Several requirements for OpenStack Enterprise Private Cloud (8): Cloud Management Platform CMP

This series introduces several requirements for OpenStack Enterprise Private cloud:

• Auto-Scaling (auto-scaling) support
• Multi-tenant and tenant Isolation (multi-tenancy and tenancy isolation)
• Hybrid clouds (Hybrid cloud) support
• Mainstream hardware support, cloud rapid delivery, and SLA assurance
• Large scale Scalability Support
• Private cloud perimeter support (including support CDN, Commercial SDN Controller, firewalls, vpn/leased line, etc.)
• Good usability (user and operational Dashboard, etc.)
• Up-scaling (support for PaaS and SaaS)
• Enterprise Data Center IT environment support (including bare metal/bare metal, F5, GPU, cross-cloud network connectivity, tenant billing, backup, etc.)
• Industry Solutions
• Independent services, including training, operations, etc.
• Cmp

This article was originally published in 2016/06/08 in CSDN Cloud management platform (CMP) with OpenStack, editor of Land Pearl. The content of this article is slightly censored.

1. CMP Introduction1.1 CMP Definition

Let's take a look at Gartner's definition of CMP: CMP (Cloud management platforms) is an integrated product that manages public, private, and hybrid cloud environments. Its minimum scope should include self-service Interfaces (self-service interfaces), creation of system images (provision systems images), monitoring and billing (metering and billing), And some degree of policy-based load optimization (workload optimization). Advanced features also include the integration of external existing enterprise management systems, including service catalogs, storage and network resource configuration, more advanced resource management and monitoring, such as client performance and availability monitoring. See details:

1.2 The location of CMP in Cloud Stack

Cloud Stack is a technology for tiering the cloud environment. According to some rules, the cloud can be divided into three layers:

Visible:

• The Resource layer (resource tier) includes hardware, virtualization, and network infrastructure.
• Cloud platforms provides APIs to users and other software that enable them to manage, request, and use cloud resources.
• The Coud Management platforms (CMP layer) is a management platform for enterprise users, including developers, IT staff, business analysts, and more, to leverage enterprise cloud infrastructure. It is the topmost layer and the last layer of the entire cloud stack. The end user operates on the CMP layer and then the CMP layer sends instructions to one or more of the following cloud platforms, and the cloud platforms send instructions to the underlying infrastructure layer. The current layer of products is fragmented, including AWS Console and OpenStack Horizon, which do not support cloud management, and SCALR, Dell Cloud Manager, and CSC's ServiceMesh, which support multi-cloud management.

1.3 CMP Classification

Gartner believes that the current market of CMP products is fragmented, it is estimated that no one product market occupancy rate of more than 10%. It makes the following approximate classification of CMP:

Compare from a multi-cloud management perspective:

Source

2. OpenStack and CMP2.1 OpenStack Horizon is CMP?

The answer is that the current horzion only contains part of the functionality of CMP. As we all know, Horizon is an OpenStack-Dashboard project that provides administrators and end users with a user interface to manage and operate the OpenStack cloud. It drives these modules to manipulate resources in the resource layer by invoking the API interfaces of the OpenStack projects. Horzion implements a subset of the functionality required by CMP, but it lacks many features. Specific gaps, you will know by comparing the CMP functions and horzion functions described above.

2.2 The relationship between OpenStack and CMP

CMP is used to manage the OpenStack cloud environment, and Horizon is just the Dashboard of the OpenStack cloud. As a result, CMP tends to be application-centric, and OpenStack is infrastructure-centric.

