--- title: Configuring Keystone in OpenStack (Essex) description: Keystone is an identity service written in Python that provides a pluggable back end, designed to support various protocols for authentication and authorisation (Basic Auth, OAuth, and OpenID, to give a few examples). Simply put, it allows clients to obtain security tokens to access different cloud services. Keystone was spawned from the […] url: https://canonical.com/blog/configuring-keystone-in-openstack-essex?format=md --- 1. [Blog](https://canonical.com/blog) 2. Article --- [Canonical](https://canonical.com/blog/author/canonical "More about Canonical") 16 April 2012 # Configuring Keystone in OpenStack (Essex) [OpenStack](https://canonical.com/blog/tag/openstack) --- Share the article Keystone is an identity service written in Python that provides a pluggable back end, designed to support various protocols for authentication and authorisation (Basic Auth, OAuth, and OpenID, to give a few examples). Simply put, it allows clients to obtain security tokens to access different cloud services. Keystone was spawned from the OpenStack project and is designed to work with the OpenStack API. The following tutorial is a brief walk-through the configuration of Keystone, based on the Essex-4 OpenStack release in Ubuntu 12.04. There were major changes made to Keystone during Essex-3 and Essex-4, so be sure you’re using the latest Essex-4 code. It is important to familiarise yourself with a few key concepts before continuing with the tutorial. Throughout the tutorial, it is assumed we have three hosts, each with a separate IP address. The first host will be running the nova-api, the second host will consist of MySQL/Glance/Keystone and the third host will be referenced as a swift endpoint. ## Sign up for our newsletter Get the latest Canonical news and updates in your inbox. Work email: \*I agree to receive information about Canonical's products and services. By submitting this form, I confirm that I have read and agree to [Canonical's Privacy Policy](https://canonical.com/legal/dataprivacy). Sign up ## Share on --- ## Related posts [### How to set up a micro lab: four principles for a reliable homelab](https://canonical.com/blog/how-to-set-up-a-reliable-homelab) After over a decade of running a homelab, I have learned a few difficult lessons. Although it begins as a “lab,” you inevitably end up with something you want to keep. If a... [Jake Nabasny](https://canonical.com/blog/author/slapcat) 17 March 2026 [### OpenStack cloud – happy 15th anniversary!](https://canonical.com/blog/openstack-cloud-happy-15th-anniversary) Happy birthday, OpenStack! It’s astonishing how fast time flies – fifteen years already. Yet, here we are: OpenStack cloud still stands as a de facto standard for open source... [Tytus Kurek](https://canonical.com/blog/author/tkurek) 7 October 2025 [### Join Canonical at the first-ever African OpenInfra Days](https://canonical.com/blog/join-canonical-at-the-first-ever-african-openinfra-days) For the second time, and in less than one month, Canonical is coming to East Africa! Three weeks ago, we had the first-ever UbuCon Africa, which was co-located with DjangoCon... [Sharon Koech](https://canonical.com/blog/author/skoech) 2 September 2025 [### OpenStack PoC? No problem!](https://canonical.com/blog/openstack-poc) Setting up a proof of concept (PoC) environment is often one of the first steps in any IT project. It helps organizations to get to grips with the technology, validate the... [Tytus Kurek](https://canonical.com/blog/author/tkurek) 2 September 2025