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OpenStack Liberty Enhances Open Source Cloud Networking, Containers
Stage at the 2014 OpenStack summit in Paris

OpenStack Liberty Enhances Open Source Cloud Networking, Containers

Open source cloud operating system's newest release adds networking features, Big Tent governance, and more

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This post originally appeared at The Var Guy

Liberty, the newest release of the OpenStack open source cloud operating system, is out this week. It brings a host of new features, as well as a revamp of OpenStack's governance model.

The full list of new features in OpenStack Liberty is so extensive that it comprises a long list with 17 individual sections, each filled with specific information about driver updates, API changes and so on.

Overall, however, the most significant new features in OpenStack Liberty include:

  • Cells, a feature created by Rackspace that lets OpenStack users manage multiple OpenStack clouds as if they were a single cloud. That simplifies maintenance and centralizes administration tasks.
  • Magnum, a container orchestration engine. Magnum simplifies the integration of containerized apps into an OpenStack cloud.
  • Courier, a new component in OpenStack's Neutron networking infrastructure that facilitates networking for containers.
  • A role-based access control system for cloud networking, which creates granular access control for managing OpenStack networking.

New features aren't the only big change in OpenStack Liberty. The latest version of the open source platform also introduces what OpenStack developers are calling a "Big Tent" governance model.

OpenStack was previously distributed as an "integrated release," which meant all of its components were distributed by the OpenStack project itself as a single package. The Big Tent model makes it easier for users to grab only the parts of the cloud operating system that they want.

At the same time, Big Tent distribution helps to decentralize the open source, community-based development of the platform. Developers can now contribute to OpenStack components without having to secure the official approval of the project. As long as they follow OpenStack documentation and license their work properly, their code will be part of OpenStack.

Liberty, which is generally available as of Oct. 15, is the 12th release of OpenStack in the project's history and the second one this year.

This first ran at http://thevarguy.com/open-source-application-software-companies/101615/openstack-liberty-enhances-open-source-cloud-networking-c

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