Comments on: XEN and the art of Virtualization http://blog.surfulater.com/2007/01/10/xen-and-the-art-of-virtualization/ Surfulater, the journey continues... Thu, 09 Feb 2012 01:22:49 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0 By: Kendall http://blog.surfulater.com/2007/01/10/xen-and-the-art-of-virtualization/#comment-40249 Kendall Wed, 21 Nov 2007 18:42:32 +0000 http://blog.surfulater.com/2007/01/10/xen-and-the-art-of-virtualization/#comment-40249 I installed XenExpress on VT Enabled AM2 Athlon1218 dualcore, 4GB RAM (DDR2-800x4), PCI-E Escalade 1.2TB RAID6 (6x320GB SATA2 Seagate HDD), 3 1000T(eth), DVD/CD burner: The xe install went well. The Xen Center provides the .vxa for Windows VM templates, but I didn't have the xen express linux.iso downloaded yet, so I wasn't sure about the lack of Linux templates. Theres an Etch 4.0.xgt available by someone, but the Xen Center VM Import asks for a virtual appliance image. vxa - All the information I found for creating Linux VM in the Xen Express, shows the Xen Center with different Distros as templates. I only have Windows templates available so far... VM1= Windows 2003 SBS, Exchange,... and more. (2GB RAM). The Win2k3 Server runs great, at half the memory resources. I would like to install the latest Linux which supports PV, on another VM with at least 1GB ram, possibly 1.6GB. Since I've used Debian the most (on a remote server with Sarge Backports Xen3.03 using lvm2, debootstrap, xm create, apt-get, (Debian Etch or Ubutnu Server)... this is great for our Internet colocation server, but I'm not sure which approach to take for installing linux on this new PV hardware optimized local server. The remote server is Debain perfect setup, no local console though... it's running the latest Etch 100% stable in VM on Sarge Backports with Hyperthreading enabled, no issues for over a year and constant usage averaging 20% and peaking often without hickup. It seems that there's a lot of people having trouble installing linux VM's, templates, images, and I'm totally confused for how to use XenServer4 compared to the Xen3. The xm commands are like the xe commands. The new local server is Xen Express... how can you install an image without debootstrap, and no ability to use the "install VM from CD" template for 'New VM' in Xen Center. I guess I'll have to keep searching for a XenServer Debian Linux Server virtual appliance. Although it would be nice to take lvm snapshot from the remote server linux and create an lvm on Xen Express... I'm clueless how exactly I can load a quality hardware supported Linux VM on this xen express server. I guess try xe create-image on the new linux partitions? I have no idea exactly... I'm confused about what the XenServer4 wants me to do for adding virtual appliance templates. That's not what the .xgt templates are,... new to me, but reminds me of the .cfg file used with the xm create in Xen3. What is XenExpress doing for managing Linux VM creation and backup? I installed XenExpress on VT Enabled AM2 Athlon1218 dualcore, 4GB RAM (DDR2-800×4), PCI-E Escalade 1.2TB RAID6 (6x320GB SATA2 Seagate HDD), 3 1000T(eth), DVD/CD burner: The xe install went well. The Xen Center provides the .vxa for Windows VM templates, but I didn’t have the xen express linux.iso downloaded yet, so I wasn’t sure about the lack of Linux templates.

Theres an Etch 4.0.xgt available by someone, but the Xen Center VM Import asks for a virtual appliance image. vxa – All the information I found for creating Linux VM in the Xen Express, shows the Xen Center with different Distros as templates. I only have Windows templates available so far…

VM1= Windows 2003 SBS, Exchange,… and more. (2GB RAM).

The Win2k3 Server runs great, at half the memory resources.

I would like to install the latest Linux which supports PV, on another VM with at least 1GB ram, possibly 1.6GB. Since I’ve used Debian the most (on a remote server with Sarge Backports Xen3.03 using lvm2, debootstrap, xm create, apt-get, (Debian Etch or Ubutnu Server)… this is great for our Internet colocation server, but I’m not sure which approach to take for installing linux on this new PV hardware optimized local server. The remote server is Debain perfect setup, no local console though… it’s running the latest Etch 100% stable in VM on Sarge Backports with Hyperthreading enabled, no issues for over a year and constant usage averaging 20% and peaking often without hickup. It seems that there’s a lot of people having trouble installing linux VM’s, templates, images, and I’m totally confused for how to use XenServer4 compared to the Xen3. The xm commands are like the xe commands.

The new local server is Xen Express… how can you install an image without debootstrap, and no ability to use the “install VM from CD” template for ‘New VM’ in Xen Center.

I guess I’ll have to keep searching for a XenServer Debian Linux Server virtual appliance.

