Zero-touch provisioning means a server goes from racked to running without anyone babysitting PXE, OS installs or cluster joins. vMetal turns a Machine request into a provisioned server, and with Metal3 it can join that server to a tenant cluster for you.
Manual bare metal provisioning creates inconsistent server state and slows capacity delivery.
Unprovisioned GPU servers cannot serve tenant workloads or be offered as available capacity.
Manual PXE, OS, and network steps introduce variation between servers and data centers.
Without a stable Machine model, each new infrastructure driver requires different automation and lifecycle handling.
vMetal provides one stable Machine API above infrastructure-specific drivers. With Metal3, it automates provisioning and can join completed servers to tenant clusters without manual join steps.
vMetal automates the repeatable Machine lifecycle from request through provisioning, cluster attachment, release, and reclaim.
With Metal3, vMetal provisions registered servers, installs the selected OS image, applies network configuration, and runs startup automation.
Auto Nodes can create and delete Machine requests to maintain Private Node capacity for tenant clusters.
Metal3 and Netris can place separate tenant network environments on hardware-backed L2 boundaries when configured.
vCluster Standalone runs the control plane cluster as a single CNCF-certified binary on bare metal Linux, with no k3s or kubeadm underneath. Machines that vMetal provisions can then join tenant clusters automatically as Private Nodes.
vMetal tracks Machine claims, server inventory, provisioning state, deletion, cleaning, and return to the available capacity pool.
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Zero-touch bare metal provisioning automates the repeatable steps after servers and credentials have been registered. With Metal3, vMetal drives provisioning, OS installation, network configuration, and startup automation through the Machine lifecycle.
vMetal uses interchangeable drivers behind one Machine API. Current documentation lists Metal3, KubeVirt, BCM for existing installations, Terraform or OpenTofu, and Cluster API mechanisms. Check each driver's documentation for its current capabilities.
vMetal provisions Bare Metal Machines and Virtual Machines. vCluster can then consume those Machines as Private Nodes for managed tenant cluster products.
vMetal supplies the Machine. vCluster supplies the tenant cluster and requests or releases capacity through Private Nodes and Auto Nodes. vCluster Standalone is a separate deployment option for running Kubernetes directly on Linux.
Provisioning time depends on the hardware state, driver, OS image, network setup, and startup automation. vMetal standardizes the workflow and lifecycle model across those inputs. For a full launch, Boost Run went from decision to production in under 45 days.
Network configuration depends on the selected driver and integration. With Metal3 and Netris configured, separate network environments can provide hardware-backed L2 isolation for tenant infrastructure.
See how vMetal automates bare metal provisioning from rack to production-ready inventory.
