OpenStack Cinder
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| OpenStack Cinder | |
|---|---|
| Name | Cinder |
| Developer | OpenStack Foundation |
| Released | 2011 |
| Programming language | Python (programming language) |
| Operating system | Linux |
| Genre | Storage (computer) |
| License | Apache License |
OpenStack Cinder is a block storage service designed to provide persistent volume management for cloud computing environments. It was developed as part of the OpenStack Foundation project and integrates with compute, networking, and identity services to offer managed block devices for instances from projects such as Nova (OpenStack), Neutron (OpenStack), and Keystone (OpenStack). Cinder supports a broad set of storage back ends and aims to provide scalable, API-driven storage similar in role to systems used by providers like Amazon Web Services, Google Cloud Platform, and Microsoft Azure.
Overview
Cinder originated to serve persistent storage needs alongside initiatives led by groups including Rackspace, NASA, Red Hat, Canonical (company), and SUSE. The project exposes a RESTful API aligned with the OpenStack API ecosystem and integrates with identity and compute projects such as Keystone (OpenStack) and Nova (OpenStack). Intended for deployment in production clouds operated by organizations like HP, IBM, Intel, and AT&T, Cinder addresses use cases ranging from database storage for MySQL and PostgreSQL to block devices for orchestration systems such as Kubernetes and Apache Mesos.
Architecture
Cinder's architecture separates control plane services from backend drivers and data plane storage. The central control component, the cinder-api service, interfaces with clients and projects like Glance (software) for image management and Swift (OpenStack) for object storage metadata interactions. The cinder-scheduler component assigns volume creation requests to available hosts leveraging telemetry from projects like Ceilometer (now part of Telemetry efforts) and integrations with Ironic for bare-metal scenarios. Volume management, replication, and attachment workflows coordinate with hypervisor and compute drivers used by QEMU, KVM, Xen (virtual machine monitor), and VMware ESXi.
Features and Components
Cinder exposes features including volume creation, snapshotting, cloning, backup, replication, and QoS. Core components include the cinder-api, cinder-scheduler, cinder-volume, and a central database using systems like MySQL or PostgreSQL. Snapshots interoperate with imaging services managed by Glance (software); backups can be persisted to object stores such as Swift (OpenStack) or third-party services similar to Amazon S3. Cinder supports volume types and access control integrated with Keystone (OpenStack) policies, and provides drivers for storage systems from vendors like NetApp, Dell EMC, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, Pure Storage, and Ceph.
Deployment and Configuration
Deployments typically use packaging and orchestration tools maintained by distributors like Red Hat, Canonical (company), and SUSE, or automation tools such as Ansible (software), Salt (software), Puppet (software), and Chef (software). Configuration involves defining backend pools, volume types, scheduler filters, and authentication via Keystone (OpenStack). High-availability architectures coordinate with databases and message queues like RabbitMQ or Apache Kafka and leverage configuration management practices influenced by projects such as OpenStack Ansible and Kolla (OpenStack) for containerized deployments. Monitoring integrations often use telemetry stacks featuring Prometheus, Grafana, and logging systems like ELK Stack.
Storage Backends and Drivers
Cinder provides a pluggable driver model supporting SAN, NAS, and distributed storage systems. Notable back ends include iSCSI, Fibre Channel, NFS, and distributed systems such as Ceph and GlusterFS. Vendor-specific drivers enable integration with arrays from EMC Corporation, NetApp, Hitachi Data Systems, and Huawei Technologies. Cloud-native storage targets and CSI-like integrations allow interoperability with orchestration platforms like Kubernetes. Driver development and testing draw on CI infrastructures similar to those used by Zuul and Jenkins (software).
Use Cases and Integration
Cinder is used for block storage in private clouds operated by enterprises including Bloomberg L.P., Comcast, and research institutions such as CERN. Typical workloads include persistent storage for databases like Oracle Database and MongoDB, file-system backing for CephFS or Lustre (file system), and ephemeral plus persistent volume patterns used by OpenStack Heat templates or Terraform. Integration points include image services (Glance (software)), orchestration (Heat (software)), bare-metal provisioning (Ironic), and container platforms like OpenShift and Rancher.
Development and Community
Development is coordinated through the OpenStack Foundation's governance model with contributions from companies such as Red Hat, Canonical (company), SUSE, and Mirantis. The community follows release cycles tied to the broader OpenStack ecosystem, with code hosted and reviewed via systems inspired by Gerrit and collaborative infrastructure supported by Launchpad-era workflows and modern CI platforms. Documentation, API discussions, and design summits bring together stakeholders at events like the OpenStack Summit and governance gatherings. The project aligns with interoperability efforts and vendor working groups involving standards bodies and major vendors such as SNIA.