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 shift from traditional VM management to a modern, container-native and hybrid application platform with less disruption.

Key ways it helps your organization:

• Single-click availability: The toolkit is available as a single-click download in every Red Hat OpenShift edition, so you can get started quickly.
• Direct connection to existing environments: It connects directly to your current hypervisors and VM configurations before migration, giving you visibility and control.
• Guided, plan-based migrations: Through an intuitive interface, you can create, validate, and execute detailed migration plans, step by step.
• Support for multiple sources: It supports migrations from Red Hat Virtualization, VMware, Red Hat OpenStack Platform, vSphere-compatible OVAs, and Red Hat OpenShift.
• Integration with Ansible Automation Platform: For larger or more complex environments, you can automate and orchestrate migrations at scale.

Once your VMs are on 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 workloads, expand to cloud environments, or add AI capabilities.

The migration toolkit for virtualization is built to help you move critical workloads while keeping risk and downtime under control.

Here are the main capabilities that support more predictable migrations:

• Premigration validation: A validation service applies Open Policy Agent (OPA) rules to each VM before migration. It flags configuration or compatibility issues that could cause failures or delays, so you can address them early instead of discovering them mid-migration.
• Guided workflows: Step-by-step workflows walk you through connecting source providers, mapping infrastructure, creating migration plans, and executing them. This structure helps reduce complexity and human error.
• Cold and warm migrations:
  • Warm migrations keep the VM running for most of the data transfer, with only a short, planned cutover at the end. This is especially useful for business-critical applications where you need to keep operations going.
  • Cold migrations are available when a full shutdown is acceptable or required.
• Mass migrations with parallel conversions: You can migrate multiple VMs concurrently from supported sources (including Red Hat Virtualization, VMware, Red Hat OpenStack Platform, vSphere-compatible OVAs, and Red Hat OpenShift) to complete migrations faster.
• Storage offloading for faster data transfer: 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 migrations and reduce disruption to business-critical workloads.

Combined, these capabilities help you move toward a cloud-native, hybrid platform while maintaining business continuity and reducing the operational risk typically associated with large-scale VM migrations.

For large or complex environments, you can pair the migration toolkit for virtualization with Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform and Red Hat Services to automate both the migration itself and ongoing VM lifecycle management.

During migration

• Automated, at-scale migrations: Ansible Automation Platform orchestrates the end-to-end migration process, reducing manual configuration work.
• Integration with the toolkit: Ansible integrates with the migration toolkit for virtualization to automate initiation, monitoring, and repetitive migration tasks.
• Reusable Ansible Playbooks: You can define and reuse standard configurations and processes, helping you achieve more timely and consistent migrations across many VMs.

After migration (Day 2 operations)

• Ongoing VM lifecycle automation: Once VMs are running on OpenShift Virtualization, Ansible can automate health checks, patching, backups, security risk management, and decommissioning of unused VMs.
• Consistent operations across environments: You manage VMs alongside containers and serverless workloads on OpenShift using a common set of tools and automation patterns.

Red Hat Services to support your journey

• Red Hat Virtualization Migration Assessment: A structured first step where Red Hat Consulting analyzes your existing VM landscape, maps workloads, and designs a high-level target 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 validate that they are running as expected on the new platform.
• Training and ongoing guidance: Red Hat Training and Certification and Technical Account Management help your teams build the skills to operate the new platform and provide ongoing technical guidance to reduce complexity, mitigate risk, and help manage operational cost over time.

Together, the toolkit, Ansible Automation Platform, and Red Hat Services give you a structured, automated way to reimagine your virtualization strategy—from initial assessment through migration and long-term operations.