CLI
Command Line Interface - A text-based interface for interacting with
software and operating systems through commands.
Ceph
A unified, distributed storage system providing object, block, and file
storage in a single platform with no single point of failure.
Cinder
OpenStack's block storage service providing persistent block storage
volumes for virtual machines.
Clone
An exact copy of a virtual machine, which can be either linked (shares
storage with original) or full (independent copy).
Cloud Computing
The delivery of computing services including servers, storage,
databases, networking, and software over the internet on-demand.
Cluster
A group of interconnected servers working together to provide increased
availability, scalability, and performance.
Container
A lightweight, standalone executable package that includes application
code, runtime, libraries, and dependencies, sharing the host OS kernel.
Corosync
A cluster engine providing group communication and membership services
for high availability clusters.
DHCP
Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol - A network protocol that
automatically assigns IP addresses and network configuration to devices.
DNS
Domain Name System - A hierarchical naming system that translates
human-readable domain names to IP addresses.
Docker
A platform for developing, shipping, and running applications in
containers, providing tools for container lifecycle management.
Docker Image
A read-only template containing application code and dependencies used
to create Docker containers.
Dockerfile
A text file containing instructions for building a Docker image,
defining the base image, dependencies, and configuration.
High Availability (HA)
A system design approach ensuring a service remains operational and
accessible with minimal downtime, typically targeting 99.9% or higher uptime.
Horizon
OpenStack's web-based dashboard providing a graphical interface for
managing cloud resources.
Host OS
The primary operating system running on physical hardware that hosts
virtual machines (in Type 2 hypervisors).
Hypervisor
Software that creates and manages virtual machines by abstracting
physical hardware resources. Also known as Virtual Machine Monitor (VMM).
NAT
Network Address Translation - A method of mapping private IP addresses
to public IP addresses, commonly used to allow VMs to access external networks.
NFS
Network File System - A distributed file system protocol allowing
remote file access over a network as if locally attached.
Neutron
OpenStack's networking service providing network connectivity as a
service, including virtual networks, routers, and firewalls.
Nova
OpenStack's compute service responsible for provisioning and managing
virtual machine instances.
PaaS
Platform as a Service - Cloud service model providing a platform for
developing, testing, and deploying applications without managing underlying infrastructure.
Pod
The smallest deployable unit in Kubernetes, consisting of one or more
containers that share storage and network resources.
Proxmox VE
Proxmox Virtual Environment - An open-source virtualization platform
combining KVM hypervisor and LXC containers with an integrated web-based management interface.
SaaS
Software as a Service - Cloud service model delivering software
applications over the internet on a subscription basis.
Snapshot
A point-in-time copy of a virtual machine's state, including disk,
memory, and configuration, allowing rollback to previous states.
Software-Defined Networking (SDN)
An approach to networking that uses software-based controllers to
manage network traffic and behavior, separating the control plane from the data plane.
Storage Pool
A collection of storage resources aggregated together to be allocated
to virtual machines as needed.
Template
A pre-configured virtual machine image used as a baseline for creating
new VMs quickly and consistently.
Tenant
In OpenStack, a grouping of users and resources with isolated access.
Also called a Project.
Type 1 Hypervisor
A bare-metal hypervisor that runs directly on physical hardware without
a host operating system. Examples include VMware ESXi, KVM, and Proxmox VE.
Type 2 Hypervisor
A hosted hypervisor that runs on top of a host operating system.
Examples include VMware Workstation, VirtualBox, and QEMU.
VLAN
Virtual Local Area Network - A logical network segment that groups
devices regardless of physical location, improving security and reducing broadcast domains.
Virtual Disk
A file or volume that appears as a physical disk drive to a virtual
machine, storing the VM's operating system and data.
Virtual Machine (VM)
A software-based emulation of a physical computer that runs an
operating system and applications, isolated from the host system.
Virtual Network
A software-defined network that enables communication between virtual
machines and external networks.
Virtualization
The creation of virtual versions of physical computing resources,
including servers, storage devices, and networks.