Module 6: Virtual Machines

Learning Objectives

By the end of this module, you will be able to:

• Create and manage VMs in VergeOS using the UI and API
• Deploy VMs from recipes and templates to standardize provisioning workflows
• Configure GPU passthrough for specialized workloads (VDI, AI/ML, rendering)
• Import VMs from VMware and other platforms using built-in migration tools

Prerequisites

• Completion of Module 1: Architecture Fundamentals — understanding of VergeOS platform architecture
• Completion of Module 4: Networking — understanding of virtual networks and network configuration
• Completion of Module 5: Storage — understanding of vSAN tiers and storage provisioning

Estimated Time

3 hours (1.5 hours reading + 1.5 hours lab)

VMware Bridge

VergeOS virtual machines are conceptually similar to VMware vSphere VMs, but provisioning and management happen through the VergeOS UI rather than vCenter. VM recipes in VergeOS serve a similar role to VMware templates and customization specs — they define a base image and configuration that can be deployed repeatedly. GPU passthrough in VergeOS works similarly to VMware DirectPath I/O but with a streamlined configuration process.

Topics

VM Creation & Management

Creating VMs, configuring CPU/memory/disk, managing VM lifecycle (start, stop, snapshot, clone).

Recipes & Templates

Building reusable VM recipes for standardized deployments, template management, and automated provisioning.

GPU Passthrough

Configuring PCI passthrough for GPU devices, use cases for VDI and compute-intensive workloads.

VM Migration & Import

Importing VMs from VMware (VMDK), Hyper-V (VHDX), and other platforms using built-in conversion tools.

Lab: Virtual Machine Operations

Create VMs, deploy from recipes, configure GPU passthrough, and import a VM from an external format.

Module Outline

1. VM Creation & Management — Creating VMs, resource allocation, lifecycle operations (snapshots, clones, migrations)
2. Recipes & Templates — Building and managing VM recipes, template catalogs, and automated provisioning workflows
3. GPU Passthrough — PCI device passthrough configuration, GPU assignment, and VDI/compute workload optimization
4. VM Migration & Import — Importing VMs from VMware, Hyper-V, and other hypervisors; format conversion and validation
5. Lab — Hands-on VM creation, recipe deployment, GPU passthrough setup, and VM import exercise