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June 3, 2019
Announcing Oracle Linux Virtualization Manager
Announcing Oracle Linux Virtualization Manager
Oracle is pleased to announce the general availability of Oracle Linux Virtualization Manager. This new server virtualization management platform can be easily deployed to configure, monitor, and manage an Oracle Linux Kernel-based Virtual Machine (KVM) environment with enterprise-grade performance and support from Oracle.
Based on the open source oVirt project, Oracle Linux Virtualization Manager allows enterprise customers to continue supporting their on-premises data center deployments with the KVM hypervisor already available on Oracle Linux 7.6 with the Unbreakable Enterprise Kernel Release 5. Oracle Linux KVM is a feature that has been delivered and supported as part of Oracle Linux for some time. With the release of the Unbreakable Enterprise Kernel Release 5, the Oracle Linux server virtualization solution with KVM has been enhanced. Oracle Linux KVM is the same hypervisor used in Oracle Cloud Infrastructure, giving users an easy migration path to move workloads into Oracle Cloud in the future.
Oracle Linux Virtualization Manager release 4.2.8, the first release of this new management platform, supports multiple hosts running Oracle Linux KVM. The heart of the manager is the ovirt-engine which is used to discover KVM hosts and configure storage and networking for the virtualized data center. Oracle Linux Virtualization Manager offers a web-based User Interface (UI) and a Representation State Transfer (REST) Application Programming Interface (API) which can be used to manage your Oracle Linux KVM infrastructure.
Oracle Linux Virtualization Manager delivers high performance with a modern web UI. A REST API is available for users that need to integrate with other management systems, or prefer to automate repetitive tasks with scripts. For most day to day operations, many users will rely on the administrative portal or the lighter weight VM portal. These portals (and the REST API Guide) can be accessed from the Oracle Linux Virtualization Manager landing page when first connected with a browser:
After logging in from the main landing page, users are presented with a dashboard view which shows all of the key information about their deployment (VM counts, Host counts, Clusters, Storage, etc.), including the current status of each entity, in addition to key performance metrics:
From the dashboard, users can move to the Compute view for Hosts, Virtual Machines, Templates, Data Centers, Clusters and Pools, to configure or edit their virtual environments. Additional menus and sub-menus for Network, Storage, Administration, and Events provide full control, with logical workflows, in an easy to use web interface.
Notable Features
In addition to the base virtualization management features required to operate your data center, notable features in Oracle Linux Virtualization Manager include:
Snapshot - create a view of a running virtual machine at a given point in time. Multiple snapshots can be saved and used to return to a previous state, in the event of a problem. The snapshot feature is accessed from the Virtual Machines view:
Role Based Access - define different users with different levels of operational permission within Oracle Linux Virtualization Manager:
More information on these features can be found in the Oracle Linux Virtualization Manager Document Library. Additional features will be described in more detail in future blogs. In addition to these supported features, planned features may first be made available as technology previews, to allow users to test them in a development environment and offer feedback before the feature is supported.
Getting Started
Users can take either a previously deployed version of Oracle Linux and turn the OS into a KVM host, or a KVM configuration can be set up from a base Oracle Linux installation. Instructions and reference material can be found in the Oracle Linux Administrator's Guide for Release 7.
