How to validate the KVM host installation

Before creating and running virtual machines with KVM, it’s essential to validate that the host meets the required hardware and software capabilities to ensure optimal performance. This guide describes how to verify system capabilities using tools such as virt-host-validate and virsh. 1. Validating CPU virtualization support KVM requires processors with hardware virtualization extensions: Intel: VT-x AMD: AMD-V To check if your CPU is compatible, run: grep --color -Ew 'svm|vmx|lm' /proc/cpuinfo vmx → Intel CPU with VT-x svm → AMD CPU with AMD-V lm → 64-bit support If your CPU lacks these extensions, only CPU emulation will be available and performance will be significantly reduced.