OpenStack Ironic
OpenStack Ironic provisions bare-metal machines and can operate on its own or as part of an OpenStack cloud.
What OpenStack Ironic is
OpenStack Ironic provisions bare-metal machines and can operate on its own or as part of an OpenStack cloud. It manages hardware using common methods such as PXE and IPMI, along with vendor-specific remote management protocols. Its documented lifecycle functions include inspection, deployment, cleaning, adoption, retirement, RAID and BIOS configuration, firmware updates, and rescue. Deployment scenarios range from standalone setups to OpenStack without Nova or full OpenStack with Nova and Placement. The standalone scenario covers one to hundreds of nodes but does not provide multi-tenancy. Ironic integrates with OpenStack Identity (Keystone), Compute (Nova), Network (Neutron), Image (Glance), and Object (Swift). API authentication and authorization use Keystone and a Secure RBAC model; operators are advised to assess and secure their own environments. By default, nodes use a flat network, and cleaning does not reset BIOS, reflash firmware, or erase peripheral devices. The project is free under the Apache 2.0 license.
Good
- Supports standalone and OpenStack deployments.
- Manages a broad hardware lifecycle.
- Uses PXE, IPMI, and vendor-specific protocols.
- API access supports Keystone and Secure RBAC.
- Free under the Apache 2.0 license.
Watch out
- Standalone deployment does not provide multi-tenancy.
- Default node networking is flat.
- Default cleaning leaves BIOS, firmware, and peripherals untouched.
Who it suits
Ironic suits operators provisioning and managing bare-metal machines, either independently or in OpenStack deployments. It is for teams prepared to address network isolation and environment security themselves.
Verdict
Ironic covers provisioning and hardware lifecycle management across standalone and OpenStack scenarios. Operators should plan for tenant isolation and account for what default disk cleaning does not erase.
Plans and prices
From OpenStack Ironic's own pricing page, checked 4 Oct 2026.
| Plan | Price | What it gives you |
|---|---|---|
| OpenStack Ironic | Free | No price or plan limits stated on the official pages reviewed |
The facts
Each one read from OpenStack Ironic's own pages, with the date it was checked.
What it does
- Deployment options
- Documented scenarios include standalone deployments, OpenStack without Nova, and full OpenStack deployments with Nova and Placement.checked 4 Oct 2026
- Disk cleaning limit
- By default, cleaning erases local disk drives after instance deletion but does not reset BIOS, reflash firmware, or erase peripheral devices.checked 4 Oct 2026
- Hardware lifecycle
- Documented features include inspection, deployment, cleaning, adoption, retirement, RAID and BIOS configuration, firmware updates, and rescue.checked 4 Oct 2026
- Hardware management
- It manages hardware through common protocols such as PXE and IPMI as well as vendor-specific remote management protocols.checked 4 Oct 2026
- Integrations
- The documentation lists integrations with OpenStack Identity (Keystone), Compute (Nova), Network (Neutron), Image (Glance), and Object (Swift).checked 4 Oct 2026
- License
- The OpenStack project is provided under the Apache 2.0 license.checked 4 Oct 2026
- Purpose
- Ironic provisions bare-metal machines and can run independently or as part of an OpenStack cloud.checked 4 Oct 2026
- Security and access
- The security overview describes API authentication and authorization through Keystone and a Secure RBAC model, while advising operators to assess and secure their own environments.checked 4 Oct 2026
- Standalone scale
- The standalone scenario is listed for one to hundreds of nodes and does not provide multi-tenancy.checked 4 Oct 2026
- Support and community
- The documentation links to support resources, bug reporting and triaging, and the Bare Metal community for engagement.checked 4 Oct 2026
- Tenant isolation limit
- By default, nodes are provisioned on a flat network without precautions against interactions between tenants; the documentation says integration with OpenStack services can provide tenant-network isolation.checked 4 Oct 2026
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