Manila - File share

Apart from the block and object we discussed in the previous section, since the Juno release, OpenStack has also had a file-share-based storage service called Manila. It provides storage as a remote file system. In operation, it resembles the Network File System (NFS) or SAMBA storage service that we are used on Linux while, in contrast to Cinder, it resembles the Storage Area Network (SAN) service. In fact, NFS and SAMBA or the Common Internet File System (CIFS) are supported as backend drivers to the Manila service. The Manila service provides the orchestration of shares on the share servers.

More details on storage services will be covered in Chapter 5, OpenStack Storage - Block, Object, and File Share.

Each storage solution in OpenStack has been designed for a specific set of purposes and implemented for different targets. Before taking any architectural design decisions, it is crucial to understand the difference between existing storage options in OpenStack today, as outlined in the following table: