OpenStack

General Information

Technologies must be operated and maintained in accordance with Federal and Department security and privacy policies and guidelines. More information on the proper use of the TRM can be found on the TRM Proper Use Tab/Section.

Website:	Go to site
Description:	OpenStack is a free and open-source cloud operating system, mostly deployed as an infrastructure-as-a-service (IaaS). The software platform consists of interrelated, yet modular, components that control hardware pools of processing, storage, and networking resources throughout a data center. Users can either manage it through a web-based dashboard, through command-line portals, or through an application programming interface (API). This entry only covers the OpenStack open source technology. It does not cover the distribution platforms. The TRM decisions in this entry only apply to technologies and versions owned, operated, managed, patched, and version-controlled by VA. This includes technologies deployed as software installations on VMs within VA-controlled cloud environments (e.g. VA Enterprise Cloud (VAEC)). Cloud services provided by the VAEC, which are listed in the VAEC Service Catalog, and those controlled and managed by an external Cloud Service Provider (i.e. SaaS) are not in the purview of the TRM. For more information on the use of cloud services and cloud-based products within VA, including VA private clouds, please see the Enterprise Cloud Solutions Office (ECSO) Portal at: https://dvagov.sharepoint.com/sites/OITECSO Openstack is only approved for external cloud interface use and before this can be fully approved for other uses such as VA private cloud use, a VA baseline will be required.
Technology/Standard Usage Requirements:	Users must ensure their use of this technology/standard is consistent with VA policies and standards, including, but not limited to, VA Handbooks 6102 and 6500; VA Directives 6004, 6513, and 6517; and National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) standards, including Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS). Users must ensure sensitive data is properly protected in compliance with all VA regulations. Prior to use of this technology, users should check with their supervisor, Information Security Officer (ISO), Facility Chief Information Officer (CIO), or local Office of Information and Technology (OI&T) representative to ensure that all actions are consistent with current VA policies and procedures prior to implementation.
Section 508 Information:	This technology has not been assessed by the Section 508 Office. The Implementer of this technology has the responsibility to ensure the version deployed is 508-compliant. Section 508 compliance may be reviewed by the Section 508 Office and appropriate remedial action required if necessary. For additional information or assistance regarding Section 508, please contact the Section 508 Office at Section508@va.gov.
Decision:	View Decisions

Decision Source:	TRM Mgmt Group
Decision Process:	One-VA TRM v21.1
Decision Date:	01/14/2021 at 11:58:59 UTC
Introduced By:	TRM Request
Vendor Name:	OpenStack

Vendor Release Information

The Vendor Release table provides the known releases for the TRM Technology, obtained from the vendor (or from the release source).

Version	Release Date	Vendor End of Life Date	Vendor Desupport Date
Essex	04/05/2012
Folsom	09/27/2012
Grizzly	04/04/2013
Havana	10/17/2013
Icehouse	04/17/2014
Juno	10/16/2014
Kilo	04/30/2015
Liberty	10/16/2015
Mitaka	04/07/2016
Newton	10/06/2016
Pike	08/30/2017
Queens	02/28/2018
Rocky	08/30/2018
Train	04/15/2019
Ussuri	05/13/2020
Victoria	10/14/2020

Current Decision Matrix (01/13/2021)

Users must ensure their use of this technology/standard is consistent with VA policies and standards, including, but not limited to, VA Handbooks 6102 and 6500; VA Directives 6004, 6513, and 6517; and National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) standards, including Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS). Users must ensure sensitive data is properly protected in compliance with all VA regulations. Prior to use of this technology, users should check with their supervisor, Information Security Officer (ISO), Facility Chief Information Officer (CIO), or local Office of Information and Technology (OI&T) representative to ensure that all actions are consistent with current VA policies and procedures prior to implementation.

The VA Decision Matrix displays the current and future VA IT position regarding different releases of a TRM entry. These decisions are based upon the best information available as of the most current date. The consumer of this information has the responsibility to consult the organizations responsible for the desktop, testing, and/or production environments to ensure that the target version of the technology will be supported. Any major.minor version that is not listed in the VA Decision Matrix is considered unapproved for use.

