2013 - Deploying and Using Red Hat Enterprise Linux OpenStack Platform 3

OpenStack is a free and open source Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) cloud computing project released under the Apache License. It enables enterprises and service providers to offer on-demand computing resources by provisioning and managing large networks of virtual machines. OpenStack boasts a massively scalable architecture that can control compute, storage, and networking resources through a unified web interface.

The OpenStack development community operates on a six-month release cycle with frequent milestones. Their code base is composed of many loosely coupled projects supporting storage, compute, image management, identity, and networking services. OpenStack’s rapid development cycle and architectural complexity create unique challenges for enterprise customers adding OpenStack to their traditional IT portfolios.

Red Hat Enterprise Linux OpenStack Platform (RHEL OSP) 3 addresses these challenges. Red Hat Enterprise Linux OpenStack Platform 3, Red Hat’s third OpenStack release, delivers a stable code base for production deployments backed by Red Hat’s open source software expertise. Red Hat Enterprise Linux OpenStack Platform 3 adopters enjoy immediate access to bug fixes and critical security patches, tight integration with Red Hat’s enterprise security features including SELinux, and a steady release cadence between OpenStack versions. This allows Red Hat customers to adopt OpenStack with confidence, at their own pace, and on their own terms.

This reference architecture introduces Red Hat Enterprise Linux OpenStack Platform 3 through a detailed use case:

Installing Red Hat’s OpenStack technology via Packstack

Adding Red Hat Storage (RHS) Server persistent storage

Configuring a Neutron software-based network

Deploying a multi-tier web application complete with post-boot customization

Every step of this use case was tested in Red Hat’s engineering lab with production code.

NOTE: Although this use case includes Red Hat Storage, it is not required for a Red Hat Enterprise Linux OpenStack Platform deployment. This document also includes instructions for NFS-backed persistent storage.