SUSE adds AI & virtualisation tools to Rancher Prime

SUSE has launched new AI and virtualisation features for Rancher Prime and SUSE Virtualization, focused on automating infrastructure management and more closely integrating virtual machines and containers.

The update includes what SUSE describes as an open ecosystem for AI agents in Rancher Prime, along with new virtualisation capabilities such as NVIDIA Multi-Instance GPU support, VM Auto Balance and Live Storage Migration. It is also expanding tools for developers building AI and other cloud-native workloads.

At the centre of the Rancher Prime update is Liz, an AI agent built into the platform. Liz now co-ordinates a set of specialised agents designed to give site reliability engineering and operations teams automated insight across infrastructure environments.

Rancher Prime can now connect to third-party software through Model Context Protocol, or MCP. SUSE says this lets organisations link external services to the platform without custom integration work and allows the software to retrieve and process data directly from outside tools.

Peter Smails, General Manager, Cloud Native, SUSE, framed the announcement as part of the company's broader platform strategy.

"Our open approach to AI and the unification of VM and container management allows customers to capitalize on the potential of AI and redefine their own operational simplicity, ultimately giving them flexibility, choice and control," said Peter Smails, General Manager, Cloud Native, SUSE. "SUSE's mission is to be the open infrastructure platform for modern workloads and today's updates significantly advance our strategy."

Virtualisation push

The update also expands SUSE Virtualization, which SUSE is positioning as an open option for organisations reviewing their hypervisor strategy. The product now supports NVIDIA MIG, which partitions GPUs into multiple instances so hardware can be shared across workloads.

SUSE has also added new operational tools for virtual machine management, including VM Auto Balance, which distributes workloads automatically, Live Storage Migration for moving data without downtime, and more granular upgrade controls.

The push to manage virtual machines and containers from the same platform reflects a broader challenge for corporate IT teams as they modernise older estates while continuing to support existing applications. Many organisations are adopting containers for newer workloads, especially in AI, but still rely on virtual machines for a significant share of production systems.

Gary Chen, Research Director, Software-Defined Compute, IDC, said the market is shifting as companies reassess infrastructure decisions.

"The software-defined compute market is undergoing significant change as enterprises look to modernize infrastructure amidst disruption in the traditional virtualization market," said Gary Chen, Research Director, Software-Defined Compute, IDC. "While containers are the new standard for AI and modern workloads, virtual machines remain essential to the enterprise footprint. Infrastructure platforms that can unify these environments while providing automated, AI-driven operational tools will be key to helping organizations navigate this transition and achieve greater operational efficiency."

Developer access

Alongside the infrastructure and virtualisation updates, SUSE is adding new functions under SUSE Rancher Developer Access. These are intended to shorten the path from development to production and give developers more direct access to selected tools and environments.

One part of the update is a shift-left security measure for software supply chains. Users will gain access to part of a curated catalogue of more than 140 hardened applications, including base container images and software such as PostgreSQL, Redis and Penpot.

SUSE is also introducing virtual clusters designed to give teams isolated, self-service Kubernetes control planes. The setup is intended to provide a sandbox-style environment for developers experimenting with AI models and other demanding workloads, while limiting the impact on shared infrastructure and GPU resources.

The feature is tied to multi-tenancy, which can help organisations make better use of GPU capacity. Efficient allocation of scarce GPU resources has become a growing concern for companies trying to support internal AI development without overbuilding infrastructure.

Several of the new functions are already available. Rancher Prime's AI features are live, with AI Assistant enhancements in general availability. SUSE Virtualization support for NVIDIA MIG multi-tenancy and upgrade control is also available now, while VM Auto Balance and Live Storage Migration are in early access. The Virtual Clusters feature is production-ready and generally available.