WARNING - OLD ARCHIVES

This is an archived copy of the Xen.org mailing list, which we have preserved to ensure that existing links to archives are not broken. The live archive, which contains the latest emails, can be found at http://lists.xen.org/
   
 
 
Xen 
 
Home Products Support Community News
 
   
 

xen-users

Re: [Xen-users] Dom0 versus DomU and sata DVD drives

To: xen-users@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: Re: [Xen-users] Dom0 versus DomU and sata DVD drives
From: Mark Williamson <mark.williamson@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Mon, 7 May 2007 21:18:26 +0100
Cc: Stephen Carville <stephen.carville@xxxxxxxxx>
Delivery-date: Mon, 07 May 2007 13:17:28 -0700
Envelope-to: www-data@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
In-reply-to: <2428c0380705031203q533412d7w1bb603b22518828b@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
List-help: <mailto:xen-users-request@lists.xensource.com?subject=help>
List-id: Xen user discussion <xen-users.lists.xensource.com>
List-post: <mailto:xen-users@lists.xensource.com>
List-subscribe: <http://lists.xensource.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/xen-users>, <mailto:xen-users-request@lists.xensource.com?subject=subscribe>
List-unsubscribe: <http://lists.xensource.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/xen-users>, <mailto:xen-users-request@lists.xensource.com?subject=unsubscribe>
References: <2428c0380705031203q533412d7w1bb603b22518828b@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sender: xen-users-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
User-agent: KMail/1.9.6
> I have couple question about using Xen in the "real" world.
>
> My test box is a Dell Optiplex 745 with a Core 2 processor and 4 G of
> RAM.  I am using 64 bit Centos 5 with Xen 3.03.  Right now I have it
> set up so Dom0 is my working domain and I add other DomU for whatever
> tests i need to do.  From what I've read here, this is not the best
> way to do things.
>
> So my first question is, if I do an install with a minimal Dom0 and
> use a DomU for my working domain, can I set it up so that DomU is what
> I log on to from runlevel 5?  Is that really the best way to setup a
> workstation?

Hrmmm...  Well you'd still need to run X11 in dom0 in any case because it owns 
the graphics card.  You could run a fullscreen domU framebuffer login in 
here, but the GUI will not be as snappy as running it directly on dom0 - and 
you lose the ability to get any OpenGL acceleration.

> Next question.  I have a sata DVD/RW drive.  Is there way to get the
> DomU's to see it?  I tried the obvious
>
> disk = [ 'file:/xen/xp/carthagexp,hda,w', '/dev/cdrom,hdc:cdrom,r' ]
>
> for an XP install with no luck.  I've also tied /dev/sdc0, /dev/dvd,
> and /dev/sdc with no success.  The drive does show up in Dom0.

There's not currently a way to allow domUs to get full CD-ROM functionality 
without passing an entire SATA controller to them using PCI passthrough.  I 
suspect for your desktop-based testing application it's not worth it.  In 
particular, domUs can currently only read data from a CD, they can't write to 
it.  Also, AFAIK they can't treat the CD as an audio disk either.

For servers, run a minimal dom0 and run all your real services in domUs.

HTH,
Cheers,
Mark

-- 
Dave: Just a question. What use is a unicyle with no seat?  And no pedals!
Mark: To answer a question with a question: What use is a skateboard?
Dave: Skateboards have wheels.
Mark: My wheel has a wheel!

_______________________________________________
Xen-users mailing list
Xen-users@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
http://lists.xensource.com/xen-users

<Prev in Thread] Current Thread [Next in Thread>