Although it would be nice to take lvm snapshot from the remote server linux and create an lvm on Xen Express… I’m clueless how exactly I can load a quality hardware supported Linux VM on this xen express server. I guess try xe create-image on the new linux partitions? I have no idea exactly…

I’m confused about what the XenServer4 wants me to do for adding virtual appliance templates. That’s not what the .xgt templates are,… new to me, but reminds me of the .cfg file used with the xm create in Xen3.

What is XenExpress doing for managing Linux VM creation and backup?

]]> By: My LifeStream » Blog Archive » Interesting Virtualisation links? http://blog.surfulater.com/2007/01/10/xen-and-the-art-of-virtualization/#comment-27583 My LifeStream » Blog Archive » Interesting Virtualisation links? Mon, 23 Jul 2007 05:49:50 +0000 http://blog.surfulater.com/2007/01/10/xen-and-the-art-of-virtualization/#comment-27583 [...] XEN and the art of Virtualization [...] [...] XEN and the art of Virtualization [...]

]]> By: nevf http://blog.surfulater.com/2007/01/10/xen-and-the-art-of-virtualization/#comment-18420 nevf Fri, 27 Apr 2007 02:56:32 +0000 http://blog.surfulater.com/2007/01/10/xen-and-the-art-of-virtualization/#comment-18420 Stephen, I can't recall having to do anything special here. There may have been a BIOS setting though. I'm pretty sure the Athlon 64 X2's have the VT capability. Glad you liked the article. Stephen,
I can’t recall having to do anything special here. There may have been a BIOS setting though.

I’m pretty sure the Athlon 64 X2′s have the VT capability.

Glad you liked the article.

]]> By: Stephen http://blog.surfulater.com/2007/01/10/xen-and-the-art-of-virtualization/#comment-18320 Stephen Wed, 25 Apr 2007 09:04:21 +0000 http://blog.surfulater.com/2007/01/10/xen-and-the-art-of-virtualization/#comment-18320 Great article, I've just started investigating Xen for inhouse use. From the Xensource site it says that for Windows platforms you need Intel-VT or AMD-V enabled processors, your CPU specs were a AMD Athlon 64 X2 3800+, I could not find any reference on AMDs website to see if it is an AMD-V enabled processor, the only AMD-VT processors I could find are the Optitron series How did you manage to get windows to install/run on your CPU? Thanks again... Great article, I’ve just started investigating Xen for inhouse use.

From the Xensource site it says that for Windows platforms you need Intel-VT or AMD-V enabled processors, your CPU specs were a AMD Athlon 64 X2 3800+, I could not find any reference on AMDs website to see if it is an AMD-V enabled processor, the only AMD-VT processors I could find are the Optitron series

How did you manage to get windows to install/run on your CPU?

Thanks again…

]]> By: Mansoor Nathani’s Blog » links for 2007-03-26 http://blog.surfulater.com/2007/01/10/xen-and-the-art-of-virtualization/#comment-16151 Mansoor Nathani’s Blog » links for 2007-03-26 Mon, 26 Mar 2007 00:19:51 +0000 http://blog.surfulater.com/2007/01/10/xen-and-the-art-of-virtualization/#comment-16151 [...] My Cantina » XEN and the art of Virtualization (tags: xen virtualization to_blog) [...] [...] My Cantina » XEN and the art of Virtualization (tags: xen virtualization to_blog) [...]

]]> By: nevf http://blog.surfulater.com/2007/01/10/xen-and-the-art-of-virtualization/#comment-13316 nevf Fri, 23 Feb 2007 23:04:13 +0000 http://blog.surfulater.com/2007/01/10/xen-and-the-art-of-virtualization/#comment-13316 Hi Mathias, Once I installed the XP PV Drivers the performance issues I had went away, as I replied in my comment 8 above. I did have Debian and WinXP running ok but I didn't do any serious stress or application testing, so I can't coment on how well this works in practice. You might be better better running Windows Server on one PC and Linux on another though. Best to ask the Xen folks which version is best for your needs. Thanks for your reply. Hi Mathias,
Once I installed the XP PV Drivers the performance issues I had went away, as I replied in my comment 8 above.

I did have Debian and WinXP running ok but I didn’t do any serious stress or application testing, so I can’t coment on how well this works in practice.

You might be better better running Windows Server on one PC and Linux on another though.

Best to ask the Xen folks which version is best for your needs.

Thanks for your reply.

