When the enterprise behind one of the widespread hypervisors was acquired:
many sysadmins decided to move on.

• Most of them chose a Linux-based open-source alternative.
• Many of them migrated to the Microsoft ecosystem.
• They chased the same workflow, the same features they had before.

Only a very few operators dared to rework their processes and architecture.

KVM (Kernel-based Virtual Machines) is part of the Linux kernel.
It is a stable and fast hypervisor.

• A carefully configured host OS for KVM can reduce the attack surface compared to feature-heavy hypervisors.
• The libvirt API enables secure automation and configuration management.
• KVM can host Linux, Windows and BSD virtual machines as well.
• It ships an ecosystem of mature tools for the operators in charge.

KVM is not a downgrade. It’s a sideways step.

Continue reading “The Operator’s KVM Bible” →