Move Your KVM VMs to oVirt Effortlessly

Learn how to migrate KVM to oVirt using kvm2ovirt and virt-v2v commands. Simple, clear, and practical guide for quick and error-free import. Our Live Support Team is always here to help you.

Move Your KVM VMs to oVirt Effortlessly

Switching from KVM to oVirt can feel technical, but it doesn’t have to be. If you’ve been managing virtual machines (VMs) on KVM and are now shifting to oVirt, this guide walks you through it, clearly and directly. The process doesn’t need disk conversion since both platforms support KVM-based VMs. You can bring over your VMs with file or block device disks. Just note that snapshots aren’t fully supported; only the current snapshot will be imported.

The import is powered by kvm2ovirt, included in the VDSM installation. You’ll find it here:
/usr/libexec/vdsm/kvm2ovirt

Before starting, make sure Libvirt is reachable—either over SSH, TCP, or TLS. The URI format depends on your chosen method:

• SSH: qemu+ssh://username@host1.example.org/system
• TCP: qemu+tcp://username@host1.example.org/system
• TLS: qemu+tls://username@host1.example.org/system

How to Import a VM from Libvirt into oVirt

To begin, identify your VM’s unique Libvirt name by running:

$ virsh -r -c 'qemu+tcp://username@host1.example.org/system' list --all

Once you’ve found the VM you want to bring in, follow this clear path to import it:

1. Login to the oVirt Administration Portal and go to the Virtual Machines tab.

2. Click Import from the toolbar.

3. From the Source box, pick KVM (via libvirt).

4. In the URI box, type qemu+tcp://username@host1.example.org/system.

5. If authentication is required, check Requires Authentication and enter your credentials.

6. Hit Load.

7. Under Virtual Machines on Source, you’ll see all the VMs in ‘Down’ status.

8. Choose your VM (for example, rhel1_local) and move it to Virtual Machines to Import using the right arrow (→).

9. Click Next.

10. Adjust VM properties such as OS type and allocation policy if needed.

11. Press OK.

Your imported VM will now appear under Virtual Machines, and the import process will begin shortly.

Using virt-v2v for Command Line Migration

If you prefer command-line operations, you can use virt-v2v. Here’s the command to transfer a KVM VM named test-rhel6 to an oVirt export domain:

# virt-v2v -i libvirt -ic qemu+ssh://root@kvm-host/system -o rhev -os ovirt-engine:/data/nfs/export -of qcow2 -oa sparse -n ovirtmgmt test-rhel6

You can check additional options using:

virt-v2v --help

It’s also possible to create a profile in /etc/virt-v2v.conf to skip typing arguments every time.

What You Need Before Running virt-v2v

For this method to work smoothly, you’ll need an export domain, which must be NFS-based (iSCSI isn’t supported). Here’s what you need to do in order:

1. Create an export domain.

2. Activate that export domain in the data center.

3. Install virt-v2v on the oVirt engine host.

4. Move your KVM host to the export domain.

5. Import the VM from the export domain.

Conclusion

Migrating KVM to oVirt doesn’t have to be complex. With the combination of kvm2ovirt and virt-v2v, you can transition your environment efficiently without downtime or disk conversion hassles. By following the above process carefully, you’ll have your VMs running on oVirt in no time.

For anyone planning to migrate KVM to oVirt, keeping your network accessible, using the right URIs, and preparing your export domain ensures everything runs without a hitch. If you follow every command and configuration above, your shift from KVM to oVirt will be smooth and reliable, just as it should be.