Legend:

White	Approved: The technology/standard has been approved for use.
Yellow	Approved w/Constraints: The technology/standard can be used within the specified constraints located below the decision matrix in the footnote[1] and on the General tab.
Gray	Unapproved: This technology or standard can be used only if a POA&M review is conducted and signed by the Authorizing Official Designated Representative (AODR) as designated by the Authorizing Official (AO) or designee and based upon a recommendation from the POA&M Compliance Enforcement, has been granted to the project team or organization that wishes to use the technology.
Orange	Divest: VA has decided to divest itself on the use of the technology/standard. As a result, all projects currently utilizing the technology/standard must plan to eliminate their use of the technology/standard. Additional information on when the entry is projected to become unapproved may be found on the Decision tab for the specific entry.
Black	Prohibited: The technology/standard is not (currently) permitted to be used under any circumstances.
Blue	Planning/Evaluation Constraint:The period of time this technology is currently being evaluated, reviewed, and tested in controlled environments. Use of this technology is strictly controlled and not available for use within the general population. If a customer would like to use this technology, please work with your local or Regional OI&T office and contact the appropriate evaluation office displayed in the notes below the decision matrix. The Local or Regional OI&T office should submit an inquiry to the TRM if they require further assistance or if the evaluating office is not listed in the notes below.

Release/Version Information:

VA decisions for specific versions may include a ‘.x’ wildcard, which denotes a decision that pertains to a range of multiple versions.

For example, a technology approved with a decision for 7.x would cover any version of 7.(Anything) - 7.(Anything). However, a 7.4.x decision would cover any version of 7.4.(Anything), but would not cover any version of 7.5.x or 7.6.x on the TRM.

VA decisions for specific versions may include ‘+’ symbols; which denotes that the decision for the version specified also includes versions greater than what is specified but is not to exceed or affect previous decimal places.

For example, a technology approved with a decision for 12.6.4+ would cover any version that is greater than 12.6.4, but would not exceed the .6 decimal ie: 12.6.401 is ok, 12.6.5 is ok, 12.6.9 is ok, however 12.7.0 or 13.0 is not.

<Past

CY2018

CY2019

CY2020

Future>

Release

Q1

Q2

Q3

Q4

Q1

Q2

Q3

Q4

Q1

Q2

Q3

Q4

Liberty

Divest
[2, 4, 8, 9, 10]

Unapproved

Mitaka

Divest
[2, 4, 8, 9, 10]

Unapproved

Newton

Approved w/Constraints
[2, 4, 8, 9, 10]

Divest
[2, 4, 8, 9, 10]

Divest
[2, 4, 8, 10, 11, 12]

Unapproved

Pike

Approved w/Constraints
[2, 4, 8, 9, 10]

Divest
[2, 4, 8, 10, 11, 12]

Unapproved

Queens

Unapproved

Divest
[2, 4, 8, 10, 11, 12]

Divest
[2, 4, 8, 11, 12, 13]

Unapproved

Rocky

Unapproved

Divest
[2, 4, 8, 10, 11, 12]

Divest
[2, 4, 8, 11, 12, 13]

Unapproved

Train

Unapproved

Divest
[2, 4, 8, 10, 11, 12]

Divest
[2, 4, 8, 11, 12, 13]

Unapproved

Ussuri

Unapproved

Victoria

Unapproved

Decision Constraints


[1]	Per the May 5th, 2015 memorandum from the VA Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) FIPS 140-2 Validate Full Disk Encryption (FOE) for Data at Rest in Database Management Systems (DBMS) and in accordance with Federal requirements and VA policy, database management must use Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS) 140-2 compliant encryption to protect the confidentiality and integrity of VA information at rest at the application level. If FIPS 140-2 encryption at the application level is not technically possible, FIPS 140-2 compliant full disk encryption (FOE) must be implemented on the hard drive where the DBMS resides. Appropriate access enforcement and physical security control must also be implemented. All instances of deployment using this technology should be reviewed to ensure compliance with VA Handbook 6500 and National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) standards. It is the responsibility of the system owner to work with the local CIO (or designee) and Information Security Officer (ISO) to ensure that a compliant DBMS technology is selected and that if needed, mitigating controls are in place and documented in a System Security Plan (SSP).

[2]	Due to National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) identified security vulnerabilities, extra vigilance should be applied to ensure the versions remain properly patched to mitigate known and future vulnerabilities. The local ISO can provide assistance in reviewing the NIST vulnerabilities.

[3]	Due to potential information security risks, cloud based versions of this product are not permitted without a waiver signed by the Deputy CIO of ASD based upon a recommendation from the Architecture and Engineering Review Board (AERB). In addition, cloud based features of this software may not be used without an Enterprise Security Change Control Board (ESCCB) approval to ensure that confidential organization and/or PII/PHI data are not compromised (ref: VA Directive 6004, VA Directive 6517 and VA Directive 6513). Use of public cloud storage requires documented Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program (FedRAMP) compliance and a Memorandum of Understanding / Interconnection Security Agreement (MOU/ISA) between the vendor and VA prior to ESCCB review.

