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Installing OpenShift Virtualization

Install OpenShift Virtualization to add virtualization functionality to your OpenShift Container Platform cluster.

If you install OpenShift Virtualization in a restricted environment with no internet connectivity, you must configure Operator Lifecycle Manager (OLM) for restricted networks.

If you have limited internet connectivity, you can configure proxy support in OLM to access the OperatorHub.

Installing the OpenShift Virtualization Operator

Install the OpenShift Virtualization Operator by using the OpenShift Container Platform web console or the command line.

Installing the OpenShift Virtualization Operator by using the web console

You can deploy the OpenShift Virtualization Operator by using the OpenShift Container Platform web console.

Prerequisites

  • Install OpenShift Container Platform 4.16 on your cluster.

  • Log in to the OpenShift Container Platform web console as a user with cluster-admin permissions.

Procedure

  1. From the Administrator perspective, click Operators → OperatorHub.

  2. In the Filter by keyword field, type Virtualization.

  3. Select the OpenShift Virtualization Operator tile with the Red Hat source label.

  4. Read the information about the Operator and click Install.

  5. On the Install Operator page:

    1. Select stable from the list of available Update Channel options. This ensures that you install the version of OpenShift Virtualization that is compatible with your OpenShift Container Platform version.

    2. For Installed Namespace, ensure that the Operator recommended namespace option is selected. This installs the Operator in the mandatory openshift-cnv namespace, which is automatically created if it does not exist.

      Attempting to install the OpenShift Virtualization Operator in a namespace other than openshift-cnv causes the installation to fail.

    3. For Approval Strategy, it is highly recommended that you select Automatic, which is the default value, so that OpenShift Virtualization automatically updates when a new version is available in the stable update channel.

      While it is possible to select the Manual approval strategy, this is inadvisable because of the high risk that it presents to the supportability and functionality of your cluster. Only select Manual if you fully understand these risks and cannot use Automatic.

      Because OpenShift Virtualization is only supported when used with the corresponding OpenShift Container Platform version, missing OpenShift Virtualization updates can cause your cluster to become unsupported.

  6. Click Install to make the Operator available to the openshift-cnv namespace.

  7. When the Operator installs successfully, click Create HyperConverged.

  8. Optional: Configure Infra and Workloads node placement options for OpenShift Virtualization components.

  9. Click Create to launch OpenShift Virtualization.

Verification

  • Navigate to the Workloads → Pods page and monitor the OpenShift Virtualization pods until they are all Running. After all the pods display the Running state, you can use OpenShift Virtualization.

Installing the OpenShift Virtualization Operator by using the command line

Subscribe to the OpenShift Virtualization catalog and install the OpenShift Virtualization Operator by applying manifests to your cluster.

Subscribing to the OpenShift Virtualization catalog by using the CLI

Before you install OpenShift Virtualization, you must subscribe to the OpenShift Virtualization catalog. Subscribing gives the openshift-cnv namespace access to the OpenShift Virtualization Operators.

To subscribe, configure Namespace, OperatorGroup, and Subscription objects by applying a single manifest to your cluster.

Prerequisites

  • Install OpenShift Container Platform 4.16 on your cluster.

  • Install the OpenShift CLI (oc).

  • Log in as a user with cluster-admin privileges.

Procedure

  1. Create a YAML file that contains the following manifest:

    apiVersion: v1
kind: Namespace
metadata:
  name: openshift-cnv
---
apiVersion: operators.coreos.com/v1
kind: OperatorGroup
metadata:
  name: kubevirt-hyperconverged-group
  namespace: openshift-cnv
spec:
  targetNamespaces:
    - openshift-cnv
---
apiVersion: operators.coreos.com/v1alpha1
kind: Subscription
metadata:
  name: hco-operatorhub
  namespace: openshift-cnv
spec:
  source: redhat-operators
  sourceNamespace: openshift-marketplace
  name: kubevirt-hyperconverged
  startingCSV: kubevirt-hyperconverged-operator.v4.16.4
  channel: "stable" (1)
    1 Using the stable channel ensures that you install the version of OpenShift Virtualization that is compatible with your OpenShift Container Platform version.

  2. Create the required Namespace, OperatorGroup, and Subscription objects for OpenShift Virtualization by running the following command:

    $ oc apply -f <file name>.yaml

You can configure certificate rotation parameters in the YAML file.

Deploying the OpenShift Virtualization Operator by using the CLI

You can deploy the OpenShift Virtualization Operator by using the oc CLI.

Prerequisites

  • Subscribe to the OpenShift Virtualization catalog in the openshift-cnv namespace.

  • Log in as a user with cluster-admin privileges.

Procedure

  1. Create a YAML file that contains the following manifest:

    apiVersion: hco.kubevirt.io/v1beta1
kind: HyperConverged
metadata:
  name: kubevirt-hyperconverged
  namespace: openshift-cnv
spec:

  2. Deploy the OpenShift Virtualization Operator by running the following command:

    $ oc apply -f <file_name>.yaml
Verification

  • Ensure that OpenShift Virtualization deployed successfully by watching the PHASE of the cluster service version (CSV) in the openshift-cnv namespace. Run the following command:

    $ watch oc get csv -n openshift-cnv

    The following output displays if deployment was successful:

    Example output
    NAME                                      DISPLAY                    VERSION   REPLACES   PHASE
kubevirt-hyperconverged-operator.v4.16.4   OpenShift Virtualization   4.16.4                Succeeded

Next steps

  • The hostpath provisioner is a local storage provisioner designed for OpenShift Virtualization. If you want to configure local storage for virtual machines, you must enable the hostpath provisioner first.