OpenStack and Microsoft Hyper-V Support: What Really Went Wrong?

By samdizzy

Microsoft’s Hyper-V virtualization and the OpenStack open source cloud platform apparently aren’t seeing eye to eye — at least for the moment. In fact, an upcoming OpenStack release called Essex will not support Hyper-V because the OpenStack folks saw lagging Microsoft development activity on OpenStack.

But here’s the twist: The Hyper-V for OpenStack setback actually apparently involves Citix Systems, according to The Register. As you may recall, Citrix acquired Cloud.com — the company that was integrating Hyper-V with OpenStack. But Citrix apparently shifted Cloud.com’s focus from the Hyper-V for OpenStack effort to a OpenStack-Citrix cloud initiative.

I don’t blame Citrix for Microsoft’s OpenStack setback, which appears to be temporary in nature. If Microsoft is serious about supporting OpenStack, then Microsoft’s own developers — rather than Citrix and Cloud.com developers — should be responsible for the effort.

For cloud services providers (CSPs), integration between OpenStack and Hyper-V is genuinely important. Most CSPs offer a mix of Linux and Windows Servers in the cloud. Virtualizating those servers — using VMware, Kernel-based Virtual Machine (KVM) and/or Hyper-V is a key requirement for many of those CSPs.

Meanwhile, OpenStack — backed by Rackspace and NASA — needs to ensure multiple hypervisor support to ensure end-customers can easily move their applications from from one OpenStack service provider to another.

Both Microsoft and OpenStack have stated that steps are underway to ensure Hyper-V re-emerges in OpenStack. In the meantime, this temporary setback is a wakeup call to Microsoft, which will need to make sure it has adequate developer resources assigned to the effort.