OpenShift Data Foundation (ODF) is Red Hat’s enterprise Kubernetes storage platform, built on Ceph orchestrated by Rook. Where Rook-Ceph is the open source upstream, ODF packages it with an operator, a validated configuration, enterprise support, and integration with the OpenShift console. It provides block (RBD), file (CephFS), and object (S3-compatible via Ceph RGW) storage as Kubernetes StorageClasses on the same hardware.
What it provides
Three storage modes from one cluster:
| Mode | StorageClass | Use case |
|---|---|---|
| Block (RBD) | ocs-storagecluster-ceph-rbd | Databases, stateful apps needing a single-writer disk |
| File (CephFS) | ocs-storagecluster-cephfs | Shared filesystems, multiple pods reading/writing the same volume |
| Object | S3-compatible endpoint | Buckets via ObjectBucketClaim, backup targets, artifact storage |
Installation
ODF installs via the ODF operator from OperatorHub. The operator creates a StorageCluster CR that drives the Ceph deployment:
apiVersion: ocs.openshift.io/v1
kind: StorageCluster
metadata:
name: ocs-storagecluster
namespace: openshift-storage
spec:
storageDeviceSets:
- name: ocs-deviceset
count: 1
replica: 3
dataPVCTemplate:
spec:
storageClassName: local-storage
volumeMode: Block
resources:
requests:
storage: 1Ti
Requires at minimum three nodes with dedicated block devices. The operator handles Ceph cluster formation, monitors, MGRs, and OSDs.
vs Rook-Ceph
ODF IS Rook-Ceph under the hood. The difference is packaging and support: ODF is tested and supported on OpenShift, includes the NooBaa multi-cloud gateway for object storage federation, and integrates with the OpenShift UI. For self-managed Kubernetes outside OpenShift, raw Rook-Ceph is the equivalent path.