Get started
with Red Hat OpenShift Virtualization
Contents
Introduction
Get started with common use cases
Task 1: Provision virtual machines by instance type
Task 2: Provision virtual machines using templates
Task 3: Update virtual machine configurations
Task 4: Create and manage snapshots
Task 5: Live migrate virtual machines
Task 6: Administer storage resources
Task 7: Configure network nodes
Task 8: Connect virtual machines to networks
Task 9: Set up secondary networks
Task 10: Back up and recover virtual machines
Task 11: Update and upgrade a cluster
Task 12: Add new physical hosts
Task 13: Observe and manage virtual machines
Resources and information
2
Introduction | Get started with common use cases | Resources and information
Introduction
Migrate and manage your virtual machines
and containers on a single, unified platform.
Virtualization platforms are core components of modern IT environments. By abstracting hardware resources,
virtualization technologies can increase scalability and flexibility across hybrid, multicloud, and edge environments.
With capabilities that speed and simplify virtual machine (VM) provisioning and management, virtualization
platforms can help you optimize infrastructure, streamline operations, and adopt new technologies and services.
With Red Hat® OpenShift® Virtualization, you can deploy and manage VMs at scale and with security across
hybrid, multicloud, and edge environments. As the foundation for OpenShift Virtualization, Red Hat OpenShift
lets you run both VMs and containers on a single, unified, enterprise-ready application platform. Included in Red
Hat Enterprise Linux® CoreOS, the Kernel-based Virtual Machine (KVM) is the underlying security-focused,
high-performance, open source hypervisor.
Maximize existing investments while
adopting cloud-native innovation
OpenShift Virtualization can help you maximize your
existing virtualization investments while taking advantage
of cloud-native architectures, streamlined operations,
and new development approaches.
Read 15 reasons to adopt Red Hat OpenShift Virtualization.
1
Introduction | Get started with common use cases | Resources and information
OpenShift Virtualization provides the capabilities needed to manage complete VMs lifecycles.
► Create and manage both Linux and Microsoft
Windows VMs from a single interface.
► Import and clone existing VMs from other
Red Hat OpenShift
virtualization platforms.
key concepts
► Live migrate VMs using configurable policies, metrics, This e-book provides guidance on
and traffic encryption. using OpenShift Virtualization. It’s
important to understand a few key
► Manage attached network interface controllers and concepts before getting started:
storage disks.
► Nodes are physical servers
► Back up VMs on demand or on fixed schedules, in private datacenters or public
manage saved images, and restore workloads quickly. cloud environments.
► Administer VMs on physical servers in private ► Clusters are sets of nodes that
datacenters and public cloud environments. are managed together through
a control plane.
► Provision and manage VMs with graphical web
consoles or command line interfaces (CLIs). ► Namespaces provide a mechanism
for isolating groups of resources
within a cluster, allowing you to divide
► Automate many common virtualization tasks
resources between multiple users.
with advanced capabilities in Red Hat Ansible®
Automation Platform and modern practices like
GitOps and Infrastructure-as-Code (IaC).
What you will learn in this e-book
This e-book describes many of the common tasks that you can perform with OpenShift Virtualization.
We provide step-by-step guidance for using OpenShift Virtualization to provision, configure, manage,
and migrate VMs and related resources.
2
Introduction | Get started with common use cases | Resources and information
Get started with
common use cases
The following sections describe how to accomplish common tasks using OpenShift Virtualization. Each section
includes step-by-step instructions and screenshots of the unified interface to help you get started.
Streamline tasks and workflows with automation
You can automate the uses cases described in this e-book with Ansible Automation Platform. Start common
virtualization tasks as part of scheduled activities, initiate them via events or IT service management (ITSM)
requests, or include them as part of larger orchestrated service delivery workflows. And with precomposed
automation content available in Red Hat Ansible Certified Content collections, you can start automating your
virtualization tasks and workflows in less time.
