Xen users - Mar 2007 - Using multiple logical volumes for partitions in domUs

Hello Everyone,

  I am trying setup a guest domain config file to use multiple logical
volumes as the installation partitions for the guest domain.  The guest OS
boots from a CentOS 4.4 iso image.  However if I try and specify the
physical device in the config file as partitions instead of hard drive
devices, the CentOS installer says it does not detect any hard drives.
Below is how I would like it to function and have seen many configs with the
same, however the below config does not work:

disk = [ ''phy:/dev/VolGroup1/boot,hda1,w'',
''phy:/dev/VolGroup1/swap,hda2,w''
''phy:/dev/VolGroup1/root,hda3,w''
''phy:/dev/VolGroup1/data,hda4,w''
''file:/home/mike/Desktop/CentOS-4.4-x86_64-binDVD.iso,hdc:cdrom,r''
]

     If I specify the disk for the guest domain as disk = [
''phy:/dev/VolGroup1/boot,hda,w,...... ] and remove the other phy:
listings,
then the guest domain boots and finds a hard drive.  However, since I am
using logical volumes, my goal is to have the boot, swap, root, etc...
partitions on their own logical volumes.  Therefore, I can resize the
volumes and the volume''s partition when needed.  Exporting just one
volume
as the entire disk for the guest domain and then having the guest OS create
the boot, swap, and root partitions within the volume defeats the purpose of
being able to expand for future needs.
     Am I totally missing something here?  I am using Xen 3.0.4 community
edition on an x86_64 Dell server. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks in advance.

Mike Lee


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Hello Mike,

 

Dunno if you missed something, a solution would be to install CentOS on a
partition without the swap drives and such. After which you can copy the
contents of your freshly installed system to its target volume. Don''t
forget
about the minimal needed /dev partition in that case, see the wiki for what
you need minimal. Changing the fstab file should be enough after that. 

An other option is to use the rpm option to specify a root dir for
installing. Which gives you the option to install the base group and some
other packages you need for your setup, create the dev files and boot the
system.

 

Greetings,

 

Sjoerd de Heer

S&R Solutions

 

  _____  

Van: xen-users-bounces@lists.xensource.com
[mailto:xen-users-bounces@lists.xensource.com] Namens Mike Lee
Verzonden: donderdag 1 maart 2007 5:43
Aan: xen-users@lists.xensource.com
Onderwerp: [Xen-users] Using multiple logical volumes for partitions in
domUs

 

Hello Everyone,

  I am trying setup a guest domain config file to use multiple logical
volumes as the installation partitions for the guest domain.  The guest OS
boots from a CentOS 4.4 iso image.  However if I try and specify the
physical device in the config file as partitions instead of hard drive
devices, the CentOS installer says it does not detect any hard drives.
Below is how I would like it to function and have seen many configs with the
same, however the below config does not work: 

disk = [ ''phy:/dev/VolGroup1/boot,hda1,w'',
''phy:/dev/VolGroup1/swap,hda2,w''
''phy:/dev/VolGroup1/root,hda3,w''
''phy:/dev/VolGroup1/data,hda4,w''
''file:/home/mike/Desktop/CentOS-
4.4-x86_64-binDVD.iso,hdc:cdrom,r'' ]

     If I specify the disk for the guest domain as disk = [
''phy:/dev/VolGroup1/boot,hda,w,...... ] and remove the other phy:
listings,
then the guest domain boots and finds a hard drive.  However, since I am
using logical volumes, my goal is to have the boot, swap, root, etc...
partitions on their own logical volumes.  Therefore, I can resize the
volumes and the volume''s partition when needed.  Exporting just one
volume
as the entire disk for the guest domain and then having the guest OS create
the boot, swap, and root partitions within the volume defeats the purpose of
being able to expand for future needs. 
     Am I totally missing something here?  I am using Xen 3.0.4 community
edition on an x86_64 Dell server. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks in advance.

Mike Lee



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Xen-users mailing list
Xen-users@lists.xensource.com
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On 28 Feb 2007 at 21:43, Mike Lee wrote:
> Hello Everyone,
> 
>   I am trying setup a guest domain config file to use multiple logical
> volumes as the installation partitions for the guest domain.  The guest OS
> boots from a CentOS 4.4 iso image.  However if I try and specify the
> physical device in the config file as partitions instead of hard drive
> devices, the CentOS installer says it does not detect any hard drives.
Same for SLES10. The solution was to install on a single simple image, then 
shutdown, mount the LVs in Dom0, and copy the simple image''s files to
the
corresponding mounted LVs, do some adjustments like "mkinitrd in a chroot 
environment", then the VM would start.

The problem may be that you have had? partitions, but no hda "disk".

Ulrich

> Below is how I would like it to function and have seen many configs with
the
> same, however the below config does not work:
> 
> disk = [ ''phy:/dev/VolGroup1/boot,hda1,w'',
> ''phy:/dev/VolGroup1/swap,hda2,w''
> ''phy:/dev/VolGroup1/root,hda3,w''
> ''phy:/dev/VolGroup1/data,hda4,w''
>
''file:/home/mike/Desktop/CentOS-4.4-x86_64-binDVD.iso,hdc:cdrom,r''
]
> 
>      If I specify the disk for the guest domain as disk = [
> ''phy:/dev/VolGroup1/boot,hda,w,...... ] and remove the other phy:
listings,
> then the guest domain boots and finds a hard drive.  However, since I am
> using logical volumes, my goal is to have the boot, swap, root, etc...
> partitions on their own logical volumes.  Therefore, I can resize the
> volumes and the volume''s partition when needed.  Exporting just
one volume
> as the entire disk for the guest domain and then having the guest OS create
> the boot, swap, and root partitions within the volume defeats the purpose
of
> being able to expand for future needs.
>      Am I totally missing something here?  I am using Xen 3.0.4 community
> edition on an x86_64 Dell server. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
> Thanks in advance.
> 
> Mike Lee
> 


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Xen-users@lists.xensource.com
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hi,

is it normal that you don''t have comma after each physical declaration
block ?

seb
> > Below is how I would like it to function and have seen many configs
with
> the
> > same, however the below config does not work:
> >
> > disk = [ ''phy:/dev/VolGroup1/boot,hda1,w'',
> > ''phy:/dev/VolGroup1/swap,hda2,w''
> > ''phy:/dev/VolGroup1/root,hda3,w''
> > ''phy:/dev/VolGroup1/data,hda4,w''
> >
''file:/home/mike/Desktop/CentOS-4.4-x86_64-binDVD.iso,hdc:cdrom,r''
]
> >
> >      If I specify the disk for the guest domain as disk = [
> > ''phy:/dev/VolGroup1/boot,hda,w,...... ] and remove the other
phy: listings,
> > then the guest domain boots and finds a hard drive.  However, since I
am
> > using logical volumes, my goal is to have the boot, swap, root, etc...
> > partitions on their own logical volumes.  Therefore, I can resize the
> > volumes and the volume''s partition when needed.  Exporting
just one volume
> > as the entire disk for the guest domain and then having the guest OS
create
> > the boot, swap, and root partitions within the volume defeats the
purpose
> of
> > being able to expand for future needs.
> >      Am I totally missing something here?  I am using Xen 3.0.4
community
> > edition on an x86_64 Dell server. Any advice would be greatly
appreciated.
> > Thanks in advance.
> >
> > Mike Lee
> >
>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> Xen-users mailing list
> Xen-users@lists.xensource.com
> http://lists.xensource.com/xen-users
>


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