XEN - Xen Virtualization Essentials

http://www.virtuatopia.com/index.php/Xen_Virtualization_Essentials

© 2012 Neil Smyth / Payload Media. This eBook is provided for personal use only. Unauthorized use, reproduction and/or distribution strictly prohibited. All rights reserved.

1. About Xen Virtualization Essentials
   • What is Virtualization?
   • Why is Virtualization Important?
     
     
2. An Overview of Virtualization Techniques
   • Guest Operating System Virtualization
   • Shared Kernel Virtualization
   • Kernel Level Virtualization
   • Hypervisor Virtualization
   • Paravirtualization
   • Full Virtualization
   • Hardware Virtualization
     
     
3. Configuring and Installing a Xen Hardware Virtual Machine (HVM) domainU Guest
   • Checking Hardware Support for Xen Hardware Virtual Machines (HVM)
   • Preparing to Install a Xen HVM domainU Guest
   • Creating a Xen HVM Configuration File
   • Booting the HVM Guest
   • Connecting to the HVM domainU Guest Graphical Console
     
     
4. Installing and Running Windows XP or Vista as a Xen HVM domainU Guest
   • Pre-Requisites for Installing a Windows Xen Guest
   • Preparing to Install Windows
   • Preparing the Windows XP / Windows Vista for Xen HVM Installation
   • Configuring the Xen Windows Guest Configuration File
   • Starting the Xen Windows HVM Guest
     
     
5. Virtualizing Windows Server 2008 with Xen
   • Requirements for Xen Windows Server 2008 Virtualization
   • Windows Server 2008 Installation Media
   • Preparing Storage Space for Windows Server 2008
   • Creating the Xen Windows Server 2008 Configuration File
   • Starting the Xen Windows Server 2008 HVM Guest
     
     
6. Installing and Running Windows 7 as a Xen HVM domainU Guest
   • Requirements for Xen Windows 7 Virtualization
   • Windows 7 Installation Media
   • Preparing Storage Space for Windows 7
   • Creating the Xen Windows 7 Configuration File
   • Starting the Xen Windows 7 HVM Guest
     
     
7. Adding USB Devices to a Xen HVM domainU Guest
   • Identifying USB Devices on the Xen Host System
   • A Trick to Identify the Correct USB Device
   • Adding the New USB Device to the Xen domainU Configuration File
   • Temporarily Adding a USB Device to a running Xen HVM Guest
     
     
8. Building a Xen Virtual Guest Filesystem on a Disk Image (Cloning Host System)
   • Xen Requirements
   • Creating a Disk Image for the Root Filesystem
   • Creating a Swap Space Disk Image
   • Cloning the Host OS on the Guest Domain
   • Creating a Xen Configuration File
   • Configuring System Files for the Guest Operating System
   • Modifying /etc/fstab for the Guest System
   • Booting the Guest OS
   • Xen Guest Boot Problems
     
     
9. Building a Xen Virtual Guest Filesystem on a Physical Disk Partition (Cloning Host System)
   • An Overview of the Xen Host and Guest Physical Disks
   • Preparing the Xen Disk Partitions
   • Creating the a Filesystem on the Xen Guest Root Partition
   • Configuring the Swap Partition for the Xen Guest System
   • Mounting the Root Filesystem
   • Cloning the Host OS on the Guest Root Partition
   • Creating a Xen Configuration File
   • Configuring System Files for the Guest Operating System
   • Modifying /etc/fstab for the Guest System
   • Booting the Guest OS
   • Xen Guest Boot Problems
     
     
10. Building a Xen Virtual Guest Filesystem using Logical Volume Management (LVM)
    • The Key Components of Logical Volume Management
    • Preparing for an LVM based Xen Guest Domain
    • Converting Physical Disks into Physical Volumes
    • Creating a Volume Group
    • Creating a Logical Volume for the Xen Guest System
    • Creating a Filesystem on the Logical Volume
    • Configuring the Swap Partition for the Xen Guest System
    • Mounting the Root Filesystem
    • Cloning the Host OS on the Guest Root Partition
    • Creating a Xen Configuration File
    • Configuring System Files for the Guest Operating System
    • Modifying /etc/fstab for the Guest System
    • Booting the Guest OS
    • Xen Guest Boot Problems
      