[4]	Users should check with their supervisor, Information Security Office (ISO) or local OIT representative for permission to download and use this software. Downloaded software must always be scanned for viruses prior to installation to prevent adware or malware. Freeware may only be downloaded directly from the primary site that the creator of the software has advertised for public download and user or development community engagement. Users should note, any attempt by the installation process to install any additional, unrelated software is not approved and the user should take the proper steps to decline those installations.

[5]	Veterans Affairs (VA) users must ensure VA sensitive data is properly protected in compliance with all VA regulations. All instances of deployment using this technology should be reviewed by the local ISO (Information Security Officer) to ensure compliance with VA Handbook 6500.

[6]	Due to potential information security risks, cloud based technologies may not be used without an Enterprise Security Change Control Board (ESCCB) approval. This body is in part responsible for ensuring organizational information, Personally Identifiable Information (PII), Protected Health Information (PHI), and VA sensitive data are not compromised. (Ref: VA Directive 6004, VA Directive 6517, VA Directive 6513 and VA Directive 6102).

[7]	Due to potential information security risks, cloud based technologies may not be used without the approval of the VA Enterprise Cloud Services (ECS) Group. This body is in part responsible for ensuring organizational information, Personally Identifiable Information (PII), Protected Health Information (PHI), and VA sensitive data are not compromised. (Ref: VA Directive 6004, VA Directive 6517, VA Directive 6513 and VA Directive 6102).

[8]	Veterans Affairs (VA) users must ensure VA sensitive data is properly protected in compliance with all VA regulations. All instances of deployment using this technology should be reviewed by the local ISO (Information Security Officer) to ensure compliance with VA Handbook 6500.

[9]	This entry only covers the OpenStack open source technology. It does not cover the distribution platforms. This entry only applies to the interface software installed on the VA network needed for remote operation and/or interface of this technology for an externally hosted cloud. This technology has not been evaluated for and is not approved at this time for use when it is entirely installed on the VA network in a private cloud configuration. Users needing to use this technology in a private cloud configuration should submit a TRM request to evaluate this technology for that purpose. OpenStack must be deployed with FIPS 140-2 compliant HSMs and hypervisors. Both HSMs and Hypervisors must have FIPS 140-2 configured and enabled. Implementing OpenStack in VA will require additional consideration beyond Openstack`s default security framework based on OpenStack`s four security domains. As each of the 46 services are planned to be deployed they will have to be evaluated and a VA enterprise baseline developed prior to deployment.

[10]	Due to potential information security risks, cloud based technologies may not be used without the approval of the Enterprise Cloud Solution Office (ECSO). This body is in part responsible for ensuring organizational information, Personally Identifiable Information (PII), Protected Health Information (PHI), and VA sensitive data are not compromised. (Ref: VA Directive 6004, VA Directive 6517, VA Directive 6513 and VA Directive 6102).

[11]	This entry only covers the OpenStack open source technology. It does not cover the distribution platforms. This entry only applies to the interface software installed on the VA network needed for remote operation and/or interface of this technology for an externally hosted cloud. This technology has not been evaluated for and is not approved at this time for use when it is entirely installed on the VA network in a private cloud configuration. Users needing to use this technology in a private cloud configuration should submit a TRM request to evaluate this technology for that purpose. OpenStack must be deployed with FIPS 140-2 compliant HSMs and hypervisors. Both HSMs and Hypervisors must have FIPS 140-2 configured and enabled. Implementing OpenStack in VA will require additional consideration beyond Openstack`s default security framework based on OpenStack`s four security domains. As each of the 46 services are planned to be deployed they will have to be evaluated and a VA enterprise baseline developed prior to deployment.

[12]	In cases where the technology is used for external connections, a full Enterprise Security Change Control Board (ESCCB) review is required in accordance VA Directive 6004 , VA Directive 6517, and VA Directive 6513. The local ISO can advise on the ESCCB review process.

