Proposed title of this feature request
Ability to Rename Virtual Machines in OpenShift Virtualization (CNV/KubeVirt)
2. What is the nature and description of the request?

Currently, OpenShift Virtualization (based on KubeVirt) does not support renaming a VirtualMachine (VM) after creation. The VM metadata.name is immutable, which forces users to delete and recreate the VM if they want a new name.

The request is to introduce functionality that allows users to rename existing VMs without requiring deletion/recreation. This rename should update all associated resources (e.g., DataVolumes, PVCs, virt-launcher pods, and network identities) in a safe and consistent manner.

3. Why does the customer need this? (List the business requirements here)

Operational flexibility: Customers often need to align VM names with naming conventions that evolve over time (e.g., application, environment, or compliance-driven standards).

Reduced downtime: Currently, renaming a VM requires deleting and recreating it, leading to service disruption. Renaming in place would avoid downtime.

Automation and integration: In environments migrating large numbers of workloads (e.g., from VMware), customers need to adjust VM names programmatically as part of automation pipelines.

Compliance and audits: Regulated industries (e.g., healthcare, finance) may require VM names to follow strict naming conventions. Lack of a rename option complicates compliance audits and remediation.

User experience: Administrators and operators expect the ability to rename VMs, similar to what is possible in other virtualization platforms (VMware, Hyper-V).

This feature was supported in the past https://github.com/kubevirt/kubevirt/pull/5564 and it is required to streamline admin workflows.