Red Hat, IBM in open virtualisation deal

Software company Red Hat and computing giant IBM will collaborate to create products based on kernel-based virtual machine technology, with the aim of driving open-source virtualisation in the enterprise, reports ZD Net.co.uk

Under the partnership, the companies aim to create repeatable products and services based on kernel-based virtual machine (KVM) technology.

Red Hat and IBM, who are already frequent partners on large enterprise deals, will jointly develop virtualisation and cloud management interfaces via APIs connecting Red Hat Enterprise Virtualisation Manager, IBM Director and Tivoli software.

These APIs will govern cloud and data centre automation, storage, networking and security.

According to eWeek, KVM virtualisation technology enables users to create multiple virtual versions of Linux and Windows environments on the same server.

KVM-based products and solutions, incorporating management capabilities and scaling from local servers to large public clouds, help organisations save money by consolidating and sharing IT resources.

Red Hat Enterprise Virtualisation, designed to enable pervasive data centre virtualisation, combines a centralised virtualisation management system with advanced features as well as a KVM-based hypervisor.

Red Hat Cloud Business Unit VP and GM Scott Crenshaw says open source virtualisation solutions give the company partners freedom from lock-in and the ability to take advantage of the rapid innovation that the open source model enables, writes Computer Business Review.

The director of Linux at IBM, Jean Staten says the recent enhancements to the security, reliability and performance of KVM have made it a compelling choice for enterprises looking for the flexibility of an open standards-based virtualisation option.

“Together with Red Hat, we will continue to drive KVM enterprise adoption enabling businesses of all sizes to benefit from open virtualisation.”

The Brazilian Federal Highway Police, which is already using an offering that combines IBM hardware and Red Hat Enterprise virtualisation, using KVM technology, says the offering helped the organisation save 80% of costs.