Guest: Thierry Carrez (LinkedIn)
Foundation: Open Infrastructure Foundation (Twitter)
Show: Let’s Talk

The Open Infrastructure Foundation recently launched the 30th version of the popular open-source cloud infrastructure software, 2024.2 Dalmatian and expanded its support to projects beyond OpenStack, such as Kata Containers and Zuul CI. In this show, Thierry Carrez, General Manager of the Open Infrastructure Foundation, discusses key drivers for OpenStack’s resurgence, the new features in the Dalmatian release designed for AI workloads and the impact of Broadcom’s acquisition of VMware on the open-source ecosystem. Carrez also highlights the foundation’s commitment to community-driven open-source initiatives and tools for migrating from VMware to OpenStack.

Questions discussed

• How has OpenStack and the Open Infrastructure Foundation evolved since its early days?
• What is driving the adoption of the Open Infrastructure Foundation projects?
• What new use cases or organizations are using OpenStack?
• What disturbing trends are you seeing in the open source space?
• What new features were added in the Dalmatian release to cater to new use cases?
• How has OpenStack evolved to support AI workloads?
• What security improvements were made in the Dalmatian release?
• How is OpenStack facilitating migration from VMware?

Evolution of Open Infrastructure Foundation and its broader mission

• Carrez outlines the foundation’s mission to foster communities building open-source infrastructure software, expanding its focus beyond OpenStack to projects like Kata Containers and Zuul CI, in response to evolving needs in the infrastructure space.
• Carrez emphasizes the Foundation’s commitment to providing trusted, long-term open-source solutions for critical infrastructure, ensuring technological independence and reliability in an increasingly complex environment.

Key factors fueling OpenStack’s recent adoption surge

• The four primary drivers behind OpenStack’s renewed popularity are: the push for digital sovereignty, VMware licensing changes, heightened security concerns, and the growing need for AI infrastructure.
• Digital sovereignty is motivating businesses and governments to develop local infrastructure, reducing dependence on large hyperscalers to maintain control over sensitive data. This trend is especially strong in Europe, where data sovereignty has become a pressing issue.
• Broadcom’s changes to VMware licensing have led organizations to explore alternatives like OpenStack, offering more flexible and cost-effective solutions for private cloud environments, driving a shift toward community-driven software.
• Rising security needs and the increasing demand for accelerated AI infrastructure are also driving OpenStack’s resurgence, as its scalability and reliability make it an ideal choice for handling these complex workloads in new data centers.

Emerging use cases and industries leveraging OpenStack

• Telecommunications and high-performance computing (HPC) have long relied on OpenStack, but now there is growing interest in the finance sector, with top French banks and companies like GEICO adopting the platform for critical workloads.
• Carrez discusses Broadcom’s acquisition of VMware, explaining how this move has spurred the open-source community to increasingly embrace community-driven alternatives, as organizations search for sustainable, flexible solutions.
• Carrez stresses the importance of keeping open-source software community-led, providing long-term stability and certainty to users as the industry undergoes rapid changes, ensuring trust and sustainable development for critical infrastructure.
• The foundation is engaging with regulators to ensure new regulations support open-source innovation without stifling it, actively working to align regulatory frameworks with the principles of open-source software development.

New features and enhancements in the Dalmatian release

• Carrez explains that the Dalmatian release is packed with features tailored for next-generation workloads and hardware, focusing on stability, security, and enhancing user experience to align with modern cloud demands and emerging technology trends.
• A key feature is enhanced support for AI workloads, which includes compatibility with the latest GPUs and vGPUs, along with the Blazar reservation service that optimizes GPU instance utilization.
• Additional updates feature persistent vGPU attachments across physical reboots and fine-grained access control within Neutron, significantly improving security by ensuring that critical resources remain accessible and secure even during hardware transitions.
• The release highlights contributions from around 500 collaborators, underscoring the effectiveness of the community-driven model for fostering innovation in open-source software.

AI advancements and security enhancements in the Dalmatian release

• Carrez details significant advancements in AI support within the release, with features like Blazar for GPU instance reservations and Nova for maintaining vGPU attachments, ensuring that AI workloads execute seamlessly and efficiently in various industries.
• On the security front, improvements focus on reducing exposure in Ironic, implementing firmware patching on active nodes, and introducing more granular control in Neutron to mitigate vulnerabilities.
• These updates aim to minimize the attack surface, ensuring that sensitive data remains secure amidst emerging cybersecurity threats, with Carrez emphasizing that security is now a primary concern for both users and developers in the tech landscape.
• Carrez underscores the growing significance of security in the technology sector, especially in response to increasingly sophisticated threats that necessitate ongoing vigilance and proactive strategies.

Tools for VMware migration and real-world success stories

• Carrez highlights the development of specialized tools that assist users in migrating VMs from VMware to OpenStack, making the transition smoother for organizations ready to adopt open-source alternatives, which is key to fostering broader OpenStack adoption.
• Open Instructure Foundation’s VMware Working Group has produced a comprehensive white paper on migration strategies, offering detailed guidance and support for organizations considering the switch from proprietary systems to open-source platforms.
• Carrez shares inspiring user stories, including GEICO utilizing OpenStack for AI data centers and a French charity leveraging the platform for logistics, showcasing the platform’s versatility and significant impact across various sectors and use cases.
• Carrez believes these narratives reflect the transformative potential of open infrastructure software, illustrating its capacity to support diverse applications, from corporate AI initiatives to charitable efforts, demonstrating OpenStack’s adaptability and growing presence in new markets.

This summary was written by Emily Nicholls.