Cloud computing is everywhere, powering everything from social media and streaming services to enterprise IT and scientific research. But behind the scenes of every cloud platform is a set of tools that make it all work.

In this blog post series, we’ll dive deep into Apache CloudStack, a leading open-source platform for orchestrating cloud infrastructure. Whether you’re a student, a beginner in IT, or just someone curious about how clouds are built, this is your starting point.

Let’s begin with the basics: what CloudStack is, why it matters, and who uses it.

The Foundation of Cloud Computing

Before we dive into Apache CloudStack, let’s take a moment to understand what cloud computing really means.

What is Cloud Computing?

Cloud computing means accessing computing resources—like storage, servers, and software—over the internet instead of installing them locally on your computer. It’s like renting what you need, when you need it.

Rather than buying physical servers or installing applications on every machine, you can:

• Store files online (e.g. Google Drive, Dropbox)
• Use apps directly in your browser (e.g. Gmail, Canva)
• Build and host applications without managing hardware

These services are usually grouped into three main categories:

Software as a Service (SaaS)

The most common type of cloud service. You use a complete application online without worrying about how it runs behind the scenes.

Examples: Gmail, Netflix, Microsoft 365

You control: Nothing (use the app)

Provider controls: Everything (application, infrastructure, updates)

Platform as a Service (PaaS)

A toolkit for developers. It gives you an environment to build and deploy applications without managing the underlying infrastructure.

Examples: Heroku, Google App Engine

You control: Your app and your data

Provider controls: The platform and infrastructure

Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS)

This is where Apache CloudStack fits in.

IaaS offers virtual machine instances, storage, and networking—just like renting physical hardware, but in the cloud. You build everything on top of it: operating systems, applications, and databases.

Examples: Amazon EC2, Microsoft Azure (VMs), Apache CloudStack

You control: Everything from the operating system up

Provider controls: Only the infrastructure

Apache CloudStack helps you become an IaaS provider—just like AWS or Azure—but using your own data centre and hardware.

What is Apache CloudStack?

Apache CloudStack is an open-source platform designed to help you build and manage Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) cloud. Think of it as the brain behind a cloud—a powerful orchestration layer that automates the setup and management of virtual machine instances, networking, storage, and more.

Instead of building everything from scratch, CloudStack allows organisations to turn their existing virtualised infrastructure into a full-featured, multi-tenant cloud. You can build private, public, or hybrid cloud environments quickly and reliably—all with an intuitive interface and a strong set of features out of the box.

Why Use CloudStack?

Apache CloudStack is built for simplicity, scalability, and flexibility. It’s trusted by organisations around the world to deploy and manage IaaS clouds—whether for internal use, public services, or educational labs.

Here are some of the reasons why CloudStack stands out:

It’s a Complete Turnkey Solution

CloudStack includes everything needed to run a full-featured IaaS cloud right out of the box. No need to stitch together multiple tools or plugins—it all comes built-in:

• Compute orchestration: Create and manage virtual machine instances and Kubernetes clusters.
• Networking: Set up firewalls, load balancers, isolated networks, and VPNs.
• Storage: Manage virtual machine volumes, backups, and object storage.
• Domain and account management: Organise users, accounts, and access controls across projects or teams.
• User Interface: A clean, responsive, and functional web-based dashboard.
• API: A fully documented native API for automation and integration.

Whether you’re setting up a small lab environment or a large-scale production cloud, CloudStack gives you the tools to get started quickly and grow with confidence.

Reduces Costs

Because CloudStack works with existing infrastructure, it helps reduce both setup time and long-term costs. You don’t need to buy expensive licenses or proprietary tools—CloudStack gives you enterprise-grade capabilities without the price tag. This makes it a cost-effective solution for any organisation looking to build and operate cloud infrastructure—regardless of scale.

Easy to Learn and Use

Despite being a powerful platform, CloudStack is surprisingly approachable. Its intuitive web interface and clear workflows make it easy to deploy and manage even complex environments. You don’t need a large team or deep expertise to get started—just a basic understanding of cloud concepts is enough to begin building.

