RHEV Reviews

Name: RHEV
Brand: Red Hat
Rating: 3.9 (35 reviews)

3.9 out of 5

35 reviews
78% willing to recommend

2,580 followers

What is RHEV?

Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization, or RHEV, is a leading open standard enterprise virtualization management solution. This solution supports virtualization of servers and desktops using the same infrastructure and a single easy-to-use interface.

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RHEV is the #12 ranked solution in best Server Virtualization Software. PeerSpot users give RHEV an average rating of 7.8 out of 10. RHEV is most commonly compared to Proxmox VE: RHEV vs Proxmox VE. RHEV is popular among the midsize enterprise segment, accounting for 59% of users researching this solution on PeerSpot. The top industry researching this solution are professionals from a educational organization, accounting for 52% of all views.

Helped 831,881 peers since 2012

Featured reviews

Sujeet-Kumar

Project Manager Cloud Infrastructure at Path Infotech ltd

The deployment is not as easy as VMware. The time required for deployment depends on the setup. We face some issues that we need to troubleshoot and fix. However, VMware can be deployed smoothly without any issues if we follow the steps. We require more time to deploy RHEV compared to VMware. One engineer can deploy the tool. If we have skilled people, maintaining RHEV is easy.

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VishalSingh

Consulting & Solutions, BA/BD in Enterprise IT on Open Source, Red Hat & EDB at KEEN AND ABLE COMPUTERS PVT LTD

One aspect to note is that the platform's disaster recovery needs to be managed manually, underscoring the importance of having hypervisors on different physical servers for redundancy. Given that RHEV is nearing the end of its product life cycle, I would advise exploring alternative solutions. However, it remains an enterprise-grade solution, akin to other Red Hat products, and is well-suited for virtualization needs in an enterprise environment. Overall, I rate it an eight out of ten.

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Rami Abuaus

Cloud Architect at Nokia Solutions

We use this solution to build privacy clouds for our clients We find the ease of use of this solution to be invaluable. It is user-friendly and integrates well with other software. We would like the dashboard feature of this solution to be improved, as it is not very detailed at present. We…

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RHEV mindshare

As of January 2025, the mindshare of RHEV in the Server Virtualization Software category stands at 3.9%, up from 2.4% compared to the previous year, according to calculations based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Server Virtualization Software

PeerAnalyst reports

Type	Title	Date
Category	Server Virtualization Software	Jan 30, 2025	Download
Product	Reviews, tips, and advice from real users	Jan 30, 2025	Download
Comparison	RHEV vs Proxmox VE	Jan 30, 2025	Download
Comparison	RHEV vs VMware vSphere	Jan 30, 2025	Download
Comparison	RHEV vs Hyper-V	Jan 30, 2025	Download

Title	Rating	Mindshare	Recommending
Proxmox VE	4.3	17.9%	98%	62 interviews Add to research
VMware vSphere	4.4	19.4%	94%	452 interviews Add to research

Valuable Features

RHEV is valued for its KVM virtualization, application compatibility, memory page sharing, NIC bonding, multipath I/O, live migration, and high availability. It supports up to 160 cores and 2 TB of RAM. SELinux enhances security. It offers open source flexibility, easy management, and excellent support. Users appreciate its stability, cost-effectiveness compared to VMware, and ease of use. It integrates well with OpenStack, supports container environments, and provides comprehensive tools for virtualization and cloud management.

"I advise keeping an open mind. It's an excellent solution."
"The biggest aspect for me is the disk usage, the virtual manager, and the deployment of machines."
"When you purchase RHEV, you are essentially buying a subscription license. This license can be integrated with various client types, including these integrations with the subscription."

Room for Improvement

RHEV faces issues with virtual machine management, clustering, and inefficient load balancing. Users highlight the need for improved GUI, documentation, and third-party integration. Security concerns are prevalent, with calls for better protection and live-patching capabilities. Enhancements in user-friendliness and network virtualization are desired. Support and pricing remain challenging, particularly in regions like Malaysia where on-site assistance is limited. Comparisons with VMware emphasize the need for better features like auto VM movement and more extensive command-line control.

"My teammates and I often complain that VMware is well-documented and has a large community since it is the de facto standard. I would love to see better documentation and ease of use."
"I would love to see better documentation and ease of use."
"We should improve how we manage storage domains and make more comprehensive control available through the command line."

Pricing

Enterprise buyers find RHEV pricing generally affordable due to its open-source nature, though some perceive it as slightly expensive. Comparisons suggest it's significantly cheaper than competitors like VMware. Costs are influenced by server usage and licensing, with different models available, including socket pair per-physical-machine licensing. While praised for value, users wish for more substantial cost savings compared to other platforms. Subscription fees apply for global support and can be managed annually.

"RHEV offers pricing based on a per-physical-machine licensing model."
"It's a budget product as far as I'm concerned. It's way cheaper than any of its competitors. The only thing cheaper than Red Hat is that the people who take the Red Hat code clone it and then self-support it."
"Price-wise, RHEV is okay, in my opinion."

Popular Use Cases

Organizations primarily use RHEV for virtualization, transitioning crucial business applications like ERP and SAP to a Linux environment. It's deployed on-premises and in the cloud for hosting virtual machines, DNS, DHCP, and security tasks. Many companies integrate RHEV for cost optimization, replacing physical servers, and facilitating data accessibility. RHEV is crucial in creating privacy clouds, managing data centers for sectors like petroleum and banking, and supporting artificial intelligence and big data analytics.

Service and Support

RHEV's customer service and support is generally quick and effective, with some users finding it satisfactory and responsive. Technical support tends to be rapid and helpful, though some experience delays and lack of local support, especially in regions like Malaysia. Users appreciate the ongoing subscription model providing updates. Some rely on internal teams and only occasionally seek external assistance. While satisfaction varies, Red Hat's support is considered customer-friendly but not consistently exceptional. Some prefer IBM's support.

Deployment

Many find RHEV's initial setup straightforward, while others mention it as complex, requiring technical knowledge. Some deploy it quickly within hours or days, though deployment time can vary based on infrastructure needs. Configurations may demand expertise, especially when seeking advanced features. Documentation occasionally lacks clarity. Compared to VMware, RHEV setup may require more effort. Reliability and performance are notable, with systems running smoothly post-deployment. Skilled personnel can maintain RHEV easily.

Scalability

RHEV is recognized for its scalability by various organizations, managing significant user loads successfully. It is praised for easy scaling capabilities, particularly when server capacity is sufficient. Although it's scalable for many users, some experiences point to challenges in certain applications and contexts, with suggestions for improvement. Third-party add-ons like Ceph can enhance scalability. Companies note RHEV's ability to integrate with different platforms and cluster machines, emphasizing its scalability within diverse environments.

Stability

RHEV is widely recognized for its stability, with many rating it highly. Some find its upgrade cycle slightly inconvenient. While a few experienced bugs, most describe RHEV as stable, reliable, and comparable to other systems. In-memory upgrades are anticipated to enhance its stability further. Several users note it as better than similar platforms, indicating strong performance and reliability without crashes or glitches. Some rate its stability between eight and nine out of ten.

These insights are based on the in-depth reviews provided by peers to help you make a better buying decision.

Download our RHEV Buyer's Guide for additional reliable information.