OpenStack Networking Essentials - Practical OpenStack Neutron Guide

In this review of OpenStack Networking Essentials the bottom line is clear: this book is a hands-on, practical introduction to the OpenStack Neutron API aimed at engineers and system administrators who need to build and manage virtual networks in an OpenStack cloud. The author focuses on deploying an all-in-one OpenStack Liberty cloud using RDO and then walks through creating networks, subnets, and ports, making it most valuable for readers who want concrete, usable steps rather than abstract theory. For those seeking a concise technical manual on Neutron fundamentals, this book delivers.

Key Features

• All-in-one cloud deployment: Shows how to deploy an OpenStack Liberty all-in-one cloud using RDO so readers can replicate the environment used in the examples.
• Neutron API fundamentals: Explains networks, subnets, and ports to help administrators understand and manage virtual networking resources.
• Practical interfaces: Demonstrates multiple methods to interact with Neutron so readers can choose the CLI or API workflow that fits their environment.
• Network building examples: Guides the reader through building simple virtual network infrastructures suitable for testing and small production environments.
• Canonical Ubuntu focus: Uses Ubuntu and Canonical's process for installing OpenStack, which is helpful for users following common distribution practices.

Who It's For

OpenStack Networking Essentials is best suited to system administrators, cloud engineers, and networking professionals who are new to OpenStack Neutron and want a hands-on tutorial that ties deployment to practical API usage. The step-by-step RDO deployment and Neutron examples make it particularly useful for teams standing up lab or development clouds.

Readers who need advanced production-scale design patterns, deep SDN integrations, or the latest OpenStack releases may want a more recent or specialized reference, since this book centers on OpenStack Liberty and focused Neutron fundamentals rather than long-term operations at web scale.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Clear, actionable deployment instructions that let readers reproduce an all-in-one OpenStack Liberty environment.
• Concrete explanation of the Neutron API concepts that clarifies relationships between networks, subnets, and ports.
• Practical examples of interfacing with Neutron that help translate theory into working configurations.

Cons

• Targets OpenStack Liberty and RDO, so readers seeking guidance for newer OpenStack releases may need to adapt some commands and procedures.

Specifications

Title	OpenStack Networking Essentials
Author	James Denton
OpenStack Release Covered	Liberty (2015.2)
Deployment Focus	All-in-one cloud using RDO
Primary API	OpenStack Neutron
Platform Emphasis	Ubuntu via Canonical process

Our Verdict

OpenStack Networking Essentials is a compact, useful guide for anyone who needs to get practical with Neutron and deploy a reproducible OpenStack Liberty environment. It is good value for learners and operators who want clear examples of networks, subnets, and ports, though those working with newer OpenStack releases should be prepared to adapt commands and workflows.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does the book include deployment steps?
Yes. It walks through deploying an all-in-one OpenStack Liberty cloud using RDO and Ubuntu.

Which networking concepts are covered?
The book covers the Neutron API with focus on networks, subnets, and ports and how they relate in virtual environments.

Is this suitable for production design?
It is most useful for lab, development, and learning purposes; production-scale design may require additional, newer resources.