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Kernel-based Virtual Machine (KVM) vs. VMware NSX

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    Overview
    ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price

    KVM

    Score9.5 out of 10
    N/AKernel-based Virtual Machine (KVM) is a virtualization solution developed by small Israeli software company Qumranet and supported by Red Hat since that company's acquisition in 2008.N/A

    VMware NSX

    Score8.8 out of 10
    N/AVMware NSX is network virtualization technology. VMware NSX is no longer sold as a standalone product and is now available as a part of VMware Cloud Foundation.N/A
    Pricing
    KVMVMware NSX
    Editions & Modules
    No answers on this topic
    No answers on this topic
    Offerings
    Pricing Offerings
    KVMVMware NSX
    Free Trial
    NoNo
    Free/Freemium Version
    NoNo
    Premium Consulting/Integration Services
    NoNo
    Entry-level Setup FeeNo setup feeNo setup fee
    Additional Details——
    More Pricing Information
    Features
    KVMVMware NSX
    Server Virtualization
    Comparison of Server Virtualization features of Kernel-based Virtual Machine (KVM) and VMware NSX
    Feature
    Kernel-based Virtual Machine (KVM)
    9.2
    6 Ratings
    13% above category average
    VMware NSX
    -
    Ratings
    Virtual machine automated provisioning7.05 Ratings00 Ratings
    Management console10.04 Ratings00 Ratings
    Live virtual machine backup10.04 Ratings00 Ratings
    Live virtual machine migration10.05 Ratings00 Ratings
    Hypervisor-level security9.04 Ratings00 Ratings
    Best Alternatives
    KVMVMware NSX
    Small Businesses
    Proxmox VE
    Score9.2 out of 10
    No answers on this topic
    Medium-sized Companies
    VMware vSOM (discontinued)
    Score10 out of 10
    No answers on this topic
    Enterprises
    IBM PowerVM
    Score9.6 out of 10
    No answers on this topic
    All AlternativesView all alternativesView all alternatives
    User Ratings
    KVMVMware NSX
    Likelihood to Recommend
    10.0
    (6 ratings)
    7.0
    (3 ratings)
    Usability
    10.0
    (1 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    User Testimonials
    KVMVMware NSX
    Likelihood to Recommend
    Red Hat
    KVM is the best solution in the case you need to test and turn up any virtual environment with limited vCPU/RAM resources. The obvious area of its use is a network environment when we want to avoid being tied to one type of hardware/vendor and being able to swap from one instance to another with no downtimes. The use of a vSwitch (that supports VLAN tagging) is a significant bonus for network engineers that some other hypervisors do not provide.
    Incentivized
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    VMware by Broadcom
    With proper design, VMware NSX can and should be deployed to virtually any VMware virtualization environment, but the deployment should be tailored to the needs of that environment. There isn't really a one size fits all deployment design for all environments. That versatility is what provides its greatest strength to a business.
    Incentivized
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    Pros
    Red Hat
    • KVM is really good at providing fast and reliable virtualization for Linux guests
    • Since KVM is a kernel module, every VM is a Linux process which can be managed by Linux system tools
    • KVM integrates very well with the management framework libvirt, which is why KVM can be integrated in automation tools as well
    Incentivized
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    VMware by Broadcom
    • End to end encryption on the wire.
    • Micro-segmentation.
    • Integrates well with existing VMWare environment.
    • Integrates well with our existing network.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Cons
    Red Hat
    • KVM itself doesn't ship with a management interface
    • KVM itself is a bit complicated to handle
    • KVM needs Qemu to virtualize Windows guests
    Incentivized
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    VMware by Broadcom
    • Interoperability in multi-vendor environments
    • Advanced networking and packet acceleration options can be improved
    Incentivized
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    Usability
    Red Hat
    It does the job and stays out of the way. The specifics of usability relies on the implementation, but with things like Icarus and libvirt, things are standardizing nicely.
    Incentivized
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    VMware by Broadcom
    No answers on this topic
    Alternatives Considered
    Red Hat
    It is a very reliable solution that can be used for x86 architecture virtualization with low overhead. It is a free and open source software. Easy to use withOpenStack.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    VMware by Broadcom
    We use both Cisco ACI and VMware NSX, and while they have different strengths and capabilities, I would recommend VMware NSX, as it can be used in all VMware environments, without costly physical infrastructure changes. Cisco ACI provides some of the same capabilities, but not all. It's focus relies on physical networking changes.
    Incentivized
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    Return on Investment
    Red Hat
    • Fast provisioning of new servers.
    • Huge drop of the cost of servers compared to bare metal.
    • Easy upgrades of resources, sometimes now even requiring a server restart.
    Incentivized
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    VMware by Broadcom
    • Ability to move workloads more easily with the ability to stretch/move networks across multiple physical locations.
    • The added flexibility allows you to expedite tech refreshes since you're no longer constrained by the hardware.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
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