Task 1:
Provision virtual machines
by instance type
In some cases, users need more customization options when provisioning VMs. With instance types, you can
offer a predefined selection of operating system images, workload types, and hardware requirements. Users can
self-provision VMs from this selection based on their workload requirements, including processor, memory, and
operating system. Follow these steps to provision VMs using instance types in the web console.
3
Introduction | Get started with common use cases | Resources and information
1. Navigate to Virtualization > Catalog in the left menu bar.
2. Select the InstanceTypes tab.
3. Click an InstanceType tile and select the appropriate resource size for your workload, then click Create
VirtualMachine at the bottom of the frame.
4. Navigate to Virtualization > VirtualMachines in the left menu bar to view the status of the newly provisioned
VM.
4
Introduction | Get started with common use cases | Resources and information
Task 2:
Provision virtual machines
using templates
Templates are a simple way to provision VMs. OpenShift Virtualization includes predefined templates for many
common operating systems and hardware configurations. For example, templates are included for both Linux and
Microsoft Windows VMs. You can also define and customize templates based on your organization’s workloads and
infrastructure. And in internet-connected clusters, you can automatically download default base images for VMs to
simplify template management.
OpenShift Virtualization includes capabilities to help you manage provisioning across your organization. Role-
based access control (RBAC) mechanisms regulate access to templates, allowing users to self-provision VMs
from curated catalogs and in compliance with corporate policies. By defining validation rules in templates, you can
allow users to customize VMs within defined limits. And hooks that connect OpenShift Virtualization to external
tools—including Ansible Automation Platform and ServiceNow—let you create advanced workflows to streamline
VM provisioning.
Follow these steps to provision VMs using default or customized templates in the web console.
Provision a virtual machine using default templates
1. Navigate to Virtualization > Catalog in the left menu bar.
2. Click a template tile to view the VM details.
5
Introduction | Get started with common use cases | Resources and information
3. Click Quick create VirtualMachine to create a VM based on the default template settings.
4. Navigate to Virtualization > VirtualMachines in the left menu bar to view the status of the newly provisioned
VM.
Provision a virtual machine using customized templates
1. Navigate to Virtualization > Catalog in the left menu bar.
2. Click a template tile to view the VM details.
6
Introduction | Get started with common use cases | Resources and information
3. Click Customize VirtualMachine to edit the VM settings.
4. Expand the Storage and Optional parameters sections to modify related VM settings,
then click Next at the bottom of the frame.
7
Introduction | Get started with common use cases | Resources and information
5. Customize VM settings in the Overview, Scheduling, Environment, Network interfaces, Disks, Scripts, and
Metadata tabs and click Create VirtualMachine.
For example, you can customize the number of processor cores and amount of memory, change connected
networks, add additional disks, and include configuration scripts.
6. Navigate to Virtualization > VirtualMachines in the left menu bar to view the status of the newly provisioned
VM.
8
Introduction | Get started with common use cases | Resources and information
Task 3:
Update virtual machine configurations
As workload demands change, you may need to update the configurations of running VMs. You can change a
selection of configuration options using the OpenShift Virtualization web console.
Follow these steps to reconfigure existing VMs in the web console.
1. Navigate to Virtualization > VirtualMachines in the left menu bar.
2. Select a VM to view the VirtualMachine details page.
9
Introduction | Get started with common use cases | Resources and information
3. Select the Configuration tab and edit the VM settings in the Scheduling, Environment, Network interfaces,
Disks, and Scripts subtabs
Some changes require a restart of the VM. The web
console notifies you if a restart is needed.
10
Introduction | Get started with common use cases | Resources and information
Task 4:
Create and manage snapshots
Snapshots capture VM state and data at a specific point in time. If you encounter an issue when configuring
or updating your infrastructure, you can use snapshots to restore VMs to a known state. And in the event of a
security incident, snapshots let you preserve VMs state for further investigation.
