Feature Overview

This feature introduces multi-architecture (multiarch) support for ARM-based workloads within OpenShift Virtualization clusters. It enables users to provision, schedule, and run ARM virtual machines (VMs) in mixed-architecture clusters (e.g., x86 and ARM nodes). This enhancement broadens workload portability, ensures flexibility for heterogeneous environments, and supports emerging ARM-based use cases across industries.

Goals

Goal Statement:
Allow users to run ARM-based VMs alongside x86-based VMs within the same OpenShift Virtualization cluster, enabling a true multiarch environment.

Who Benefits & How?

• Developers: Can test and validate applications across both x86 and ARM architectures without maintaining separate infrastructure.
• Operators/Admins: Gain flexibility in managing heterogeneous environments by consolidating workloads on a single OpenShift cluster.
• Enterprises & ISVs: Reduce costs and complexity when adopting ARM workloads for energy efficiency, edge computing, and specialized hardware.
• With This Feature: Users can deploy ARM VMs within a mixed cluster (x86 + ARM). Scheduling is architecture-aware, ensuring workloads land on the correct nodes while still being managed uniformly.

Requirements

Use Cases

Use Case 1: Hybrid Development/Testing

• Actor: Developer
• Scenario: A developer builds an app targeting both x86 servers and ARM edge devices. They run test VMs for both architectures in a single OpenShift cluster.
  Use Case 2: Edge + Data Center Integration
• Actor: Cluster Admin / Operator
• Scenario: An operator provisions ARM VMs for edge workloads and x86 VMs for core workloads within the same management plane.
  Use Case 3: ISV Application Validation
• Actor: ISV / QA Engineer
• Scenario: QA team runs ARM VM test environments in the same OpenShift cluster used for x86-based CI/CD pipelines.

Questions to Answer

• Will mixed-arch clusters support cross-architecture networking seamlessly?
• Any impact on storage provisioning for ARM workloads?

Out of Scope

• Emulation of x86 workloads on ARM (or vice versa).
• Cross-architecture VM migration (e.g., moving an ARM VM to an x86 node).
• GPU passthrough for ARM VMs in the first iteration.
• Cross-arch binary translation (QEMU-based) at cluster level.

Background & Strategic Fit

The industry is increasingly adopting ARM-based processors due to their energy efficiency, performance-per-watt advantages, and edge applicability. Enabling ARM VMs in OpenShift Virtualization supports Red Hat’s multiarch strategy and positions OpenShift as the platform of choice for heterogeneous hybrid cloud deployments. This aligns with customer demand to consolidate infrastructure while supporting both traditional x86 workloads and emerging ARM-native workloads in industries like telecom, automotive, IoT, and cloud-native development.

Assumptions

• Node architecture is properly registered and exposed in OpenShift scheduling metadata.
• Networking and storage layers are architecture-agnostic and will not require significant modifications.