Red Hat has quietly crossed an important milestone for enterprise Kubernetes users: OpenShift 4.18, 4.19, and 4.20 are now generally available on VMware vSphere Foundation 9 (VVF 9) and VMware Cloud Foundation 9 (VCF 9).
If you’re running OpenShift on VMware today—and many enterprises are—this matters more than it might first appear.
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What This Actually Means for Existing OpenShift Users
For current Red Hat customers already deploying OpenShift on vSphere 8 / vCenter 8 or VCF 5, this update removes a major blocker. You can now run OpenShift clusters on VVF 9 or VCF 9 as the underlying infrastructure provider with full GA support.
In practical terms, it means:
- No waiting on experimental builds
- No “best-effort” support caveats
- A clear path forward as VMware’s platform lineup shifts
This is especially relevant now that Broadcom’s VCF 9 strategy pushes VMware toward a more tightly bundled, all-in-one platform. Red Hat has aligned OpenShift support accordingly, making sure Kubernetes users aren’t left in limbo during that transition.
A Standardized Networking Model (No Surprises Here)
On VCF 9, OpenShift follows a clean, opinionated networking split, which should look familiar to existing users:
- Infrastructure networking is handled by VMware NSX, providing connectivity at the hypervisor level.
- Cluster networking uses OVN-Kubernetes, which remains OpenShift’s default overlay network.
For environments that rely on NSX CNI integration, Red Hat continues to lean on its partner certification process. Components are validated through the Red Hat Ecosystem Catalog, keeping compatibility and support boundaries clear—something enterprise teams care about deeply.
Management and Storage: Where Things Stand Today
Support isn’t just about spinning up clusters. Red Hat is also extending tooling compatibility across the stack.
- Red Hat Advanced Cluster Management (ACM) 2.15.1 and newer now supports both VVF 9 and VCF 9. That means the same governance, policy enforcement, and fleet visibility teams already rely on continues to work on the new VMware platforms.
- OpenShift Data Foundation (ODF) is a bit earlier in its lifecycle here. Versions 4.19.7 and 4.20 are currently available as a Technology Preview on VVF 9 and VCF 9.
This gives storage teams a chance to start testing now, even if full production support isn’t quite there yet.
What’s Coming Next (And When)
Red Hat’s roadmap is fairly clear:
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- ODF 4.18, 4.19, and 4.20 are expected to reach GA on VVF 9 and VCF 9 in Q1 2026
- Migration guidance from vSphere 8 / VCF 5 to the new platforms is planned for 2026
That last point is important. Many organizations aren’t just deploying fresh clusters—they’re planning how to move existing ones safely. Red Hat is signaling that migration will be addressed, even if the detailed playbooks aren’t available yet.
Why This Update Matters More Than It Looks
This announcement isn’t flashy, but it’s strategically significant.
VMware’s platform direction is changing. Kubernetes remains central to enterprise infrastructure. And OpenShift sits right at the intersection of those two realities. By delivering GA support early for VVF 9 and VCF 9, Red Hat is giving customers confidence that their current OpenShift investments remain viable—even as the underlying VMware stack evolves.
If you’re already testing OpenShift on these new platforms, Red Hat is actively encouraging feedback. That’s often a sign that integrations are solid—but still being refined based on real-world usage.
For enterprises planning their 2025–2026 infrastructure roadmap, this update quietly removes one more unknown from the equation.
