Chief Technology Officer at a manufacturing company with 11-50 employees
Real User
Top 5
Nov 29, 2024
Although KVM meets our expectations, it can be somewhat fragmented with numerous management tools available, making it difficult to determine which tool to use. In comparison to VMware, which offers a more balanced set of management features, KVM could improve in terms of user-friendly tooling.
They could provide a more comfortable and easier-to-manage interface for the product, whether text-based or graphical. It can be challenging to manage without the support of additional tools.
Technology and System Infrastructure Architect / Senior Technical Support at TELUS Communications Inc.
MSP
Top 10
Jul 17, 2024
I think the management console has room for improvement. It could be more straightforward and user-friendly, like VMware's Console Management. This would make it easier for system admins to use and reduce training needs. Regarding new features, we'll see when we have a chance to upgrade to a new version. We don't have any projects planned as we just upgraded to Red Hat 9.4 for some customers. Our environment is quite stable, so I don't expect any big changes until at least June next year.
Technical Architect at a tech vendor with 10,001+ employees
MSP
Oct 10, 2023
Sometimes, my company has some issues with the storage part, which is mostly not the fault of KVM but a problem with the storage. In general, I don't have any downsides or negative points related to the tool. In KVM, snapshots and cloning are areas where there could be a little more sophistication, like VMware.
We still occasionally build Interlaced Wireless Protection within our environment. The ecosystem entails areas, where we support agents, and release backup and security solutions. Collaboration with independent software vendors (ITOLs or ITOLED) is necessary to offer these solutions to customers. However, the scope of the ecosystem in KVM is not as extensive as that of VMware's. In contrast, VMware boasts a robust partner network, allowing for comprehensive customer solutions. On the other hand, KVM’s ecosystem is comparatively limited in comparison. I would like to see FT features in KVM.
The networking with wireless devices needs improvement. If I want to mount KVM on a laptop, it is very difficult to work with wireless devices. Which in contrast, is very easy and transparent in other devices.
We are not getting good support from KVM, and it is not that user-friendly. So the systems are stuck, and we are not getting much help online. The online support is very less. We are not getting any kind of blogs and other things. So it is difficult to check out, like, how if some problem is coming, how we can fix it out. So that is not known to us. Hence, we are planning to get into a support contract with Oracle. Also, the Linux support we will get can help us technically with our problems and difficulties because we need to configure the cluster. We are not able to configure the cluster. So, I believe we needed some technical support or help to configure the cluster. In future releases of the product, I would like to see features and improvements in the solution that can make it have a user-friendly interface, better technical support, and easy cluster configuration. Also, blogs, and technical write-ups should be there. We should get the maximum help so that we can maximize the solution's usage. Also, some kind of help tutorials should be made available so that the new users who are trying to install it can get help. The fact that it is not a user-friendly tool should be considered for improvement.
Co-Owner at a manufacturing company with 51-200 employees
Real User
Mar 9, 2023
If it would work a little faster, that would be ideal. It's run on a 10GB network, so it is relatively slow. Some things are pretty basic, and they could be more robust with more detail.
One problem I have is that it's not very scalable when it comes to resizing the VM disk dimensions. For example, if you have initially set a virtual drive to 10 GB and you want to upgrade it to 15 GB, it's not that easy. For this kind of task, you have to get behind the command-line to set it, and this process isn't easy for a newcomer. However, if you have planned your virtualization project well and you know exactly how much RAM and storage space you will need for each different VM, you can simply set it and forget it, because everything you set is permanent. Another improvement I would like to see is better functionality when it comes to making snapshots automatically while the VM is still running. For example, when a VM is running and you want to back it up, occasionally the VM backup that you obtain is not usable. Thus, I would propose that in the next edition of KVM there should be better "hot" backup features (as opposed to "cold" backups which are performed when the VM is powered down).
Solution Architect at a comms service provider with 10,001+ employees
Real User
Oct 8, 2021
In our setup, we do not have any dashboards or orchestration, and it is hard to manage. We have 25 gig network cards, but the software driver we have only supported 10 gigs.
CTO at a computer software company with 11-50 employees
Real User
Top 20
Aug 19, 2021
Their support for snapshot and revert could be improved. I'd also like to see the product achieve high availability across clusters and to have more support for Apache CloudStack.
Technical support could be better. In the next release, I would like to see an improved user interface and dashboard. This type of improvement will make it easy or help our engineers understand the solution from a requirement point of view.
Monitoring and resolution are features which could be improved and I've found that if the product has not been used for some time, it needs to be re-set.
I think the UI could be developed more in the future because there are some issues with the graphics and some software that is very complex. A GUI for controlling the VMs would be a good additional feature. It's easy for us but it's difficult for others working with CLI.
