# Data Model

openstacksdk has a very strict policy on not breaking backwards compatibility ever. However, with the data structures returned from OpenStack, there are places where the resource structures from OpenStack are returned to the user somewhat directly, leaving an openstacksdk user open to changes/differences in result content.

To combat that, openstacksdk ‘normalizes’ the return structure from OpenStack in many places, and the results of that normalization are listed below. Where openstacksdk performs normalization, a user can count on any fields declared in the docs as being completely safe to use - they are as much a part of openstacksdk’s API contract as any other Python method.

Some OpenStack objects allow for arbitrary attributes at the root of the object. openstacksdk will pass those through so as not to break anyone who may be counting on them, but as they are arbitrary openstacksdk can make no guarantees as to their existence. As part of normalization, openstacksdk will put any attribute from an OpenStack resource that is not in its data model contract into an attribute called ‘properties’. The contents of properties are defined to be an arbitrary collection of key value pairs with no promises as to any particular key ever existing.

If a user passes `strict=True` to the openstacksdk constructor, openstacksdk will not pass through arbitrary objects to the root of the resource, and will instead only put them in the properties dict. If a user is worried about accidentally writing code that depends on an attribute that is not part of the API contract, this can be a useful tool. Keep in mind all data can still be accessed via the properties dict, but any code touching anything in the properties dict should be aware that the keys found there are highly user/cloud specific. Any key that is transformed as part of the openstacksdk data model contract will not wind up with an entry in properties - only keys that are unknown.

## The `location` field

A Location defines where a resource lives. It includes a cloud name and a region name, an availability zone as well as information about the project that owns the resource.

The project information may contain a project ID, or a combination of one or more of a project name with a domain name or ID. If a project ID is present, it should be considered correct.

Some resources do not carry ownership information with them. For those, the project information will be filled in from the project the user currently has a token for.

Some resources do not have information about availability zones, or may exist region wide. Those resources will have None as their availability zone.

    Location = dict(
        cloud=str(),
        region_name=str(),
        zone=str() or None,
        project=dict(
            id=str() or None,
            name=str() or None,
            domain_id=str() or None,
            domain_name=str() or None,
        )
    )

this page last updated: 2026-01-16 23:06:19

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