KubeVirt 0.35: Virtual Machine Management on Kubernetes

Introduction

Not every workload is ready to become a container — and in many organizations, the fastest path to “cloud-native operations” is to manage VMs and containers together with the same workflows, RBAC, and automation.

KubeVirt 0.35, released on December 20, 2020, keeps improving that hybrid story: better performance, tighter storage integration, and stronger networking capabilities so VM workloads can behave like first-class citizens inside Kubernetes.

Why this matters in practice

• Lift-and-modernize: move legacy workloads under Kubernetes governance without rewriting them first.
• Operational consistency: apply familiar Kubernetes patterns (declarative specs, rollout control, policy) to VM fleets.
• Gradual migration: run mixed environments while teams chip away at refactors on their own timeline.

Performance Improvements

• VM startup time reductions enable faster VM provisioning.
• Resource efficiency improvements reduce CPU and memory overhead.
• I/O performance optimizations improve disk and network throughput.
• Scaling enhancements enable better handling of large numbers of VMs.

Storage Integration

1. CSI support improvements provide better integration with Kubernetes storage.
2. Volume management enhancements simplify VM disk management.
3. Snapshot support enables VM backup and restore capabilities.
4. Storage classes integration provides flexible storage provisioning.

Networking Enhancements

• Multi-network support enables VMs to connect to multiple networks.
• SR-IOV support provides high-performance network interfaces for VMs.
• Network policies integration enables network security for VM workloads.
• Service integration allows VMs to participate in Kubernetes service discovery.

Getting Started

kubectl apply -f https://github.com/kubevirt/kubevirt/releases/download/v0.35.0/kubevirt-operator.yaml

Create a VM:

apiVersion: kubevirt.io/v1
kind: VirtualMachine
metadata:
  name: my-vm
spec:
  running: true
  template:
    spec:
      domain:
        devices:
          disks:
          - name: disk0
            disk:
              bus: virtio
        resources:
          requests:
            memory: 1Gi

Summary

KubeVirt 0.35 continues to evolve as a solution for managing virtual machines on Kubernetes, providing teams with the flexibility to run both containerized and VM workloads on the same platform.