The migration toolkit for virtualization is a suite of tools included with all Red Hat OpenShift editions that helps you move virtual machines (VMs) from alternative hypervisors to OpenShift Virtualization.

It is designed to simplify and guide VM migrations so you can move toward a modern, hybrid application platform without unnecessary disruption. Key points:

• Included with OpenShift: Available as a single-click download in every Red Hat OpenShift edition.
• Supports multiple sources: Works with Red Hat Virtualization, VMware, Red Hat OpenStack Platform, vSphere-compatible OVAs, and Red Hat OpenShift.
• Connects to your existing hypervisors: Reads your current VM configurations before migration, so you can plan with real data.
• Guided, UI-driven process: Provides step-by-step workflows to connect source providers, map infrastructure, create migration plans, and execute them.
• Integrated automation: Integrates with Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform to automate and scale migrations and ongoing VM lifecycle tasks.

By moving VMs to OpenShift Virtualization, you can manage VMs, containers, and serverless workloads with a consistent set of tools for deployment, scaling, and monitoring, and begin to reimagine how you modernize traditional VM workloads, including expanding to cloud environments and adding AI capabilities.

The migration toolkit for virtualization is built to make migrations more predictable and less disruptive, especially for critical workloads.

It does this in several ways:

• Premigration validation: A validation service applies Open Policy Agent (OPA) rules to each VM to flag configuration or compatibility issues before you migrate. This helps prevent common failures and delays.
• Guided migration planning: Step-by-step workflows walk you through connecting source providers, mapping infrastructure, creating plans, and executing migrations. This structure reduces complexity and guesswork.
• Cold and warm migrations:
  • Cold migrations stop the VM during transfer for a straightforward cutover.
  • Warm migrations keep the VM running for most of the data transfer, with only a short planned downtime at the end—well suited for business-critical applications that need to stay online as long as possible.
• Mass migrations with parallel conversions: You can migrate multiple VMs concurrently from supported sources, helping you complete large moves faster while following a consistent process.
• Storage offloading for faster moves: With compatible, certified storage partners such as HP, NetApp, and Hitachi, you can migrate VMs over the storage array instead of the IP network. This can accelerate migration and reduce disruption to business-critical workloads.

Together, these capabilities help you minimize downtime, maintain business continuity, and move to a modern, hybrid platform with a clearer understanding of risk and impact.

For larger or more complex environments, the migration toolkit for virtualization works hand-in-hand with Red Hat automation and services to help you scale and operationalize your approach.

1. Automate and scale with Ansible Automation Platform

• End-to-end orchestration: Use Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform to orchestrate the entire migration process, reducing manual configuration work.
• Reusable Ansible Playbooks: Define and reuse migration configurations so you can apply them consistently across many VMs and environments.
• At-scale accuracy and timeliness: Automation helps you run more timely and more consistent migrations, especially when dealing with large numbers of VMs.
• Day 2 operations: After migration, Ansible can automate ongoing VM lifecycle tasks on OpenShift, including health checks, patching, backups, security risk management, and retiring unused VMs.

2. Leverage Red Hat Services for strategy and execution

• Red Hat Virtualization Migration Assessment: A structured first step where Red Hat Consulting analyzes your existing VM infrastructure, discovers and maps workloads, and designs a high-level solution and path to OpenShift Virtualization.
• Virtualization Migration Factory engagement: Consulting experts help you migrate initial VM workloads using the migration toolkit for virtualization and ensure they are running on the new platform.
• Training and ongoing guidance:
  • Red Hat Training and Certification to build the skills your teams need on the new platform.
  • Technical Account Management for ongoing technical guidance and support beyond the initial migration.

By combining the migration toolkit for virtualization, Ansible Automation Platform, and Red Hat Services, you can rethink how you plan, execute, and operate VM migrations—reducing complexity, mitigating risk, and helping to lower operational cost over time.