Kubernetes now runs containers and VMs side by side

KubeVirt's graduation from the Cloud Native Computing Foundation (CNCF) signifies a significant shift in the debate between containers and virtual machines. Now, Kubernetes is emerging as a unified platform for legacy VMs, cloud-native applications, and AI workloads. Despite the fact that many enterprises still rely on VMs, the integration of AI is driving a change in the need for different infrastructure.

Red Hat is betting that businesses won't need to choose between these systems, with OpenShift 5 capable of managing containers, VMs, and AI workloads in one environment. Fabian Deutsch, director of engineering for OpenShift Virtualization and Modernization and a KubeVirt maintainer at Red Hat, emphasized that the company's vision is to unite these worlds, making it easier to run various compute workloads on a single platform.

KubeVirt's recent innovations have been driven by advancements in AI. The project aims to provide a consistent API across edge devices and cloud environments, which allows organizations to leverage their existing investments without having to abandon them. Nvidia and Microsoft are among the early adopters of this unified infrastructure approach.