The new features in OpenShift Virtualization 4.17

OpenShift Virtualization enables seamless migration of virtual machine (VM)-based workloads to Red Hat OpenShift, offering a unified application platform while preserving existing virtualization investments. The latest OpenShift Virtualization 4.17 release introduces several enhancements designed to optimize performance, scale, and management capabilities.

Key Enhancements in OpenShift Virtualization 4.17

Performance and Scalability Improvements

• Safe Memory Overcommit for Higher Workload Density
  This feature enables VM memory to swap to disk during high resource demand on the hypervisor, allowing organizations to run more VMs on the same infrastructure. This leads to better resource utilization and return on investment.
• Memory Hotplug for Non-Disruptive Scaling
  Previously, OpenShift Virtualization supported CPU hotplug (introduced in version 4.16). Now, with memory hotplug, organizations can dynamically scale VM performance without downtime.
• Optimized Live Migration for High-Activity Workloads
  Moving critical workloads, such as databases, to OpenShift can be challenging. Enhanced live migration capabilities make it easier to migrate active workloads without disruptions, improving efficiency and flexibility.

Infrastructure Optimization

• Automated VM Workload Balancing
  A de-scheduler profile now enables intelligent workload redistribution based on cluster node utilization. When combined with eviction policies, this feature helps prevent resource imbalances, avoiding overuse or underuse of nodes while minimizing unnecessary live migrations.
• Improved Node Resource Utilization
  • VM Storage Live Migration between storage classes (available as a tech preview).
  • Enhanced Disaster Recovery:
    • Support for 4- and 5-node control plane architectures on bare metal clusters.
    • Greater resilience and recovery options for mission-critical clusters, such as hosted control planes or geographically distributed deployments.

Simplified VM Management

• • Dedicated Virtualization Admin Console
    A virtualization-focused UI delivers a cleaner, role-specific experience by removing unnecessary elements from the OpenShift admin console, making management more intuitive for VM administrators.
  • Streamlined Cluster Expansion
    Cluster expansion is now more consistent and user-friendly, supporting node additions without requiring BMC (Baseboard Management Controller) connectivity. This improvement benefits environments with bare metal, non-integrated clusters, and other deployment types.

• Enhanced VM Observability with ACM 2.12
  The latest Red Hat Advanced Cluster Management (ACM) 2.12 release introduces redesigned dashboards that offer:
  • Real-time monitoring of virtualization operator health, cluster performance, and VM inventories.
  • Search and filtering capabilities for efficient management.
  • In-depth VM metrics such as configuration details, resource consumption, and active alerts.

Enhanced Migration Capabilities

• Warm Migrations with Migration Toolkit for Virtualization (MTV) 2.7
  OpenShift users migrating VMs from other hypervisors can now perform warm migrations using MTV 2.7, reducing downtime by allowing critical workloads to remain operational during the pre-copy phase.

Customer Success Stories

NYU: Cost Efficiency and Operational Simplicity

New York University (NYU) leveraged OpenShift Virtualization to reduce infrastructure waste and operational costs. Their teams appreciated OpenShift’s user-friendly GUI and built-in monitoring stack, making VM management more intuitive.

Orange International Networks: Regulatory Compliance and Future-Proofing

Orange International Networks and Services adopted OpenShift Virtualization to enhance containerized application isolation for mobile communications, aligning with evolving regulatory requirements.

Tanobel: Cloud-Native Development with VM Compatibility

Tanobel benefits from cloud-native application development while still utilizing existing VM-based workloads, ensuring flexibility and business continuity.

Expert Guidance and Best Practices

Red Hat experts have compiled the OpenShift Virtualization Reference Implementation Guide, offering best practices for small, medium, and large deployments.

For an in-depth look at scaling VM workloads efficiently, explore our learning path: How to Create and Scale 6,000 Virtual Machines in 7 Hours with OpenShift Virtualization.

Expanding Ecosystem and Industry Collaboration

• • New Ecosystem Partnerships
    Red Hat continues expanding its partner network, ensuring robust support for OpenShift Virtualization. Recent collaborations include:

• • Veritas NetBackup, which enhances data security for containerized and virtualized workloads.
  • Rubrik provides a unified platform for data protection, automation, and backup across VMs.

Join Us at OpenShift Virtualization Events

Attend a Red Hat-hosted event to learn more about OpenShift Virtualization:

• Red Hat Summit Connect
• Red Hat User Groups (RHUG) Meetups
• OpenShift Virtualization Roadshow
• AWS Summit Connects (featuring OpenShift Service on AWS)

Conclusion

OpenShift Virtualization 4.17 enhances scalability, performance, and infrastructure optimization, providing organizations with the flexibility to migrate and manage VMs on OpenShift with ease. These new features empower businesses to modernize their virtualization strategies while maximizing efficiency and resource utilization.