OpenShift Virtualization contains features that simplify snapshot management across your environment:
► Create new snapshots.
► Create copies of VMs from snapshots.
► List all snapshots attached to a specific VM.
► Restore VMs from snapshots.
► Delete existing snapshots.
OpenShift Virtualization lets you create snapshots of both running and stopped VMs. If a VM is running,
OpenShift Virtualization waits for data to be written to disk before taking the snapshot. The platform uses
mechanisms in the backing storage to snapshot VM data for efficient operation.
Follow these steps to create and restore VM snapshots in the web console.
Create a virtual machine snapshot
1. Navigate to Virtualization > VirtualMachines in the left menu bar.
2. Select a virtual machine to view the VirtualMachine details page.
11
Introduction | Get started with common use cases | Resources and information
3. Select the Snapshots tab and click Take Snapshot.
4. Enter the snapshot name in the Name field and click Save at the bottom of the frame.
5. Select the Snapshots tab to view the snapshot status.
Restore a virtual machine snapshot
1. Navigate to Virtualization > VirtualMachines in the left menu bar.
2. Select a VM to view the VirtualMachine details page.
12
Introduction | Get started with common use cases | Resources and information
3. If the VM is running, click the Actions menu and select Stop.
4. Select the Snapshots tab to view a list of snapshots for this VM.
5. Select Restore from the options menu for the desired snapshot, then click Restore in the pop-up menu.
13
Introduction | Get started with common use cases | Resources and information
6. Select the Snapshots tab to view the snapshot status.
7. Click the Actions menu and select Start to restart the VM.
Task 5:
Live migrate virtual machines
Live migration lets you move VMs to different nodes in the cluster without interrupting running workloads.
OpenShift Virtualization contains features that speed and simplify VM migrations across your environment:
► Initiate and cancel live migrations.
► Configure live migration settings, including limits and timeouts.
► Customize migration configurations with live migration policies.
► Monitor the progress of all live migrations.
► View and analyze VM migration metrics.
Follow these steps to live migrate running VMs in the web console.
1. Navigate to Virtualization > VirtualMachines in the left menu bar.
14
Introduction | Get started with common use cases | Resources and information
2. Select Migrate from the options menu for the desired VM.
3. Navigate to Virtualization > VirtualMachines in the left menu bar to view the status of the migrated
VM.
Migrate virtual machines between clusters
Included with Red Hat OpenShift, the migration toolkit for virtualization lets you migrate VMs
between clusters—and to OpenShift Virtualization from other platforms—at scale. Define a migration
plan through the web console or CLI, and the toolkit manages the entire migration, including data
copy and VM management tasks. Warm migration capabilities help minimize potential downtime
when migrating VMs between clusters.
Read the blog to learn more about this toolkit.
15
Introduction | Get started with common use cases | Resources and information
Task 6:
Administer storage resources
OpenShift Virtualization uses Kubernetes objects—including storage classes, persistent volume claims (PVCs),
and persistent volumes (PVs)—to manage storage resources for VMs. Storage classes describe and classify
available storage resources. Cluster and storage administrators create StorageClass objects and include
information like quality-of-service levels, backup policies, and organization-specific guidelines. Users can request
resources without detailed knowledge of underlying storage volumes via StorageClass object names.
Red Hat OpenShift Virtualization
Virtual machines Containers
StorageClass Bind mount
Type: Block, file, or object
Persistent volumes and claims (PVs and PVCs)
Request: Block, 10GB, read-write many
Container Storage Interface (CSI)
Kubernetes driver
Persistent volume
Vendor storage
Type: iSCSI, NFS, FC, etc.*
Logical unit number (LUN)
16
Introduction | Get started with common use cases | Resources and information
Navigate to Storage > StorageClasses in the left menu bar to view all available StorageClasses for your cluster.
PVCs are requests for storage resources of specific classes, capacities, and access modes. Using the Container
Storage Interface (CSI), storage devices receive PVCs, allocate storage as PVs, and bind the PVs to the PVCs.
