “For customers building a hybrid cloud environment, that’s critical, especially when workloads have hard requirements for performance and latency.”
All Cloudscaling customers will receive a free copy of New Relic Standard as part of the partnership. This solution provides availability monitoring and notifications for metrics such as throughput and response time.
