Hi, I just wanted to know if it is possible to create dummy VMs using Xen, without having to install any OS on the VM. I think this is possible on VMware, where we can just create a VM without having to install anything on it. I tried creating a Paravirtualized VM with a config file and an empty image file using dd utility. But when I issue the command xm create -c dummyVM, I get a kernel panic, since there is no filesystem available on the image. Hence the VM does not showup on the xm list command. Can anybody throw some insights into this. Thank you -- Regards Ananth _______________________________________________ Xen-users mailing list Xen-users@lists.xensource.com http://lists.xensource.com/xen-users
>From: Ananth >To: Xen User-List >Sent: Monday, 17 August, 2009 18:13:27 >Subject: [Xen-users] Create dummy VMs > >Hi, >I just wanted to know if it is possible to create dummy VMs using Xen, withouthaving to install any OS on the VM. I think this is possible on VMware, where we can just create a VM without having to install anything on it.>>I tried creating a Paravirtualized VM with a config file and an empty imagefile using dd utility. But when I issue the command> >xm create -c dummyVM, > >I get a kernel panic, since there is no filesystem available on the image. >>Hence the VM does not showup on the xm list command. > >Can anybody throw some insights into this. > >Thank you > >-- >Regards >Ananth > >xm new or xm create -p (create paused) Never used either, so don''t know if they''ll work in the scenario you are looking at, but worth investigation. I am sure there is a great reason why you want to create domains like this, but sure as hell can''t think what it could be. _______________________________________________ Xen-users mailing list Xen-users@lists.xensource.com http://lists.xensource.com/xen-users
Whilst it may be possible under VMware, an empty running VM sounds like an oxymoron to me. I think you are better getting a small image file from jailbreak or wherever. It will be a lot less than 5gb. Best of luck with it, Ian.> >From: Ananth <cbananth@gmail.com> >To: Ian Murray <murrayie@yahoo.co.uk> >Sent: Monday, 17 August, 2009 20:52:07 >Subject: Re: [Xen-users] Create dummy VMs > >Thanks Ian :) >I am working on a manageability tool which works on top of several virtualization layers such as VMware, Xen, Hyper V etc., It can be really instrumental in making windows users (or users who would not otherwise use Xen) in going for Xen based solutions. Because the tool would allow them to manage Xen based VMs on a portal instead of using command line interface. > >But right now I am working on provisioning ''Live move'' and ''SAN move'' features using the portal. When I am testing such functionalities, I am not really concerned about a bootable VM guest, but I want it to be listed as a running VM under xm list. >>This is why I wanted to create dummy VMs, so that I can go ahead with my work, without having to wait for the actual Guest image file ( 5GB ??) to be copied. > >VMware allows me to create such dummy guests. But I am unable to do it on Xen platform. Any inputs from you regarding this would be of great value. > >Thank you > >Regards >Ananth > > >On Tue, Aug 18, 2009 at 12:07 AM, Ian Murray <murrayie@yahoo.co.uk> wrote: > > >> >> >> >>>>>From: Ananth >>>>>To: Xen User-List >> >>>Sent: Monday, 17 August, 2009 18:13:27 >>>>>Subject: [Xen-users] Create dummy VMs >>>>> >> >>>Hi, >>>>>I just wanted to know if it is possible to create dummy VMs using Xen, without >>>>having to install any OS on the VM. I think this is possible on VMware, where we >>>>can just create a VM without having to install anything on it. >>>>>>I tried creating a Paravirtualized VM with a config file and an empty image >>>>file using dd utility. But when I issue the command >>>>> >>>>>xm create -c dummyVM, >>>>> >>>>>I get a kernel panic, since there is no filesystem available on the image. >>>>>>Hence the VM does not showup on the xm list command. >>>>> >>>>>Can anybody throw some insights into this. >>>>> >>>>>Thank you >>>>> >>>>>-- >>>>>Regards >>>>>Ananth >>>>> >>>>> >> >> >>xm new >> >>>>or >> >>>>xm create -p (create paused) >> >>>>Never used either, so don''t know if they''ll work in the scenario you are looking >>>>at, but worth investigation. >> >> >>I am sure there is a great reason why you want to create domains like this, but >>>>sure as hell can''t think what it could be. >> >> >> >> >> >>_______________________________________________ >>>>Xen-users mailing list >>Xen-users@lists.xensource.com >>http://lists.xensource.com/xen-users >> > > >-- >Regards >Ananth >_______________________________________________ Xen-users mailing list Xen-users@lists.xensource.com http://lists.xensource.com/xen-users
On Tue, Aug 18, 2009 at 12:13 AM, Ananth<cbananth@gmail.com> wrote:> Hi, > I just wanted to know if it is possible to create dummy VMs using Xen, > without having to install any OS on the VM.What are you trying to do? If just want to do some testing without having to download several GB, you can try floppyfw (http://www.zelow.no/floppyfw/) and run it as HVM domU. Only 1.4MB (the floppy version). Another method is to build a custom initrd, with busybox installed as /sbin/init and /bin/sh. That way you only need kernel and initrd for PV domU, without the need of a dedicated root filesystem. You might have to create the initrd yourself though. -- Fajar _______________________________________________ Xen-users mailing list Xen-users@lists.xensource.com http://lists.xensource.com/xen-users
On Tue, Aug 18, 2009 at 10:37 AM, Fajar A. Nugraha<fajar@fajar.net> wrote:> Another method is to build a custom initrd, with busybox installed as > /sbin/init and /bin/sh. That way you only need kernel and initrd for > PV domU, without the need of a dedicated root filesystem. You might > have to create the initrd yourself though.Here''s what I made http://www.mediafire.com/?sharekey=c98960db77a1ebdf0c814df2efeadc50644bb31d4b4b014b5621d66e282a0ee8# You can use it using a config file similar to this #=== memory = "500" vcpus=1 vif = [''''] kernel="/boot/bzImage" ramdisk="/boot/busybox.img" #=== The kernel is 64bit 2.6.30 pv_ops kernel, with builtin drivers for Xen devices (disk, network, console). You could also use your own kernel (tested with RHEL5''s kernel-xen), but since modules aren''t available you won''t be able to use network inside domU. -- Fajar _______________________________________________ Xen-users mailing list Xen-users@lists.xensource.com http://lists.xensource.com/xen-users