Open Source Software for Building Private and Public Clouds

Advancing the development of open, standards-based cloud solutions

With rising growth of the digital universe and proliferation of data across the enterprise, cloud computing is a key strategy to manage the ever-increasing demand for IT services. Cloud computing offers a dynamic alternative to the conventional, static data center model. By providing massively scalable compute resources and storage online, cloud computing gives businesses the ability to develop and launch products and services rapidly and efficiently, allocating resources to meet demand. To help businesses take advantage of this model, Intel pursues a vision of cloud computing that emphasizes automation, federation, and client-awareness. Working through collaborative open-source projects such as OpenStack*, as well as the Open Data Center Alliance (ODCA), the Intel Cloud Builders program, academia, and industry research centers, we contribute time, energy, and financial support to further this vision and advance the development of open, standards-based solutions. Intel is one of several corporate sponsors of the OpenStack project, contributing expertise and code to help the project thrive. As a result, businesses that choose OpenStack for their cloud computing infrastructure derive maximum value from their investment in Intel-based hardware.

Intels Cloud 2015 Vision

To help enable the tools, building blocks, and best

practices that represent the future of the open cloud, Intel has articulated a three-part vision: Federated. A federated cloud allows the more secure sharing of communications, data, and services within and across both private and public cloud-computing infrastructures, requiring smooth interoperability across many platforms and solutions. Automated. An automated cloud enables cloud-computing services and resources to be specified, located, and more securely provisioned with little or no human intervention. Client-aware. A client-aware, device-savvy cloud can intelligently take advantage of client capabilities to deliver the best user experience anytime, anywhere. To advance Intels Cloud 2015 Vision, delivery of open, interoperable solutions that embrace industry standards is essential.

Federated

Automated

Client-aware

Shaping OpenStack for Business Security and Efficiency

Intel contributes to the OpenStack project in these ways: Exposing security- and power-related platform properties to the enablement of cloud layer. Intels contributions to platform security include enablement of Intel Trusted Execution Technology (Intel TXT) under Linux*, KVM and Xen.* Intel remote attestation APIs allow OpenStack to establish the root of trust for a virtual machine that boots on any particular server. Power use patterns can also now be monitored through the Intel Power Node Manager by means of open IPMI interfaces. Distributing cloud server workloads intelligently based on platform characteristics. Intels enhancements to the OpenStack scheduler enable it to survey the platform characteristics and determine the optimal server on which to start a virtual machine, based on a range of hardware characteristics, including trust or quality of service.

Enabling Efficient Use of Physical Infrastructure in Public Clouds

Cloud service providers look for solutions that make maximum use of compute, storage, network, and power resources. For those cloud operators who deploy OpenStack, Intels contributions enable them to increase the efficiency of their server infrastructure and deliver differentiated services to multiple tenants securely. Cloud service providers also need solutions that simplify the deployment, management, and monitoring of their infrastructures. Although OpenStack is a cost-effective solution today, a service provider must perform several customizations before integrating the technology into its data center. Intel is actively working on additional enhancements to OpenStack that will enable Trusted Compute Pools in the public cloud, where they can host security-sensitive services.

Engineering OpenStack for Private Cloud Deployment

While OpenStack has gained enormous traction among hosting companies and enterprise IT, several barriers remain to its wider adoption. To establish a model for widespread adoption, Intel IT was one of the first organizations to adopt OpenStack, making enhancements to adapt it for private cloud deployment. Reference architectures developed by Intel reflect the experience acquired in working with OpenStack and present technical contributions and best practices based on this experience. In addition, Intel is partnering with other vendors in the community to help businesses take advantage of the benefits of OpenStack.

Continuing Contributions to OpenStack

Open-source development inspires fresh ideas, accelerates innovation, and lowers costs. For over two decades, Intels contributions to open-source projects have enabled a breadth of solutions to run exceptionally well on Intel architecture. To help guide the direction of open source cloud solutions, Intel participates in the OpenStack project as part of a global community of technologists, developers, researchers, and corporations sharing resources, technology, and ideas. As cloud deployments based on OpenStack gain momentum, Intel looks forward to contributing further enhancements to this project that deliver on the promise of open source.

What is the OpenStack Project?

