Stop Cluster Sprawl: Introducing SUSE Virtual Clusters for Cost-Effective, Certified Multi-Tenancy

We are excited to announce the General Availability of SUSE Virtual Clusters, providing a cost-effective path to strong isolation and developer autonomy within shared Kubernetes infrastructure.

SUSE Virtual Clusters is composed of two major components:

• SUSE Virtual Clusters Management installed as an extension in SUSE Rancher Prime
• SUSE Virtual Clusters Engine powered by the open source project K3k

Platform Engineers, Host Administrators are in for a treat with this new feature as it allows them to consolidate their Kubernetes infrastructure while optimizing the resources and maximizing efficiency.

On the other side of the spectrum, Developers will be able to work in secure environments and, thanks to cloud native automation capabilities, have access to new virtual clusters in a self-service mode, allowing them to accelerate their development cycle.

Engineered for isolation, how platform teams end cluster sprawl

The operational expense and complexity of managing Kubernetes at scale are skyrocketing. Organizations are struggling with “cluster sprawl”, spinning up dedicated clusters for every team, leading to unnecessary overhead and security gaps. The market demands a solution that enables highly isolated multi-tenancy without sacrificing security or driving up infrastructure costs.

Behind the scene

• The solution features the SUSE Virtual Clusters Engine, which is powered by the open-source K3k project.
• This technology is “Built on giants’ shoulders,” leveraging the proven and robust foundations of RKE2 and K3s.

SUSE Virtual Clusters workflow

Dual-Mode Operation (Shared Mode & Virtual Mode)

• Customers needed a single solution that could handle both ultra-lightweight resource sharing and complete control-plane isolation, without deploying two different tools.
• This feature eliminates “cluster sprawl” by offering unmatched flexibility, allowing administrators to choose the exact isolation level required for any workload on a single host.

CNCF Certified Virtual Mode

• Existing multi-tenancy solutions often compromise on isolation or developer experience, failing to provide a truly native Kubernetes API experience for tenants.
• Guarantees full Kubernetes API conformance and interoperability, providing developers with a dedicated, fully conformant control plane without high cost overheads, ensuring true developer autonomy.

Virtual Cluster Policy

• Host administrators struggled to enforce governance, security, and resource limits consistently across dozens of isolated tenant environments.
• This feature enables host administrators to enforce governance and security policies across many teams without intrusive tooling, ensuring centralized control over a decentralized architecture.

Go beyond namespaces to gain a competitive edge in certified multi-tenancy

SUSE Virtual Clusters significantly lowers the barrier to entry for virtualized Kubernetes environments. It offers stronger isolation guarantees at a substantially lower total cost of ownership (TCO) compared to provisioning full, dedicated clusters for every tenant or team. This delivers both enterprise-grade security and financial efficiency.

Our key differentiation lies in providing CNCF-certified, strong control-plane isolation, which is a level above what most competitors offer. Competitors typically rely on less robust namespace-level isolation or lightweight virtual Kubelet concepts. Our dual-mode operation (Shared vs. Virtual) offers flexibility and cost benefits unmatched in the market.

Real-World Impact

Imagine a large financial services company operating hundreds of test and development clusters. By adopting SUSE Virtual Clusters, they were able to consolidate those clusters onto just a few large, shared SUSE-managed hosts. By using the Virtual Mode to provide mandatory, certified security isolation for each engineering team, they immediately reduced their monthly infrastructure bill by 40%, delivering massive savings without compromising compliance or developer velocity.

We anticipate customers will see dramatic efficiency gains, leading to an increase in the Number of Virtual Clusters Deployed per Host, and a significant Reduction in operational cost reported by customers in case studies.

Take Action: End Cluster Sprawl and Boost Efficiency Today

The operational advantages are clear: strong isolation, certified conformance, and drastically reduced infrastructure costs.

Stop managing cluster sprawl and start optimizing your shared infrastructure.

Since SUSE Virtual Clusters is now Generally Available, you can begin testing and deploying today.

Here’s how to get started and take control of your Kubernetes environments:

• Dive into the Docs: Explore the architecture and setup guides for deploying Virtual Clusters in your environment.
• See the Demo: Watch our quick start video to see Dual-Mode operation in action.
• Deploy Today: Visit our documentation to deploy SUSE Virtual Clusters and begin your cost-saving journey immediately.

Start your journey to freedom Today

Want to hear more about how SUSE can support you to modernize your business with cloud native and AI solutions?

Get in touch with your local SUSE sales team and read about all the KubeCon + CloudNativeCon North America 2025 announcements.

Explore how SUSE Rancher Prime is redefining enterprise Kubernetes operations:

• Learn how SUSE Rancher Prime was recognized in the Gartner® Magic Quadrant™ for Container Management
• Discover insights from the Forrester Wave™ Report on Kubernetes and hybrid cloud strategy
• Read IDC’s ROI study showing 258% ROI and multimillion-dollar benefits for SUSE Rancher Prime customers

Unify your identity. Secure your fleet. Choose Rancher Prime.