GigaOm: Open source will play an important role in cloud computing innovation

The Open-source Cloud management tool plays an important role in the innovation of cloud computing services, which lowers the entry threshold for organizations, promotes the customization of cloud services and generates more cloud services, according to Gigaom, an American technology blogger.

Author: Opennebula co-founder and CEO Ignacio Lorente (Ignacio M. Llorente), open source cloud computing platform

How can open source cloud management tools such as the eucalyptus, Cloudstack, OpenStack, Opennebula (my

European Open Source cloud project) affect the adoption of cloud technology?

In my opinion, their role is mainly reflected in the following aspects:

Lowers entry threshold

First, most organizations use cloud technology to optimize their IT investments, improve existing services, or support new business and service patterns. In this case, open source tools reduce the threshold for new organizations to build private clouds. Many organizations use Opennebula to build private clouds, some very small, and some with huge infrastructure made up of several data centers. For most of these organizations, paying licensing fees for commercial software is not a realistic option, they can only choose Open source cloud management tools, or do not use cloud services at all.

to promote the customization of cloud services

Many organizations like open source to allow a high degree of customization to meet individual needs. They are able to build differentiated cloud services to meet customer needs, with the HPC (High-performance computing) cloud facility at the Dutch Supercomputing Center, and the Fermicloud infrastructure of the American Fermi Laboratory (FERMILAB), the two typical cases in the public domain. Hosting companies and telecoms companies use open source to provide a new cloud delivery model for specific segments, with two examples of Opennebula, including Alterway's made Cloud, and the "Sutra (Big Cloud)" platform that China Mobile uses to support more than 600 million users.

Open Source Cloud creates more cloud

Open source also encourages and supports innovation in the development of new cloud products. We have seen several cases, such as Cloudweaver's one-click Cloud Solution and Hederatech Cloud management stack, as the open source cloud tool lowers the threshold for new ICT participants to develop their own cloud products. We can also count those who have used the Open-source technology as an integrator, because open source allows them to innovate and customize their needs.

user collaboration with vendors to generate better cloud services

Collaboration between users and technology providers is a big advantage in the open source world. As a derivative of the EU's flagship cloud computing project, Opennebula, in collaboration with the EU-funded major cloud research and infrastructure projects, offers unique capabilities to address the needs of most advanced cloud deployments. For example, we are working on projects that are building a pan-European multiple cloud infrastructure, such as Bonfire, EGi, Helix Nebula. Industry, standard institutions and researchers are teaming up to build mutually compatible open cloud ecosystems, one of the goals of the European cloud computing strategy.

we believe that the only way to achieve innovation is through direct contact with users. In open source projects, the project roadmap is actually driven by user needs. This means that specific features will meet the real needs of end users, not the needs of technology providers

(Responsible editor: Lu Guang)