Xen users - Sep 2010 - xen upgrade problem, cant boot from 3.4.2 to 4.0.0

Hi Guys!

I have a very interesting problem.

I run gentoo and have been running xen-3.4.2 on 2 server computers
(Supermicro-based, IBM).

A little time ago, I have tried to upgrade xen-3.4.2 to xen-4.0.0 (with
emerge) on the Supermicro server, but the computer wasn''t able to boot
with
the following breakdown:
[ 62.848947] 0800 1315427328 sda driver: sd
[ 62.849264] 0801 208813 sda1
[ 62.849579] 0802 12594960 sda1
[ 62.849938] 0803 10490445 sda1
[ 62.850254] 0804 1292132047 sda1
[ 62.850569] No filesystem could mount root, tried: ext3 vfat msdos iso9660
ntfs fuseblk udf
[ 62.851466] Kernel panic - not syncing: VFS: Unable to mount root fs on
unknown-block(8,3)

Now I thought that there is probably something wrong with me and the
specific Supermicro server, but yesterday I have tried to the the same with
the IBM server, but this time it hangs after discovering the SAS disk array.
It also gives me an error code (IBM x3650 M2)
I have to say a few things about this IBM:
- It hanged before exactly the same, but that was the fresh install, and I
left out something from the kernel.
- I have a 100% same IBM server on which I have installed xen-4.0.0 freshly,
it works fine.
- The kernels on the 2 IBM servers are identical, every setting is
identical.
- If I set xen-3.4.2.gz in the grub (with installed xen-4.0.0), it is able
to boot normally, only xend does not start (but I don''t need a livecd).
This
means that there is no problem with the kernel, only xen-4.0.0 is the fault
;-)
- The /etc/xen, /etc/udev is exactly the same on the 2 IBM servers, so this
can''t be the fault either.
- The funny thing is that I have experienced the same with the Supermicro
server too, so it is not hardware specific, but it helps to know that the
exact IBM server with fresh xen-4.0.0 and same kernel, same settings, works
fine.

What do you recommend?

Oh yeah, I had a thread about this before with the Supermicro, but no luck,
I had to downgrade:
http://forums.gentoo.org/viewtopic-t-828582-start-0.html

Regards,
Daniel


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On Thu, Sep 9, 2010 at 1:03 PM, Daniel <dandadude@gmail.com>
wrote:
> Hi Guys!
>
> I have a very interesting problem.
>
> I run gentoo and have been running xen-3.4.2 on 2 server computers
> (Supermicro-based, IBM).
>
> A little time ago, I have tried to upgrade xen-3.4.2 to xen-4.0.0 (with
> emerge) on the Supermicro server, but the computer wasn''t able to
boot
> - If I set xen-3.4.2.gz in the grub (with installed xen-4.0.0), it is able
> to boot normally, only xend does not start (but I don''t need a
livecd). This
> means that there is no problem with the kernel, only xen-4.0.0 is the fault
> ;-)
> What do you recommend?
Short version: it''s easier to copy what others have succefully done,
and copy it. Hopefuly other Gentoo users can share their experience.

Long version: I haven''t used gentoo in a long time, but my guess is
that you run into some xen-and-kernel compatibility problem.
You might want to to update your kernel as well, and/or use Xen 4.0.1.

For comparison, In RHEL/Centos5, the following combination works:
- bundled xen (3.1+) with bundled kernel-xen (2.6.18 + RHEL patches)
- newer xen 3.x (up to 3.4.3, preferably from Gitco repo) with bundled
kernel-xen
- Xen 4.0.0 with kernel 2.6.34 +
http://code.google.com/p/gentoo-xen-kernel/downloads/list

while using Xen 4.0.0 + RHEL''s kernel-xen does not work. I
haven''t
tested 4.0.1 yet. Also, pv_ops kernel currently require a matching
version of xen, so if you use latest pv_ops kernel for dom0, make sure
you also use latest xen version (4.0.1 or latest xen-testing).

-- 
Fajar

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Hi Fajar!

THanks for replying!

What you write can''t be the problem, since the same configuration and
xen/kernel works great on a freshly installed IBM server with 100% identical
hardware and configuration.