]]> By: Matthias Wenthe http://blog.surfulater.com/2007/01/10/xen-and-the-art-of-virtualization/#comment-13161 Matthias Wenthe Thu, 22 Feb 2007 11:07:05 +0000 http://blog.surfulater.com/2007/01/10/xen-and-the-art-of-virtualization/#comment-13161 Roger, thank you for your well written and detailed report on Xen Server. I am still confused about Xensources' statement on their website ("Which Xen is right for me?") about the lack of support for Linux guests in Xen Server. Yet you mention having installed Debian and Windows XP at the same time. We just bought a new company server Dell PE 2950 with 8 GB Ram and would like to install Debian Etch AMD64 as a development platform for web applications and Windows 2003 TS for our office stuff (the goal is to shutdown the whole bunch of old servers in our basement to dramatically reduce total power consumption). Ideal it would be to have the Debian Linux paravirtualized in DomU and the Windows in HVM mode with benefit of the closed source PV drivers. I did all this for testing purposes with the open source version but now I am stuck and surprised about the bad windows I/O performance because of lack of PV Xen drivers (I feel this little but important detail can not be stressed enough, just out of fairness to the vmware guys who deliver their free vmware server with the necessary windows drivers in vmware tools) Can Xen Server run Linux and Windows guests simultanously or do you think I need the Xen Enterprise Version for that purpose? Thanks and best regards Matthias Roger,

thank you for your well written and detailed report on Xen Server. I am still confused about Xensources’ statement on their website (“Which Xen is right for me?”) about the lack of support for Linux guests in Xen Server. Yet you mention having installed Debian and Windows XP at the same time.

We just bought a new company server Dell PE 2950 with 8 GB Ram and would like to install Debian Etch AMD64 as a development platform for web applications and Windows 2003 TS for our office stuff (the goal is to shutdown the whole bunch of old servers in our basement to dramatically reduce total power consumption).

Ideal it would be to have the Debian Linux paravirtualized in DomU and the Windows in HVM mode with benefit of the closed source PV drivers.

I did all this for testing purposes with the open source version but now I am stuck and surprised about the bad windows I/O performance because of lack of PV Xen drivers (I feel this little but important detail can not be stressed enough, just out of fairness to the vmware guys who deliver their free vmware server with the necessary windows drivers in vmware tools)

Can Xen Server run Linux and Windows guests simultanously or do you think I need the Xen Enterprise Version for that purpose?

Thanks and best regards

Matthias

]]> By: nevf http://blog.surfulater.com/2007/01/10/xen-and-the-art-of-virtualization/#comment-11441 nevf Mon, 29 Jan 2007 20:31:38 +0000 http://blog.surfulater.com/2007/01/10/xen-and-the-art-of-virtualization/#comment-11441 Hi Nalin, I didn't do anything to get XenServer to recognize the on-board LAN adapter, it simply started working on its own, as I mentioned in the article. XenServer is built on Linux, so that's what needs to recognize all the hardware. I can't answer the XEN P2V tools question as I didn't try them and no longer have Xen installed. I suggest you post on their support forums. Hi Nalin,
I didn’t do anything to get XenServer to recognize the on-board LAN adapter, it simply started working on its own, as I mentioned in the article.

XenServer is built on Linux, so that’s what needs to recognize all the hardware.

I can’t answer the XEN P2V tools question as I didn’t try them and no longer have Xen installed. I suggest you post on their support forums.

]]> By: Nalin http://blog.surfulater.com/2007/01/10/xen-and-the-art-of-virtualization/#comment-11420 Nalin Mon, 29 Jan 2007 09:59:36 +0000 http://blog.surfulater.com/2007/01/10/xen-and-the-art-of-virtualization/#comment-11420 Hi, Thanks for the very detailed write up. I am curious as to how you managed to ge XEN to recognise your Lan card which you initially had trouble getting XEN to recognise. Do you get the XEN P2V tools on XEN express ? Have you tried them to import any windows PCs / Servers ? I have treid the Free Vmware product and it works like charm importing and starting a full server in my VMware WS5.5 environment. I would be grateful if you could let me know your experience on the above questions please. Thanks & Best Regards Nalin. Hi,

Thanks for the very detailed write up. I am curious as to how you managed to ge XEN to recognise your Lan card which you initially had trouble getting XEN to recognise.

Do you get the XEN P2V tools on XEN express ? Have you tried them to import any windows PCs / Servers ?

I have treid the Free Vmware product and it works like charm importing and starting a full server in my VMware WS5.5 environment.

I would be grateful if you could let me know your experience on the above questions please.

Thanks & Best Regards
Nalin.

]]> By: Virtual Ozone http://blog.surfulater.com/2007/01/10/xen-and-the-art-of-virtualization/#comment-10952 Virtual Ozone Wed, 24 Jan 2007 05:34:54 +0000 http://blog.surfulater.com/2007/01/10/xen-and-the-art-of-virtualization/#comment-10952 <strong>Neville Franks reviews XenExpress</strong> Neville Franks published a bried review of recently released XenSource XenExpress , the free edition Neville Franks reviews XenExpress

Neville Franks published a bried review of recently released XenSource XenExpress , the free edition

]]>