Xen users - Oct 2012 - How to auto-start Guests when using 'xl' toolstack? 'old' configs in /etc/xen/auto/ are ignored without xend service active.

I''ve migrated my Dom0 host to Xen 4.2.0 + xl toolstack.

With ''xm'' toolstack, configs in /etc/xen/auto are autostarted,
assuming
xend/xendomains services are started.

IIUC, when using xl toolstack, those services are not to be started;
and, afaict, the installation process for 4.2 has them disabled by
default.

Now, the configs in /etc/xen/auto are simply ignored.  I can, of course,
start them manually (xl create <config file>).

What''s the right method for starting Guest domains when using the xl
toolstack?

Did you upgrade to 4.2 or compile fresh?

I am running 4.2 and the /etc/xen/auto directory works perfectly fine with
both symlinks and actual files.

Did you verify any log entries in /var/logs/xen/, and does xl dmesg show
anything that might help identify the problem?

On Fri, Oct 5, 2012 at 11:38 PM, <ar16@imapmail.org> wrote:
>
> I''ve migrated my Dom0 host to Xen 4.2.0 + xl toolstack.
>
> With ''xm'' toolstack, configs in /etc/xen/auto are
autostarted, assuming
> xend/xendomains services are started.
>
> IIUC, when using xl toolstack, those services are not to be started;
> and, afaict, the installation process for 4.2 has them disabled by
> default.
>
> Now, the configs in /etc/xen/auto are simply ignored.  I can, of course,
> start them manually (xl create <config file>).
>
> What''s the right method for starting Guest domains when using the
xl
> toolstack?
>
> _______________________________________________
> Xen-users mailing list
> Xen-users@lists.xen.org
> http://lists.xen.org/xen-users
>

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On Fri, Oct 5, 2012, at 08:55 PM, Casey DeLorme wrote:
> Did you upgrade to 4.2 or compile fresh?
Upgraded via pkg-upgrade to:

	rpm -qa | grep -i ^xen
		xen-4.2.0_02-205.2.x86_64
		xen-tools-4.2.0_02-205.2.x86_64
		xen-libs-4.2.0_02-205.2.x86_64
		xen-devel-4.2.0_02-205.2.x86_64

> I am running 4.2 and the /etc/xen/auto directory works perfectly fine
What''s execing the scripts you have in /etc/xen/auto if both
xend/xendomains services are disabled?

Something''s doing the work ...
> with both symlinks and actual files.
here:

	ls -al /etc/xen/auto/*cfg
		lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root   64 Oct  5 20:44 test.cfg ->
		/home/ar/test.cfg

where,

	xl create /home/ar/test.cfg

works as expected
> Did you verify any log entries in /var/logs/xen/
> and does xl dmesg show anything that might help identify the problem?
I don''t see any indication that any attempt at launching the Guests as
defined in /etc/xen/auto is even made

On Sat, 2012-10-06 at 06:11 +0100, ar16@imapmail.org
wrote:
> What''s execing the scripts you have in /etc/xen/auto if both
> xend/xendomains services are disabled?
The xendomains service should not be disabled with xl, it is the one
which does this work, for both xend and xl.

Ian.

On Sat, Oct 6, 2012, at 02:04 AM, Ian Campbell wrote:
> On Sat, 2012-10-06 at 06:11 +0100, ar16@imapmail.org wrote:
> > What''s execing the scripts you have in /etc/xen/auto if both
> > xend/xendomains services are disabled?
> 
> The xendomains service should not be disabled with xl, it is the one
> which does this work, for both xend and xl.

''xendomains'' requires ''xend'' service

	grep Required-Start /etc/init.d/{xend,xendomains}
		/etc/init.d/xend:# Required-Start:    $syslog $remote_fs
		/etc/init.d/xendomains:# Required-Start:    $syslog
		$remote_fs xend

a new/default install of Xen 4.2 configs the following services

	chkconfig --list | grep xen
		Note: This output shows SysV services only and does not
		include native
		systemd services. SysV configuration data might be
		overridden by native
		systemd configuration.

		xen-watchdog              0:off  1:off  2:off  3:off 
		4:off  5:off  6:off
		xencommons                0:off  1:off  2:on   3:on  
		4:off  5:on   6:off
		xend                      0:off  1:off  2:off  3:off 
		4:off  5:off  6:off                      
		<============== disabled
		xendomains                0:off  1:off  2:off  3:off 
		4:off  5:off  6:off                      
		<============== disabled

but instructions @

	http://wiki.xen.org/wiki/XL#xl_Upgrade_Checklist

		Introduction
			xl should now be used by default
		...
		xl Upgrade Checklist
			...
			Disable xend startup script  
			<===========================			...


so, how are we to ENable xendomains *and* DISable xend?

