Re: [Xen-devel] Unmodified Windows etc on XEN 3.0 with Intel/VT or AMD/Pacifica

[Adam Wendt <adam@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

On Sun, 29 Jan 2006 21:04 , Thorolf Godawa <nospam@xxxxxxxxx> sent:

>Hi all,
>
>since I need an answer for my problem pretty fast and I think that in 
>this group I can find more experienced people I post my questions again.
>
>XEN 3.0 supports starting unmodified xenU-domains with the upcomming 
>Intel and AMD-processors and I have some questions according to this.
>
>- How can I install an OS like Windows in such an environement?

You write an xen configuration file that has a 'cdrom' entry which points to 
your
cd device, or an iso image. Then you tell xen to boot from the cdrom. Would look
something like this:

cdrom = "/path/to/isofile" (or /dev/hdc if that is your cdrom device)
boot  = "d"

also you'd want:
vnc = 1

All of this is in the example xmexample.vmx file.

You'll need to do other configuration for disks and such, which is mostly
documented here:

http://www.cl.cam.ac.uk/Research/SRG/netos/xen/readmes/user/user.html#SECTION04300000000000000000

Once you xm create you then run
vncviewer <host ip>:<domid#>

Which will let you control the installation just as if you were booting on the
hardware with a monitor/keyboard attached (just like vmware or virtual pc)

>If I have an W2k-image that I can start with XEN and "xm list" tells me 
>that it is running, how can I access it?

You would either use the vnc connection, but I wouldn't suggest that as its very
slow and for me has mouse problems.

Most likely you would enable windows terminal service and use remote desktop
client to connect which has worked quite well for me. The gotcha is you'd have 
to
use vnc to enable it with a fresh install or get networking working, or turn off
firewall etc.

>
>- How works the network-configuration in Windows or OS/2?
>
>Linux gives me my ethN that I can configure even without physical 
>interface and its working, but for Windows or OS/2 I probably need an 
>"dummy"-network-interface-card which I can install and configure.

For my windows guest I have in my config file:

vif = [ 'type=ioemu, bridge=xenbr0' ]

Windows automatically installed the driver, the only thing I needed to do via 
vnc
was enable wts, turn off firewall (or allow wts through) and then connect.

>
>- If I use a Processor with x86-64-support, should I install the 
>x86-64-version of Linux or just the i386 if most xenU-domains just will 
>be x86? The advantage with x86-64 is that it uses memory above 4GB 
>better but is there a disadvantage with x86-only-guests?

I don't really have enough knowledge to comment on this.

Adam Wendt
IPCoast, Inc.




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