---
title: "Non-core OpenStack components and why they matter  - Fairbanks"
description: "In this blog, we bring you a quick overview of the non-core OpenStack components and why they still matter."
url: "https://fairbanks-upgrade.ubo-dev.nl/non-core-openstack-components/"
language: "en"
---

Blog

# Non-core OpenStack components and why they matter

Technology

May 30, 2023

Author: Elvira Dautović

In this post

[OpenStack component Aodh ](https://fairbanks-upgrade.ubo-dev.nl/non-core-openstack-components#section-1-1)[OpenStack component Barbican  ](https://fairbanks-upgrade.ubo-dev.nl/non-core-openstack-components#section-1-2)[OpenStack component Blazar ](https://fairbanks-upgrade.ubo-dev.nl/non-core-openstack-components#section-1-3)[OpenStack component Congress ](https://fairbanks-upgrade.ubo-dev.nl/non-core-openstack-components#section-1-4)[OpenStack component Designate ](https://fairbanks-upgrade.ubo-dev.nl/non-core-openstack-components#section-1-5)[OpenStack component Freezer ](https://fairbanks-upgrade.ubo-dev.nl/non-core-openstack-components#section-1-6)[OpenStack component Glance ](https://fairbanks-upgrade.ubo-dev.nl/non-core-openstack-components#section-1-7)[OpenStack component Heat ](https://fairbanks-upgrade.ubo-dev.nl/non-core-openstack-components#section-1-8)[OpenStack component Ironic ](https://fairbanks-upgrade.ubo-dev.nl/non-core-openstack-components#section-1-9)[OpenStack component Karbor ](https://fairbanks-upgrade.ubo-dev.nl/non-core-openstack-components#section-1-10)[OpenStack component Manila ](https://fairbanks-upgrade.ubo-dev.nl/non-core-openstack-components#section-1-11)[OpenStack component Masakari ](https://fairbanks-upgrade.ubo-dev.nl/non-core-openstack-components#section-1-12)[OpenStack component Mistral ](https://fairbanks-upgrade.ubo-dev.nl/non-core-openstack-components#section-1-13)[OpenStack component Monasca ](https://fairbanks-upgrade.ubo-dev.nl/non-core-openstack-components#section-1-14)

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In the last few weeks, we brought you a blog series that took a deepdive into the main OpenStack components, while explaining their features. This time we bring you a quick overview of non-core OpenStack components and why they matter. 

However, if you are interested in reading the blogs about the main OpenStack components, you can do so through the following links. 

1. [OpenStack Main Components Part 1](https://fairbanks-upgrade.ubo-dev.nl/openstack-nova-neutron-and-cinder/)
2. [OpenStack Main Components Part 2](https://fairbanks-upgrade.ubo-dev.nl/main-openstack-components-part-2/)
3. [OpenStack Main Components Part 3](https://fairbanks-upgrade.ubo-dev.nl/deep-dive-into-the-main-openstack-components-3/)

Moving on, OpenStack is a modular and extensible platform that allows users to customize their cloud environment based on their specific needs. While the main components of OpenStack, including Compute, Storage, Networking, Identity, and Dashboard, provide the core functionality of the platform, there are also several non-core components that provide additional services and functionality, so you are able to customize your private cloud functionality even further. 

To help you on the way we have made a list for you explaining some of these components. So, below you will find an overview of the non-core OpenStack components and a brief description of why they matter. 

## OpenStack component Aodh 

Aodh is an alarm and event service that monitors the OpenStack cloud for predefined events and triggers alarms based on those events. Aodh can be interesting functionality for you, because it enables users to monitor the health and performance of their cloud resources and respond to issues before they become critical. 

## OpenStack component Barbican  

Barbican is a key management service that provides secure storage and retrieval of sensitive data such as passwords, encryption keys, and digital certificates. Barbican is important because it enables users to securely store and manage sensitive data, ensuring that it remains confidential and protected from unauthorized access. 

## OpenStack component Blazar 

Blazar is a reservation service that enables users to reserve and manage resources such as compute nodes and network bandwidth in OpenStack. Blazar is important because it enables users to schedule and manage resources more efficiently, improving performance and reducing costs. 

## OpenStack component Congress 

Congress is a policy-based service that enables users to enforce policies across the OpenStack cloud. Congress is important because it enables users to ensure that their cloud environment is in compliance with regulatory requirements and internal policies. 

## OpenStack component Designate 

Designate is a DNS-as-a-Service (DNSaaS) that provides users with on-demand access to DNS services. Designate is important because it simplifies DNS management, reduces deployment times, and enables users to focus on application development. 

## OpenStack component Freezer 

Freezer is a backup and recovery service that provides users with backup and restore capabilities for OpenStack resources. Freezer is important because it enables users to protect their data and recover from disasters or data loss quickly and efficiently. 

## OpenStack component Glance 

Glance is an image service that provides users with the ability to store and retrieve virtual machine images. Glance is important because it enables users to create and deploy virtual machines more efficiently, reducing deployment times and improving scalability. 

## OpenStack component Heat 

Heat is an orchestration service that allows users to automate the deployment of resources in OpenStack. Heat is important for creating complex applications that require multiple resources, and it simplifies the deployment process, making it faster and more reliable. 

## OpenStack component Ironic 

Ironic is a bare metal provisioning service that enables users to provision physical machines in OpenStack. Ironic is important because it enables users to deploy and manage bare metal servers in the same way they deploy and manage virtual machines. 

## OpenStack component Karbor 

Karbor is a data protection service that provides users with data protection and disaster recovery capabilities for OpenStack resources. Karbor is important because it enables users to protect their data and recover from disasters or data loss quickly and efficiently. 

## OpenStack component Manila 

Manila is a shared file system service that provides users with shared access to file systems. Manila is important because it makes it easier to manage and share data between instances, and improves the scalability and performance of applications that require shared file systems. 

## OpenStack component Masakari 

Masakari is a high-availability service that provides automated recovery of OpenStack resources. Masakari is important because it ensures that critical resources are available and recoverable in the event of failure. 

## OpenStack component Mistral 

Mistral is a workflow service that enables users to define and manage workflows in OpenStack. Mistral is important because it enables users to automate complex tasks and workflows, improving efficiency and reducing errors. 

## OpenStack component Monasca 

Monasca is a monitoring service that provides users with real-time monitoring and alerting capabilities for OpenStack resources. Monasca is important because it enables users to monitor the health and performance of their cloud resources, ensuring that issues can be detected quickly.

In summary, while the main components of OpenStack provide the core functionality of the platform, these non-core components provide additional services and functionality that are still critical to many users. By using these components, users can customize their cloud environment to meet their specific needs, improving performance, scalability, and ease of management. 

What other non-core components are you running in your OpenStack infrastructure? What non-core OpenStack components do you particularly find interesting? Have we missed any non-core OpenStack components? Let us know in the comments. 

[](https://www.linkedin.com/in/michielmanten/)

![Michiel](https://fairbanks-upgrade.ubo-dev.nl/media/uploads/2025/06/Michiel.jpeg?width=500 "Michiel")

## Want to know more about open source private cloud

Let’s talk with Michiel Manten

[Let's talk](https://fairbanks-upgrade.ubo-dev.nl/contact/?subject=Non-core%20OpenStack%20components%20and%20why%20they%20matter)

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