OpenStack has garnered much attention, but its adoption in production environments has been tempered by an assortment of perceived limitations, both real and imagined.
Not Designed for Smaller Environments
OpenStack is not friendly for smaller environments.
True: Ubuntu OpenStack requires at least seven machines (with one of them dedicated to managing the cluster) to start. Along with the significant startup cost and the time required to develop and/or source the necessary expertise, an OpenStack-based private cloud could be out of reach for smaller environments. "It's important to keep in mind that EMC, Time Warner Cable, PayPal and WalMart have money to spare on new hires and retraining of staff as necessary to implement new technologies," states John S. Webster of Network World. "They have the resources to smash barriers that smaller organizations or those with less IT capital might not have."