Mirantis Launches Data Center-as-a-Service Software

Mirantis Launches Flow for Cloud-Native Data Center Management

Mirantis, initially recognized as an OpenStack startup, has evolved to embrace modern cloud-native technologies. These include containers, microservices, and Kubernetes. The company recently unveiled Mirantis Flow, a fully managed, open-source service suite.

Addressing Cloud-Native Complexity

Mirantis Flow is designed to simplify the management of cloud-native data center environments. It supports deployments both on-premises and within public cloud infrastructures.

According to Adrian Ionel, CEO and co-founder of Mirantis, the company’s focus is on delivering an open-source-based, cloud-to-cloud experience. This extends to the data center, the edge, and interoperability with public clouds.

Bridging the Gap Between Enterprises and Hyperscalers

Ionel highlights that major hyperscalers, such as Facebook, Netflix, and Apple, have successfully navigated the complexities of hybrid cloud-native environments.

However, most organizations lack the substantial resources available to these large companies. Mirantis Flow aims to provide similar capabilities to a broader range of businesses.

Open Source vs. Proprietary Solutions

While major cloud infrastructure providers like Amazon, Microsoft, and Google offer solutions for this challenge, Ionel argues they often lean towards proprietary systems.

This can result in vendor lock-in, a situation that many large organizations are actively trying to avoid.

“These large vendors will tie you to their specific technologies and APIs,” Ionel explained. “They aren’t built on open-source standards, creating a dependency on a single source. Many enterprises are now adopting a multi-cloud strategy, prioritizing infrastructure flexibility.”

He further stated, “Our goal is to offer a completely open, flexible, and lock-in-free alternative. This provides the same cloud experience and innovation pace as the major providers.”

A Unified Stack of Open Source Technologies

Mirantis Flow achieves this by integrating a collection of open-source solutions into a single, cohesive service.

The platform includes virtualization, software-defined networking, software-defined storage, and CI/CD technology. It also offers DevOps as a service, enabling companies to automate their entire software development pipeline.

Workload Migration and Compatibility

As detailed in a recent blog post, the service encompasses Mirantis Container Cloud, Mirantis OpenStack, and Mirantis Kubernetes Engine. All workloads are eligible for migration to cloud-native infrastructure, whether they are traditional virtual machines or containerized applications.

Regarding concerns about migrating VMware virtual machines, Ionel assures that early customers have successfully completed this process.

“The conversion from a VMware standard virtual machine to an open standard is straightforward,” he said. “There’s no reason any application or workload shouldn’t function on this infrastructure, and we’ve consistently observed this across numerous customers. We foresee no obstacles to immediate migration.”

Deployment and Pricing

It’s important to note that Mirantis Flow is a software-only solution. Customers provide their own hardware infrastructure, either directly or through a partner like Equinix.

The service is currently available for $15,000 per month or $180,000 annually. This includes 1,000 core/vCPU licenses for access to the entire Mirantis software suite, support for 20 VM migrations or application onboarding processes, and unlimited 24/7 support.

The company confirms that there are no additional charges for control plane and management software licenses.