Kernel-based Virtual Machine (KVM)
Use Cases and Deployment Scope
KVM is the underlying technology for all of the virtualization that we run. We wanted to ensure that we weren't tied into a specific vendor and could easily migrate if one started to misbehave. By using KVM based solutions, we can easily shift to new solutions as things improve, set up low cost lab/testing environments, and provide solid virtualization environments for our clients.
Pros
- Virtualization
- Snapshotting
- Management
Cons
- Graphical performance is lacking
- Sometimes documentation isn't as strong as we would like.
Likelihood to Recommend
If you are running software from a vendor that doesn't require something specific (like VMWare) KVM is likely a great fit. It performs well (outside of graphics work), supports pretty much all features one would need in a small to mid size enterprise, and doesn't lock you into bad licensing schemes. It also lets you easily move from one vendor to another easily, so it gives you a lot of agility in how you manage your infrastructure.
