AMD, Canonical Partner on Ubuntu OpenStack Cloud Server

A major hardware manufacture is now selling a computer with Ubuntu Linux preinstalled, and this time, it’s an OpenStack server. That’s what Canonical and AMD (AMD) launched this week with the introduction of a server preinstalled with Ubuntu OpenStack private cloud software.

The solution is based on AMD’s SeaMicro SM15000, Ubuntu 14.04 LTS and OpenStack, the open source cloud computing operating system. The integration of OpenStack software with cloud server hardware “provides an out-of-the-box experience, making it possible to deploy a private cloud in hours compared to days,” according to the companies.

Indeed, Canonical and AMD appear eager to capitalize on demand for a truly hassle-free OpenStack deployment experience, since they are also touting the all-in-one networking, storage and computing support that the SM15000 offers. The platform “eliminates top-of-rack switches, terminal servers, hundreds of cables and thousands of unnecessary components for a more efficient and simple operational environment,” they said.

From the perspective of the cloud-computing world, this is a good move for Canonical, which can leverage deals such as this one to maintain Ubuntu’s position as the most popular operating system for OpenStack deployment. (At least, that’s the ranking the OpenStack project assigned Ubuntu last spring; no one seems to have more recent data, but there’s no reason to think Ubuntu’s numbers have changed since earlier this year.)

And for the Ubuntu ecosystem as well, this is interesting news because it involves a major hardware vendor selling a computer with Ubuntu preinstalled. To be sure, an enterprise-class server running Ubuntu OpenStack is a far cry from the Ubuntu PCs Dell once promoted. But it’s a sign nonetheless that Canonical is continuing to forge close relationships with hardware manufacturers, and that those manufacturers are, for their part, taking Ubuntu very seriously.