Multiple Arrays, One Backend Name: Horizontal Scaling in OpenStack Cinder

Scaling Horizontally with Multiple Arrays, One Backend Name In Part 1, I covered the fundamentals of intent-based volume types: how to use capabilities and filters to let the Cinder scheduler match workload requirements with backend characteristics. We described storage infrastructure, defined workload personas, and let the scheduler do the matching. But there’s a powerful scaling […]

OpenStack Cinder Scheduling: How to Stop Hard-Coding Storage Tiers

From Hardware Names to Workload Intent The Cinder scheduler doesn’t get much love. Most people see it as boring infrastructure plumbing. But when you lean into its design, something interesting happens: it becomes a decision engine that quietly translates intent into placement, without hard-coding tiers or baking policy into application logic. This is the first […]

Integrating Pure Storage FlashBlade S3 with OpenStack: A Practical Guide

Integrating Pure Storage FlashBlade as an object store in OpenStack environments presents unique challenges when bypassing Swift. This guide walks through a practical architecture that uses permanent S3 tokens and external Identity and Access Management (IAM) to provide OpenStack users with direct, secure access to FlashBlade buckets while maintaining fine-grained access control. Understanding the Architecture […]

Understanding find_multipaths in OpenStack

In OpenStack deployments, block storage is the foundation for running virtual machines reliably. Whether using iSCSI, Fibre Channel, or NVMe-backed arrays, consistent device identity is critical. Misconfigured multipathing can cause transient device names, failed volume attachments, and confusion across compute nodes. One Linux multipathing setting often misunderstood in this context is find_multipaths. It controls how […]

FlashArray Volume Groups: Advanced QoS for OpenStack at Scale

Managing multi-tenant OpenStack storage at scale requires enforcing predictable performance boundaries without creating administrative overhead. Traditional per-volume QoS doesn’t scale—you can’t effectively manage thousands of individual policies across hundreds of tenants. Pure Storage FlashArray volume groups solve this by implementing tenant-level QoS at the storage layer. Combined with OpenStack quotas, they provide precise control over […]

The Shocking Truth About OpenStack Cinder QoS Limitations

If you operate OpenStack seriously, block storage performance is not an afterthought.It is a contract — between users, the scheduler, and the storage backend. And yet, if you try to automate OpenStack Cinder QoS with Ansible today, you quickly run into an uncomfortable truth: Ansible does not support Cinder QoS specs. This is not a […]

Beyond Kubernetes: OpenStack and Pure Storage for Enterprises

Container orchestration platforms like Kubernetes have revolutionized the way organizations deploy applications. They make scaling and managing microservices easier than ever. But containers alone don’t solve the full enterprise infrastructure challenge. Even the most sophisticated container platform needs a robust foundation—compute, storage, networking, security, and lifecycle management. That’s where OpenStack comes in. And when you […]

OpenStack Cinder Replication and Disaster Recovery, Pt. 7

This is part 7, the final part, of the series on OpenStack disaster recovery. Read Part 6: Beyond Manual Processes: Enterprise DR Orchestration Synthesis and Strategic Implementation Guide Building a Comprehensive DR Strategy: Bringing It All Together Throughout this blog series, we’ve explored multiple approaches to disaster recovery in OpenStack environments, from fundamental Cinder replication concepts to […]

Digital Sovereignty: Europe’s Independent Cloud Future with OpenStack and Pure Storage

Europe’s relationship with data has evolved from “important” to “existential.” Data is no longer just a technical asset; it is a lever of economic strength, political autonomy, and long-term competitiveness. As global powers increasingly use technology as a tool of influence, Europe’s push for digital sovereignty has become unavoidable. Open source platforms like OpenStack—paired with […]

OpenStack Cinder Replication and Disaster Recovery, Pt. 6

This is part 6 of the series on OpenStack disaster recovery. Read Part 5: Operational Excellence and Future Considerations Beyond Manual Processes: Enterprise DR Orchestration While the OpenStack-DR project (Aegis) provides surgical precision for disaster recovery operations, enterprise environments often require higher-level orchestration, automated workflows, and self-service capabilities for tenants. This is where Trilio‘s upcoming Disaster […]