My 12-Year Journey with OpenStack

Welcome to another issue of Tiny Big Spark. This is my simple newsletter where I share real stories from my work in tech. I focus on engineering leadership, building scalable systems, and lessons from the daily grind. No fancy jargon or hype – just honest talks about what works and what doesn't in the world of clouds, teams, and business growth. If you're a tech leader, a system builder, or someone who likes practical tips, this is for you.

In this issue, I want to discuss OpenStack. It has been part of my life for over 12 years now. But let's start from the very beginning – not my story, but the story of how OpenStack was created. It's an interesting story that begins in space, with a satellite heading toward Mars. This provides the background for why OpenStack is important today, and then I will share my own journey.

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How a Mars Mission Sparked a Cloud Revolution

Back in 2005, NASA launched the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. This satellite had a powerful camera that took huge photos – up to 600 megabytes each. The team at NASA's Jet Propulsion Lab had to handle tons of data and share it with scientists around the world. Not everyone had the right computers to process it, so they needed a smart way to make it easy for all.

That's where NASA's Nebula platform came in. They built it to run in the cloud, using cheap servers in shipping containers to save money. They wrote the code in Python and released it under the Apache License. This meant anyone could use and improve it.

By 2010, a company called Rackspace saw Nebula's potential. They were working on their own cloud tools but decided to team up with NASA instead. Together, they created OpenStack. The first version launched at a tech conference in Portland, with just two main parts: Nova for running virtual machines and Swift for storing files.

OpenStack grew fast. Big names like HP, IBM, Red Hat, Mirantis, and Canonical joined in. They added more features, and by later versions, it had over 30 tools. NASA stepped back from building it in 2012 but kept using it. That year, the OpenStack Foundation began guiding the project. In 2020, it became the OpenInfra Foundation, and by early 2025, it joined forces with the Linux Foundation for better support.

It wasn't all smooth. Scaling the system for big users meant rewriting parts. When NASA left, the community had to step up. And tools like Kubernetes took some spotlight for managing apps. But OpenStack adapted – now it works well with Kubernetes, running services on it for stronger setups.

Today, OpenStack powers huge systems. A 2022 report shows over 300 public clouds using it, with more than 40 million computer cores. Companies like Line in Japan run their apps on 4 million cores. Telecom giants such as Deutsche Telekom, AT&T, China Telecom, and Telefonica use it for networks. CERN in Europe built one of the most significant clouds in 2013 with 300,000 cores. Even research centers like Forschungszentrum Jülich rely on it for science work.

This story shows how OpenStack started small – from a space mission's data problem – and became a tool that changes how we build data centers. It's open, flexible, and free from one company's control. That's why it caught my eye back in Tokyo.

TIP: When studying the origin of a technology, look for the problem it was invented to solve. This gives clarity on how to use it wisely today.

Tying It Back: My Spark with OpenStack in 2012

Reading about NASA's clever fix made me think: If they could solve significant data issues in space, we could build something innovative for our FinTech world here on Earth. In 2012, I have been with my organization since 2008. I am currently the CTO of our technology division and serve as General Manager of our securities branch. Our group delivers robust IT services, including a private cloud powered by Canonical OpenStack.

Back then, Microsoft was making headlines. Bloomberg said Azure hit $1 billion in sales, taking on Amazon. I remember feeling a mix of envy and drive. "If they can do that," I thought, "we can build our own cloud for our group companies." We were already handling IT for sister firms in forex, crypto, remittances, and securities brokerage. Our parent company's market cap? In the trillions of yen – a big empire to support.

We started simple. We ran CentOS 6 as our main OS, later moving to 7, 8, and Stream. KVM was in full production for workloads. We used Puppet for setup – writing our own code to manage everything. Bare-metal servers for heavy tasks, virtual machines for others. No big vendors; our team fixed even kernel issues in-house. We were proud of that self-reliance.

But growth hit hard. More companies joined, and demands rose fast. We needed quicker ways to deliver services while keeping costs down and complying with the rules. Managing device lifecycles has become tough amid business needs, regulations, and designs piling up.

TIP: Document why early decisions were made. It helps future teams understand the logic, not just the configuration.

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First Steps: Testing oVirt and Diving into OpenStack

We looked around. oVirt was our first try – an open source tool for managing virtual setups. It worked okay, but we served many group companies. They needed separate spaces, like their own tenants, without seeing each other's stuff. That's when OpenStack made sense.

We started with the Kilo version in 2015. Pure community build, no extras, set up with Puppet since we knew it well. It was a learning curve, but exciting. We went through Liberty, Mitaka, and hit Ocata as our first solid production setup – all internal support.

