From the Sons of Jimmu files:
The next major OpenStack cloud platform release is set to debut in October and is codenamed : Liberty but what follows Liberty? OpenStack Foundation members have voted and the winning name is Meiji.
The name Meiji is a nod to Japan, home of the next OpenStack Summit. The Meiji Emperor
is creditted with reforming Japan into the modern world. It’s an important metaphor also for OpenStack itself.
Prior to the Meiji Reformation, Japan was still largely a feudal society under the nominal leadership of the Tokuga Shogun. The Meiji Emperor and his government changed that society and brought it into the modern Western World.
OpenStack hasn’t quite been a ‘feudal’ society, though prior to Liberty it did have a more rigid structure defining what is and what isn’t OpenStack. Starting with Liberty, OpenStack is adopting the Big Tent approach where a dozen or more projects will be considered under the OpenStack umbrella.
The OpenStack Liberty release will be a growing pains milestone as vendors, users and developers adjust to the new world order of the Big Tent. The OpenStack Meiji release that will follow will be an opportunity for stability.
Sean Michael Kerner is a senior editor at InternetNews.com. Follow him on Twitter @TechJournalist