Skip to main content

Connecting OpenStack Swift

This guide walks you through connecting an OpenStack Swift (Object Storage) destination to Pluton.

Prerequisites​

Before connecting OpenStack Swift, you need:

  1. An account with an OpenStack Swift-compatible provider, such as:
  2. Your authentication credentials (username, password/API key, and auth URL)
  3. Your tenant (project) name or ID

Getting Your Credentials​

Step 1: Identify Your Auth URL​

Your authentication URL depends on your provider and authentication version:

ProviderAuth URL
Rackspace UShttps://auth.api.rackspacecloud.com/v1.0
Rackspace UKhttps://lon.auth.api.rackspacecloud.com/v1.0
Rackspace v2https://identity.api.rackspacecloud.com/v2.0
Memset Memstore UKhttps://auth.storage.memset.com/v1.0
Memset Memstore UK v2https://auth.storage.memset.com/v2.0
OVHhttps://auth.cloud.ovh.net/v3
Blomp Cloud Storagehttps://authenticate.ain.net

For self-hosted OpenStack deployments, consult your administrator for the Keystone auth URL (typically ending in /v2.0 or /v3).

Step 2: Gather Your Credentials​

  1. Log into your OpenStack dashboard (Horizon) or provider console
  2. Note your Username and Password (or API Key)
  3. Note your Tenant Name (also called Project Name) — found in the project dropdown or API access page
  4. If using v3 authentication, also note your User Domain and Tenant Domain

Step 3: Create a Container (Optional)​

You can create a container in advance through Horizon or the Swift CLI, or let Pluton create one when configuring a backup plan:

swift post pluton-backups

Connecting to Pluton​

Pluton OpenStack Swift

Step 1: Add Storage​

  1. In Pluton, navigate to Storages
  2. Click Add Storage button
  3. Select OpenStack Swift from the provider list

Step 2: Configure Connection​

Fill in the required fields:

  • Storage Name: A friendly name (e.g., "Swift Production Backups")
  • Username: Your OpenStack user name to log in
  • Password / API Key: Your API key or password
  • Auth URL: Select your provider from the dropdown list (Rackspace US, Rackspace UK, OVH, Memset, Blomp, etc.) or choose Custom and enter your own auth URL
  • Tenant Name: Your tenant (project) name. Optional for v1 auth; required for v2/v3

Step 3: Additional Authentication Fields (Optional)​

Depending on your authentication version and provider, you may need these additional fields:

  • Environment Auth: Get Swift credentials from environment variables in standard OpenStack form (e.g., OS_USERNAME, OS_PASSWORD, OS_AUTH_URL)
  • User ID: User ID to log in. Optional — most systems use Username instead. Only used with v3 authentication
  • User Domain: User domain, only used with v3 authentication
  • Tenant ID: Tenant (project) ID. Alternative to Tenant Name for v2/v3 auth
  • Tenant Domain: Tenant domain, only used with v3 authentication
  • Region: Region name (e.g., RegionOne, SBG, GRA)
  • Storage URL: Direct storage URL (overrides the one from the service catalog)
  • Auth Token: Auth token from alternate authentication

Application Credential Authentication (v3 only):

  • Application Credential ID: Application credential ID

  • Application Credential Name: Application credential name

  • Application Credential Secret: Application credential secret

  • Auth Version: Set to 1, 2, or 3 if your Auth URL has no version specified. Leave as 0 for auto-detection

Step 4: Advanced Options (Optional)​

Additional settings available:

  • Endpoint Type: Choose from Public (default), Internal, or Admin endpoints from the service catalog
  • Storage Policy: Select a storage policy when creating new containers (e.g., OVH Public Cloud Storage pcs, OVH Public Cloud Archive pca, or a custom value)
  • Chunk Size: Files above this size will be chunked into segments (default: 5 GiB, which is also the maximum)
  • No Chunk: Disable chunking files during streaming upload
  • No Large Objects: Disable support for static and dynamic large objects (limits uploads to 5 GiB max)
  • Use Segments Container: Choose destination for large object segments
  • Leave Parts On Error: Avoid aborting uploads on failure to allow resuming across sessions
  • Fetch Until Empty Page: When paginating, always fetch unless an empty page is received
  • Partial Page Fetch Threshold: Threshold percentage for when to fetch additional pages during pagination

Step 5: Test and Save​

  1. Click Test Connection to verify credentials
  2. If successful, click Save
  3. Your OpenStack Swift storage is now ready for backup plans

Common Issues​

Authentication Failed: Verify your Username, Password/API Key, and Auth URL are correct. Ensure you are using the right authentication version for your provider.

Tenant Not Found: Make sure the Tenant Name or Tenant ID matches exactly what is shown in your OpenStack dashboard. For v2/v3 authentication, at least one is required.

Region Errors: If your provider has multiple regions, specify the correct Region value. Leaving it blank uses the default region.

Large File Upload Failures: Swift cannot transparently store files larger than 5 GiB. Ensure Chunk Size is set appropriately (default: 5 GiB) and No Large Objects is not enabled if you need large file support.

v3 Authentication Issues: For Keystone v3, ensure you provide User Domain and Tenant Domain in addition to the standard credentials. Alternatively, use Application Credential authentication.

Best Practices​

  • Use v3 authentication (Keystone) when available for improved security and domain support
  • Select an Endpoint Type of Internal when the Pluton server is in the same network as the Swift cluster to avoid egress charges
  • Set an appropriate Storage Policy based on your provider's offerings (e.g., pca for archival on OVH)
  • Use Application Credential authentication for service accounts — it avoids exposing your main password
  • Create dedicated containers for Pluton backups for easier lifecycle management
  • Monitor container usage through your provider's dashboard or the Swift CLI