https://drive.google.com/file/d/12i33Cgho7Me1ifbWP1aM_0k0VRatkRxP/view?usp=sharing

1. Understanding KVM

What is KVM?

• Type-1 Hypervisor: Runs directly on hardware (via Linux kernel)
• Open Source: Integrated into Linux kernel since 2.6.20
• Enterprise Ready: Used by AWS, Google Cloud, and OpenStack
• Hardware Accelerated: Requires CPU virtualization extensions

Hardware Requirements

# Check Intel VT-x support
grep -E 'vmx' /proc/cpuinfo

# Check AMD-V support
grep -E 'svm' /proc/cpuinfo

✅ Output: If lines appear → CPU supports virtualization

❌ No output: Enable VT-x/AMD-V in BIOS

2. Installing KVM Components

Install Virtualization Packages

# Install Cockpit (for web management)
sudo dnf install -y cockpit cockpit-machines

# Enable Cockpit
sudo systemctl enable --now cockpit.socket
sudo systemctl status cockpit.socket

# Configure firewall for Cockpit
sudo firewall-cmd --permanent --add-service=cockpit
sudo firewall-cmd --reload

# Install KVM virtualization stack
sudo dnf module install -y virt
sudo dnf install -y virt-install virt-viewer qemu-kvm libvirt

# Verify hardware support
sudo virt-host-validate

# Enable libvirtd service
sudo systemctl enable --now libvirtd
sudo systemctl status libvirtd

⚠️ Critical Notes:

• cockpit-machines = Cockpit plugin for VM management
• virt-host-validate = Checks all KVM requirements
• libvirtd = Core virtualization daemon

3. Configuring Network Bridge (for VMs)

Create Bridge via Cockpit

1. Access Cockpit: https://<server-ip>:9090