Cyberus Technology has released the backend code for VirtualBox KVM, allowing the virtualization system VirtualBox to utilize the KVM hypervisor built into the Linux kernel instead of the kernel module vboxdrv supplied with VirtualBox. The backend enables the execution of virtual machines by the KVM hypervisor while fully preserving the traditional management model and interface of VirtualBox. Existing virtual machine configurations created for VirtualBox can be run in KVM. The code is written in C and C++, and is distributed under the GPLv3 license.
Key advantages of running VirtualBox on top of KVM:
- the KVM hypervisor include the ability to run VirtualBox and of virtual machinesvirtual machines created for VirtualBox simultaneously with QEMU/KVM and virtualization systems using KVM, such as Cloud Hypervisor. For example, isolated services requiring a special level of security can run using Cloud Hypervisor, while guest systems with Windows can be executed in a more user-friendly environment provided by VirtualBox.
- Support for operating without loading the VirtualBox kernel driver (vboxdrv), allowing operation on certified and verified Linux kernel builds where loading third-party modules is not permissible.
- Ability to utilize extended hardware acceleration mechanisms for virtualization supported in KVM but not employed in VirtualBox. For instance, KVM can leverage the APICv extension for virtualizing the interrupt controller, which reduces latency in handling interrupts and enhances input/output performance.
- The presence of features in KVM that enhance the security of Windows systems running in virtualized environments.
- Operation on systems with Linux kernels that are not yet supported in VirtualBox. KVM is integrated into the kernel, whereas vboxdrv is ported separately for each new kernel.
In VirtualBox KVM, stable performance is claimed in host environments based on Linux on x86_64 systems with Intel processors. Support for AMD processors is present but currently marked as experimental.
Source: opennet.ru
