OnApp has announced the General Availability of OnApp Cloud v3.0, the latest version of its cloud platform for service providers. OnApp Cloud v3.0 sets a new standard for cloud platform technology by moving far beyond simple cloud orchestration. With an integrated SAN, global CDN and new support for VMware clouds, it reduces the capital expenditure needed to build cloud services, and offers new ways for cloud providers to generate revenue by selling a wider range of services through their core cloud platform.
OnApp Cloud v3.0 includes OnApp Storage, an enterprise-class Storage Area Network (SAN) designed for cloud environments; OnApp CDN, an integrated global CDN with new support for video on demand and live streaming; and new support for VMware clouds. Combined with highly automated VM management, DNS, load balancing, autoscaling, failover, firewalls, billing, user management and other core cloud management functions, OnApp Cloud v3.0 makes it easier than ever before for service providers to build a successful global cloud business.
“OnApp Cloud v3.0 gives you much more than just a cloud – it gives you the tools you need to build a global cloud business,” said OnApp CEO, Ditlev Bredahl. “With VMware support in v3.0, you can take your cloud brand into the huge VMware market. You can create new services like CDN, and use our network of 140-plus locations to accelerate apps, video and other content for your customers. You can offer utility cloud, packaged cloud, private and public cloud, load balancing, autoscaling, firewalls, DNS and more, all managed through a single control panel.”
“With OnApp Storage included as well, we’ve removed the last real entry barrier to the cloud – which has been finding a storage system that matches the performance and cost profile cloud providers need, ” he added. “OnApp Storage is designed for cloud providers. You can build a SAN in your cloud by adding disks to your existing servers. You can use your current 1Gbit network environment, which is unique for a distributed SAN, and we’ve built some very smart technology that optimizes throughput, so you’re getting close to raw disk performance. It’s fully integrated with our billing, VM provisioning and other cloud management functions, and it scales naturally as your cloud service grows – if you need more space, just add more disks.”
Ubiquity Servers, who recently collaborated with Arbor Networks, is one of the first cloud providers to adopt OnApp Cloud v3.0. Ubiquity was a key participant in the OnApp Storage beta test, which began in early 2012, and the company will soon launch new cloud services built around OnApp’s integrated SAN.
“OnApp Cloud v3.0 is the platform we’ve been waiting for since we launched our first cloud service back in 2007,” said Clint Chapman, Ubiquity’s CTO. “Traditional SANs are really not suited to the cloud. They’re very expensive, difficult to maintain and not very efficient for typical cloud workloads. Using OnApp Cloud v3.0, we’re building a new global cloud service that aims to give customers twice the performance of the Amazon cloud, at half the cost. The cost and performance benefits of OnApp Storage are an essential part of that mission.”
Highlighted features of OnApp Cloud v3.0 include:
A built-in, high-performance SAN: OnApp Storage is bundled with the full version of OnApp Cloud. It enables cloud providers to pool the capacity of SATA and SSD disks in their hypervisor servers to create fast, reliable and cost-effective storage for cloud services. OnApp Storage provides intuitive control of striping and redundancy, supports multiple tiers of storage, over-commit and other key functionality for service providers. Crucially, it includes OnApp’s VM-aware technology, which removes performance bottlenecks by ensuring that data resides on the same server as the application that needs it.
VMware support: OnApp Cloud v3.0 enables cloud providers to manage clouds running on VMware vSphere 5, as well as those built on the leading open source virtualization platforms, Xen and KVM. Using OnApp to manage VMware clouds gives cloud providers more control over billing and user management, a much more intuitive control panel, and reduces licensing costs compared with using VMware’s vCloud Director, vChargeback and other tools.
Integrated CDN with video support: OnApp Cloud v3.0 includes OnApp CDN, which enables cloud providers to accelerate web apps and content for their clients by hosting them at more than 140 locations in 39 countries worldwide. In version 3.0, OnApp CDN integrates media streaming software from the industry leader, Wowza, to enable video-on-demand and live streaming for all popular video formats.
Other new features in OnApp Cloud v3.0 include a redesigned control panel with new wizards for VM provisioning; Cloud Boot, a new way for cloud providers to automate the set-up and discovery of hypervisor servers, saving up to an hour per hypervisor; and more than 100 other enhancements and improvements.
To read our interview with Mr. Clint Chapman, CEO, Ubiquity servers, please click here.
Availability and Pricing
OnApp Cloud v3.0 is a free upgrade for customers with previous versions of OnApp Cloud. New customers can deploy OnApp Cloud v3.0 under OnApp’s standard monthly license.
About OnApp
OnApp software powers cloud, CDN and storage services for companies all over the world. OnApp products include OnApp Cloud, the leading cloud platform for hosts and service providers; OnApp CDN, a unique federated CDN platform for service providers; and OnApp Storage, a low-cost, high performance distributed SAN for cloud environments. OnApp launched in July 2010, has more than 110 staff across the EU, U.S. and Asia-Pacific, and can be found online at www.onapp.com.
