RE: [Xen-users] help: ports of windows

["Petersson, Mats" <Mats.Petersson@xxxxxxx>]

Well, Xen in it's original form was and is a Para-virtualized virtual machine monitor (hypervisor). It RELIES on modifications of the source code of the OS to inform the hypervisor of important changes to critical registers, i/o accesses, etc, etc. Since then, there's been support added for HVM (Hardware Virtual Machine), but that requires a new CPU that has the Virtualization features... 

 

If Microsoft wanted to, they COULD release a version of Windows that supports Para-virtualization on top of Xen, but my guess is that the reasons they don't do this is many:

1. MS don't believe in the Open Source community - or at least do not want to be seen to support it.

2. MS has their own Virtual Server that they want to promote instead of Xen.

More reasons are quite likely - but I wouldn't really know what.

 

There are of course other virtualization software sets that would run on machines with no OS modifications, and with no hardware support for virtualization. VMWare is one, there are others too.

 

I doubt anyone with access to Windows Source would actually send you a copy - that would definitely be a BIG breach of the licensing contract. ;-)

 

--

Mats

---

From: Phinux Chang [mailto:phinuxchang@xxxxxxxxx]
Sent: 23 March 2006 10:44
To: Petersson, Mats; xen-users@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: Re: [Xen-users] help: ports of windows

Hi, Petersson

     Thank you firstly.
 
     are you kidding, windows source, my god:)

     The cpu of my notebook is Pentium M, and it does't support Intel Virtualization Technology.

     Is there a compromised method? why not patch windows just like windows patch from the Microsoft official? or anybody who has the source code of windows sends me a copy:)
Petersson, Mats 写道:

-----Original Message-----
From: xen-users-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx 
[mailto:xen-users-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of 
Phinux Chang
Sent: 22 March 2006 06:47
To: xen-users@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [Xen-users] help: ports of windows

hi, all

   I want to use windows xp in xen vitual machine, but I find 
nothing about that except the name of Intel Virtualization Technology.

   Is there anyone knows the howto, please help me, thank 
you:) I will apreciate it, thanks very much!
    

Well, the guys at XenSource have done it. The "Howto" is both rather
trivial and very complicated:
1. Get source code for Windows.
2. Apply suitable modifications to source code (probably available from
XenSource if you have a documentable Windows source license). Although I
think patches may not be up to date with Xen 3.0.x
3. Go run it. 

The difficult part of this is getting a source license from Microsoft -
they do not come with your breakfast cereals as a freebie ;-). More like
you have to pay millions of dollars and sign away the rest of your life
to get it... 

Without source license to Windows, you haven't got a chance, except for
getting a processor that supports full virtualization - or using another
virtualization technology which doesn't rely on Xen and modifications to
the source code of the OS. There are several of those available.

--
Mats
  

           
                                                              
         
Phinux Chang

-- 
Phinux Chang           
JiangSu Linux Public Technical Service Center    
http://www.jslc.org.cn
Tel: +86 25 84815160                      Fax:  +86 25 
84815160          


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-- 
Phinux Chang           
JiangSu Linux Public Technical Service Center    http://www.jslc.org.cn
Tel: +86 25 84815160                      Fax:  +86 25 84815160          

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