Apache CloudStack
Open-source cloud computing software
title: "Apache CloudStack" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["apache-software-foundation-projects", "cloud-platforms", "cloud-infrastructure", "free-software-programmed-in-java", "virtualization-software-for-linux", "free-software-for-cloud-computing", "software-using-the-apache-license"] description: "Open-source cloud computing software" topic_path: "technology/operating-systems" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apache_CloudStack" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0
::summary Open-source cloud computing software ::
::data[format=table title="Infobox software"]
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| name | CloudStack |
| title | CloudStack |
| logo | [[File:Apache_CloudStack_Logo.svg |
| screenshot | |
| author | Cloud.com, Citrix |
| developer | Apache Software Foundation |
| released | |
| latest release version | {{multiple releases |
| branch1 | 4.21.x (LTS) |
| version1 | 4.21.0.0 |
| date1 | {{cite web |
| url | https://github.com/apache/cloudstack/releases |
| title | Releases · apache/cloudstack |
| website | github.com |
| access-date | 2025-09-26 |
| archive-date | 2025-01-15 |
| archive-url | https://web.archive.org/web/20250115012350/https://github.com/apache/cloudstack/releases |
| url-status | live |
| branch2 | 4.17.x (LTS) |
| version2 | 4.17.2.0 |
| date2 | |
| latest preview version | |
| latest preview date | |
| repo | |
| programming language | Java (primarily), Python |
| platform | Java |
| genre | Cloud computing |
| license | Apache License 2.0 |
| website | |
| :: |
| name = CloudStack | title = CloudStack | logo = [[File:Apache_CloudStack_Logo.svg|300px|Apache CloudStack Logo]] | screenshot = | caption = | collapsible = | author = Cloud.com, Citrix | developer = Apache Software Foundation | released = | latest release version = {{multiple releases | branch1 = 4.21.x (LTS) | version1 = 4.21.0.0 | date1 = {{cite web | url = https://github.com/apache/cloudstack/releases | title = Releases · apache/cloudstack | website = github.com | access-date = 2025-09-26 | archive-date = 2025-01-15 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20250115012350/https://github.com/apache/cloudstack/releases | url-status = live
| branch2 = 4.17.x (LTS) | version2 = 4.17.2.0 | date2 = | latest release date = | latest preview version = | latest preview date = | repo = | programming language = Java (primarily), Python | platform = Java | size = | language = | genre = Cloud computing | license = Apache License 2.0 | website = CloudStack is open-source Infrastructure-as-a-Service cloud computing software for creating, managing, and deploying infrastructure cloud services. It uses existing hypervisor platforms for virtualization, such as KVM, VMware vSphere, including ESXi and vCenter, XenServer/XCP and XCP-ng. In addition to its own API, CloudStack also supports the Amazon Web Services (AWS) API and the Open Cloud Computing Interface from the Open Grid Forum.
History
CloudStack was originally developed by Cloud.com, formerly known as VMOps.
VMOps was founded by Sheng Liang, Shannon Williams, Alex Huang, Will Chan, and Chiradeep Vittal in 2008. The company raised a total of $17.6M in venture funding from Redpoint Ventures, Nexus Ventures and Index Ventures (Redpoint and Nexus led the initial Series A funding round). The company changed its name from VMOps to Cloud.com on May 4, 2010, when it emerged from stealth mode by announcing its product. Cloud.com was based in Cupertino, California.
In May 2010, Cloud.com released most of CloudStack as free software under the GNU General Public License, version 3 (GPLv3). They kept about 5% proprietary. Cloud.com and Citrix both supported OpenStack, another Apache-licensed cloud computing program, at its announcement in July 2010.
In October 2010, Cloud.com announced a partnership with Microsoft to develop the code to provide integration and support of Windows Server 2008 R2 Hyper-V to the OpenStack project.
Citrix Systems purchased Cloud.com on July 12, 2011, for approximately $200 million. In August 2011, Citrix released the remaining code under the Apache Software License with further development governed by the Apache Foundation. In February 2012, Citrix released CloudStack 3.0. Among other features, this added support for Swift, OpenStack's S3-like object storage solution.
In April 2012, Citrix donated CloudStack to the Apache Software Foundation (ASF), where it was accepted into the Apache Incubator; Citrix changed the license to the Apache License version 2. As part of this change, Citrix also ceased their involvement in OpenStack. On November 6, 2012, CloudStack 4.0.0-incubating was announced, the first stable release after joining ASF. On March 20, 2013, CloudStack graduated from Apache Incubator and became a Top-Level Project (TLP) of ASF. The first stable (maintenance) release after graduation is CloudStack 4.0.2.
