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Frequently Asked Questions

What does SCS stand for?​

Sovereign Cloud Stack (SCS) is a European initiative that creates an open, transparent and vendor-neutral cloud ecosystem that guarantees sovereignty. The focus is on cloud technology with real freedom of choice: interoperable and cloud-native.

Who is SCS intended for?​

SCS is a Software Stack to power data centers of different scale. It empowers public or private cloud service providers to offer resources to their endusers.

Who or what is behind SCS?​

The SCS Project is an Open-Source project that is backed by numerous companies and supporting entities. The SCS Community is governed by the project board. The Standardization and Certification is governed by the Forum SCS-Standards hosted by the Open Source Business Alliance e.V.

Why is there a need for a standardized cloud environment?​

A standardized environment promotes interoperability, reduces vendor lock-in, and facilitates smoother transitions between providers. It gives individuals, companies and public institutions the freedom of choice.

Where can I find the SCS standards?​

The SCS standards are available on the standards pages within our documentation page. Find them here

How is the SCS different from other cloud environments (e.g. AWS, Azure,...)?​

Unlike proprietary clouds, SCS emphasizes standardization, ensuring interoperability and reduced dependency on one provider.

My company already has a cloud environment. Can we still use the SCS?​

Yes, SCS can complement existing environments, enhancing standardization and interoperability.

What does reference implementation mean?​

Reference implementation is a concrete example or blueprint of how the SCS standards can be implemented.

Do I need to use the reference implementation to be SCS compliant?​

No, while the reference implementation is a guide, compliance requires adhering to SCS standards, not the exact blueprint of the reference implementation. Check the standards page on how to be SCS-compatible. There are numerous ways to implement SCS-compliant cloud environments.

Do I have to use all layers of the reference implementation (IaaS, KaaS)?​

No, you can choose layers based on your needs and still be SCS compliant.

What does IaaS mean?​

IaaS stands for Infrastructure as a Service, providing virtualized computing resources over the internet.

How is the IaaS layer structured?​

IaaS typically comprises virtual machines, storage, and network resources, all offered as scalable services. Find the architecture here

What does KaaS mean?​

KaaS refers to Kubernetes as a Service, where providers offer Kubernetes Clusters that are provisioned in an automated fashion.

I want to try out the SCS! Where do I start?​

As a user:

  • Existing SCS Clouds: Explore and test on any of the cloud providers offering SCS. Choose one from here

As a Cloud Service Provider:

I want to use an SCS Cloud! How do I get started?​

As a user:

As a Cloud Service Provider:

I want to use the SCS in my company and build my own cloud! Where do I start?​

Start by understanding SCS standards and then move on to the reference implementation. Link to guide.

I have a technical problem. Where can I find help?​

Refer to our support section or check our community channels for assistance. Link to community.