Source

Current mainstream CMP supports OpenStack:

Source

2.2 Why would you want to customize or re-develop Horizon?

According to the above analysis, OpenStack CMP can be divided into three categories depending on the developer and purpose:

Type	Objective
A CMP provider of professional CMP providers to manage the OpenStack cloud environment	Managing the OpenStack Cloud environment has become a standard configuration for this CMP
An OpenStack provider with a hybrid cloud, such as a vendor with a public cloud and an OpenStack private cloud, to manage the CMP of a hybrid cloud, including the OpenStack cloud	OpenStack Horion does not support hybrid cloud, vendors need to develop CMP for unified management of hybrid cloud environments
Standalone OpenStack cloud provider opens only the CMP that manages its OpenStack cloud environment	OpenStack Horion does not meet the requirements, as described below

For the latter two, they should have several requirements:

• Product differentiation needs: Horizon as the portal for user operations and the OpenStack module that the user first touches, a very straightforward product differentiation requirement is to customize it. For end users, Horizon is the OpenStack cloud, its user experience is good or bad, the interface is beautiful, the function is comprehensive, etc., determines the user's first impression of the cloud. So, basically all OpenStack providers have customized Horizon. Customization is also divided into two, one is based on the community-provided Horizon customized method of the very simple customization, such as changing the logo, simply change the layout, changing the color of the interface, it is obvious that this customization brought about very limited differentiation, the other is the depth of customization and even re-written, which can bring enough differentiation.
• Functionality: For example, a vendor with public cloud and OpenStack private cloud, which integrates public and private cloud management platforms, provides users with a unified platform to manage hybrid cloud, is a natural choice, supports multi-tenancy, supports different users ' needs, supports work orders and bills, etc. Support application management and operation.
• Customer requirements: For the customer, the requirements of the Console customization is very straightforward, but also very easy to put forward. On the one hand, a good interface, and direct use of the Community version horzion or just simple customization, to customers will bring a very different feeling, on the other hand, customers often need to have a custom function, such as with its existing system integration and so on.

Some of the benefits of customizing Horizon:

• Implementing the required CMP capabilities
• For users, there is a unified platform, eliminating the hassle of switching between multiple different systems and tools, improving user experience and productivity
• Reduce the cost of training for users because only one management platform needs to be trained
• Cloudy and hybrid cloud support

3. Comparison of some CMP 3.1 some CMP products 3.1.1 Red Hat CloudForms

Main functions:

Ability to manage multiple it and cloud environments:

List of specific features:

Screenshot example (more details, please watch Youtube video Red Hat CloudForms Build a cloud-product Demo):

Personal experience:

• Full-Featured, Rich
• Ability to manage cloudy, support for OpenStack, VMware, KVM, Microsoft and Amazon cloud environments
• GUI User Experience is good
• Style is also the style of traditional IT management software, so 451 reseach it into the "Legacy CMP vendors" category.
• Written in Ruby, the latest version is 4.0
• Overall, it seems very good and powerful, but no actual experience.

Cloudfroms and Manageiq:

• 2012/12/20,red Hat paid $100 million to acquire Manageiq, a company that offers enterprise cloud management and automation solutions. With this acquisition, Red Hat's open hybrid cloud management solution includes Red Hat CloudForms, Red Hat Enterprise virtualization and Manageiq's Hybrid Cloud Operations Management Tools. Source
• 2014/05/12,red Hat announced the creation of the Manageiq open source community and contributed MANAGEIQ software to the community. Have to admire Red Hat's insistence on the consistency of its open source philosophy. Source
• Therefore, Manageiq is an open source version of CloudForms, or commercial CloudForms is an enterprise-class, highly secure, integrated solution based on open source Manageiq.
• Red Hat offers cloudfroms subscriptions to services such as upgrades and technical support.
• Cloudfroms also supports commercial integration with third-party products and platforms.
• Cloudfroms will also provide certified integration and development services.

3.1.2 Qingyun's Console (use the application to the free account obtained, if not suitable for listed here, please contact me, I will promptly delete)

The interface of Tsing Yun has always been a good reputation in the industry, it is its "Overview" interface:

I observe:

• Integrates IaaS (compute, network, storage and security), PaaS (database, Big Data), and SaaS (third-party applications)
• Multi-Zone support
• For each resource, its functions include life cycle management and monitoring
• Support for ticket, billing and account management
• The wind is simple, easy to operate, rich in function, I like the type, ha

3.1.3 Engraved Cloud Console (with free account access, if not suitable for listed here, please contact me, I will promptly delete)

The cloud-engraved Console also has a reputation in the OpenStack industry and has been recognized and respected by many people.

