Canonical has broadened enterprise storage options for LXD by introducing a native driver for Dell PowerStore. This collaboration brings together the lightweight, open source virtualization of LXD with adaptable, high-density storage arrays of Dell PowerStore, helping organizations modernize their infrastructure without relying on complex middleware. Thanks to this integration, PowerStore can now also be used as an external storage option with MicroCloud, Canonical’s lightweight open source cloud platform, for a full cloud experience.

Driving infrastructure efficiency with smarter storage

As Dell’s flagship unified storage platform, PowerStore combines all-flash NVMe performance, intelligent automation, and enterprise scalability for data-intensive workloads. Through direct integration, LXD connects with the array to provision thin-block volumes and automatically apply preferred file systems for containerized or custom workloads, eliminating the need for third-party middleware.

Through this new native integration, LXD and MicroCloud administrators can provision and manage PowerStore block storage directly from the command-line interface, API, or UI – eliminating the overhead and risk of generic third-party abstraction layers.

Seamless scaling and high-throughput clustering

Built on NVMe-based architecture, Dell PowerStore delivers sub-millisecond latency and features intelligent automated data reduction. When paired with LXD’s lightweight control plane, operations remain smooth even under heavy I/O load.

This network-attached block storage architecture offers significant advantages for multi-node deployments:

• Unified access: all members of a LXD or MicroCloud cluster gain immediate access to the same storage pools
• Zero-sync overhead: data does not need to be manually replicated or synchronized between hosts, saving critical network bandwidth 
• On-the-fly scaling: storage capacity and thin-provisioned volumes can be expanded dynamically as application demands shift

Elevating private clouds from edge to data center

Together, LXD and MicroCloud lower the barrier to entry for building resilient private clouds, enabling full cluster deployments in just minutes. Adding native Dell PowerStore support ensures that these environments can confidently host data-intensive, mission-critical applications.

By combining automated storage tiering and compact high-density hardware with efficient system containers and virtual machines, enterprises can significantly shrink their physical data center footprint while maintaining predictable, enterprise-grade performance. With the addition of PowerStore, customers now have Dell’s flagship unified storage platform integrated natively with LXD, expanding choice while reinforcing performance, simplicity, and efficiency.

Compatibility and connection protocols

Dell PowerStore is supported in LXD versions 6.9 or above. 

The new PowerStore driver currently supports storage attachments via iSCSI and FibreChannel (FC), with support for the NVMe/TCP coming in the next release. Setting up a pool requires pre-configuring the PowerStore gateway and providing admin-level authentication credentials during the initial LXD storage configuration.

For full instructions, consult the documentation.