I agree that implementing a perfect EC2 simulator would be hard. We shouldn't try and do that. We should have an EC2-compatible API for a sensible feature-set, but we shouldn't try and add support for every new feature that Amazon adds.
The value of this API is that EC2-compatible tools can be used against OpenStack. That doesn't mean that we're trying to make a drop-in replacement for EC2, including all its new features. You're right that that would be very hard, and we shouldn't try. Ewan. > -----Original Message----- > From: openstack-bounces+ewan.mellor=citrix....@lists.launchpad.net > [mailto:openstack-bounces+ewan.mellor=citrix....@lists.launchpad.net] > On Behalf Of George Reese > Sent: 09 July 2011 07:49 > To: Sandy Walsh > Cc: openstack@lists.launchpad.net > Subject: Re: [Openstack] Cross-zone instance identifiers in EC2 API - > Is it worth the effort? > > The other piece of the puzzle is that it is very easy to keep a client > consistent with the API; it's very hard to keep an implementation up- > to-date. > > I've built an EC2 compatible API and the problem is that understanding > what has changed in the API (and it changes fairly frequently) is hard. > On the other hand, AWS is great at not breaking clients. So, when they > roll out a change, it doesn't impact clients; but anyone implementing > an EC2-compatible API will immediately be broken for clients taking > advantage of new features. Furthermore, it may not be entirely clear > from your end what it is that broke things. > > -George > > On Jul 9, 2011, at 9:30 AM, Sandy Walsh wrote: > > > Ok, so let's look at this from another perspective ... how far away > are we? > > > > I thought our EC2 binding was pretty good (admittedly, I don't use > it). > > > > Are we radically out in left field or is this a game of inches? > > > > Any hardcore EC2 users care to comment? > > > > -S > > > > ________________________________________ > > From: Jorge Williams > > Sent: Saturday, July 09, 2011 2:28 AM > > To: Sandy Walsh > > Cc: Soren Hansen; openstack@lists.launchpad.net > > Subject: Re: [Openstack] Cross-zone instance identifiers in EC2 API - > Is it worth the effort? > > > > On Jul 8, 2011, at 10:44 PM, Sandy Walsh wrote: > >> > >> Wow, really? Is EC2 really that sporadic/chaotic? > >> > >> I have to plead ignorance because I don't know where the rubber > meets the road, but that kinda surprises me. > > > > > > I'm not saying that. In fact let me say that I don't think the > Windows API itself is sporadic or chaotic. I used to be a Windows dev > way back in the day and I never got that impression. > > > > The problem is that the Windows API is not open and is not really > designed to be implemented by others. The Wine folks (and the ReactOS > folks) have been working really hard to implement it for a long time. > And with good reason, there are a lot of incentives to have a free > Windows compatible OS. The task the Wine folks have is very hard > though. There are no reference implementations for the Windows API, so > you can't look at the code, you have to replicate bugs in the > implementation and bugs in client apps etc, oh and do you really think > MS wants a free Windows compatible OS on the market? -- you have to > account for them messing with you as well. > > > > Soren was suggesting that supporting EC2 was much like writing an > implementation of HTTP or SMTP (both open specs with open reference > implementations). All I'm saying is that reverse engineering a living, > rapidly changing, closed system and writing another system that behaves > like it exactly (bugs and all) is not the same thing as implementing an > open spec -- it's harder. > > > > -jOrGe W. > > > > This email may include confidential information. If you received it > in error, please delete it. > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > Mailing list: https://launchpad.net/~openstack > > Post to : openstack@lists.launchpad.net > > Unsubscribe : https://launchpad.net/~openstack > > More help : https://help.launchpad.net/ListHelp > > -- > George Reese - Chief Technology Officer, enStratus > e: george.re...@enstratus.com t: @GeorgeReese p: +1.207.956.0217 > f: +1.612.338.5041 > enStratus: Governance for Public, Private, and Hybrid Clouds - > @enStratus - http://www.enstratus.com To schedule a meeting with me: > http://tungle.me/GeorgeReese _______________________________________________ Mailing list: https://launchpad.net/~openstack Post to : openstack@lists.launchpad.net Unsubscribe : https://launchpad.net/~openstack More help : https://help.launchpad.net/ListHelp
