xen discuss - Oct 2008 - slim Opensolaris Dom0+DomU vs. Opensolaris only Dom0

Hello,

I installed Opensolaris 2008.05 to work as a small homeserver. In its final
configuration, I want it to run a linux based Firewall-distribution, a
Gentoo-Linux System for Software not yet ported to opensolaris and to fiddle
around, a Windows XP System for Stuff like my Scanner and my Walkman and of
course Opensolaris as Fileserver, Webserver and Database.
>From what I have read so far, Windows does not run too well on Xen plus my
board does not suppurt the AMD-V Extensions of my CPU, so this is a candidate
for virtualbox.
The question now is, if I should realise the functionality I want in Opensolaris
in the Dom0 Installation, or if I should use another DomU Opensolaris which then
will be my Web- and Fileserver and will run Windows in Virtualbox too.

Maybe it''s even better to completely forget Xen and simply use
Virtualbox. So any ideas and advice to this configuration are appreciated.

Thanks in advance
zwiebel
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This message posted from opensolaris.org

> Hello,
> 
> I installed Opensolaris 2008.05 to work as a small
> homeserver. In its final configuration, I want it to
> run a linux based Firewall-distribution, a
> Gentoo-Linux System for Software not yet ported to
> opensolaris and to fiddle around, a Windows XP System
> for Stuff like my Scanner and my Walkman and of
> course Opensolaris as Fileserver, Webserver and
> Database.
> 
> From what I have read so far, Windows does not run
> too well on Xen plus my board does not suppurt the
> AMD-V Extensions of my CPU, so this is a candidate
> for virtualbox.
> The question now is, if I should realise the
> functionality I want in Opensolaris in the Dom0
> Installation, or if I should use another DomU
> Opensolaris which then will be my Web- and Fileserver
> and will run Windows in Virtualbox too.
> 
> Maybe it''s even better to completely forget Xen and
> simply use Virtualbox. So any ideas and advice to
> this configuration are appreciated.
Xen Hypervisor running at OpenSolaris,Nevada,Linux Dom0 has one feature makes it
special.
It''s paravirtual guests. I am not sure Gentoo PV DomU would be possible
to install.
Xen port to Gentoo-Linux shouldn''t be a problem, but you would need
xen-enabled Gentoo
-Linux root image (?)
HVM guests would be also faster vs VMware''s VM, but not on 3.1.4 Xen
release implemented on OpenSolaris. Looks like VirtualBox would be the optimal
choice.
Your business requirements seem to have nothing to do either with Dom0 or DomU.
P.S.
Windows HVM runs fine at RHEL 5.2 Dom0 ( with pv drivers and without on Xen 3.3
port)
same option is available for OpenSolaris as well. I just didn''t get a
chance to test it.
> 
> Thanks in advance
> zwiebel
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This message posted from opensolaris.org