Oracle Linux Virtualization Manager 4.2.8 can be installed from the Oracle Linux yum server or the Oracle Unbreakable Linux Network. Two new channels have been created in the Oracle Linux 7 repositories that users will access to install or update Oracle Linux Virtualization Manager:
- oVirt 4.2 - base packages required for Oracle Linux Virtualization Manager
- oVirt 4.2 Extra Packages - extra packages for Oracle Linux Virtualization Manager
Oracle Linux 7.6 hosts can be installed with installation media (ISO images) that is available from Oracle Software Delivery Cloud. Instructions to download the Oracle Linux 7.6 ISO can be found on Oracle Technology Network. Using the "Minimal Install" option, during the installation process, sets up a base KVM system which can then be updated using the KVM Utilities channel in the Oracle Linux 7 repositories. This and other important packages for your Oracle Linux KVM host can be installed from the Oracle Linux yum server and the Oracle Unbreakable Linux Network:
- Latest - Latest packages released for Oracle Linux 7
- UEK Release 5 - Latest Unbreakable Enterprise Kernel Release 5 packages for Oracle Linux 7
- KVM Utilities - KVM Utils for Oracle Linux 7
- Optional Latest - Latest packages released for Oracle Linux 7
Both Oracle Linux Virtualization Manager and Oracle Linux can be downloaded, used, and distributed free of charge and all updates and errata are freely available
Oracle Linux Virtualization Manager Support
Support for Oracle Linux Virtualization Manager is available to customers with an Oracle Linux Premier Support subscription. Refer to Oracle Linux 7 License Information User Manual for information about Oracle Linux support levels.
GlusterFS is an option available as a technology preview that is going to be officially supported in a later phase.
Thanks
Simon
Oracle VM Server will continue to be officially supported; Oracle Linux Virtualization Manager with Oracle Linux KVM is a new Oracle Linux offering.
Thanks
Simon
we do not have an answer related to ODA system.
You should have to reach out your Oracle Account Manager or Oracle contact to ask this question.
Thanks
Simon
What about hard partitioning concepts applied till now only to Oracle VM? Are they applicable to Oracle Linux Virtualization Manager too?
See https://www.oracle.com/technetwork/server-storage/vm/ovm-hardpart-168217.pdf
Thanks
we are working for both the support of Oracle Products as well as the possible introduction of hard-partitioning for Oracle Linux Virtualization Manager.
We'll keep you posted on Oracle Linux and Virtualization blogs on this.
Thanks
Simon
I fail to see how this can really be used without support for hard-partitioning. Surely that is one of main reasons for using a virtualisation platform from Oracle.
You did highlight one of the reasons to adopt the Oracle Linux Virtualization Manager but there are many others:
* Support for advanced virtualization features
* Certification with Oracle applications including Oracle DB
* Common distribution with Oracle Linux
* Integration with Ksplice for security patching without rebooting
* Single support team to contact for your OS or virtualization needs
* Planned integration with Enterprise Manager providing a single pane of glass for managing applicationOSvirtualizationhardware
When will KVM for the Private Cloud Appliance?
Interesting stuff! Thoughts:
What are the use cases for Linux Virtualization Manager, e.g. I've spent the best part of last year implementing OVM including completely automating RAC deployments. Should these workloads now be migrated?
Would you recommend using Linux Virtualization Manager instead of OVM?
Thanks
Tony
beside hard partitioning, Windows support will be a major requirement. I guess it's already on the roadmap, right?
Second question, you state that OVM XEN ist still supported, right, but how long actually, since there won't be much investment into XEN anymore? Your lifetime support says Mar 21 and there isn't a outlook for OVM 4 XEN.
Marco
thx
Thanks for reading the blog and submitting your question.
Good News - Windows support is already available! Please review the full list of Windows OS's supported and information on the Oracle VirtIO Driver in the Release Note - https://docs.oracle.com/cd/F15085_01/F15084/html/guest-reqs.html
the most important benefit for Oracle Linux Virtualization Manager is that you can leverage the Enterprise and dedicated Support coming from Oracle.
And it's always optional, as it already happens for Oracle Linux.
That said, you also have to consider that the releases of Oracle Linux Virtualization Manager before being GA are also verified and tested by QA/QE teams in Oracle.
Hope this helps.
Thanks
Simon
Oracle VM is still supported so there is no need to migrate your environments to Oracle Linux Virtualization Manager.
Thanks
Simon
hosted-engine support is planned for Oracle Linux Virtualization Manager, but not actually available.
Thanks
Simon