OpenStack Cinder is the block storage service component of OpenStack, an open cloud computing platform. The repository serves as the primary codebase for managing persistent block storage volumes, snapshots, and backups within OpenStack environments. Written in Python, Cinder provides a unified API and driver framework that enables cloud operators to provision and manage storage resources across multiple backend storage systems.
The service implements a multi-tenant architecture, allowing different cloud users to create, attach, and manage their own block storage volumes independently while maintaining isolation and security. Cinder's core functionality encompasses volume creation and deletion, snapshot management for point-in-time copies of volumes, and backup integration for disaster recovery and data protection. The driver framework represents a key architectural feature, enabling Cinder to work with diverse storage backends including commercial arrays, open-source solutions, and software-defined storage systems through pluggable drivers.
Storage provisioning within Cinder supports various allocation strategies and quality-of-service configurations, allowing operators to define different storage tiers and performance characteristics. The snapshot support enables users to create consistent copies of volumes at specific points in time, which can be used for testing, backup, or creating new volumes. Backup integration provides mechanisms for storing volume data outside the primary storage system, protecting against data loss and enabling recovery scenarios.
The repository implements fault tolerance mechanisms to ensure reliability in production cloud environments. As an API service, Cinder exposes RESTful endpoints that allow other OpenStack components and external clients to interact with block storage functionality. The service integrates with other OpenStack projects including Nova for compute instance attachment, Glance for image management, and Keystone for authentication and authorization.
According to GitGenius activity classification, Cinder is categorized across multiple domains including block storage, cloud infrastructure, volume management, snapshot support, backup integration, storage provisioning, multi-tenant architecture, API service design, driver framework implementation, and fault tolerance mechanisms. This classification reflects the breadth of functionality and the service's central role in OpenStack's storage ecosystem.
The codebase is maintained at opendev.org with this GitHub repository serving as a mirror of the primary development location. Contributors can access comprehensive documentation including developer guides, design specifications, blueprints for planned features, and release notes. The project uses Launchpad for bug tracking and issue management, following OpenStack's standard development practices. Getting started with Cinder involves cloning the repository from opendev.org and reviewing the CONTRIBUTING.rst file for contribution guidelines. A separate Python Cinderclient project provides command-line and programmatic access to Cinder's API, enabling users and administrators to interact with the block storage service from external applications and scripts.
