VM Management
OpenFactory uses libvirt virtual machines to boot images, run verification, and deploy project topologies. The console combines a desired graph with the runtime state returned by libvirt.
Current capabilities
| Capability | Boundary |
|---|---|
| Planned topology | Add VM and network nodes, connect them, select a boot variant, and save graph layout before provisioning |
| VM lifecycle | Create, start, graceful shutdown, reboot, hard reset, forced power-off, and delete an authorized VM |
| Boot images | Use one of your builds or an enabled public catalog launch target; changing a provisioned node’s variant swaps its CD-ROM and cold-restarts it while retaining its disk |
| Console | Open the browser VNC console for a running VM |
| Verification | Provision temporary test environments and execute predefined, feature, custom, GUI, or benchmark checks |
| Persistent overlay | Optional Zone 2 disk for supported images; snapshots and rollback apply to that overlay only |
VM availability, size, node count, and retention are enforced from the current account entitlements returned by the backend. Do not rely on a copied plan table in documentation.
Important distinctions
- A planned node is topology data, not a running VM.
- A running VM is not evidence that its image passed tests.
- An ISO-booted VM’s root disk is not automatically an installed system.
- A Zone 2 snapshot is not a full VM snapshot: it does not capture guest memory, the immutable base image, or arbitrary disks.
- Browser-console success does not prove SSH, installer, or physical-hardware behavior.
Safe workflow
- Validate and build the image.
- Add the desired VM and network nodes to a project or build topology.
- Select the exact boot variant and review resource limits.
- Provision, then inspect the runtime identifier and state.
- Open the console and run prompt-specific assertions.
- For installable media, complete an install-to-disk test and reboot from the disk rather than the ISO.
- Keep test, certification, and hardware evidence separate.
- Delete temporary VMs and networks when the evidence has been retained.