From my skill set and what I'm capable of, I wouldn't know how to say what could be improved as it works exceptionally well. I know that things can always be improved. One thing that maybe could be improved is making it easier to scale. It needs to be more clear on how to scale the storage space for virtual machines. That's one thing that's a little bit confusing. That's more systems administration, in general. If they would make it a little easier to do, then you wouldn't have to have so much systems admin knowledge in order to use one feature. I tried to follow the information provided, however, then the partitions were added, the logical drive, and it didn't actually end up being initialized correctly. I'm pretty sure it's due to my own error, and not using it correctly. However, if they would have been clear on how to do it, or if they could even build a command that literally executes the necessary commands for you, just by typing, or using the virtual manager, that would have been helpful. I've only used the solution for a short period of time, so maybe it's there, however, I'd like it if maybe they could combine some network manager type item in there to be able to bridge connections a little easier. Then, you wouldn't have to do it as a separate task. Perhaps their existing network management already includes that. I'm not sure.
The initial setup of this solution is more difficult than some of the competing products and it could be improved. I would like to be able to see virtual networking integrated with the virtual machine.
This solution is lacking in features such as management and integration. * This solution needs better integration with desktop virtualization. * Better integration with storage solutions is needed. * Business continuity features need to be added. * The live migration needs to be improved. * You cannot run this application in a data center using only the GUI, so you have to have some knowledge with Linux in order to best manage it. * Better network management software is needed. * Features like vSAN are not available on KVM. * Integration with Kubernetes would be an improvement. Generally, this solution should be made easier to use. Many customers don't have enough experience with Linux or a deep understanding of operating systems, and they just want to use the product. This together with a lack of features has led customers to choose VMware.
The virtual manager and the graphical QEMU for KVM need some improvement. In the next release, I would like to see some changes made to the dashboard as it would be nice to see some icons and some graphics when you are showing this solution to clients. MOP made some changes to the dashboard, but it made it more difficult and it's a bit complicated. Maybe this was done intentionally because this is an open-source solution with technical support as an additional fee.
The solution should be more user friendly despite that some interesting graphical solutions are available to manage the VMs. it would be usefull that the solution integrate the VM snapshot features and make it graphical, so we have a VM infrastructure more complete and easy the backup/restore in case of issue.
System Architect at a aerospace/defense firm with 10,001+ employees
Real User
Dec 5, 2018
The management of the whole system, could be improved. VMware is better on the management tools, for example, Red Hat is when it comes to the KVM. In addition, we would like to have a software lifecycle solution included in this solution. We can handle the software needed for KVM, but also the software that we provide. A lifecycle component would be very beneficial.
System Architect at a aerospace/defense firm with 10,001+ employees
Real User
Oct 8, 2018
I would like to see a separation, so you could have KVM running in a few cores, and then you could have a real-time operating system running another core, so there is a hybrid environment with real time operating systems and Linux.
KVM stands for Kernel-based Virtual Machine, which is an open-source virtualization technology that is embedded in Linux. KVM allows users to seamlessly transform their Linux system into a hypervisor that, in turn, will enable a host machine to run numerous, isolated virtual environments or virtual machines (VMs).
KVM is part of Linux. Users with Linux 2.6.20 or newer already have KVM. As KVM is already a component of the current Linux code, it automatically improves with every new Linux...
Although KVM meets our expectations, it can be somewhat fragmented with numerous management tools available, making it difficult to determine which tool to use. In comparison to VMware, which offers a more balanced set of management features, KVM could improve in terms of user-friendly tooling.
I have no comment. I just use it, and it's okay. However, the scalability part should be better.
They could provide a more comfortable and easier-to-manage interface for the product, whether text-based or graphical. It can be challenging to manage without the support of additional tools.
I think the management console has room for improvement. It could be more straightforward and user-friendly, like VMware's Console Management. This would make it easier for system admins to use and reduce training needs. Regarding new features, we'll see when we have a chance to upgrade to a new version. We don't have any projects planned as we just upgraded to Red Hat 9.4 for some customers. Our environment is quite stable, so I don't expect any big changes until at least June next year.
The product must provide better performance monitoring features.
I have encountered difficulties in getting the tool's documentation.
The solution’s user interface could be improved and made more user-friendly.
Sometimes, my company has some issues with the storage part, which is mostly not the fault of KVM but a problem with the storage. In general, I don't have any downsides or negative points related to the tool. In KVM, snapshots and cloning are areas where there could be a little more sophistication, like VMware.
We still occasionally build Interlaced Wireless Protection within our environment. The ecosystem entails areas, where we support agents, and release backup and security solutions. Collaboration with independent software vendors (ITOLs or ITOLED) is necessary to offer these solutions to customers. However, the scope of the ecosystem in KVM is not as extensive as that of VMware's. In contrast, VMware boasts a robust partner network, allowing for comprehensive customer solutions. On the other hand, KVM’s ecosystem is comparatively limited in comparison. I would like to see FT features in KVM.
The networking with wireless devices needs improvement. If I want to mount KVM on a laptop, it is very difficult to work with wireless devices. Which in contrast, is very easy and transparent in other devices.
