Setting up a xen server

oh, have fun.

to create the parent server

install the freegeek-xen-server which includes some custom hooks for xen at freegeek.

apt-get install freegeek-xen-server

symlink the kernel and initrd images, otherwise we'll have to manually update each xen instance's configuration file on upgrade:

ln -s /boot/vmlinuz-MOST-RECENT-VERSION /boot/vmlinuz-xen
ln -s /boot/initrd.img-MOST-RECENT-VERSION /boot/initrd.img-xen

edit /etc/xen-tools/xen-tools.conf:

kernel = /boot/vmlinuz-xen
initrd = /boot/initrd.img-xen
debootstrap = 1
lvm = vg
dist = etch
passwd = 1
mirror = http://apt.freegeek.org:9999/debian/

modify /etc/xen/xend-config.sxp:

(network-script freegeek-network-script)

Controlling the amount of memory dom0 uses

• In /boot/grub/menu.lst add to the line # xenhopt=dom0_mem=256M then run update-grub

to create an instance on the parent server

Create new xen instances with:

xen-create-image --hostname SERVERNAME --ip 192.168.?.? --netmask 255.255.255.0 --gateway 192.168.?.1

Make sure SERVERNAME and the chosen ip address don't exist already.

It will ask for a root password. Have one prepared and ready to go.

Your configuration file will be in:

/etc/xen/NAME.cfg

Check to see that it is there.

To have it start automatically:

ln -s /etc/xen/NAME.cfg /etc/xen/auto/

To start the xen instance:

xm create NAME.cfg

To list the running xen instances and how much resources they're using:

xm list

To get to a login screen on the vm, either ssh in, or:

xm console NAME

To get out of the instance, the secret keystroke is Ctrl-].

log into the xen instance (either with ssh or xm console), and ensure the freegeek-xen-instance package is installed:

apt-get install freegeek-xen-instance