[13]	Due to potential information security risks for cloud-based technologies, users should coordinate closely with their facility ISSO for guidance and assistance on cloud products. If further guidance is needed contact the Enterprise Cloud Solution Office (ECSO), which is the body responsible for new software development in and migration of existing systems to the VA Enterprise Cloud (VAEC) and ensuring organizational information, Personally Identifiable Information (PII), Protected Health Information (PHI), and VA sensitive data are not compromised within the VAEC. For information about Software as a Service (SaaS) products or to submit a SaaS product request with the Project Special Forces (SPF) team, please use their online form. (Ref: VA Directive 6004, VA Directive 6517, VA Directive 6513 and VA Directive 6102).

Note:

At the time of writing this, version Victoria is the latest.

References

The following reference(s) are associated with this entry:
Type	Name	Source	Description

Technology Components

Note: This list may not be complete. No component, listed or unlisted, may be used outside of the technology in which it is released. The usage decision for a component is found in the Decision and Decision Constraints.
Name	Description
Cinder: Block Storage (Core)	This module provides persistent block storage to running instances. Its pluggable driver architecture facilitates the creation and management of block storage devices.
Glance: Image Service (Core)	This module stores and retrieves virtual machine disk images. OpenStack Compute makes use of this during instance provisioning.
Keystone: Identity Service (Core)	This module provides an authentication and authorization service for other OpenStack services. It provides a catalog of endpoints for all OpenStack services.
Neutron: Networking (Core)	This component enables Network-Connectivity-as-a-Service for other OpenStack services, such as OpenStack Compute. It provides an application programming interface (API) for users to define networks and the attachments into them. It has a pluggable architecture that supports many popular networking vendors and technologies.
Nova: Compute (Core)	Nova manages the lifecycle of compute instances in an OpenStack environment. Responsibilities include spawning, scheduling and decommissioning of machines on demand.
Optional Components	At the time of writing, there are 13 optional components that provide dashboard, telemetry, orchestration, database, elastic map reduce, bare-metal provisioning, messaging, shared filesystems, domain name system, key management, containers, application catalog, and governance services.
Swift: Object Storage (Core)	Swift stores and retrieves arbitrary unstructured data objects via a RESTful, hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP)-based application programming interface (API). It is highly fault tolerant with its data replication and scale-out architecture. Its implementation is not like a file server with mountable directories. In this case, it writes objects and files to multiple drives, ensuring the data is replicated across a server cluster. RESTful: A kind of web service API that uses REST, or Representational State Transfer. REST is the style of architecture for hypermedia systems that is used for the World Wide Web.

VA Categories View the VA Categorization Framework

Domain Area	Category	Customer Guidance	Category Locked By ELT Date
Platforms and Storage Cloud Services/Server Virtualization	Cloud Technologies

Open Source

This entry is available as an open source technology.

Operating Systems Supported by the Technology

Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) - Approved w/Constraints

Technologies/Standards Relationships

Runtime Dependencies:

No runtime dependencies have been identified.

Comparable Technologies:

Companion Technologies/Supported Standards:

General Analysis

Adoption Benefits

This is a mature and stable technology.
There is no licensing fee associated with this technology.
This technology controls large pools of compute, storage, and networking resources throughout a datacenter, all managed through a dashboard that can give administrators control while empowering their users to provision resources through a web interface.

Adoption Risks

There are known National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) vulnerabilities or VA Network Security Operations Center (NSOC) bulletins listed for this product at this time.
Potential exists for this software to transmit, store or share Personally Identifiable Information (PII), Protected Health Information (PHI) and/or VA Sensitive data. Proper security standards must be followed in these cases.
This product includes cloud-based functionality which has potential information security risks.

Architectural Benefits

This technology is composed of modular components that can be arranged to and provisioned in the combination that best meets the customers project needs.
This technology is an open source solution supported on an approved development platform and as such promotes the VA open source initiative.

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General Information

Vendor Release Information

Current Decision Matrix (01/13/2021)

Decision Constraints

References

Technology Components

VA Categories View the VA Categorization Framework

Open Source

Operating Systems Supported by the Technology

Technologies/Standards Relationships

Runtime Dependencies:

Comparable Technologies:

Companion Technologies/Supported Standards:

General Analysis

Adoption Benefits

Adoption Risks

Architectural Benefits

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VA Technical Reference Model v 24.7

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Current Decision Matrix (01/13/2021)

Decision Constraints

References

Technology Components

VA Categories View the VA Categorization Framework

Open Source

Operating Systems Supported by the Technology

Technologies/Standards Relationships

Runtime Dependencies:

Comparable Technologies:

Companion Technologies/Supported Standards:

General Analysis

Adoption Benefits

Adoption Risks

Architectural Benefits

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