Cloudbase.it is a company that focuses on providing cloud and virtualization solutions, primarily targeting cloud management platforms and enterprise-level cloud deployment. They are known for their work in bridging the gap between Microsoft technologies and open-source cloud platforms, most notably OpenStack.
The company’s offerings mainly focus on cloud infrastructure, virtualization, and interoperability. They are particularly known for their contributions to OpenStack, a popular open-source platform for building and managing public and private clouds.
Relationship with Canonical: #
Canonical, the parent company behind Ubuntu, has a strong focus on cloud computing and server technologies. Over the years, Cloudbase.it has collaborated with Canonical to support OpenStack deployment on Windows-based environments. Their collaboration primarily revolves around integrating Microsoft’s Hyper-V (a virtualization platform) with OpenStack.
Key historical moments between Cloudbase.it and Canonical:
- Windows Integration with OpenStack:
Cloudbase.it has worked on integrating Hyper-V (Microsoft’s virtualization solution) with OpenStack. OpenStack is often run on Linux-based systems, but many enterprises also rely on Microsoft technologies in their data centers. This collaboration allowed Microsoft Hyper-V users to leverage OpenStack’s open-source cloud platform, allowing a multi-hypervisor cloud environment that includes both Linux-based hypervisors (like KVM) and Microsoft’s Hyper-V. - Cloudbase Solutions for Ubuntu:
Cloudbase.it has developed solutions specifically designed to help Microsoft Windows environments work well with Ubuntu. This includes projects like Cloudbase-OpenStack (a version of OpenStack optimized for Windows-based virtual machines), and software packages that help Windows servers integrate seamlessly into OpenStack clouds. - OpenStack on Windows:
Their contributions were important in enabling OpenStack to work in heterogeneous environments where some parts of the infrastructure might use Windows Server and others use Linux. Cloudbase.it worked on the integration of Windows Server instances in OpenStack, enabling workloads that require Windows to be managed within an OpenStack cloud environment. - Ubuntu’s Support for Microsoft’s Hyper-V:
Canonical has, at times, embraced the idea of greater interoperability between Ubuntu and Microsoft’s Hyper-V. Cloudbase.it has been instrumental in ensuring that OpenStack could run smoothly in environments that rely on Hyper-V, thus expanding Ubuntu’s and Canonical’s reach into more diverse infrastructure landscapes.
Cloudbase.it’s Products: #
- Cloudbase-OpenStack: An OpenStack deployment tool that integrates Hyper-V for managing virtual machines within a hybrid cloud environment (Linux + Windows).
- Cloudbase-Config: A configuration management tool for Windows-based virtual machines in OpenStack.
- Windows Guest Agent for OpenStack: A tool that improves interaction between Windows virtual machines and the OpenStack cloud management platform.
- Cloudbase Solution for Hyper-V: Provides software to run Hyper-V in the context of an OpenStack environment, enabling users to manage Windows instances effectively in their cloud infrastructure.
The Strategic Importance of This Collaboration: #
The Cloudbase.it and Canonical relationship highlights the shift towards more heterogeneous and interoperable cloud environments. As businesses increasingly adopt hybrid and multi-cloud strategies, the ability to integrate technologies like Hyper-V and OpenStack (which is based on Linux) is vital. Cloudbase.it has helped fill that gap by enabling compatibility between Windows-based systems and open-source cloud management tools, helping enterprises optimize their infrastructure regardless of the underlying operating system.
This collaboration is an example of how open-source and proprietary technologies can coexist and integrate to serve the diverse needs of enterprise IT infrastructures.
Summary: #
- Cloudbase.it is known for its cloud solutions, particularly for integrating Microsoft technologies with open-source cloud platforms like OpenStack.
- Canonical (Ubuntu) and Cloudbase.it have collaborated to enhance interoperability between Windows and OpenStack.
- Their main work involves supporting Hyper-V within OpenStack and improving Windows-based virtual machine deployment and management in open-source cloud environments.
