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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.com at lists.launchpad.net
> [mailto:openstack-bounces+ewan.mellor=citrix.com at lists.launchpad.net]
> On Behalf Of George Reese
> Sent: 09 July 2011 07:49
> To: Sandy Walsh
> Cc: openstack at 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 at 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.
> >
> >
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> --
> George Reese - Chief Technology Officer, enStratus
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> enStratus: Governance for Public, Private, and Hybrid Clouds -
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