Kinetic Open Storage Project
Kinetic Open Storage Project is an open storage architecture and Application Programming Interface (API) for Ethernet-connected key/value drives that offload object storage functionality directly onto storage devices.
- Defines an Ethernet-based key/value drive interface for object storage offload (storage architecture).
- Provides an open protocol and programming model for accessing Kinetic drives without a traditional block layer (storage protocol/API).
- Targets scale-out storage environments using commodity hardware and Ethernet-attached drives (scale-out storage infrastructure).
- Enables applications and storage systems to interact directly with drives using keys and values instead of file or block abstractions (data access model).
- Operates under The Linux Foundation as an open community project for Kinetic drive specifications and related tooling (open governance/standards).
More About Kinetic Open Storage Project
The Kinetic Open Storage Project defines an open storage (storage architecture) approach in which Ethernet-connected hard drives expose a key/value interface directly to applications and storage systems. Instead of accessing drives through traditional block protocols, the project specifies how drives can present an object-like API so that storage logic such as data placement, replication, and metadata management can be implemented outside the drive while basic object operations occur on the drive itself.
The project centers on the Kinetic protocol (storage protocol/API), which describes how clients communicate with Kinetic drives over Ethernet using a key/value model. The protocol covers operations such as put, get, and delete for values identified by keys, as well as mechanisms for authentication and basic configuration. By standardizing this protocol, the project aims to allow compatible drives and software clients from different vendors to interoperate within the same storage ecosystem.
From an enterprise perspective, Kinetic Open Storage Project fits into scale-out object storage (storage infrastructure) and distributed data store architectures. Data services such as erasure coding, replication policies, and multi-tenant metadata catalogs can run in host-based software or storage controllers, while Kinetic drives provide the persistence layer with direct Ethernet connectivity. This model can be used to build storage clusters using high-density drive enclosures connected via standard data center networks.
The project documentation and specifications describe the on-drive key/value store (data access model), communication format, and error handling behavior so that clients can reliably manage data lifecycles across large numbers of drives. The Ethernet interface (networked storage) enables topologies where drives reside in enclosures or racks directly attached to the network fabric, bypassing some traditional storage array components. This aligns Kinetic with other Ethernet-focused data center architectures that rely on IP networking as the primary interconnect for storage traffic.
Within a technical directory or taxonomy, Kinetic Open Storage Project can be categorized under open storage architectures, object and key/value storage protocols, and Ethernet-attached drive technologies. It is relevant to storage system developers, platform engineers, and architects designing custom object storage platforms, hyperscale infrastructures, or research environments that explore host-managed storage using programmable, networked drives based on a standardized key/value interface.