Testing the exec of xendomains manually,

	sh -x /etc/init.d/xendomains start
		+ . /etc/rc.status
		++ test -z ''''
		++ /bin/mountpoint -q /sys/fs/cgroup/systemd
		++ test 16015 -ne 1 -a 1 -eq 1
		++ _rc_base		++ case "$0" in
		++ _rc_base=xendomains
		++ case "$1" in
		++ echo ''redirecting to systemctl''
		redirecting to systemctl
		++ test -n xendomains -a -x /bin/systemctl
		++ exec /bin/systemctl start xendomains.service

fails to launch the Guest defined in /etc/xen/auto,

	xl list
		Name                                        ID   Mem
		VCPUs      State   Time(s)
		Domain-0                                     0   997    
		4     r-----    2866.0


checking in /etc/init.d/xendomains, noting

	...
	running_auto_names()
	{
	    unset AUTONAMES[@]
	    if ! dir_contains_something "$XENDOMAINS_AUTO"; then
	        return
	    fi
	    for dom in "$XENDOMAINS_AUTO"/*; do
	        get_name_from_cfg "$dom"
	        AUTONAMES+=("$NM")
	    done
	}
	...

where''s thatXENDOMAINS_AUTO var defined?

	grep XENDOMAINS_AUTO /etc/init.d/xendomains
	        if ! dir_contains_something "$XENDOMAINS_AUTO"; then
	        for dom in "$XENDOMAINS_AUTO"/*; do
	        if dir_contains_something "$XENDOMAINS_AUTO"; then
	                for dom in "$XENDOMAINS_AUTO"/*; do
	        if [ "$XENDOMAINS_AUTO_ONLY" = "true" ]; then
	                if [ "$XENDOMAINS_AUTO_ONLY" = "true" ];
then
	        dir_contains_something "$XENDOMAINS_AUTO" &&
any_auto=1
	                for nm in "$XENDOMAINS_AUTO"/*; do

no? then, instead,

	grep XENDOMAINS_AUTO /etc/sysconfig/*
		/etc/sysconfig/xendomains:# started ones, see
		XENDOMAINS_AUTO_ONLY below) in a loop and sent SysRq,
		/etc/sysconfig/xendomains:# (Note: This will hit all
		virtual machines, even if XENDOMAINS_AUTO_ONLY
		/etc/sysconfig/xendomains:XENDOMAINS_AUTO=/etc/xen/auto
		/etc/sysconfig/xendomains:# files in XENDOMAINS_AUTO
		will be treated according to XENDOMAINS_SYSRQ,
		/etc/sysconfig/xendomains:XENDOMAINS_AUTO_ONLY=true

so, it *is* already defined.

Of the four services installed, which are to be enabled for xl to
correctly autostart guests?

On Sat, 2012-10-06 at 15:39 +0100, ar16@imapmail.org
wrote:
> On Sat, Oct 6, 2012, at 02:04 AM, Ian Campbell wrote:
> > On Sat, 2012-10-06 at 06:11 +0100, ar16@imapmail.org wrote:
> > > What''s execing the scripts you have in /etc/xen/auto if
both
> > > xend/xendomains services are disabled?
> > 
> > The xendomains service should not be disabled with xl, it is the one
> > which does this work, for both xend and xl.
> ''xendomains'' requires ''xend'' service
The version in Xen upstream doesn''t:
        xen-4.2-testing.hg$ grep Required-Start tools/hotplug/Linux/init.d/*
        tools/hotplug/Linux/init.d/xencommons:# Required-Start:    $syslog
$remote_fs
        tools/hotplug/Linux/init.d/xend:# Required-Start:    $syslog $remote_fs
xenstored xenconsoled
        tools/hotplug/Linux/init.d/xendomains:# Required-Start:    $syslog
$remote_fs xenstored xenconsoled
        tools/hotplug/Linux/init.d/xen-watchdog:# Required-Start:    $syslog
$remote_fs

Perhaps you have forgotten to update your initscripts and associated
configuration files? This is not normally done automatically.

Or maybe you need to file a bug against however provided the packages
you are using.

Ian.

On Sat, Oct 6, 2012, at 07:50 AM, Ian Campbell wrote:
> > ''xendomains'' requires ''xend''
service
> 
> The version in Xen upstream doesn''t:
...
>         tools/hotplug/Linux/init.d/xendomains:# Required-Start: $syslog
$remote_fs xenstored xenconsoled
...

noted
> Perhaps you have forgotten to update your initscripts and associated
> configuration files? This is not normally done automatically.
no, my scripts are new-installed.
> Or maybe you need to file a bug against however provided the packages you
are using.
@
https://build.opensuse.org/package/view_file?file=init.xendomains&package=xen&project=Virtualization&rev=9df0466bc5582192b05701ba731e1d79

             # Required-Start:    $syslog $remote_fs xend

I''ll file a bug @ Opensuse.

Thanks.

On Sat, Oct 6, 2012, at 07:59 AM, ar16@imapmail.org
wrote:
> I''ll file a bug @ Opensuse.
for those interested, https://bugzilla.novell.com/show_bug.cgi?id=783847