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Rackspace Releases Cloud Stack As Open Source

Posted by timothy on from the sounds-a-bit-diffuse dept.

zerocool^ writes "Techcrunch is reporting that Rackspace is open-sourcing their cloud computing technologies, under the name OpenStack. Rackspace has chosen to release under the Apache 2.0 license. The initial release encompasses the cloud object storage and cloud virtual server management suites. Along with this release, NASA is contributing technology from its Nebula Cloud Platform. Early partners include Intel, Dell, and Citrix."

3 of 65 comments (clear)

  1. Good licence, has anti-swpat clause by ciaran_o_riordan · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Among the permissive licences, Apache 2.0 has the best patent retaliation clause:

    If You institute patent litigation against any entity (including a cross-claim or counterclaim in a lawsuit) alleging that the Work or a Contribution incorporated within the Work constitutes direct or contributory patent infringement, then any patent licenses granted to You under this License for that Work shall terminate as of the date such litigation is filed.

    --
    Expert in software patents or patent law? Contribute to the ESP wiki!
  2. video by porjo · · Score: 5, Informative

    There's a video up on youtube from BusinessWeek which gives a nice overview:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g71ULBQv208

  3. Re:ok, but what is it? by tomweeks · · Score: 5, Informative

    Hey there... man, :)

    In a nut shell, Cloud Files is the Rackspace equivalent to AmazonS3 online storage webservice or "file hosting service", except Cloud Files also includes CDN (content distribution services) via limelight. Cloud Servers is the Rackspace Xen offering, and Cloud Sites is the web and DB hosting services. All wrapped up with the Rackspace Cloud control panel and back end auth-API. Here's some sales-less info on them: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rackspace_Cloud Scanning over it though I see that wikipedia article is a bit out of date. Our Cloud Servers offering DOES actually support Windows VMs now (in beta). Though I'm more a Linux guys myself.. ;)

    Part of the coolness is that between the Cloud Servers and Cloud Files systems, we have a publicnet and servicenet interface. The latter allows direct "intra-cloud" transfers, while public (external) clients can hit the same content via CDN (limelight), allowing you to distribute your content and load via embedded URL around the world without hitting any one data center.

    Tweeks