Xen users - Jun 2009 - XP HVM w/o VT/AMD-V?

My current server is a nice new Intel 64-bit box and it''s running great
now (with all PV
guests). However, the machine it replaced is sitting here unused, and
I''d like to employ
it with Xen as well.

  I currently have an older box from some of my previous virtualization
experiments that
is running an Ubuntu host and Sun''s VirtualBox VM software with one
Linux and one XP
guest. It runs ok, but I found the setup to be twitchy and unstable. It might be
the
computer itself, the host OS or VirtualBox itself, I have no way to know. But, I
thinks to
myself, why not bring up this unused server with Xen and move the guests from
VirtualBox
over to it? Then I could reformat the machine that has VBox on it into another
Xen and
have plenty of capacity to move guests around.

  I was able to convert the VBox VDI into a raw .img file that Xen can handle
just fine,
and move it over to the new (old) Xen machine. but when I went to boot it, I
discovered
that I didn''t have Intel VT extensions and it won''t boot an
HVM without them.

  To be fair, I think I knew that. But, what I''m curious about is that
the machine with
VBox on it is about the same vintage Intel CPU, also without VT. So, VirtualBox
must be
using more QEMU-style software virtualization to accomplish virtualizing
HVM-type guests
without VT?

  Based on my current experience, I''ve been happier with Xen, and would
like to just
switch all my virtualization to Xen. The Linux guest can probably be switched to
PV, but
obviously the XP guest can''t. Is there any tricks I can employ to
accomplish Xen
virtualization of an HVM XP box without VT or AMD-V extensions? I''d
really love to
eliminate VirtualBox from the mix, but I don''t have the ability to move
the WinXP guest
over to my new machine that has the VT extensions.

  I guess I could maybe run QEMU or something just for this one XP HVM guest?

  Any ideas welcomed.

-- 
Chris ''Xenon'' Hanson, omo sanza lettere                  Xenon
AlphaPixel.com
PixelSense Landsat processing now available! http://www.alphapixel.com/demos/
"There is no Truth. There is only Perception. To Perceive is to
Exist." - Xen

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On Tue, Jun 2, 2009 at 5:32 PM, Chris ''Xenon'' Hanson
<xenon@alphapixel.com> wrote:
>  Based on my current experience, I''ve been happier with Xen, and
would like to just
> switch all my virtualization to Xen. The Linux guest can probably be
switched to PV, but
> obviously the XP guest can''t. Is there any tricks I can employ to
accomplish Xen
> virtualization of an HVM XP box without VT or AMD-V extensions?
I''d really love to
> eliminate VirtualBox from the mix, but I don''t have the ability to
move the WinXP guest
> over to my new machine that has the VT extensions.
no tricks.  Xen''s HVM is designed around VT/SVM capabilities
>  I guess I could maybe run QEMU or something just for this one XP HVM
guest?
qemu with kqemu runs decently enough for light use.  kvm is a lot
better, but it also needs VT/SVM

-- 
Javier

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On Wed, Jun 3, 2009 at 5:32 AM, Chris ''Xenon'' Hanson
<xenon@alphapixel.com> wrote:
> Is there any tricks I can employ to accomplish Xen
> virtualization of an HVM XP box without VT or AMD-V extensions?
No.
> but I don''t have the ability to move the WinXP guest
> over to my new machine that has the VT extensions.
Why? It should be straight forward.
>
>  I guess I could maybe run QEMU or something just for this one XP HVM
guest?
If you''re thinking about using the box as Xen dom0 for PV guest while
at the same time running qemu, I''d suggest that you don''t.
Performance
would suck. You should either dedicate this box for PV guests, or
stick with other virtualization solution (virtualbox, vmware server,
etc.)

-- 
Fajar

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