oVirt — upstream virtualization for Red Hat shops
What it is
oVirt is the community project behind Red Hat Virtualization (RHV). At the core it’s just KVM + libvirt, but with a full management layer wrapped around it. Think of it as “vCenter, but open source and Red Hat flavored.” It’s heavier than Proxmox, but it has been running in production datacenters for years where admins wanted VMware-like features without VMware licensing.
How it really works
– Hypervisor side = standard Linux with KVM.
– A separate service, the oVirt Engine, does scheduling, storage, and VM orchestration.
– Networking can be handled with bridges or Open vSwitch, plus VLANs/bonding if needed.
– Storage domains can be iSCSI, NFS, GlusterFS, Fibre Channel, or plain local disks.
– Guests migrate between hosts if shared storage is set up.
– Management is mostly via a web interface, though the REST API is common for automation.
Technical map
| Area | Notes |
| Hypervisor | KVM/libvirt |
| Control plane | oVirt Engine (Java-based) |
| Hosts | RHEL, CentOS, or compatible Linux |
| Guests | Linux, Windows, BSD |
| Storage | NFS, iSCSI, GlusterFS, FC, local |
| Networking | Bridges, OVS, VLANs, bonding |
| Features | Templates, snapshots, HA, migration |
| License | GPL (community project) |
| Relation | Upstream to RHV |
Deployment notes (from the field)
– Needs at least one management node running oVirt Engine; not optional.
– Hosts join the Engine and are then controlled centrally.
– Without shared storage, migration/HA doesn’t work well.
– Setup is longer than with Proxmox — closer to installing VMware vCenter.
– Integrates with LDAP/AD for access control, which many enterprises require.
Where it fits
– Enterprises already invested in Red Hat tooling.
– Service providers who want VMware-like features but with open-source base.
– Research labs running clusters on CentOS/RHEL hosts.
– IT teams replacing VMware but needing HA and centralized management.
Weak spots
– Overhead: more moving parts than Proxmox, which means more to maintain.
– Smaller user community compared to Proxmox or OpenStack.
– Documentation assumes Red Hat background — not very beginner-friendly.
– Development pace has slowed in recent years.
Comparison snapshot
| Tool | Why choose it | Fits best |
| oVirt | Red Hat aligned, RHV upstream | Enterprises with RHEL/CentOS |
| Proxmox VE | Easy install, active community | SMBs, mid-sized IT |
| VMware vSphere | Enterprise polish, ecosystem | Large enterprises |
| OpenStack | Modular, very scalable | Telcos, cloud providers |
Quick start (sketch)
1. Deploy oVirt Engine on a dedicated server.
2. Install Linux + KVM on hosts.
3. Register hosts with Engine.
4. Configure storage domains (NFS, iSCSI, etc.).
5. Build templates, launch VMs.
Field notes — 2025
– Still reliable if you want a Red Hat-style virtualization stack.
– Requires proper storage design; HA is only as good as your NFS/iSCSI backend.
– Not a “one-box” solution like Proxmox — expect to manage multiple components.
– Works best in environments that already use RHEL/CentOS and AD/LDAP integration.
– Feels dated compared to Proxmox, but stable and battle-tested.