We are not getting good support from KVM, and it is not that user-friendly. So the systems are stuck, and we are not getting much help online. The online support is very less. We are not getting any kind of blogs and other things. So it is difficult to check out, like, how if some problem is coming, how we can fix it out. So that is not known to us. Hence, we are planning to get into a support contract with Oracle. Also, the Linux support we will get can help us technically with our problems and difficulties because we need to configure the cluster. We are not able to configure the cluster. So, I believe we needed some technical support or help to configure the cluster. In future releases of the product, I would like to see features and improvements in the solution that can make it have a user-friendly interface, better technical support, and easy cluster configuration. Also, blogs, and technical write-ups should be there. We should get the maximum help so that we can maximize the solution's usage. Also, some kind of help tutorials should be made available so that the new users who are trying to install it can get help. The fact that it is not a user-friendly tool should be considered for improvement.
If it would work a little faster, that would be ideal. It's run on a 10GB network, so it is relatively slow. Some things are pretty basic, and they could be more robust with more detail.
The grid interface of KVM needs improvement. It could be more beautiful compared to VMware.
KVM is very difficult to manage and run on daily operations. It's also too dependent on other solutions and has no backend customization.
One problem I have is that it's not very scalable when it comes to resizing the VM disk dimensions. For example, if you have initially set a virtual drive to 10 GB and you want to upgrade it to 15 GB, it's not that easy. For this kind of task, you have to get behind the command-line to set it, and this process isn't easy for a newcomer. However, if you have planned your virtualization project well and you know exactly how much RAM and storage space you will need for each different VM, you can simply set it and forget it, because everything you set is permanent. Another improvement I would like to see is better functionality when it comes to making snapshots automatically while the VM is still running. For example, when a VM is running and you want to back it up, occasionally the VM backup that you obtain is not usable. Thus, I would propose that in the next edition of KVM there should be better "hot" backup features (as opposed to "cold" backups which are performed when the VM is powered down).
In our setup, we do not have any dashboards or orchestration, and it is hard to manage. We have 25 gig network cards, but the software driver we have only supported 10 gigs.
Their support for snapshot and revert could be improved. I'd also like to see the product achieve high availability across clusters and to have more support for Apache CloudStack.
Technical support could be better. In the next release, I would like to see an improved user interface and dashboard. This type of improvement will make it easy or help our engineers understand the solution from a requirement point of view.
Monitoring and resolution are features which could be improved and I've found that if the product has not been used for some time, it needs to be re-set.
I think the UI could be developed more in the future because there are some issues with the graphics and some software that is very complex. A GUI for controlling the VMs would be a good additional feature. It's easy for us but it's difficult for others working with CLI.
Its resource usage can be improved.
From my skill set and what I'm capable of, I wouldn't know how to say what could be improved as it works exceptionally well. I know that things can always be improved. One thing that maybe could be improved is making it easier to scale. It needs to be more clear on how to scale the storage space for virtual machines. That's one thing that's a little bit confusing. That's more systems administration, in general. If they would make it a little easier to do, then you wouldn't have to have so much systems admin knowledge in order to use one feature. I tried to follow the information provided, however, then the partitions were added, the logical drive, and it didn't actually end up being initialized correctly. I'm pretty sure it's due to my own error, and not using it correctly. However, if they would have been clear on how to do it, or if they could even build a command that literally executes the necessary commands for you, just by typing, or using the virtual manager, that would have been helpful. I've only used the solution for a short period of time, so maybe it's there, however, I'd like it if maybe they could combine some network manager type item in there to be able to bridge connections a little easier. Then, you wouldn't have to do it as a separate task. Perhaps their existing network management already includes that. I'm not sure.
The initial setup of this solution is more difficult than some of the competing products and it could be improved. I would like to be able to see virtual networking integrated with the virtual machine.
This solution is lacking in features such as management and integration. * This solution needs better integration with desktop virtualization. * Better integration with storage solutions is needed. * Business continuity features need to be added. * The live migration needs to be improved. * You cannot run this application in a data center using only the GUI, so you have to have some knowledge with Linux in order to best manage it. * Better network management software is needed. * Features like vSAN are not available on KVM. * Integration with Kubernetes would be an improvement. Generally, this solution should be made easier to use. Many customers don't have enough experience with Linux or a deep understanding of operating systems, and they just want to use the product. This together with a lack of features has led customers to choose VMware.
The virtual manager and the graphical QEMU for KVM need some improvement. In the next release, I would like to see some changes made to the dashboard as it would be nice to see some icons and some graphics when you are showing this solution to clients. MOP made some changes to the dashboard, but it made it more difficult and it's a bit complicated. Maybe this was done intentionally because this is an open-source solution with technical support as an additional fee.
The solution should be more user friendly despite that some interesting graphical solutions are available to manage the VMs. it would be usefull that the solution integrate the VM snapshot features and make it graphical, so we have a VM infrastructure more complete and easy the backup/restore in case of issue.
full interoprability with vm format (ova, ovf, ..) for been aable to move forward or backward to another virtualization solution
Management of underlying volumes.
The management of the whole system, could be improved. VMware is better on the management tools, for example, Red Hat is when it comes to the KVM. In addition, we would like to have a software lifecycle solution included in this solution. We can handle the software needed for KVM, but also the software that we provide. A lifecycle component would be very beneficial.
In the future release of KVM, I would like to have improved support for Windows guests.
I would like to see a separation, so you could have KVM running in a few cores, and then you could have a real-time operating system running another core, so there is a hybrid environment with real time operating systems and Linux.