RE: [Xen-users] Xen GPL PV, W2k3 SBS, Xen Net driver

[Nathan Eisenberg <nathan@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

This is at the risk of getting offtopic, however...

When you're doing these restores, you're restoring the full system state, 
right?  Typically, what happens is since the ID of the NIC in the restored 
enviroment is different from the original NIC, the IP address information is 
not restored to that device - however, there are still some traces of the 
hardware in the registry (it's a ghost device).  

What is essentially happening here is waiting for the domain controller to 
'give up' on replicating with its peers - this can take quite a while.  My 
workaround for this issue was to actually perform the restore in this way:

Install server 2003, patch to current.
Restore from system state backup.
Shutdown.
Boot from server 2003 media, perform repair install.
Patch to current.

The end result is a domain controller that is more properly configured, and not 
in that weird and nonproduction state that they often end up in.  Even here, 
the resulting domain controller isn't production-stock - you should still build 
a fresh install, make it a DC, transfer the roles, and then retire and rebuild 
the old DC - but at least it doesn't take forever to boot.  Even with the 
repair and repatch, I've found it saves time - especially in a DomU where 
you're booting off of an ISO.  :)

Anyways, just my experience, hope it helps!
Nathan Eisenberg

-----Original Message-----
From: xen-users-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx 
[mailto:xen-users-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of James Harper
Sent: Monday, July 21, 2008 6:45 PM
To: Markus Plischke; netz-haut - stephan seitz
Cc: xen-users@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: RE: [Xen-users] Xen GPL PV, W2k3 SBS, Xen Net driver

> My Workarround for this is to install a new Exchange, install Windows
> Server 2003, the GPLPV Drivers, configure it and then install ADS and
> Exchange. Now the Server runs with and withount the GPLPV boot flag
(with
> GPLPV the performance is excellent).

One of the things we do is to perform test restores for customer
machines, to ensure that their backups will actually do the job in the
event that they are needed. Xen is great for this - easy to set up a new
domain and then tear it down when the job is done!

When doing the above, one thing I have found though is with servers with
AD etc (mostly SBS2K3), the boot does appear to hang at the 'Preparing
network connections' screen, sometimes for up to a few hours. This is
just with the qemu drivers but the cause would be the same. Have you
waited that long? If possible, can you please give it a go?

I wonder if you could shortcut it by booting in one of safe mode, safe
mode with networking, or active directory recovery mode (or whatever
it's called)...

Another thing I have done before is to make xenpci and xenscsi
installable from the 'Text Mode Setup' (the blue screen you first get
when booting from the Windows install CD), via the 'F6 to install OEM
drivers'. This is done so that the SCSI passthrough is usable so Backup
Exec cab access the tape drive from the IDR Lice CD. It may be possible
to install all the drivers this way, although I have never tested it
before...

> 
> If there is another Solution that would be great, I cant find the post
> from James.
> 

The subject was 'GPLPV but network problem' and it was posted to the
xen-users list on Sunday (not Monday as I previously thought). The text
is below, but please have a read of the thread in its original context
first, just in case the below instructions aren't complete:

1. Remove xennet.sys from c:\windows\system32\drivers
2. Remove any oem.* files from C:\Windows\inf that contain the string
"xennet.sys"
3. Remove HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\XenNet from the
registry
4. Remove
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Class\{4D36E972-E325
-11C
E-BFC1-08002bE10318}\UpperFilters - it should contain xennet.sys only.
If it
contains other things too then just delete the text xennet.sys from it.
5. Reboot

Please test on a non critical system first - I haven't tested the above
instructions myself!

James

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