OpenStack vs SmartOS: What are the differences?

1. Architecture: OpenStack is a cloud computing platform that utilizes a decentralized model, consisting of various services running in separate processes, allowing high flexibility and scalability. In contrast, SmartOS follows a monolithic design, with all services tightly integrated within a single kernel instance, providing better performance and resource sharing.

2. Virtualization: OpenStack supports various hypervisors like KVM, VMware, and Xen, offering flexibility in virtualization choices. On the other hand, SmartOS utilizes its own lightweight hypervisor called LX branded zones, which is optimized for efficiency and resource utilization, providing a more streamlined virtualization experience.

3. Resource Management: OpenStack employs Nova for managing compute resources, Cinder for block storage, and Neutron for networking, allowing for a modular and segregated approach to resource management. In contrast, SmartOS leverages the ZFS file system for storage management and DTrace for resource monitoring, providing a comprehensive and integrated solution for resource allocation and monitoring.

4. Containers: OpenStack supports containerization through projects like Magnum and Zun, enabling users to deploy and manage containers within the cloud infrastructure. SmartOS, on the other hand, integrates native support for OS-level virtualization through its Zones feature, providing a lightweight and efficient containerization solution within the platform.

5. Community Support: OpenStack boasts a large and diverse community of contributors and users, providing extensive documentation, support, and resources for users to leverage. SmartOS, while also having an active community, is more niche and tailored towards developers and organizations seeking a specialized, high-performance cloud platform.

6. Operating System Compatibility: OpenStack is compatible with a wide range of operating systems and distributions, allowing for interoperability and flexibility in deployment environments. In contrast, SmartOS is based on the illumos kernel, providing a unique operating system platform tailored specifically for cloud computing and virtualization needs.

In Summary, OpenStack and SmartOS differ in architecture, virtualization options, resource management approach, containerization support, community backing, and operating system compatibility.