SUSE Virtualization
The Adaptable Open-Source Alternative. Built for What Comes Next.
Run VMs and containers on one Kubernetes-native platform with built-in backup and restore, enterprise governance, and three supported migration paths from VMware. Predictable pricing. No vendor lock-in. Your infrastructure, your rules.
SUSE Virtualization Kubernetes-Native Infrastructure Benefits
Open-source hyperconverged infrastructure (HCI) for organizations that need to run VMs and containers together in the datacenter, public clouds, AI, and at the edge. With built-in backup and restore, enterprise governance, and predictable pricing.
Predictable Costs, No Lock-In
100% open source with no per-CPU or per-VM fees. FIS-ASP avoided VMware renewal cost increases of more than 100% by moving 1,000 SAP systems to SUSE Virtualization. Thales Alenia Space cut virtualization costs 3x. Your costs stay predictable.
Built-In Backup and Restore, and Live Migration
Guest cluster backup and restore protects workloads at the storage level. Live migration moves running VMs between nodes with zero downtime. VM Auto Balancing optimizes placement automatically. Switch runs mission-critical ops at 100% uptime.
Enterprise Governance and AI-Ready Infrastructure
Granular RBAC with SUSE Virtualization-specific roles, API-enforced within Rancher Manager. Native NVIDIA MIG vGPU support for AI workloads (ie A100, H100, H200). CSCS runs 500 nodes with just 2 engineers and cuts infrastructure management time 80%.
Simplify Infrastructure management
Manage VMs and containers from one interface integrated with SUSE Rancher Prime. SUSE Linux Micro immutable OS reduces patching overhead and attack surface. Aussie Broadband cut deployments from 2 days to 1-2 hours.
The Leading Enterprise Alternative to VMware
Moving off a legacy stack does not mean giving up enterprise-grade features. Here is how SUSE Virtualization compares to VMware vSphere for the modern data center.
|
Features |
VMware vSphere |
SUSE Virtualization |
|---|---|---|
|
Access Governance |
vSphere permissions model |
Granular RBAC, API-enforced via Rancher Manager |
|
Workload Protection |
Requires add-on products (SRM, Veeam) |
Built-in guest cluster backup/restore via CSI driver |
|
Migration Tooling |
Lock-in by design |
Three supported paths (built-in, Coriolis, manual) |
|
OS Foundation |
ESXi (proprietary, mutable) |
SUSE Linux Micro (immutable, reduced attack surface) |
Evaluating your migration options? Test-drive SUSE Virtualization in minutes with our interactive demos.
Migrate to SUSE automatically with Coriolis
10 complimentary licenses for new customers & 5 complimentary licenses for existing customers.
Experience SUSE Virtualization
Bring Your Storage to SUSE. Trusted and Ready.
Low-latency storage for virtualization and container workloads.
CSI- Compatible
Easily integrate existing storage with CSI drivers. Native support for snapshots and volume clones simplifies VM protection.
Certified
Partner-certified for compliance and data resilience. Built-in synchronous replication keeps volumes available.
Validated
Testing with top vendors for piece of mind: Dell Technologies, NetApp, HPE, Oracle, Portworx by Pure Storage
FAQ: Migrating to SUSE Virtualization
Does SUSE Virtualization support Live Migration?
Like VMware vMotion, SUSE Virtualization supports live migration of running virtual machines between cluster nodes with minimal service interruption.
- How it works. KubeVirt and distributed SUSE Storage keep data accessible during the move.
- Requirement: A minimum of three nodes is recommended for high availability and live migration.
How do I handle drivers for Windows and Linux guests?
For the best performance, SUSE uses VirtIO drivers (paravirtualized drivers).
- Linux: Most modern distributions have VirtIO drivers built into the kernel.
- Windows: SUSE provides a Virtual Machine Driver Pack (VMDP) or a VirtIO ISO. During migration, these drivers replace VMware Tools to ensure the guest OS communicates efficiently with the KVM-based hypervisor.
Can I manage my existing VMware VMs and new Containers together?
Absolutely. This is a primary advantage of the SUSE stack. By integrating with SUSE Rancher, you get a single "pane of glass" to manage:
- Traditional Virtual Machines on Harvester.
- Kubernetes clusters (RKE2/K3s) across your data center, edge, or public cloud.
What happens if a physical host fails?
SUSE Virtualization provides built-in High Availability (HA). If a node goes down, the cluster detects the failure and automatically restarts the affected VMs on the remaining healthy nodes. Because Longhorn replicates data across the cluster, your disk images remain safe and available.
Is there an automated tool for the move?
Yes. The VM Import Controller add-on allows you to connect directly to your VMware vCenter or ESXi hosts. You can map your networks and storage directly in the UI and trigger the migration of VMs without manually exporting and importing OVF/OVA files.
Can I migrate VMs from AWS or Azure to SUSE Virtualization?
Yes. Coriolis supports migration from Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Microsoft Azure in addition to VMware vSphere. The process works the same way: Coriolis connects to the source platform APIs, replicates disk data, performs OS adaptation, and creates the VM on SUSE Virtualization. This makes it possible to repatriate cloud workloads to on-prem infrastructure without rebuilding them.
Can I try SUSE Virtualization without having to install it?
Yes! If you are evaluating virtualization platforms or want to learn more about SUSE Virtualization without the hurdle of installing it yourself, check out our new Interactive Labs. The demo page features 5 interactive demos and tons of information so you can explore the platform immediately.
Does SUSE Virtualization support enterprise access controls?
Yes. SUSE Virtualization 1.8 introduced granular RBAC with SUSE Virtualization- specific roles, API-enforced within SUSE Rancher Manager. Administrators can assign fine-grained permissions for multi-tenant environments without relying on external tools or manual workarounds.
Blog
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