VirtEngine

VirtEngine describes itself as an open market for infrastructure and services, where buyers order from providers they choose, invite providers to compete, or describe what they need and are matched with a provider. The company says the protocol behind the market is still in development, and that identity, escrow and settlement are recorded as verifiable protocol state.

Three ways to buy

A direct order lets a buyer choose an exact listing when the provider or plan is already known, with availability confirmed and no bidding required. An open bid lets providers compete for a workload inside a fixed bidding window. A selector route lets a buyer describe the outcome they need, including requirements such as capability, region or a price limit, and the market matches the order to suitable providers. The three methods differ mainly in who chooses the provider.

Provider records

Each provider carries a record built from several verifiable parts. Identity evidence is optional and can be disclosed for a particular offer. Attributes such as region, hardware and claimed tier are filtered when orders are matched. Audits are auditor-signed claims rather than self-assertions, and benchmarks are measured results that show whether hardware matches its class. Reviews are tied to leases, so a rating reflects a service that was actually delivered.

One lease for every match

Every successful match becomes the same lease, whichever route produced it. The steps run from order and matching through the lease, usage and settlement to review, and each step is recorded as protocol state rather than as a private arrangement between two companies. Settlement follows the service that was recorded, and escrow and dispute handling sit within the same flow.

Services that can be listed

The market covers infrastructure as a service, with compute, storage and networking on demand, as well as platform as a service for managed platforms and software as a service sold as plans with seats, licences and support. It also accepts listings for any offering a provider can put into words, whether consultancy, scripted provisioning or tailored bundles. VirtEngine presents the marketplace as one catalogue for every service model, and says it is not itself a cloud but a market that independent infrastructure can join.

VirtEngine began as an open source cloud management platform that let providers run their own public cloud and sell servers. Its current site describes an open marketplace where buyers and providers trade infrastructure and services, and the protocol is still in development.

What VirtEngine does

• Direct orders: buyers choose a specific provider listing.
• Open bids: providers compete to run a workload.
• Selector matching: buyers describe requirements and are matched.
• Verifiable provider records: identity, audited claims, benchmarks and lease-bound reviews.
• Cloud management: earlier materials cover virtual machines, storage, applications and billing integration.

Who it serves

Buyers of cloud infrastructure and the providers who supply it, including those wanting to manage OpenStack or public cloud accounts.

Key facts

• Stage: protocol in development
• Heritage: open source edition available