One of the sub-texts underpinning the development and deployment of OpenStack is the way it should, in theory at least, allow different service providers and vendors to partner-up in order to offer packaged services that are more likely to hit the sweet-spot of end user requirements.
Now examples of this in action are starting to appear. Take, for example, the just-announced partnership between Software Defined Storage (SDS) specialist, Nexenta, and OpenStack vendor, Mirantis. The partnership plans to develop and deliver enterprise-class solutions that help Cloud Service Providers (CSPs) and enterprises simplify and harden large-scale cloud deployments.
“By integrating Nexenta's leading Software Defined Storage platform with the Mirantis OpenStack platform, we are providing enterprises and cloud service leaders like ScaleMatrix with simplicity, agility and efficiency in their cloud deployments so that they can achieve levels and profitability for their customers.”
Through this partnership, Nexenta’s SDS platform, NexentaStor, will integrate with Mirantis OpenStack to help simplify customer experience for large-scale and complex OpenStack deployments in both public and private cloud environments.
This combination is expected to help customers escape from vendor lock-in in cloud deployments and tap into the innovation of the OpenStack community. The partnerships already has some early adopter customers, including ScaleMatrix, a CSP based in San Diego.
"Augmenting Nexenta's Software Defined Storage model with Mirantis OpenStack helps us simplify and accelerate our business service delivery to customers without being forced to rely on the cloud offerings of just one vendor,” said Mark Ortenzi, Founder and CEO at ScaleMatrix. “Our partnership with Nexenta, Mirantis and Dell, helps us to do what we we've always been focused on: providing superior customer services and results."
Nexenta has made significant code contributions to the upstream OpenStack codebase, as well as ensuring that its storage technology works well with OpenStack. According to Adrian Ionel, President and CEO of Mirantis. There is a good deal of interest in Nexenta storage management from his customers. He sees the partnership helping to provide the best possible experience for them. He also sees it freeing the datacentre to provide customers with the greatest amount of choice in cloud solutions, allowing them to take advantage of open source innovations on the fly.
