Oracle releases OpenStack Support for Oracle Linux and Oracle VM

Oracle has made Oracle OpenStack for Oracle Linux distribution generally available so customers can use it with the company's own version of Linux and virtual machine (VM) services. The software also allow users to to build a highly scalable, multi-tenant environment and integrate with the features of open cloud. 

Oracle said this will give users cloud-based interoperability. 

The software is available as a free download and is based on OpenStack’s latest version, Icehouse, released in April this year. Enterprises can deploy Oracle Linux as the base operating system for their OpenStack cloud implementation and download OpenStack’s compute, network and storage management features from Oracle products, the company said. 

“As Oracle and others integrate OpenStack into enterprise IT environments, users will have new choices for deploying OpenStack in their datacentres,” said Mark Collier, the chief operating officer for the OpenStack Foundation. Oracle joined the OpenStack group in December 2013. 

Oracle said that, to allow interoperability of workloads, it is supporting guest operating systems (OSs) including Oracle Solaris, Microsoft Windows and other Linux distributions. It also integrates with third-party software and hardware to provide more choice and interoperability for customers.  

“Our goal is to help make OpenStack an enterprise grade solution, capable of operating an entire datacentre, including all types of workloads meeting all the requirements, including reliability, security and performance,” said Oracle’s Ronen Kofman on the company blog.

Oracle’s more robust move in the OpenStack cloud space comes just days after its open-source rival, Red Hat, said it intends to become the leader in the enterprise cloud space. 

Jim Whitehurst, president and CEO of Red Hat said: "The competition is fierce, and companies will have several choices for their cloud needs. 

“But the prize is the chance to establish open source as the default choice of the next era, and to position Red Hat as the provider of choice for enterprises' entire cloud infrastructure.” 

The open-source companies’ fight for a share an open cloud comes at a time when OpenStack is seen as a viable, enterprise-ready cloud alternative. 

OpenStack technology revenue is predicted to soar from $883m in 2014 to $3.3bn in 2018, representing a 40% growth rate in six years, analyst firm 451 Research has forecast. 

“The support of OpenStack by suppliers like Oracle, leveraging their experience in enterprise solutions, represents an important milestone,” said Gary Chen, research manager, Cloud and Virtualization System Software, at IDC.

“Oracle OpenStack for Oracle Linux delivers an integrated solution for cloud infrastructure, and can help accelerate the adoption of OpenStack, particularly among enterprise customers.”