Dispelling Myths About Running OpenStack Clouds

OpenStack® widens the options available to ITDMs in their quest for optimization in the cloud by delivering unparalleled flexibility, scalability and cost-efficiency through its open-source framework. It has empowered organizations to build private and public clouds, reduce dependency on proprietary software and foster innovation through community collaboration.

Despite its impact, several persistent myths continue to deter organizations from fully embracing OpenStack. In this post, we address five common concerns we've heard from prospective customers when introducing them to OpenStack. By examining the perspectives of both cloud administrators and users, we explain why these myths are unfounded when running modern OpenStack, particularly with the support of a trusted partner like Rackspace Technology®, who co-founded OpenStack with NASA.

Myth 1: OpenStack is too complex to manage

Many believe that OpenStack's open-source nature makes it inherently complex to deploy and manage. For cloud administrators, this complexity can seem daunting, particularly when considering the numerous components involved.

The reality: When partnering with Rackspace, the complexity of managing OpenStack is significantly reduced. Rackspace provides comprehensive support and managed services to handle the intricacies of deployment, updates and maintenance. This allows administrators to focus on optimizing their environments rather than troubleshooting issues, making OpenStack often easier to manage compared to proprietary solutions.

Myth 2: OpenStack is unreliable and prone to downtime

Concerns about reliability and uptime are prevalent, especially among users who depend on consistent access to their applications and data. The fear is that an open-source platform might not offer the same reliability as traditional commercial cloud providers.

The reality: Rackspace delivers high levels of availability and reliability through robust infrastructure and expert support. By leveraging Rackspace expertise, users benefit from SLAs that guarantee uptime, comprehensive monitoring and proactive issue resolution. This partnership further elevates the dependability and reliability of OpenStack while allowing it to beat competitors with leading provider-offered SLAs.

Myth 3: OpenStack lacks adequate security measures

Security is a top concern for any cloud environment. There’s a misconception that OpenStack, being open source, might lack the rigorous security features necessary to protect sensitive data and meet compliance requirements.

The reality: Rackspace addresses these concerns by integrating security measures that include encryption, identity and access management, and providing assistance to help you meet compliance with industry standards like PCI DSS and HIPAA. Our dedicated security team continuously monitors and updates the environment to help keep it secure and compliant, even for organizations that face strict regulations. Rackspace provides support even when operating within customer data centers that have sovereign requirements.

Myth 4: OpenStack is not cost-effective due to hidden costs

Some users worry that the perceived low cost of OpenStack might be misleading, with hidden costs related to maintenance, support and scaling that could outweigh the benefits.

The reality: Rackspace offers transparent pricing models without hidden fees, making OpenStack a cost-effective solution. By eliminating traditional licensing fees and providing flexible pay-as-you-go service options, our One OpenStack platform helps organizations to more accurately forecast and manage their cloud expenditures. The economies of scale achieved with Rackspace managed services further enhance cost efficiency.

Myth 5: OpenStack offers poor performance and scalability

There's a myth that OpenStack, especially in a multi-tenant environment, cannot match the performance and scalability of proprietary cloud platforms, limiting its usability for resource-intensive applications.

The reality: When managed by Rackspace, OpenStack’s performance and scalability are significantly enhanced. Our optimized infrastructure and expert tuning help to ensure that our One OpenStack platform scales seamlessly to meet the demands of any application. By offering dedicated hypervisors and advanced performance monitoring, Rackspace can deliver top-tier performance comparable to or exceeding other cloud solutions. The poor performance myth is further dispelled by the fact that Rackspace has been operating a global large-scale public cloud since 2012.

In conclusion, while modern OpenStack can dispel most of these myths on its own, running OpenStack with a trusted partner like Rackspace Technology can put these myths fully to rest. By providing expert support, robust security, cost transparency and enhanced performance, Rackspace transforms OpenStack into a viable, reliable and efficient cloud solution for both administrators and users alike.

OpenStack has been enterprise-ready for nearly a decade, and Rackspace has debunked many of the old concerns. Today, OpenStack is a leading solution.