When building CaspiCloud, we had to make critical technology decisions. Why OpenStack? Why the Zed release? Let's dive into the technical reasoning behind our platform.
What is OpenStack?
OpenStack is the world's leading open-source cloud infrastructure platform. It's used by organizations ranging from startups to Fortune 500 companies, research institutions to telecommunications providers.
Think of it as the "Linux of cloud computing"—mature, battle-tested, and backed by a global community of developers and operators.
Why OpenStack Over Proprietary Solutions?
1. No Vendor Lock-in
With OpenStack, you're not tied to a single vendor's proprietary APIs and tools. Your infrastructure is portable. You can:
- Migrate between OpenStack providers
- Move to a private cloud
- Use standard tools and integrations
- Avoid forced upgrades and pricing changes
2. Industry-Standard APIs
OpenStack provides consistent, well-documented APIs that integrate seamlessly with existing tools:
- Terraform and Ansible support
- Native Kubernetes integration
- Standard storage protocols (iSCSI, NFS, Ceph)
- Familiar networking concepts (VLANs, security groups, floating IPs)
3. Proven at Scale
Major organizations worldwide run OpenStack in production:
- Telecommunications providers serving millions
- Scientific research computing massive datasets
- Financial institutions with strict compliance requirements
- Government agencies needing data sovereignty
If it works for them, it works for Azerbaijan's businesses.
Why the Zed Release?
OpenStack releases every six months with new features and improvements. We chose the Zed release (the 26th release, from October 2022) for several strategic reasons:
Stability and Maturity
Zed represents a mature point in OpenStack's evolution. The core services—Nova (compute), Cinder (storage), Neutron (networking), and Horizon (dashboard)—are rock-solid and feature-complete.
We deliberately avoided bleeding-edge features in favor of proven reliability. When you're running production infrastructure for businesses, stability trumps novelty.
Focus on Core Services
Rather than chasing every experimental feature, we focus on the services that matter most:
Nova (Compute): Virtual machine provisioning and management Cinder (Storage): Persistent block storage volumes Neutron (Networking): Software-defined networking Horizon (Dashboard): Web-based management interface Keystone (Identity): Authentication and authorization
These are the building blocks that 99% of businesses actually need.
Long-Term Support
Zed receives ongoing security updates and bug fixes from the OpenStack community. This means we can provide stable, secure infrastructure without forcing disruptive upgrades on our clients.
What We Don't Include (And Why)
We made deliberate choices to exclude certain OpenStack services:
Heat (Orchestration): While powerful, most users prefer Terraform or Ansible for infrastructure-as-code. We don't want to lock you into Heat templates.
Magnum (Container Orchestration): Kubernetes is better deployed directly on VMs where you have full control. We provide the compute; you run K8s however you prefer.
Swift (Object Storage): For now, we focus on block storage. Most applications in Azerbaijan's market use traditional file systems and databases rather than object storage.
Trove (Database-as-a-Service): Running databases in VMs gives you more control and flexibility. We provide robust compute and storage; you run your databases your way.
This focus allows us to deliver excellent reliability on the services that matter most, rather than spreading ourselves thin across dozens of features.
Real-World Performance
Since 2017, we've been running OpenStack Zed (and its predecessors) in production for VatPortal—a tax and accounting platform serving thousands of businesses. This real-world experience taught us:
- How to tune performance for database workloads
- Optimal storage configurations for reliability
- Network topologies that maximize throughput
- Monitoring strategies that catch issues early
You benefit from 8 years of lessons learned.
The OpenStack Ecosystem
Beyond the core platform, OpenStack's ecosystem provides:
- Documentation: Comprehensive guides and references
- Community Support: Active forums and mailing lists
- Third-Party Tools: Integration with monitoring, backup, and automation tools
- Vendor Neutrality: No single company controls the roadmap
This ecosystem ensures CaspiCloud isn't just our platform—it's part of a global infrastructure standard.
What This Means for You
When you use CaspiCloud, you get:
- Familiar Tools: Standard OpenStack APIs work exactly as documented
- Proven Reliability: Technology trusted by enterprises worldwide
- Future Flexibility: No lock-in; migrate if your needs change
- Local Expertise: We understand both the technology and your business context
Getting Technical
Want to explore the technical details?
- Check our documentation for API references
- Contact our team for architecture discussions
- Request a technical demo to see the platform in action
We love talking technical details with fellow engineers and IT professionals.
Questions about our technology stack? Email us at [email protected].