Local shared storage management

OpenStack virtualization platform is based on the principle of providing a reference abstract IaaS model. All components of the platform are built on this principle, and if one of the components has the ability not to perform any actions, then it will not actually perform anything other than providing an API. All working mechanisms are implemented through plugins to platform modules, and the real work with the infrastructure, in particular, the organization of network tunnels or the connection of instance volume, are implemented by plug-in drivers and extensions, which are usually created by various vendors. This leads to the following consequences:

• hiding work mechanisms behind drivers and module extensions;
• lack of flexibility in case of multi-vendor infrastructure;
• unreasonable software overcomplication of modules;
• conflicts of plug-ins for modules, for example, cannot be created under one Cinder backend of EMC and NetApp storage systems;
• serious loss of flexibility and functionality for the sake of the universality of interfaces.

Implemented within CloudManager utiluty allows to work with local shared storage:

• getting an abstraction from vendor storage systems;
• combining storage systems from different vendors into one common Cinder backend;
• ability to bring vendor storage systems into maintenance mode without service interruption for clients of the virtualization platform;
• getting rid of the problems of vendor drivers associated with their flaws.