SUSE Virtualization: VM Platform Ledger 2026 Scorecard

Part of the VM Platform Ledger (edition 2026-09-30). How the scores work: methodology.

Snapshot

Type: product
Owner: SUSE (private, EQT-owned since Nov 2023 delisting)
Engine: KubeVirt + Longhorn on RKE2, SUSE Linux Micro
Licence: Apache-2.0, free download; optional SUSE subscription per physical server (up to 32 cores)
Latest release: v1.9.0, 2026-09-16
Next milestone: v1.9.1 due 2026-10-14; v1.10 due 2026-12-09 (Cluster API, IPv6, Longhorn v2 GA)
Archetype: Upstream rider, open but still maturing
Evidence grade: A. Dates, roadmap history (297 revisions) and milestones read from GitHub. No public price.

Scorecard

Dimension	Score	Direction
Capability today	64.1 / 100	higher is better
Momentum since end of 2022	+16.3 points (2021 to 2022: +6.6)	higher is better
Credibility	17.0 / 25	higher is better
Commercial risk	11.0 / 25	lower is better
Technical lock-in	11.5 / 25	lower is better
Integrator fit	11.5 / 20	higher is better
AI leverage	8.5 / 20	higher is better
Ledger Index	61.1 / 100	balanced weights; see the methodology

Capability by domain, 2015 to today

Scores 0 to 5 against fixed anchors; total is weighted to 100.

Domain (weight)	2015	2019	2022	Today
Compute core (15)	n/a	n/a	2.5	3.5
Storage (12)	n/a	n/a	2.5	3.5
Networking / SDN (10)	n/a	n/a	2	3.5
Data protection / DR (12)	n/a	n/a	2.5	2.5
Migration-in (8)	n/a	n/a	2	3
GPU / AI (10)	n/a	n/a	1.5	3
Kubernetes (8)	n/a	n/a	4	4
Security / confidential (8)	n/a	n/a	1.5	3
Fleet / multi-site (9)	n/a	n/a	2.5	3
Automation / ecosystem (8)	n/a	n/a	3	3
Total / 100	not released	not released	47.8	64.1

Year by year: 2021: 41.2 · 2022: 47.8 · 2023: 51.6 · 2024: 57.0 · 2025: 60.5 · 2026: 64.1

What moved the score

Year	Domain	Change	Points	Trigger
2022	Data protection / DR	2 → 2.5	+1.2	v1.1: snapshots and clones
2022	GPU / AI	0 → 1.5	+3.0	v1.1: PCI and GPU passthrough (experimental)
2022	Migration-in	0.5 → 2	+2.4	v1.1: VMware and OpenStack importer add-on (no UI)
2023	Networking / SDN	2 → 2.5	+1.0	v1.2: IP pools, load balancer, SR-IOV
2023	Security / confidential	1.5 → 2.5	+1.6	v1.2: vTPM and Secure Boot
2023	Storage	2.5 → 3	+1.2	v1.2: third-party CSI storage for data disks
2024	Compute core	2.5 → 3	+1.5	v1.4: CPU pinning
2024	Fleet / multi-site	2.5 → 3	+0.9	v1.3: two-node clusters with witness
2024	GPU / AI	1.5 → 3	+3.0	v1.3: NVIDIA vGPU
2025	Compute core	3 → 3.5	+1.5	v1.5/1.6: Arm GA; CPU and memory hotplug
2025	Security / confidential	2.5 → 3	+0.8	v1.6: volume encryption GA
2025	Storage	3 → 3.5	+1.2	v1.5: third-party boot disks; certified storage programme
2026	Migration-in	2 → 3	+1.6	v1.9: importer UI; OVF source since v1.7
2026	Networking / SDN	2.5 → 3.5	+2.0	v1.8/1.9: L3 underlay; VPC networking features GA

Direction, 2023 to 2026

Each release item carries one theme and one driver (V vision, C customer need, M market window, U upstream, P portfolio).

Date	Item	Theme	Driver
2023-09	v1.2: third-party storage for data disks	D2 Storage	C
2023-09	v1.2: vTPM and Secure Boot	D9 Security	C
2024-03	v1.3: Arm (tech preview)	D1 Core compute	V
2024-03	v1.3: NVIDIA vGPU	D6 AI/GPU infrastructure	C
2024-03	v1.3: two-node clusters with witness	D10 Fleet/edge	C
2024-11	Renamed SUSE Virtualization	D12 Packaging	P
2024-11	v1.4: CPU pinning, scheduled backups	D4 Data protection	C
2024-12	Veeam Kasten support	D11 Ecosystem openness	M
2025-03	Certified storage programme (Dell, NetApp, HPE, Portworx)	D11 Ecosystem openness	M
2025-04	Community vs supported build split	D12 Packaging	P
2025-04	v1.5: third-party boot storage	D2 Storage	M
2025-08	v1.6: CPU and memory hotplug	D1 Core compute	C
2025-08	v1.6: VPC networking add-on, 'NSX-like' (experimental)	D3 Networking	M
2025-12	v1.7: MIG-backed vGPU	D6 AI/GPU infrastructure	C
2025-12	v1.7: OVF import, NIC hotplug	D5 Migration-in	M
2025-12	v1.7: SL Micro 6 base and KubeVirt rebase	D12 Packaging	U
2026-04	v1.8: L3 underlay, Harvester RBAC roles	D3 Networking	C
2026-04	v1.8: storage live migration	D2 Storage	C
2026-09	v1.9: GPU for container workloads	D8 Kubernetes	V
2026-09	v1.9: migration tool UI	D5 Migration-in	M
2026-09	v1.9: parallel live migrations	D1 Core compute	C
2026-10	MCP server for SUSE's assistant (planned for 1.9.1)	D7 AI-assisted ops	V