VMs are assigned PVCs, providing access to PVs and underlying storage devices. With OpenShift Virtualization,
storage layers manage capacity and migrate data between storage pools. Storage administrators do not need to
perform live storage migration activities within storage classes.
Follow these steps to create a persistent volume claim in the web console.
1. Navigate to Storage > PersistentVolumeClaims in the left menu bar.
2. Click Create PersistentVolumeClaim and select With Form.
17
Introduction | Get started with common use cases | Resources and information
3. Customize the PVC settings and click Create to provision the PVC.
4. Navigate to Storage > PersistentVolumeClaims in the left menu bar to view the status of all PVCs
and bound PVs.
Migrate data between storage classes
Included with Red Hat OpenShift, the migration toolkit for containers lets you migrate data
between storage classes. Define a migration plan and the toolkit performs a warm migration,
including copying data and managing persistent volume claims.
Learn more about this toolkit.
18
Introduction | Get started with common use cases | Resources and information
Task 7:
Configure network nodes
OpenShift Virtualization lets you define state-driven network configurations across entire clusters. Describe the
requested network configuration—including interface types, domain name system (DNS), and routing—for nodes
in the cluster using a node network configuration policy. Using the Kubernetes NMState Operator, OpenShift
Virtualization monitors and updates each node’s network configuration to ensure compliance with the policy.
Follow these steps to create a node network configuration policy in the web console.
1. Navigate to Networking > NodeNetworkConfigurationPolicy in the left menu bar.
2. Click Create and select From Form.
3. Enter the policy name in the Policy name field, and optionally add a description in the Description field.
19
Introduction | Get started with common use cases | Resources and information
By default, configurations are applied to all nodes. Use the Node Selector check box at the top of the form to
apply policies to a subset of nodes.
4. Define policy interfaces, including the required Interface name, Network state, and Type fields. Set optional
fields as necessary. Click Create to complete policy creation.
20
Introduction | Get started with common use cases | Resources and information
Task 8:
Connect virtual machines to networks
Network attachment definitions let you connect VMs to virtual local area networks (VLANs) across your cluster.
Because network attachment definitions are managed namespaces, you can control the VMs connected to any
VLAN. Using namespaces, you can create a common network that all users can access while prohibiting users
from placing VMs on unauthorized networks.
Follow these steps to connect a VM to a VLAN in the web console.
1. Navigate to Networking > NetworkAttachmentDefinitions in the left menu bar.
2. Click Create Network Attachment Definition.
3. Enter a unique name and optional description for the network attachment definition. Select CNV Linux
bridge from the Network Type list and enter the bridge name in the Bridge name field. Set optional fields as
necessary and click Create at the bottom of the frame to create the network attachment definition.
4. Provision a virtual machine (Task 1). Under the Network interfaces tab, select the newly created network
attachment definition.
21
Introduction | Get started with common use cases | Resources and information
Task 9:
Set up secondary networks
OpenShift Virtualization also lets you connect VMs to Open Virtual Network (OVN)-Kubernetes secondary
networks. Support for layer 2 topologies allows you to connect VMs on different nodes via a cluster-wide logical
switch, without configuring any additional physical networking infrastructure. Using a localnet topology, you can
connect secondary networks to physical underlays to support east-west cluster traffic and access to services
outside the cluster.
The process for setting up and connecting VMs to a secondary network largely follows the same steps as
configuring a VLAN (Task 8). Follow these steps to set up and connect VMs to a secondary network in the web
console.
1. Navigate to Networking > NetworkAttachmentDefinitions in the left menu bar.
2. Click Create Network Attachment Definition.
3. Enter a unique name and optional description for the network attachment definition.
4. Select OVN Kubernetes L2 overlay network from the Network Type list and click Create to create the
network attachment definition.
