Open Source Cloud Collaboration

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by Peter Galli on October 22, 2010 08:00am

Microsoft today announced a partnership with Cloud.com to provide support for our Windows Server Hyper-V virtualization stack to the OpenStack project, an open source cloud computing platform. In order to get more information on this partnership, I asked Ted MacLean, the general manager for Microsoft's Open Solutions Group, a few questions.

Peter: What is Microsoft announcing today around Openstack?

Ted: Today we announced an open source cloud collaboration that may surprise some people, but not our customers and partners who have relied on our interoperability solutions over the past few years. Today Microsoft announced that it has partnered with Cloud.com to provide integration and support of Windows Server 2008 R2 Hyper-V to the OpenStack project, an open source cloud infrastructure platform. The Hyper-V addition provides enterprise customers running a mix of Microsoft and non-Microsoft technologies greater flexibility when using OpenStack. Until today, OpenStack only supported several open source virtualization products.

Peter: Why did Microsoft decide to participate in Openstack?

Ted: We understand how customers today are multi-sourcing solutions within their IT infrastructure. Support for Windows Server Hyper-V on OpenStack reinforces Microsoft's commitment to delivering choice and flexibility to customers in the cloud. Giving customers the option to use Microsoft's enterprise-ready virtualization platform, Windows Server R2 Hyper-V, when they deploy OpenStack as their cloud solution is win for all. Microsoft is committed to meet the interoperability needs for our customers running mixed source environments on Windows Azure and on partner clouds. Now that OpenStack is open to Windows' Hyper-V, customers can realize the benefits of our enterprise-ready virtualization platform if they choose to deploy OpenStack as their cloud solution.

Peter: This project is a collaboration between Microsoft and Cloud.com. Tell me how that works.

Ted: As part of the collaboration, Microsoft will provide architectural and technical guidance to Cloud.com. In turn, Cloud.com will develop the code to support OpenStack on Windows Server 2008 R2 Hyper-V. The Cloud.com team has been great to work with. Once completed, the project code will be checked into the public code repository here.

Peter: How does this participation fit into the growing list of Microsoft contributions to, and participation in, open source projects?

Ted: Microsoft's support for the OpenStack project underscores our commitment to providing customers with technologies that promotes interoperability and openness. The cloud is accelerating the need for us to interoperate with other vendor technologies and open source software. You can find more information on the various OSS projects that Microsoft is participating in here.