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.
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