      
11. Building a Xen Guest Root Filesystem using yum and rpm
    • An Overview of Repository Based Installation
    • Preparing to Create a Xen Guest Root Filesystem from Repositories
    • Beginning the Installation
    • Configuring the Guest System using chroot
    • Booting the Xen Guest System
    • Xen Guest Boot Problems
      
      
12. Building a Debian or Ubuntu Xen Guest Root Filesystem using debootstrap
    • Creating the Xen Guest Root Filesystem
    • Creating Swap for the Xen Guest Domain
    • Installing the Base Ubuntu/Debian System using debootstrap
    • Configuring the root Password
    • Creating a Configuration File for the Guest Domain
    • Configuring System Files for the Guest Operating System
    • Modifying /etc/fstab for the Guest System
    • Booting the Guest OS
    • Xen Guest Boot Problems
      
      
13. Building a Xen Guest Domain using Xen-Tools
    • Getting Xen-Tools
    • Configuring Xen-Tools
    • Specifiy Xen-Tools Installation Location
    • Specifying the Xen-Tools Installation Source and Method
    • Configuring Disk Space and Memory for the Xen Guest
    • Choosing a Linux Distribution
    • Configuring Xen Guest Network Options
    • Configuring the Kernel and RAM Disk
    • Defining the Installation Source
    • Miscellaneous Settings Xen-Tools Configuration
    • Xen Guest Console Settings
    • Options Disk Drive Device Naming
    • Building the Xen Guest Images
    • Booting the Xen Guest System
      
      
14. Using QEMU Disk Images for Xen DomainU Systems
    • Creating a QEMU Disk Image for the Xen domainU
    • Installing the Guest Operating System
    • Configuring the Guest Operating System for Xen
    • Mounting QEMU Disk Image Partitions
    • pyGRUB and the Xen Configuration File
    • Booting the Xen domainU System
      
      
15. Creating and Booting a Xen Guest domainU using an NFS Mounted Root Filesystem
    • Kernel Requirements for NFS based Root Filesystems
    • Populating the Root Filesystem
    • Exporting and Mounting the Xen Guest Root Filesystem
    • Creating the Xen Configuration File for the NFS Root Filesystem
    • Booting the Xen domainU
      
      
16. Configuring a VNC based Graphical Console for a Xen Paravirtualized domainU Guest
    • What is VNC?
    • VNC Security
    • Configuring a Xen domainU for VNC Access
    • Connecting to the Guest Desktop using VNC Viewer
    • Starting a Graphical Desktop on the Xen domainU Guest
    • Establishing a Secure Remote Desktop Session
      
      
17. Running and Connecting to VNC Servers on a Xen Guest (domainU) System
    • Installing VNC on the Xen domainU Guest
    • Creating Xen domainU VNC Desktop Sessions
    • Connecting to a Xen domainU Remote Desktop
    • Configuring the Xen domainU Desktop Environment
    • Closing Down a domainU VNC Desktop Session
      
      
18. Adding Disk, CDROM and DVD Devices to a Running Xen domainU Guest System
    • Requirements for Xen domainU Block Device Attachment
    • An Overview of xm block-attach
    • Attaching a Device to a domainU Guest
    • Mounting the Device in the domainU Guest
    • Detaching a Device from the domainU Guest
      
      
19. Xen Monitoring Tools and Techniques
    • Why Monitor a Xen Environment?
    • Obtaining Xen Configuration and System Information
    • Monitoring Xen Performance with XenMon
    • Monitoring Performance with XenTop
      
      
20. Migrating Xen domainU Guests Between Host Systems
    • Requirements for Xen domainU Migration
    • Enabling Xen Guest Migration
    • Xen Migration Firewall Configuration
    • Preparing the Xen Migration Environment
    • Running the DomainU Guest
    • Performing the Migration
    • Checking the Xen Log for Migration Errors
      
      
21. Solving Common Xen Problems