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OpenShift Virtualization on Red Hat OpenShift Service on AWS (ROSA) is a fascinating topic that deserves a closer look. Rooted in the upstream open-source project KubeVirt, OpenShift Virtualization has been around for a few years and has sparked many questions. I initially found myself puzzled, pondering: “What is the purpose of this technology?” “Why would a virtualization administrator abandon a familiar hypervisor for a Kubernetes solution?” “Is AWS really the right environment for this? Wouldn’t Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud (EC2) suffice?” “And if we’re moving away from virtual machines (VMs), why even consider them?” For a long time, I concluded that KubeVirt simply wasn’t for me.
However, time has passed, and I’m revisiting this topic to see if my perspective has shifted. In this blog post, we will delve into the functionality of OpenShift Virtualization, its target audience, and some practical use cases on AWS.
What is OpenShift Virtualization?
OpenShift Virtualization enables users to create VMs and run them on virtual hosts. Each VM operates with a complete operating system, virtual disk storage, and networking capabilities. The key distinction is that it functions atop Kubernetes, specifically OpenShift, as its container orchestrator. This raises some intriguing questions about the relationship between VMs and containers. Are we using VMs, containers, or both? (VMs on containers running on VMs on AWS?) We’ll clarify this as we progress through the blog. OpenShift Virtualization is included as an Operator from the OperatorHub and, best of all, it’s FREE—there are no hidden licensing or subscription fees.
Who is this for? How does it fit into a modernization strategy?
This is where it gets interesting. OpenShift Virtualization isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution for enterprise virtualization. It’s tailored for those who have embraced a modernization strategy, leveraging microservices and Kubernetes, yet still have workloads that aren’t ready for a container migration.
Several factors drive this need, such as Commercial Off The Shelf (COTS) applications that users can’t modify, legacy workloads that may not be prioritized for modernization, or those that pose a high risk if disrupted. Developers can utilize OpenShift to modernize applications while managing VM workloads without incurring extra licensing costs. For customers who have already invested in OpenShift, exploring workload consolidation through OpenShift Virtualization can significantly reduce expenses related to existing virtualization setups.
Moreover, OpenShift Virtualization facilitates portability. Customers migrating to the cloud can seamlessly transition both container and VM workloads to OpenShift on AWS, offering a streamlined pathway to cloud adoption. As managed OpenShift gains traction, OpenShift Virtualization on ROSA becomes an appealing option to consider.
Installing OpenShift Virtualization Operator
Step 1: Access the OpenShift web console, go to Operators, OperatorHub, and search for OpenShift Virtualization.
Step 2: Select the OpenShift Virtualization Operator and click the Install button.
For this blog, I opted for the default settings, including automatic updates. Once the Operator is installed, you’ll need to create a HyperConverged infrastructure.
Step 3: Click on “Create HyperConverged.”
After installation, a new virtualization tab will appear in the OpenShift web console, allowing for VM workload management.
Adding Another Machine Pool with Bare Metal Nodes
This step occurs post-ROSA cluster provisioning. Using the Red Hat Hybrid Cloud Console, select the ROSA cluster, navigate to Machine pools, and click “Add machine pool.” We’ll add a general-purpose M7.metal instance in each Availability Zone (AZ).
Typically, customers use some form of attached storage for their virtual servers, which usually includes multiple disks with replication for resilience. On AWS, this translates to multiple compute nodes in different AZs, utilizing Amazon Elastic Block Store (EBS) volumes that replicate between nodes for durability. However, this method often leads to redundant storage resources and additional data transfer costs tied to replication.
Instead, leveraging Amazon Elastic File System (Amazon EFS) is the recommended strategy for shared storage. EFS is a managed service that integrates with OpenShift and can be deployed via the OperatorHub. AWS handles data replication, providing resilience without the need for extra compute nodes or volumes. This arrangement can help customers reduce storage costs.
OpenShift presents this shared storage through Kubernetes Persistent Volume Claims (PVCs), accessible to both OpenShift container workloads and VMs. We’ll explore this topic further in a future blog.
Now that OpenShift Virtualization is configured on ROSA, the next logical step isn’t creating new VMs—this would counteract the very modernization goals businesses aim to achieve. Instead, we should focus on importing existing VMs. Documentation on installing the Virtctl-Client offers insights into future automation, although that topic exceeds this blog’s scope.
VMs can be migrated to OpenShift Virtualization through several methods, such as importing a VM template exported from an existing virtualization environment or utilizing the Red Hat Migration Toolkit for Virtualization (MTV). The template import method is suitable for smaller migrations but is certainly not a new approach in virtualization.
Red Hat has developed several Migration Toolkits based on the upstream open-source Konveyor project. These include the Migration toolkit for applications (MTA), which helps customers begin their modernization journey by converting application code to containers, and the Migration Toolkit for Containers (MTC), which assists with moving container workloads to new environments, such as transitioning OpenShift from version 3 to 4 or migrating from on-premises to AWS. For more resources on workplace dynamics, check out this insightful article on motherhood at work, which could resonate with many in similar situations.
As we navigate the complexities of modern IT environments, understanding the nuances of tools like OpenShift Virtualization becomes crucial. For further insights into employment law, take a look at this comprehensive resource from SHRM, which provides vital information on the subject.
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