Pkg xen devel - Jul 2008 - Xen advice requested

Hello,

For a few months I build a new Xen server, both domU en dom0 are
64-bits. I had some hardware problems, that's the reason the server is
not doing production-work now, but I would like to go in production real
soon.

My problem is that I made this server for a longer term. And I don't see
a 64-bit domU in the 2.6.25 kernel, only a 32-bit domU kernel with PAE
support.

My processor supports hardware virtualisation and I would like to use 8
GB RAM total. No domU is using more then 2 GB RAM.

Do you think it is better to switch to a 32-bit domU?
And what to do with the dom0 then? There is no Debian-kernel with a
32-bits PAE domU, so far I know. Not in Etch and not in Lenny.
Is KVM a better option for a dom0 maybe?

I am running Etch now, I would like to run Lenny soon as possible, but
Etch is OK for the coming year if necessary. I don't like building my
own kernel or using software what's not in Debian.

With regards,
Paul van der Vlis.




-- 
http://www.vandervlis.nl/

On Tue, Jul 29, 2008 at 11:16:23AM +0200, Paul van der Vlis
wrote:
> Hello,
> 
> For a few months I build a new Xen server, both domU en dom0 are
> 64-bits. I had some hardware problems, that's the reason the server is
> not doing production-work now, but I would like to go in production real
> soon.
> 
> My problem is that I made this server for a longer term. And I don't
see
> a 64-bit domU in the 2.6.25 kernel, only a 32-bit domU kernel with PAE
> support.
>
Linux 2.6.25 contains 32b xen domU support implemented on top of Linux pv_ops
framework. 

pv_ops xen domU support in 2.6.25 doesn't include 64 bit support.. it is
queued for 2.6.27.
 
> My processor supports hardware virtualisation and I would like to use 8
> GB RAM total. No domU is using more then 2 GB RAM.
>
So you need PAE or full 64b.
 
> Do you think it is better to switch to a 32-bit domU?
> And what to do with the dom0 then? There is no Debian-kernel with a
> 32-bits PAE domU, so far I know. Not in Etch and not in Lenny.
> Is KVM a better option for a dom0 maybe?
> 
All 32b xen kernels should be PAE now, because non-PAE xen kernels are not
supported/developed anymore.

Linux 2.6.26 pv_ops xen domU support is PAE-only.

http://wiki.xensource.com/xenwiki/XenParavirtOps
> I am running Etch now, I would like to run Lenny soon as possible, but
> Etch is OK for the coming year if necessary. I don't like building my
> own kernel or using software what's not in Debian.
> 
pv_ops Linux 2.6.2(5|6|7) doesn't contain xen dom0 support..

So the best option is to run etch in dom0, and lenny in domU.

-- Pasi