# QEMU-KVM

> A QEMU-KVM resource handler connects Cloud Management Platform (CMP) to a KVM host over SSH

---

Site [llms.txt](/llms.txt)

---

<div class="alert alert-info" role="alert">


QEMU-KVM is a legacy technology and does not appear in the technology picker. You cannot create a new QEMU-KVM resource handler. Existing handlers continue to work, and you can still edit their credentials and settings.
</div>


## Credentials for an existing handler

To review or update the connection, open the handler from **Admin** > **Resource Handlers** and select **Edit Credentials**.

| Field | Description |
| --- | --- |
| **IP address** | The IP address of the KVM host. |
| **SSH Port** | CMP connects to the host on the standard SSH port, `22`. |
| **Username** | The SSH account CMP logs in with. It must be able to run `virsh` and `virt-clone`, and needs read access to the host's libvirt domain configuration files. |
| **Password** | The password for that account. If the password vault feature is enabled, this field offers **Locally Stored** or **Vault Managed**. Select **Vault Managed** to read the secret from a configured vault provider. See [Use password vaults](/docs/cmp/configure/access-and-security/security/use-password-vaults/). |

## Templates

CMP treats a libvirt domain as a template when its name matches the handler's **Template name pattern**, a regular expression that defaults to `-tmpl`. With the default, `centos7-tmpl` is a template. Every other domain is synced as a server. To change the pattern, open the handler's **Overview** tab and select **Edit Settings**.

To bring templates into CMP, open the handler's **Images** tab and select **Import Images**. CMP builds each new server by cloning a template with `virt-clone`, which requires the template to be shut off or paused.

## Related

- [Legacy technologies](/docs/cmp/configure/infrastructure/resource-handlers/#legacy-technologies): Azure Stack and XenServer, which are also closed to new handlers.
- [Use password vaults](/docs/cmp/configure/access-and-security/security/use-password-vaults/): store passwords in HashiCorp Vault, CyberArk, Keeper, AWS Secrets Manager, or Azure Key Vault.