I observe:

• A certain similarity in layout, style and design to Qingyun
• Integrated IAAS (compute, network, storage and security), PaaS (database), etc.
• Multi-Zone support
• Support for ticket, finance and account management
• Easy to operate, functional integration is very good, did not find the function of the bug, some small problems I have mentioned a few work forms feedback
• Compared to the community version of OpenStack Horzon, there are new features, such as integrating a VPN onto a virtual machine router:

3.1.4 Fit2cloud

This is the 2012/11 establishment of a domestic start-up company, the company provides hybrid cloud management and DevOps collaboration platform, known as the domestic OpsWorks. From its official website, it supports a very rich function, but also has a number of media including China, some customers (fast!). From the introduction, the product should focus more on DevOps (entrepreneurial team members are primarily DevOps-born). It should be said that the product in the domestic filled with some kind of blank (before looking at the products such as RightScale also think of when there are similar products in the country), so also has been widely concerned about the people. From the news, it has established partnerships with companies like Umcloud and Dell. From the quotation, its products are not cheap. For more information, please visit their official website http://www.fit2cloud.com/.

This is its product architecture:

Part:

3.2 Simple comparison of the virtual machine creation and list interface of Qingyun and engraved clouds

Compare items	Describe
Host Main interface	In addition to the action buttons, the list of hosts, Tsing Yun also provides a short description, its operation is relatively richer, but the engraved cloud provides a unique thermal upgrade function.
Create host-select mirror	Tsing Yun divides the image into common, system, own, share and market categories, according to the type of all, infrastructure, tools, Web sites, security and other categories; The engraved cloud only divides the image into the system image and the own mirror.
Create host-configuration information	Basically the same, all on the right display, including the image name, type, name, quantity, unit price, prices, etc.
Create host-Configuration selection	Qingyun offers more choices, including CPU topology, number of cores, number of threads, CPU instruction sets, and both performance and ultra-high-performance types, as well as the ability to select existing volumes as hard drives; The engraved cloud provides only the number of cores and memory options;
Create host-Network configuration	The network configuration is basically the same, but the engraved cloud can specify the IP address inside and outside the network
Create a host-basic information	Basic information is basically the same, including host name, number, SSH login mode (SSH key and password two) Qingyun also shows the user name, but also can input hostname; The engraving cloud separates the security configuration from the basic settings and can also specify that it is not on the same physical machine as the specific host;
Host List	The list of engraved cloud features a better user experience, the default is the list, choose to display the details page, including detailed, topology map, backup, monitoring, VNC Login tab page, you can click the return button at any time to return. The feeling of easy switching back and forth is quite cool. Tsing Yun needs to click on the hostname Super link to enter the Details page, return when clicked on the navigation bar hyperlink, this does not carve the cloud convenient. But Qingyun provides a right-click Feature List that saves a step more than clicking the "More Actions" button.
Conclusion	The interface design and style of the cloud are very similar; in terms of differences, Qingyun has more features, more configurable items, and an engraved cloud provides a vertical three-column, better user experience.

After selecting a host in the engraved cloud:

After selecting a host in Qingyun:

Reference Links:

• Https://www.openstack.org/summit/vancouver-2015/summit-videos/presentation/extending-horizon-for-multi-cloud-management
• https://www.qingcloud.com/
• http://cloud.keytonecloud.com/
• What ' s the difference between OpenStack & A Cloud Management Platform?
• Fit2cloud Hybrid Cloud Management and DevOps collaboration platform-20151005

Several requirements for OpenStack Enterprise Private Cloud (8): Cloud Management Platform CMP