5. Connect VMs to the newly created network by updating their configurations (Task 3). Under the Network
interfaces tab, select the newly created network attachment definition.
22
Introduction | Get started with common use cases | Resources and information
Task 10:
Back up and recover virtual machines
OpenShift Virtualization supports data protection operations—including on-demand backup, scheduled backup,
and restore. With these operations, you can save VM state and data to storage resources in a private datacenter
or public cloud environment outside of your cluster. In the event of a failure or scheduled maintenance, you can
quickly restore your entire cluster.
Follow these steps to back up and restore VMs in the web console.
Configure OpenShift APIs for Data Protection
Part of Red Hat OpenShift, OpenShift APIs for Data Protection (OADP) is an operator that offers
comprehensive disaster recovery protection. Created and supported by Red Hat, OADP backs up and restores
VMs—including any PVCs and metadata objects like VM definitions—and Kubernetes ConfigMaps and Secrets.
DataProtectionApplication custom resources define OADP configurations, allowing you to specify backup and
snapshot locations along with their secrets using YAML.
Here is an example OADP configuration:
spec:
backupLocations:
- velero
config:
profile: default
region: localstorage
s3ForcePathStyle: ‘true’
s3Url: ‘http://s3.openshift-storage.svc’
credential:
key: cloud
name: cloud-credentials
default: true
objectStorage:
bucket: backups-0bc357d1-31db-4453-b54e-9c4bde5a98c8
prefix: velero
provider: aws
23
Introduction | Get started with common use cases | Resources and information
configuration:
velero:
Explore an ecosystem of solutions
defaultPlugins:
- csi Our certified partner ecosystem includes many third-party
- openshift products for data storage, backup, and restoration. Using
- aws the Red Hat OpenShift Operator Framework, OpenShift
- kubevirt Virtualization lets you perform backup and recovery operations
featureFlags: using many of these products directly from the web console.
- EnableCSI
Find partner solutions in the Red Hat Ecosystem Catalog.
Create a virtual machine backup
1. Create a backup custom resource using YAML that defines the namespaces and VMs included in the back up.
apiVersion: velero.io/v1
kind: Backup
metadata:
name: backup-fedora02
labels:
velero.io/storage-location: default
namespace: openshift-adp
spec:
hooks: {}
orLabelSelectors:
- matchLabels:
app: fedora02
- matchLabels:
vm.kubevirt.io/name: fedora02
includedNamespaces:
- vmexamples
storageLocation: oadp-dpa-1
ttl: 720h0m0s
2. Navigate to Operators > Installed Operators in the left menu bar.
3. Select OADP Operator from the list.
24
Introduction | Get started with common use cases | Resources and information
4. Select the Backup tab and click Create Backup.
5. Select YAML view, copy the backup custom resource into the window, and click Create.
6. Select the Backup tab of the OADP Operator to view the status of the backup operation.
25
Introduction | Get started with common use cases | Resources and information
Restore a virtual machine from a backup
1. Create a backup custom resource using YAML that defines the backup and resources to restore.
apiVersion: velero.io/v1
kind: Restore
metadata:
name: restore-fedora02
namespace: openshift-adp
spec:
backupName: backup-fedora02
includedResources: []
excludedResources:
- nodes
- events
- events.events.k8s.io
- backups.velero.io
- restores.velero.io
restorePVs: true
2. Navigate to Operators > Installed Operators in the left menu bar.
3. Select OADP Operator from the list.
4. Select the Restore tab and click Create Restore.
5. Select YAML view, copy the backup custom resource into the window, and click Create.
6. Select the Restore tab of the OADP Operator to view the status of the restore operation.
26
Introduction | Get started with common use cases | Resources and information
Task 11:
Update and upgrade a cluster
With OpenShift Virtualization, you can update an entire Red Hat OpenShift cluster with a single operation.
Follow these steps to perform an upgrade of your cluster in the web console.