Key features
- Rich user-interface
- noVNC-based VM console
- Built-in high-availability for hosts and VMs
- Hypervisor-agnostic
- Multiple storage options including block and shared storage support
- Snapshot management
- Usage metering
- Network management (VLAN, security groups)
- Virtual routers, firewalls, load balancers
- Multi-role support
- LDAP, SAML, 2FA
- End-to-end encryption including secured console, volume and database encryption
- AWS API compatibility
Supported Hypervisors
::data[format=table]
| Hypervisor | Version | EOL (End Of Life) |
|---|---|---|
| VMware vSphere | 6.5 | title=Product Lifecycle Matrix |
| VMware vSphere | 6.7 | 15/10/2022 |
| VMware vSphere | 7.0 | 02/04/2025 |
| VMware vSphere | 8.0 | 11/10/2029 |
| Citrix Hypervisor | 7.1 | title=Citrix Hypervisor and XenServer Legacy Documentation |
| Citrix Hypervisor | 7.2 | 12/12/2023 |
| Citrix Hypervisor | 7.4 | 12/12/2023 |
| Citrix Hypervisor | 7.5 | 12/12/2023 |
| Citrix Hypervisor | 8.0 | title=Releases XCP-ng documentation |
| XCP-ng | 7.4 | 31/12/2018 |
| XCP-ng | 7.6 | 30/03/2020 |
| XCP-ng | 8.0 | 13/11/2020 |
| XCP-ng | 8.1 | 31/03/2021 |
| XCP-ng | 8.2 | 25/06/2025 |
| Centos / Red Hat KVM | 7 | title=Red Hat Enterprise Linux Life Cycle |
| Centos / Red Hat KVM | 8 | 31/05/2029 |
| Rocky/Alma Linux / Red Hat KVM | 9 | 31 May 2034 |
| Ubuntu / KVM | 18 | title=Ubuntu release cycle |
| Ubuntu / KVM | 20 | 2030 |
| Ubuntu / KVM | 22 | 2027 |
| Opensuse Leap / KVM | 15 | 04/01/2022 |
| Suse Linux Enterprise Server | 15 | 31/07/2028 |
| Rocky Linux | 8 | 2029 |
| Red Hat / LXC | 7 | 30/08/2021 |
| Microsoft Hyper-V | 2012 R2 | 10/10/2023 |
| :: |
BareMetal hosts
- RHEL or CentOS, v7.x
- Ubuntu 16.04
Deployment architecture
The minimum production installation consists of one machine running the CloudStack Management Server and another machine to act as the cloud infrastructure (in this case, a very simple infrastructure consisting of one host running hypervisor software). In its smallest deployment, a single machine can act as both the Management Server and the hypervisor host (using the KVM hypervisor).
Multiple management servers can be configured for redundancy and load balancing, all pointing to a common MySQL database.
Users
In July 2012 it was reported that Datapipe launched the largest international public cloud to be built on CloudStack, which included 6 data centers in the US, Britain, and Asia.
References
References
- "Supported AWS API Calls".
- (5 November 2013). "OCCI Interface to CloudStack".
- Timothy Prickett Morgan. (May 4, 2010). "Cloud.com takes on virty infrastructure". The Channel.
- John Fontana. (January 28, 2009). "Start-up VMOps aims to ease cloud deployments". Network World.
- "Company Overview". VMOps web site.
- (February 18, 2010). "More Cash for Hot New Cloud Startup, VMOps". Gigaom.com.
- (May 4, 2010). "Cloud.com Launches, Extends Leadership Team and Announces New Funding". Cloud.com.
- Dave Rosenberg. (May 4, 2010). "Cloud.com software stack goes open source". CNET News.
- (May 4, 2010). "Cloud.com launches, announces funding, open source".
- (April 17, 2012). "CloudStack Process Changes: Working the Apache Way". CloudStack.
- (July 19, 2010). "NASA and Rackspace open source cloud fluffer". The Register.
- Peder Ulander. (July 22, 2010). "You Are Now Free to Move About in the Cloud". OpenStack blog.
- Clark, Jack. (July 19, 2010). "Nasa, Rackspace launch OpenStack cloud interoperability scheme {{pipe}} Cloud {{pipe}} ZDNet UK". Zdnet.co.uk.
- Harris, Derrick Harris (October 22, 2010). [http://gigaom.com/cloud/microsoft-joins-openstack-to-add-hyper-v-support/ "Microsoft Joins OpenStack to Add Hyper-V Support."] {{Webarchive. link. (2021-08-03 [http://gigaom.com Gigaom.com] {{Webarchive). link. (2011-09-18 . Retrieved November 2011.)
- (July 12, 2011). "Citrix & Cloud.com". Citrix.com.
- (July 14, 2011). "Citrix Makes a Run at the Cloud". BusinessWeek.
- (July 12, 2011). "Citrix Buys Cloud.com for More Than $200 Million; Redpoint Is on a Roll". TechCrunch.
- (February 13, 2012). "Citrix CloudStack 3 Brings the Power of Amazon-Style Clouds to Customers of All Sizes". Citrix.
- (April 4, 2012). "Citrix Splits With OpenStack, Takes Cloud to Apache".
- (November 6, 2012). "Apache CloudStack 4.0.0-incubating Released". Apache Software Foundation.
- (March 20, 2013). "CloudStack Project Incubation Status". Apache Software Foundation.
- (April 24, 2013). "Apache CloudStack 4.0.2 Released". Apache Software Foundation.
- "Features". CloudStack.
- "Compatibility Matrix — Apache CloudStack 4.16.0.0 documentation".
- "Product Lifecycle Matrix".
- "Citrix Hypervisor and XenServer {{!}} Legacy Documentation".
- "Releases {{!}} XCP-ng documentation".
- "Red Hat Enterprise Linux Life Cycle".
- "Ubuntu release cycle".
- "Lifetime - openSUSE Wiki".
- "Product Support Lifecycle {{!}} SUSE".
- (2021-10-12). "What is EOL of RL8".
- GitHub-Name. "Windows Server 2012 R2 - Microsoft Lifecycle".
- "Deployment Architecture Overview". CloudStack.
- (July 17, 2012). "Datapipe launches largest CloudStack deployment". NetworkWorld.
::callout[type=info title="Wikipedia Source"] This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page. ::