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xen-users
Re: [Xen-users] XCP - xenserver tools required?
That problem was bother me long time ago.
Any 'guest' part is need for some HVM-junk (like windows) and do nothing
good for PV guests.
So we solve problem by creating 'faking tools' (I post script few weeks
ago in xen-api@) allowing us to migrate (and other operations) without
guest tools with any PV domain. Actually, I have plans to remove
xe-guest-tools from installation scripts of our customers with next
update...
More clear solution is removing checking guest tools version for PV
guest in xapi code...
On 24.03.2011 08:08, brooks@xxxxxxxxxxx wrote:
One of the issues I've had using XenServer in a multitenant
environment is the requirement for the VMs to have xentools installed
as it causes significant issues when upgrading the VM OS or the pool
from one version of XenServer (XCP) to another. Having to touch
hundreds VMs (by hand) after an upgrade just doesn't scale nor is
delegating the task to VM owners an option. Unfortunately a customer,
even if they could be educated to do so, can't easily install or
update the tools unless the xs-tools iso is in the virtual DVD drive,
and to load it into the DVD drive you need access to XenCenter or to
the CLI (vm-cd-add, vm-cd-eject, vm-cd-insert, vm-cd-list,
vm-cd-remove). On the flip side, even if we did cental admin for all
the VMs (what a nightmare) we wouldn't necessarily have root access to
the VM preventing us from installing the new tools.
Not only does this create a management issue it also requires a fair
amount of knowledge to do the right thing based on the VM. I've seen
situations where the kernel on the VM has been updated yet install.sh
wants to downgrade the kernel. For example, I have a Debian Etch VM
that is running an updated kernel:
2.6.18.8.xs5.5.0.15.449
Yet, running install.sh on that VM without the -k option causes an
older kernel to be installed:
2.6.18.8.xs1.0.0.16.450_1.0.0.16.450
Not only that but the tools that get installed are for XCP 1.0.
xe-guest-utilities_1.0.0-647_i386.deb
I have installed the patch file (/etc/xensource/xapi_version_override)
and XenCenter does report back the correct version:
XenServer Version: 5.6.199
Yet, if you run:
install.sh -k
warning: downgrading xe-guest-utilities from 5.5.0-466 to 1.0.0-647.
It's doing the correct thing by installing 1.0.0-647 (XCP 1.x), but is
certainly doesn't look correct unless you do some digging. XCP really
needs it's own version of XenCenter, or a better alternative.
The XenServer 5.6fp1 manual states:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
XenServer Tools must be installed for each Virtual Machine (Windows
and Linux) in order for the VM to have a fully supported
configuration, and to be able to use the XenServer management tools
(the xe CLI or XenCenter). A Windows VM will function without them,
but performance will be significantly hampered unless the tools are
installed.
Without the tools being installed, you cannot:
- Cleanly shut down a VM
- Cleanly reboot a VM
- Suspend a VM
- Migrate a running VM (aka XenMotion)
- Use the checkpoint and roll back feature
- Change the vCPUs Live
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Given the above it would seem that it's important to have windows pv
drivers, some older CentOS kernels, and the xe-guest-utilities
installed in an XCP environment. But how do we manage it? The
cloud.com guys (which is based on the free version of XenServer) seem
to ignore the problem. What do you do?
All ideas, comments, and opinons are welcome.
_______________________________________________
Xen-users mailing list
Xen-users@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
http://lists.xensource.com/xen-users
_______________________________________________
Xen-users mailing list
Xen-users@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
http://lists.xensource.com/xen-users
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