A truly open solution, OpenStack is freely available under the Apache 2.0 license. Anyone with an interest in doing so can run, build on, or suggest changes to the code base. The OpenStack project fosters cloud standards, helping to create a large ecosystem that avoids high costs and proprietary lock-insecuring a healthy future for open cloud development. The project focuses on developing and maintaining two interrelated technologies: OpenStack Compute. As the core management engine behind OpenStack, this part of the project manages all resources, networking, authorization, and scalability needs for the cloud. OpenStack Compute is the internal fabric of the cloud that creates and manages large groups of virtual private servers. OpenStack Object Storage. This technology consists of software for creating redundant, scalable object storage using clusters of commodity servers to efficiently store terabytes or petabytes of data.

A Focus on Intel Technologies

Optimizing Cloud Efficiency through Smart Power Management

IT efficiency is a key concern in any enterprise environment, and cloud computing is no different. The Intel Intelligent Power Node Manager offers a smart way to optimize and manage power and cooling resources in the data center, making the most of every watt consumed. This technology enables IT administrators to make informed power management decisions and define dynamic, configurable power policies that will improve the efficiency of their cloud infrastructure. Intels upstream contributions to collaborative open source projects such as OpenStack, coupled with its downstream collaboration with open source ecosystem partners, ensures that open cloud solutions gain maximum benefit from advanced power management technology.
BIOS (SCI Handler or ASL Code) Console Manager

Change P/T State Change Power Consumption

Change Number of P/T-States Available

IPMI

Policy

Instrumented PSUs (bmc polling) Power Consumption

Node Manager Set Power Budget

BMC

Addressing Data Protection in the Cloud

Potential adopters of cloud computing consistently report that security is among their prime concerns. The security landscape surrounding cloud computing is complicated by the fact that a cloud consists of potentially thousands of servers in multiple locations. Cloud administrators need novel ways of determining the trustworthiness of those remote servers. Intel is working to address data protection in the cloud through key technologies, such as Intel Trusted Execution Technology (Intel TXT) and remote attestation. Console Intel TXT compares the critical elements of a cloud launch environment against a known good source. The two must match, creating a measured launch environment for Intel TXT to allow the environment to run. Remote attestation provides the means for local or remote users and systems to share measured launch environment credentials, so that platform trustworthiness can be reported across the environment.
Intel value-add
Tboot/TXT support has been in Xen since Xen3.2. Tboot support has been in Linux/KVM since 2.6.33. An open remote attestation stack to access trustworthiness of a remote VMM.

Intel value-add

App OS

App OS

Hypervisor HW/TXT

Attestation Service

Remote Attestation

App OS

App OS

Hypervisor

Are you trusted?

App OS

HW

App OS

Because hypervisors must support these features, Intel is deeply involved in making contributions and otherwise building support for them into projects such as KVM and Xen.* We also work with members of the ecosystem to make these technologies available through the OpenStack* project. These open-source contributions help encourage broader adoption of the cloud and unlock its full potential.

Hypervisor HW/TXT

Furthering the Intel 2015 Cloud Vision

In addition to considerable contributions to open-source projects such as OpenStack, Intel is furthering its cloud computing vision through its participation in the Open Data Center Alliance (ODCA) and its work through the Intel Cloud Builders program. Open Data Center Alliance To deliver on the promise of federated, automated, client-aware cloud computing, Intel is working with leading IT organizations as a technical advisor to the Open Data Center Alliance (ODCA). The ODCA is defining a roadmap of high-priority requirements and usage models for cloud computing and next-generation data centers with a focus on open, interoperable solutions. Intels engagement with the ODCA and other IT customers globally is helping to speed delivery of technology and solutions that enable more secure, efficient, simplified cloud infrastructures. In the form of eight usage models published in June 2011, the ODCA outlined specific innovations in security, automation, common management, and service transparency that are needed for widespread adoption of cloud services. Recognizing the pace of innovation sustained by open source projects, Intel is working with its partners to develop open source implementations for several of these usage models.

Intel Cloud Builders Program Ultimately, complete solutions are needed to deploy clouds. Intel Cloud Builders is an alliance of industry thought leaders designing, building, and testing cloud solutions based on highquality building blocks and well-established best practices. Those designs are made available to the general public in the form of reference architectures. (refer below) By engaging with leading software and equipment makers, Intel brings together the expertise to create best-of-breed solutions that end customers can use with confidence. Using these reference architectures, IT organizations can reduce risk, frustration, and cost associated with making the transition to a cloud infrastructure.

IntelXeon processor-based test beds

Industry-leading ISVs and OEMs

Reference architectures

Intel Cloud Builders offers a library of reference architectures that provide proven guidance for cloud computing.

Learn more about what Intel is doing in open source at www.intel.com/opensource

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