I have tried with an older kernel, but also tried with a newer one which I
have compiled right before upgrading. The kernel I am trying now is
"2.6.34-xen-r3" with xen-4.0.0.
In portage these are the most recent xen and kernel ebuilds, which work
great on the other server.

I have installed xen-4.0.0 on other servers also freshly, no problem there,
only with upgrading, and that is on all servers I have tried to upgrade ;-(

Any other suggestion?

Thanks,
Daniel

2010/9/9 Fajar A. Nugraha <fajar@fajar.net>
> On Thu, Sep 9, 2010 at 1:03 PM, Daniel <dandadude@gmail.com> wrote:
> > Hi Guys!
> >
> > I have a very interesting problem.
> >
> > I run gentoo and have been running xen-3.4.2 on 2 server computers
> > (Supermicro-based, IBM).
> >
> > A little time ago, I have tried to upgrade xen-3.4.2 to xen-4.0.0
(with
> > emerge) on the Supermicro server, but the computer wasn''t
able to boot
>
> > - If I set xen-3.4.2.gz in the grub (with installed xen-4.0.0), it is
> able
> > to boot normally, only xend does not start (but I don''t need
a livecd).
> This
> > means that there is no problem with the kernel, only xen-4.0.0 is the
> fault
> > ;-)
>
>
> > What do you recommend?
>
> Short version: it''s easier to copy what others have succefully
done,
> and copy it. Hopefuly other Gentoo users can share their experience.
>
> Long version: I haven''t used gentoo in a long time, but my guess
is
> that you run into some xen-and-kernel compatibility problem.
> You might want to to update your kernel as well, and/or use Xen 4.0.1.
>
> For comparison, In RHEL/Centos5, the following combination works:
> - bundled xen (3.1+) with bundled kernel-xen (2.6.18 + RHEL patches)
> - newer xen 3.x (up to 3.4.3, preferably from Gitco repo) with bundled
> kernel-xen
> - Xen 4.0.0 with kernel 2.6.34 +
> http://code.google.com/p/gentoo-xen-kernel/downloads/list
>
> while using Xen 4.0.0 + RHEL''s kernel-xen does not work. I
haven''t
> tested 4.0.1 yet. Also, pv_ops kernel currently require a matching
> version of xen, so if you use latest pv_ops kernel for dom0, make sure
> you also use latest xen version (4.0.1 or latest xen-testing).
>
> --
> Fajar
>

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On Thu, Sep 9, 2010 at 3:43 PM, Daniel <dandadude@gmail.com>
wrote:
> I have installed xen-4.0.0 on other servers also freshly, no problem there,
> only with upgrading, and that is on all servers I have tried to upgrade ;-(
>
> Any other suggestion?
Two things come to mind:
- fresh install on that problematic server, possibly with new
partition / LV for root. If that works, that would eliminate hardware
problem for that current server. Or,
- Build binary package of xen and kernel on the working server (with
quickpkg or whatever), and install it on the problematic server. That
would at least determine whether some old library/config/features
difference is causing the problem.

-- 
Fajar

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Dear Fajar and anybody who reads this!

The problem has been solved with upgrading to xen-4.0.1 (thanks for Nicolas
Vilz aka _nic for providing the support and overlay)!
Thanks Fajar  for the help!

Regards,
Daniel

2010/9/9 Fajar A. Nugraha <fajar@fajar.net>
> On Thu, Sep 9, 2010 at 3:43 PM, Daniel <dandadude@gmail.com> wrote:
> > I have installed xen-4.0.0 on other servers also freshly, no problem
> there,
> > only with upgrading, and that is on all servers I have tried to
upgrade
> ;-(
> >
> > Any other suggestion?
>
> Two things come to mind:
> - fresh install on that problematic server, possibly with new
> partition / LV for root. If that works, that would eliminate hardware
> problem for that current server. Or,
> - Build binary package of xen and kernel on the working server (with
> quickpkg or whatever), and install it on the problematic server. That
> would at least determine whether some old library/config/features
> difference is causing the problem.
>
> --
> Fajar
>

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