Description: KubeVirt is an extension for Kubernetes that allows users to run and manage virtual machines alongside containers in a unified environment. This tool combines the flexibility and scalability of Kubernetes with virtualization capabilities, enabling organizations to leverage their existing infrastructure investments and facilitate the migration of traditional applications to the cloud. KubeVirt provides an API that allows developers and system administrators to create, manage, and scale virtual machines similarly to how they would with containers. This includes features such as creating persistent volumes, managing networks, and integrating with monitoring and security tools. By allowing the coexistence of containers and virtual machines, KubeVirt offers a versatile solution for hybrid and multicloud environments, where applications may require different types of resources and configurations. Additionally, KubeVirt is built on Kubernetes architecture, meaning it benefits from its robustness, active community, and ecosystem of tools, thus facilitating adoption and use across various organizations.
History: KubeVirt was created by the KubeVirt team in 2018 as an open-source project under the Cloud Native Computing Foundation (CNCF). Its development originated from the need to integrate virtualization into the Kubernetes ecosystem, allowing organizations already using containers to also manage workloads based on virtual machines. Since its launch, KubeVirt has evolved with contributions from the community and has been adopted by various companies seeking more flexible infrastructure solutions.
Uses: KubeVirt is primarily used in environments where organizations want to combine container and virtual machine workloads. This includes migrating legacy applications to the cloud, running applications that require virtualization, and creating development and testing environments that need both containers and virtual machines. It is also useful in disaster recovery scenarios and in implementing infrastructure as a service (IaaS) solutions.
Examples: A practical example of KubeVirt is its use in a company that needs to migrate a legacy application running on a virtual machine to a Kubernetes environment. With KubeVirt, the company can run the virtual machine alongside its new container-based applications, facilitating the transition and allowing both technologies to coexist seamlessly. Another case is that of a cloud service provider using KubeVirt to offer its customers the ability to deploy both containers and virtual machines on its infrastructure, providing flexibility and scalability options.
