Overview
DreamCompute is DreamHost's cloud computing service that provides scalable compute resources for developers and entrepreneurs. DreamCompute is based on OpenStack and is designed for scalability, resiliency, and security.
With DreamCompute, you select the amount of compute and storage resources you need and define your own virtual networks.
What services and technologies power DreamCompute?
DreamCompute is built on OpenStack and delivers three main services — compute, networking, and storage — through the OpenStack projects described below.
OpenStack
DreamCompute is powered by OpenStack, a widely adopted, open-source cloud computing platform. OpenStack is used by both public cloud hosting companies, like DreamHost, and for private internal clouds.
Compute
DreamCompute provides virtual servers through the KVM hypervisor. You can launch instances from the DreamCompute dashboard or using the OpenStack command-line interface. Each instance is based on a Flavor, which defines the resources allocated to the instance in terms of vCPUs, RAM, and boot volume size. DreamCompute provides Flavors small enough for companies just starting out, large enough for companies with greater computing needs, and everything in between.
Network
Networking services for DreamCompute are delivered through OpenStack's Neutron service.
Storage
Storage in DreamCompute is implemented with Ceph, a massively scalable, distributed, redundant storage technology that can be delivered using standard server hardware. OpenStack's Cinder project integrates with Ceph for block storage using Ceph's RADOS Block Device (RBD) software.
Ceph is software created by DreamHost founder Sage Weil and was under development inside DreamHost for several years. Ceph has been open source since its inception. In early 2012, a new company called Inktank was spun out of DreamHost to support and continue development of the technology, and Inktank was acquired by Red Hat in April 2014.
Dashboard
The DreamCompute dashboard is built with OpenStack's Horizon project. The dashboard provides a user interface for interacting with DreamCompute's three main services:
- Compute
- Networking
- Storage
From the dashboard — or using the OpenStack command-line interface — you can launch an instance, create storage volumes, configure a virtual network, and create and manage snapshots of both a running instance and storage volumes.
Automation APIs
OpenStack, and therefore DreamCompute, provides a full set of APIs that can be used for system automation. More about OpenStack APIs can be found here: