Modern enterprises are under pressure to modernize infrastructure while maintaining support for traditional workloads. With the release of OpenShift 4.18, Red Hat takes a significant step forward in unifying virtual machines (VMs) and containers under a single, Kubernetes-powered platform.

This latest update strengthens virtualization capabilities, enhances networking flexibility, improves storage mobility, and expands hybrid cloud support—making OpenShift an even more compelling enterprise container platform.

In this article, we explore how OpenShift 4.18 transforms virtualization support and why organizations should consider adopting it today.

Why Virtualization Still Matters in a Container-First World

Containers have revolutionized application development and deployment. However, many enterprises still rely on virtual machines for legacy applications, compliance requirements, and specific performance needs.

The challenge? Managing containers and VMs separately increases operational complexity, infrastructure costs, and administrative overhead.

OpenShift 4.18 addresses this challenge by enabling organizations to:

• Run virtual machines and containers side-by-side

• Manage workloads using a unified Kubernetes control plane

• Modernize at their own pace without forced migrations

• Reduce reliance on legacy virtualization-only platforms

This hybrid capability allows enterprises to gradually transition to cloud-native architectures without disrupting existing systems.

Enhanced Virtualization Capabilities in OpenShift 4.18

OpenShift 4.18 introduces several key improvements that make VM management more seamless, flexible, and production-ready.

1. General Availability of User-Defined Networks (UDN)

Networking is often one of the most complex aspects of virtualization. OpenShift 4.18 brings User-Defined Networks (UDN) into general availability.

With UDN, organizations gain:

• Custom Layer 2 and Layer 3 networking

• Improved network segmentation

• Better multi-tenancy support

• Greater control over IP management

This is particularly beneficial for enterprises migrating from traditional virtualization platforms that rely heavily on custom network configurations.

By enabling advanced networking capabilities within Kubernetes, OpenShift reduces friction between legacy and cloud-native environments.

2. Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) Support for Advanced Networking

OpenShift 4.18 introduces enhanced support for Border Gateway Protocol (BGP).

BGP improves:

• External routing integration

• Static IP assignment for VMs

• Multi-tenant isolation

• Complex enterprise networking scenarios

For organizations operating in large-scale environments or hybrid cloud architectures, BGP support ensures smoother integration with existing network infrastructure.

3. Live Storage Migration for Virtual Machines

One of the most impactful enhancements in OpenShift 4.18 is live storage migration, now generally available.

This feature allows administrators to:

• Move VM storage between different storage classes

• Shift storage across devices

• Perform migrations without downtime

The result? Reduced service interruptions and improved operational agility.

Live storage migration is particularly valuable for:

• Hardware refresh cycles

• Storage optimization

• Disaster recovery planning

• Infrastructure modernization

Enterprises can now manage storage evolution without impacting critical workloads.

4. A Dedicated Virtualization Engine

OpenShift 4.18 also introduces a virtualization-focused edition tailored for organizations that primarily run virtual machines.

This option provides:

• A streamlined deployment model

• Reduced operational overhead

• Targeted VM management capabilities

For enterprises that are not yet fully containerized, this creates a practical entry point into Kubernetes-based infrastructure.

Expanded Bare-Metal Cloud Support

Hybrid cloud strategies require flexibility across environments. OpenShift 4.18 expands support for bare-metal deployments on major cloud providers, including:

• Google Cloud Platform

• Oracle Cloud Infrastructure

• Amazon Web Services

This expansion ensures organizations can deploy OpenShift in the environment that best suits their performance, compliance, and cost requirements.

By enabling consistent deployment across public cloud and on-premise environments, OpenShift strengthens enterprise hybrid cloud strategies.

Improved Security with External Secret Management

Security remains a top priority for enterprise IT teams. OpenShift 4.18 introduces enhancements through a Secret Store CSI driver that allows workloads to access external secret managers without storing sensitive information directly inside the cluster.

Benefits include:

• Reduced security risk

• Improved compliance

• Centralized secret governance

• Enhanced integration with DevOps pipelines

This is particularly important for organizations adopting GitOps and CI/CD pipelines, where secret exposure can become a critical vulnerability.

By keeping sensitive credentials outside the cluster, OpenShift reinforces a zero-trust security posture.

Business Benefits of OpenShift 4.18

The technical improvements in OpenShift 4.18 translate directly into business advantages:

Operational Efficiency

Managing VMs and containers within a single platform reduces tool sprawl and administrative burden.

Cost Optimization

Consolidating virtualization and container infrastructure lowers licensing and infrastructure costs.

Future-Proof Architecture

Organizations can modernize at their own pace without disrupting legacy systems.

Improved Agility

Live migration and enhanced networking allow faster infrastructure adjustments.

Hybrid Cloud Readiness

Expanded support across cloud providers ensures deployment flexibility.

Who Should Adopt OpenShift 4.18?

OpenShift 4.18 is ideal for:

• Enterprises running mixed VM and container workloads

• Organizations planning gradual cloud-native transformation

• Companies seeking alternatives to traditional virtualization platforms

• Businesses building hybrid or multi-cloud architectures

• IT teams prioritizing security and compliance

Whether you're modernizing legacy systems or building a next-generation application platform, OpenShift 4.18 provides the foundation for scalable, flexible, and secure infrastructure.

The Strategic Advantage of Unified Infrastructure

The future of enterprise IT is not purely container-based nor purely virtualized—it is unified.

By integrating virtualization directly into Kubernetes, OpenShift eliminates the divide between old and new infrastructure models. Organizations no longer need separate platforms, teams, or management tools.

This convergence accelerates digital transformation while minimizing risk.

OpenShift 4.18 is more than an incremental upgrade—it is a strategic evolution in enterprise infrastructure.

Ready to Adopt OpenShift?

If your organization is planning to modernize infrastructure, consolidate virtualization, or build a secure hybrid cloud environment, now is the time to adopt OpenShift.

Partner with Btech to design, deploy, and optimize your OpenShift environment with expert guidance and enterprise-grade support.

📧 Email: contact@btech.id
📞 Phone: +62-811-1123-242

Start your OpenShift journey today and transform your infrastructure into a future-ready platform built for agility, security, and scale.