As business grew, so did partnerships. We expanded to China and met the Huawei team. Our leaders chose Huawei FusionSphere, their take on OpenStack. It ran a key platform for a big Japanese securities house. Good for basics, but weak on tools. No strong monitoring or easy ways to manage updates. When issues hit, especially at night, it was on us alone.

TIP: Before adopting any platform, check its operational tooling — monitoring, upgrades, and debugging. These matter more than raw features.

The Turning Point: Crypto Boom and Finding a Better Partner

By 2017-2019, crypto took off. Our group jumped in with exchanges, blockchain, and custody services. Geopolitics made us rethink Chinese ties. We needed a partner for real growth – better management, monitoring, and support.

We checked Mirantis, Red Hat, and Canonical. Canonical stood out. Why? Three key things: People, Service, and Cost. Their OpenStack stays close to the main version, so no lock-in. If we want, we can support it ourselves. Plus, their tools are open-source but built for big business. And the price? About a third of the others.

In Japan's finance world, rules are strict. On-premises was a must for data control and compliance. Easy public clouds didn't fit. Canonical lets us keep our hardware while adding smart automation.

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TIP: When evaluating vendors, score them on:

• People: do they understand your domain?

• Service: Do they fix root causes or just close tickets?

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Building with Canonical: The Queens Era

In 2019, we launched with Ubuntu 18.04 Bionic and OpenStack Queens. Canonical's field engineers came to our site. They knew their stuff deeply, which gave us confidence. OpenStack is complex, but they handled the tech so we could focus on business.

We got a Dedicated Support Engineer (DSE) – like adding a team member who knows our setup and finance rules. He helps with designs, migrations, and quick fixes. Professional services trained our crew. And 24/7 support follows the sun, so someone's always there, no matter the time zone.

This was huge. Before, we managed alone. Now, with help, we grew the cloud as needs rose. Crypto and other services boomed, so we added Canonical's Kubernetes on top. Containers make app deploys fast and scalable – perfect for remittances or forex platforms.

I recently had a chat with Canonical’s top Customer Success Manager in APAC, Yuika Funatsu and I like how she captured our journey to success in using Canonical Openstack.

TIP: If running mission-critical workloads, get Canonical’s DSE with a power combo of a Customer Success Manager — It’s sure a bullet to success!

The Big Challenge: Migrating Without a Hitch

Years later, Queens was nearing the end of its support. Our workloads? Critical – trading systems that can't stop, even for a second. Downtime means big losses. In-place upgrades were too risky.

With Canonical, we planned smart: build three new setups at once on Ubuntu 22.04 Jammy and OpenStack Yoga (the latest long-term support release at the time). Field engineers cut deploy time by half. The DSE led the migration in phases, keeping control at each step.

It was tough, but a team win – my crew, Canonical's experts, and the DSE. We even extended support for the old cloud to keep things safe. Today, some workloads still run there with long-term help from Canonical.

We improved too: switched from Ceph storage to Pure Storage for higher IOPS (for demanding customers). Added SR-IOV for faster networks in VMs and containers – essential for high IOPS and improved networking in virtual environments.

TIP: When planning a migration, treat it like a parallel build, not an upgrade. Clean slates reduce unknowns dramatically.

Who's Using OpenStack? You're in Good Company

We're not alone. Big names trust OpenStack. Walmart runs 170,000 cores for 80 million shoppers a month. Target has 32,000 cores and 750,000 VMs. Bloomberg uses 11+ clusters for finance data. CERN and NASA still rely on it – NASA with over 9,000 cores across labs.

Telecom companies like AT&T, Verizon, and Tencent scale networks with it. In Japan, Rakuten builds services on OpenStack. Banks such as BBVA and Santander handle big data for millions of customers. Even Lockheed Martin simulates space missions. It's the backbone for empires, like ours.

TIP: When choosing a long-term platform, check who else relies on it. Adoption patterns reveal stability.

Where We Stand in December 2025: Ready for More

We've grown it many times, always meeting client timelines and business goals.

Next? More speed and new ideas. With easy setup, we can try AI tools or expand blockchain. OpenStack provides a strong foundation for innovation.

Watch out for the upcoming OpenStack series, and let us share how, along with Canonical’s top-tier support, we maintained business continuity, visibility, and streamlined processes to execute our strategies and achieve business goals. Stay tuned!

Make sure to subscribe if you're just a free reader.

TIP: Always align infrastructure upgrades with future experiments. Optionality keeps growth possible.

Final Words: Let's Share Stories

From a Mars satellite to Tokyo's FinTech hubs, OpenStack shows how open ideas solve real problems. If you're on a similar path or have tips, reply. I'd love to hear.

What’s your next spark? A new platform engineering skill? A bold pitch? A team ready to rise? Share your ideas or challenges at Tiny Big Spark. Let’s build your pyramid—together.

That’s it!

Keep innovating and stay inspired!

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