Platform9 lets you deploy, run, manage and scale OpenStack private clouds using our SaaS based managed service. The deployment takes minutes – Platform9 spins up the OpenStack control plane in its SaaS layer and all you need to do is install an agent on the KVM host or run an appliance in the vSphere environment.

While the deployment is frictionless and completes in minutes, we want to make it even simpler for you to try out Platform9 before installing it in your environment. With that mind, we are very happy to announce a free OpenStack sandbox environment for you to explore!

You can get access to the sandbox by signing up at http://www.platform9.com

Upon login, you will be given a tenant role with a few built in Glance images and VM flavors. From there, you can easily spin up virtual machines, access the console and perform other day-2 operations like starting/shutting down or changing the configuration of the VMs. You can also execute most workflows in the UI. Since it is a sandbox environment, you may not be able to perform certain operations like adding a new host, creating new routers, or uploading new Glance images. We will be regularly adding features to the sandbox.

The sandbox is available for 4 hours after your first log in. If you want to spend more time playing with Platform9’s managed OpenStack infrastructure, you can always request a free trial at http://www.platform9.com/free-trial.

So start now by visiting http://www.platform9.com.

Happy exploring!