Centre of gravity: Storage (3), Core compute (3), Packaging (3)
Blind spots (no items): none
Driver mix: Vision 14%, Customer need 45%, Market window 27%, Upstream 5%, Portfolio 9%
Idea-to-need index: 0.16 (0 = demand-pulled, 1 = thesis-pushed)

Credibility: 17.0 / 25

Criterion	Score	Basis
Cadence	3.5	April/August/December since v1.5, hit 4 of 5; several patch milestones closed without a release
Roadmap transparency	4.5	Public roadmap with target versions and ETAs, open milestones, experimental-feature status page
Say-do	3	60% of 110 listed items shipped in the version listed, 70% within 12 months; 15% dropped, mostly 2023-24; many shipped experimental
Velocity	4	Several capabilities per release
Lifecycle stability	2	About 18 months per minor from the first supported patch; x.y.0 unsupported; 'upgrade not recommended' at 1.9.0

Commercial risk: 11.0 / 25 (lower is better)

Criterion	Score	Basis
Price and licence volatility	2	Renamed 2024; community vs supported build split 2025; no price history found
Purchase constraints	1.5	Free to run; subscription per server up to 32 cores; entitlement scope documented inconsistently
Channel and access	1.5	Open download; SUSE One partner programme; no public price
Owner stability	3	Private-equity owned since the 2023 delisting
Cost of staying supported	3	Three minors a year, about 18 months support each, previous-minor-only upgrades

Technical lock-in: 11.5 / 25 (lower is better)

Criterion	Score	Basis
Formats	1.5	Raw Longhorn volumes; KubeVirt YAML
Export path	3	No export or migrate-out tool; volumes exported one by one
Stack coupling	3.5	Fixed appliance stack; Longhorn always installed; backup only for Longhorn volumes
Hardware / cloud coupling	1	Any x86 or Arm server; air-gap supported
Skills and tooling coupling	2.5	Kubernetes and Rancher skills

Integrator fit: 11.5 / 20

Criterion	Score	Basis
Partner programme openness	3	SUSE One specializations; terms unpublished
Multi-tenancy and self-service	3	Rancher projects, quotas, VPCs; Harvester RBAC roles still experimental
API and infrastructure-as-code	3	Kubernetes API and Terraform; no Ansible collection
Skills and certification	2.5	SCA exam exists; small skills pool

AI leverage: 8.5 / 20

How the platform uses AI, scored per year like capability. Only GA counts.

Criterion	2019	2022	Today	Latest step
AI workload infrastructure	n/a	1	3	2025: v1.7: MIG-backed vGPU; not in NVIDIA's support matrices
AI platform stack	n/a	0	2.5	2024: SUSE AI (separate Rancher bundle, runs on Kubernetes)
AI-assisted operations	n/a	0	1	2026: Liz assistant GA for Rancher, but not yet able to manage Harvester VMs
Agent openness	n/a	2	2	2021: Kubernetes API; Harvester MCP server only a dev build, due 1.9.1

Year by year: 2021: 2 · 2022: 3 · 2023: 3 · 2024: 7.0 · 2025: 7.5 · 2026: 8.5

AI say-do, 2023 to 2026: 8 AI items announced; 5 GA, 1 still preview, 1 pending, 0 dropped. One more is available with unclear maturity. The MCP server slipped once, from 1.9.0 to 1.9.1.

SUSE has the parts (GPU sharing, an AI bundle, an assistant) but has not yet joined them to VMs: the assistant cannot manage Harvester until its MCP server ships. GPU support arrived late against the roadmap and NVIDIA does not list the platform.

Reading

SUSE assembles upstream parts (KubeVirt, Longhorn, RKE2, Rancher) into an appliance and publishes the most detailed roadmap in the field, with a record that improves every year. It has closed many basic gaps since 2023, but a lot of it shipped as experimental and data protection is still the weakest domain: backup covers only the bundled storage, and replication has been planned since 2022. It is cheap and easy to try, with free software and a per-server subscription, but it is not yet a like-for-like VMware replacement for DR-heavy estates.

Open questions and items to re-score

v1.9.0 release notes say upgrading is not recommended until 1.9.1 (VMs shut down during upgrade).
Backup and restore only work for Longhorn volumes; third-party storage backup is planned for 1.10.
No published maximum cluster size and no public price.
SUSE's support matrix and a SUSE staff answer disagree on whether Longhorn and Rancher are in the subscription.