Product SiteDocumentation Site

Chapter 2. Virtualization compatibility of host and guest combinations

Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5 supports various combinations of hosts and guests. These lists list all tested compatible guests for Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5 hosts. Other combinations may be possible but have not been tested or implemented completely at the time of writing.
The x86 architecture
Red Hat Virtualization on the x86 platform is limited to 16 CPU processing cores.
Supported fully virtualized guests
Operating systemSupport level
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 3 x86Optimized
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 4 x86Optimized
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5 x86Optimized
Windows Server 2000 32-BitSupported
Windows Server 2003 32-BitSupported
Windows XP 32-BitSupported
Windows Vista 32-BitSupported
Note, other 32 bit operating systems may work.
To utilize para-virtualization on Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5 your processor must have either an Intel-VT or AMD-V enabled processor.
Supported para-virtualized guest
Operating systemSupport level
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 4 x86Optimized
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5 x86Optimized
To utilize para-virtualization on Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5 your processor must have the Physical Address Extension (PAE) instruction set.
AMD64 and Intel 64 architecture
Red Hat Virtualization on the x86 platform is limited to 126 CPU processing cores.
Supported fully virtualized guests
Operating systemSupport level
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 3 x86-64 Optimized
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 3 x86Optimized
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 4 AMD64/Intel 64Optimized
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 4 x86Optimized
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5 AMD64/Intel 64Optimized
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5 x86Optimized
Windows Server 2000 32-Bitsupported
Windows Server 2003 32-Bitsupported
Windows XP 32-Bitsupported
Windows Vista 32-Bitsupported
Windows Vista 64-Bitsupported
Windows Server 2008 32-Bitsupported
Windows Server 2008 64-Bitsupported
Solaris 32 bitsupported
Other x86 and AMD64 or Intel 64 based operating systems may work but are presently untested.
Supported para-virtualized guest
Operating systemSupport level
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 3 AMD64/Intel 64Optimized
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 3 x86Optimized
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 4 AMD64/Intel 64 Optimized
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 4 x86Technology preview (in 5.2) Optimized (5.3 and above)
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5 AMD64/Intel 64 Optimized
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5 x86Technology preview (in 5.2) Optimized (5.3 and above)
Intel Itanium architecture
These lists are for virtualization on the Intel Itanium architecture.
Supported fully virtualized guests
Operating systemSupport level
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 3 ItaniumSupported
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 4 ItaniumSupported
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5 ItaniumSupported
Windows Server 2003 for Itanium-based SystemsSupported
Supported para-virtualized guest
Operating systemSupport level
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5 Itaniumoptimized

Itanium® support

Red Hat Virtualization on the Itanium® architecture requires the guest firmware image, refer to Installing Red Hat Virtualization with yum for more information.