7 OpenStack Books That Separate Experts from Amateurs

James Denton's extensive background as a Principal Architect at Rackspace shines through in this detailed guide to OpenStack Networking. He unpacks the complexities of virtual networking with clarity, covering everything from basic Neutron constructs to advanced topics like distributed virtual routers and load balancers. You'll gain hands-on understanding of building virtual switching infrastructures using Linux bridges and Open vSwitch, while also mastering security groups and VLAN tagging within instances. This book is tailored for cloud operators and administrators eager to build and manage scalable OpenStack clouds, especially those with prior networking knowledge ready to deepen their expertise.

Drawing from his extensive experience at Juniper Networks, Sriram Subramanian offers a focused exploration of OpenStack Networking through practical recipes. This book equips you with skills to configure virtual switching, routing, and firewall services using Neutron, and delves into plugin development to extend networking capabilities. You'll find clear guidance on monitoring networks with tools like Ceilometer and Heat, as well as troubleshooting common issues. Ideal for network and system administrators with foundational OpenStack knowledge, it balances fundamental concepts with advanced customization, helping you manage private and public cloud infrastructures effectively.

This tailored book explores the full spectrum of OpenStack networking, administration, and development, crafted to match your background and specific goals. It covers core components like Neutron networking, cloud architecture, and system administration, while diving into advanced topics such as plugin development and container orchestration. By focusing on your interests, it weaves together foundational concepts and in-depth technical details, allowing you to navigate OpenStack’s complexity with clarity. This personalized resource reveals pathways through real-world scenarios and configuration practices, making your learning efficient and directly applicable to your cloud environment. It’s an engaging guide designed to deepen your understanding and sharpen your skills in OpenStack’s dynamic ecosystem.

When Omar Khedher wrote this book, his deep experience as a cloud system engineer and academic researcher shaped its focus on practical extensions to OpenStack's core. You’ll dive into leveraging advanced OpenStack projects like Sahara for big data and Murano for application deployment, gaining hands-on skills in containerizing with Docker and Kubernetes within OpenStack. The chapters guide you through expanding compute, storage, and network capabilities, plus securing your cloud with Keystone. If you manage or architect OpenStack environments and want to push beyond basics to customize and optimize your private cloud, this book offers targeted insights without fluff.

Unlike most OpenStack books that skim the surface, Jose Antonio Alvarez Cubero draws on his deep expertise in data center technologies and digital transformation to deliver a focused guide tailored for certification candidates. You gain practical command-line examples, chapter-end questions, and clear explanations that target the Certified OpenStack Administrator exam domains, not just theory. For instance, his methodical walkthrough of administration tasks in the Newton release helps you develop problem-solving skills rather than rote memorization. This book suits you if you're preparing for COA certification and want structured, exam-aligned study material that builds genuine competence in OpenStack administration.

Scott Adkins and his co-authors bring deep operational expertise from companies like Comcast and GoDaddy to this focused guide on OpenStack application development. You’ll learn how to navigate OpenStack’s service components, manage networking within its ecosystem, and deploy virtualized network functions tailored for enterprise needs. The book offers a hands-on example build that reveals how each technology fits together, making it especially useful for developers who want to leverage OpenStack’s scalability without getting bogged down in basic concepts. If you’re aiming to build robust cloud applications while avoiding vendor lock-in, this book lays out practical insights and best practices clearly and efficiently.

This tailored book explores a focused 30-day plan to deploy and configure OpenStack efficiently, designed to match your background and specific goals. It provides a personalized roadmap that covers essential OpenStack components, installation steps, configuration details, and hands-on deployment tasks. By focusing on what matters most to your experience level and interests, it enables you to gain practical knowledge without sifting through unrelated material. The book examines real-world deployment challenges and presents clear, sequential guidance that aligns with your unique learning path. Its tailored approach helps you master OpenStack setup confidently, blending expert knowledge with your personal context for an effective learning journey.

James Denton's extensive background in system administration and networking clearly informs this guide on OpenStack networking, reflecting his hands-on experience since 2012. You gain a practical understanding of the Neutron API, exploring how networks, subnets, and ports operate within OpenStack Liberty, and how to manage these components effectively through both CLI and the Horizon dashboard. The book dives into building virtual network infrastructures, configuring routers, and securing instances using security groups, with detailed chapters like "Switching" and "Security Group Fundamentals" providing concrete examples. If you're aiming to grasp the foundations of OpenStack networking or streamline your cloud setups, this book offers focused insights without unnecessary complexity, though seasoned experts might find it foundational rather than exhaustive.

Drawing from its position as the steward of the OpenStack project, the OpenStack Foundation offers a focused guide that addresses the critical strategic questions businesses face when considering OpenStack adoption. This concise volume walks you through evaluating cloud types, understanding OpenStack’s strengths and limitations, and structuring teams effectively, all grounded in insights from global technology leaders. The book’s clear-eyed approach helps you weigh practical considerations before committing resources, making it especially relevant if you’re involved in cloud strategy or IT infrastructure planning. If you seek deep technical detail or extensive implementation tutorials, this guide might feel brief, but its strategic framing is invaluable for decision-makers.