This content originally appeared on DEV Community and was authored by Abdul-Rahman Ahmad (Alpha)
🎯 Target Audience: DevOps/DevSecOps beginners curious about cloud internals
🧠 Key Concepts: OpenStack, MicroStack, VMs, networking, private cloud basics
⏱ Estimated Read Time: ~12 minutes
🌍 Real-World Focus: Learn how to run your own mini-cloud on your laptop for labs, testing, and skill-building
🌍 Why OpenStack?
Everyone knows AWS, Azure, and GCP. But what if you wanted to run your own cloud platform?
That’s what OpenStack is:
An open-source cloud operating system that lets you control compute, storage, and networking resources in your own data center.
It’s the backbone for:
- Telecoms (e.g., 5G infrastructure).
- Research labs (high-performance computing).
- Enterprises building private clouds.
👉 Think of OpenStack as “AWS, but open-source and customizable.”
⚡ The Challenge: Too Heavy
Here’s the problem: OpenStack has many components (Nova, Neutron, Swift, etc.). Installing and running a full OpenStack cluster requires multiple servers and lots of resources.
When I first looked at it, my reaction was:
“Cool, but… this is way too heavy for my laptop.”
🛠 The Solution: MicroStack
Enter MicroStack: a lightweight, single-node OpenStack distribution that you can install on Ubuntu.
Why MicroStack?
✅ Works on low-spec hardware.
✅ Easy installation (snap package).
✅ Perfect for labs, testing, and learning.
In other words, you get the OpenStack experience without needing a data center.
🚀 Getting Started with MicroStack
Here’s a step-by-step guide to set up MicroStack on Ubuntu.
1️⃣ Install MicroStack
# Install the snap
sudo snap install microstack --classic
# Initialize MicroStack
sudo microstack init --auto
💡 --auto accepts all defaults (good for labs). You’ll have a working OpenStack in minutes.
2️⃣ Verify Installation
Check MicroStack status:
microstack status
You should see services like Nova (compute), Neutron (networking), and Keystone (identity) running.
3️⃣ Access the Horizon Dashboard
OpenStack ships with a web UI called Horizon.
Find the dashboard URL:
echo "Dashboard: http://$(hostname -I | awk '{print $1}')/horizon"
Log in with:
-
Username:
admin -
Password: (auto-generated, find in
/var/snap/microstack/common/etc/keystone/admin-password)
4️⃣ Launch Your First VM
Let’s spin up an Ubuntu VM:
# Download an Ubuntu cloud image
wget https://cloud-images.ubuntu.com/focal/current/focal-server-cloudimg-amd64.img
# Upload it to OpenStack
microstack.openstack image create "Ubuntu-20.04" \
--file focal-server-cloudimg-amd64.img \
--disk-format qcow2 --container-format bare --public
# Create a flavor (VM size)
microstack.openstack flavor create --ram 1024 --disk 10 --vcpus 1 small
# Create a keypair
microstack.openstack keypair create mykey > mykey.pem
chmod 600 mykey.pem
# Launch instance
microstack.openstack server create --flavor small --image "Ubuntu-20.04" \
--key-name mykey myfirstvm
Now you have a VM running inside OpenStack.
5️⃣ Networking Basics
MicroStack sets up basic networking automatically, but here’s the flow:
- Neutron manages networks and subnets.
- You can create custom networks for apps, DBs, and external connectivity.
Example:
microstack.openstack network list
microstack.openstack subnet list
💡 In real-world clouds, you’d design multi-tier networks (web, app, DB), just like VPCs in AWS.
6️⃣ Managing Storage
OpenStack provides Cinder (block storage) and Swift (object storage).
Attach a volume to your VM:
# Create a volume
microstack.openstack volume create --size 5 myvolume
# Attach it to a VM
microstack.openstack server add volume myfirstvm myvolume
💡 Tips & Lessons Learned
- Start small → Don’t try to deploy 10 services at once. Begin with 1 VM.
- Draw your networks → OpenStack networking can be confusing; diagrams help.
- Embrace errors → Debugging teaches you more than perfect runs.
- Automate with CLI → Don’t just click in Horizon; learn the CLI.
🔒 DevOps & DevSecOps Angle
Why does OpenStack matter for DevOps?
- You learn how cloud internals really work (VMs, networks, storage).
- It’s like building your own AWS → great for understanding public cloud concepts deeply.
- DevSecOps engineers can practice policies, RBAC, and security isolation.
👉 It’s a safe playground before you touch enterprise-scale OpenStack or even AWS.
⚡ Common Mistakes to Avoid
⚠️ Expecting MicroStack to replace AWS → It’s for learning, not production.
⚠️ Skipping networking basics → It’s where most errors happen.
⚠️ Ignoring logs → Check /var/snap/microstack/common/log/ for debugging.
📚 Recap
✅ OpenStack = open-source cloud platform (AWS-like).
✅ MicroStack = lightweight version for laptops/labs.
✅ You can: launch VMs, configure networks, and manage storage.
✅ Great for DevOps/DevSecOps learning & labs.
Curious about cloud internals?
Don’t just read; try OpenStack with MicroStack today. You’ll learn more in one weekend of hands-on practice than in a month of theory.
👉 Have you tried MicroStack or OpenStack before? Share your experience in the comments!
👨💻 Written by: Abdulrahman A. Muhamad
🌐 LinkedIn | GitHub | Portfolio
This content originally appeared on DEV Community and was authored by Abdul-Rahman Ahmad (Alpha)
Abdul-Rahman Ahmad (Alpha) | Sciencx (2025-10-03T08:14:54+00:00) OpenStack for DevOps Beginners: Hands-On with MicroStack. Retrieved from https://www.scien.cx/2025/10/03/openstack-for-devops-beginners-hands-on-with-microstack/
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