Massive Scalability

CloudStack is designed to grow with you. From small test labs to global infrastructures, it can manage tens of thousands of physical servers spread across multiple, geographically distributed data centres—all from a single control panel. You don’t need a large team or deep expertise to get started—just a basic understanding of cloud concepts is enough to begin building.

Open-Source and Community-Driven

As part of the Apache Software Foundation, CloudStack is a fully open-source project maintained by a global community of users and contributors. There are no hidden costs, licensing tiers, or vendor lock-ins. You remain in full control of your infrastructure, your hardware choices, and your cloud roadmap—with the support of an open, transparent, and collaborative ecosystem.

Who Uses Apache CloudStack?

Apache CloudStack is trusted by a wide range of organisations—from small teams to global enterprises. It’s used wherever there’s a need to deliver reliable, scalable Infrastructure as a Service.

Here are some common use cases:

• Cloud Service Providers (CSPs):  Delivering public and private IaaS clouds to customers.
• Telecom operators: Offering network-based cloud services, edge workloads, and virtualised infrastructure.
• Managed Service Providers (MSPs): Need a turnkey cloud management platform to serve multiple clients.
• Enterprises: Running secure, scalable on-premises or hybrid clouds across business units.
• Universities and Research Centres: Supporting labs, testing environments, and academic infrastructure.
• Edge and Remote Deployments:  Managing distributed environments in factories, branches, or underserved areas.

Whether you’re launching a startup, running a university lab, or maintaining a multinational infrastructure—CloudStack adapts to your needs.

Behind the Curtains: What CloudStack Actually Does

So, what happens when you install Apache CloudStack?

Behind the scenes, CloudStack becomes the control centre for your cloud infrastructure. It takes care of orchestrating everything— virtual machine instances, networks, storage, user access, quota limits, templates, snapshots, firewall rules, load balancers, VPNs, ISO images, project isolation, and more—so you can focus on running services instead of managing low-level details.

Here’s a quick look at what CloudStack can do for you:

• Create and manage virtual machine instances across various hypervisors, including KVM, VMware, XCP-ng, and XenServer.
• Build isolated, VPC, or shared networks using VLANs, VXLANs or SDNs (Software Defined Network) as isolation method with firewalls or security groups (SG), load balancers, and VPNs.
• Manage virtual machine instance volumes and snapshots using storage appliances with standard protocols supported by the underlying hypervisor or SDS (Software Defined Storage).
• Support multi-tenant environments, so different users or teams can use the same infrastructure independently.
• Track resource usage and apply quotas for fair sharing or billing.
• Control everything via the web UI or REST-like API—no need for complex scripts.

In short, CloudStack turns your infrastructure into a cloud—automated, scalable, and easy to manage.

Open, Evolving, and Here to Stay

Apache CloudStack boasts a long and stable development history, characterised by regular updates and a growing contributor base. Every release is shaped by practical experience from real-world deployments, ensuring the platform evolves to meet today’s infrastructure challenges.

Unlike proprietary solutions with closed roadmaps, CloudStack follows an open development process that prioritises transparency and collaboration.

Here’s what that means in practice:

• Consistent release cycles with well-documented features
• Quick adoption of new industry standards and technologies
• Real-world-tested improvements contributed by users and operators

The result is a production-grade platform that continues to grow in capability, reliability, and adoption—trusted by organizations of all sizes around the world.

In Summary

Apache CloudStack is the perfect starting point for anyone looking to understand cloud infrastructure and explore real-world deployments. It’s a mature, feature-rich IaaS orchestration platform that simplifies everything from deployment to daily management, whether you’re building a cloud for learning, experimentation, or full-scale enterprise use.

In the next post, we’ll explore the architecture of CloudStack and the key terminology you’ll need to understand how everything fits together—from availability zones to storage layers.

Ready to dive deeper? Check out:

• Apache CloudStack website