1. Navigate to Administration > Cluster Settings in the left menu bar.
2. Select the Details tab, and then click Select a version.
3. Choose a Red Hat OpenShift version in the Select new version menu, and click Update.
27
Introduction | Get started with common use cases | Resources and information
Task 12:
Add new physical hosts
OpenShift Virtualization uses the Bare Metal Operator to perform cluster level capacity management.
With this operator, you can manage physical hosts directly in the web console:
► Provision bare-metal hosts to clusters with specific images.
► Format host disk contents before provisioning or after deprovisioning.
► Turn a host on or off.
► Change firmware settings.
► View host hardware details.
Follow these steps to provision new physical hosts. Sample YAML code for steps 1 and 2 can be found
in the Red Hat OpenShift documentation.
1. Create a BareMetalHost custom resource using YAML that defines the new host.
2. Create a Secret custom resource using YAML that defines the username and password of the new host.
3. Create the bare-metal host object:
$ oc create -f bmh.yaml
4. Verify that the provisioning state of the host is provisioned:
$ oc get bmh -A
5. Get the list of pending certificate signing requests (CSRs):
$ oc get csr
6. Approve the CSR:
$ oc adm certificate approve <csr_name>
28
Introduction | Get started with common use cases | Resources and information
Task 13:
Observe and manage virtual machines
OpenShift Virtualization lets you observe and manage your VMs from a single console:
► Get a comprehensive overview of your entire virtualization footprint.
► Analyze VM resource use graphically over time.
► Monitor streaming alerts.
► Access the VM console directly.
► Review snapshot history.
► Check the status and condition of various resources, including VMs, DataVolumes, and snapshots.
► Access the Guest log system.
► View VM configurations as a web form or in YAML format.
Follow these steps to observe and manage VMs in the web console.
1. In the top left corner, click the Administrator menu and select Virtualization.
29
Introduction | Get started with common use cases | Resources and information
2. View the complete virtualization footprint in the main window.
30
Introduction | Get started with common use cases | Resources and information
3. Select the Top consumers tab to view the 5 VMs using the most resources across types—including central
processing units (CPU), memory, and storage throughput.
4. Navigate to VirtualMachines in the left menu bar to view details of individual VMs. Use the Filter menu to
narrow the list by name, label, IP address, or VM status—including migrating, paused, provisioning, running,
started, or stopped.
31
Introduction | Get started with common use cases | Resources and information
5. Select a VM to view details including status, creation time, operating system, and CPU, memory, storage, and
network transfer utilization.
32
Introduction | Get started with common use cases | Resources and information
6. Click the Actions menu to manage the VM. You can stop, restart, pause, clone, migrate,
and take a snapshot of the selected VM.
33
Resources and information
Red Hat offers many resources to help you progress quickly on your virtualization and migration journey.
Try OpenShift Virtualization Watch a demonstration video
Access a free trial of Red Hat OpenShift Check out a demo of some of the capabilities
Container Platform, in the cloud, on your of OpenShift Virtualization and how it can
computer, or in your datacenter. work with your modernization strategy.
Try it for free Watch the video
Participate in a workshop Learn about disaster recovery
Learn about OpenShift Virtualization from See how to fail over a Microsoft Windows Server
Red Hat experts in a half-day, in-person 2022 VM running on OpenShift Virtualization with
workshop and tailored, hands-on lab. a single click.
Register for events Watch the demo
See success in action Read product documentation
Learn how the University of Gothenburg Find documentation for OpenShift Virtualization,
containerized its existing applications more including release notes, installation guides, and
easily with OpenShift Virtualization. operational information.
Read the case study Read documentation
Copyright © 2024 Red Hat, Inc. Red Hat, the Red Hat logo, Ansible, and OpenShift are trademarks or registered trademarks of Red Hat, Inc.
or its subsidiaries in the United States and other countries. Linux® is the registered trademark of Linus Torvalds in the U.S. and other countries.
All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
1124_KVM
