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< Features
Feature Name
Summary
Dom0 support for pvops-based 
kernel
Currently Fedora releases (11, 12) contain Xen hypervisor and tools, but Xen dom0 (host) capable kernel is missing.
Owner
- Name: None
Previously involved: EduardoHabkost, MarkMcLoughlin, Stephen Tweedie, Chris Wright, Juan Quintela, Markus Armbruster, Glauber Costa, DanielBerrange, ...
Current status
- Last updated: 2009-12-30
- Percentage of completion: 0%
- Targeted release: F13
- Dom0 status: awaiting upstream kernel support
- Background:
- Upstream status and build instructions, XenParavirtOps on xenwiki,
- Upstream patches (git branches):
- xen/master - new master branch; people should test this branch
- News: FWN #169, FWN #152, FWN #137
- Status updates: See upstream XenParavirtOps wiki page for status updates and progress of Xen pv_ops dom0 kernel.
- Xen pv_ops dom0 kernel will be the default kernel for upcoming Xen hypervisor 4.0 release in Q1/2010.
- M A Young has built unofficial pv_ops dom0 kernel RPMs for testing, available from his directory. For feedback or questions about these kernels you should email to fedora-xen or fedora-virt mailinglists. Note that these kernels are not meant for production use, they're only for beta testing.
- If you want to build your own custom dom0 kernel, see the upstream XenDom0Kernels wiki page
Detailed Description
See Features/XenPvops for a rationale. This feature just continues the paravirt_ops Xen effort to bring it back to feature parity with Fedora 8 Xen.
Scope
Work items:
- Implement Dom0 support in upstream kernel (JeremyFitzhardinge)
- Allow the hypervisor to boot bzImage kernels (see this patch included since xen-3.3.1-3.fc11)
- Make 'new-kernel-pkg' aware of HYPERVISOR setting in /etc/sysconfig/xen
- Wait for that upstream kernel version to be pulled into Fedora
How To Test
- Install a Fedora host/Dom0 system
- Turn on Xen Hypervisor by setting 'HYPERVISOR=/boot/xen-3.3.gz' in /etc/sysconfig/kernel and running some tool (TBD)
- Turn on Xen Userspace by running 'chkconfig xend on'
- Reboot
- Observe presence of Xen via /sys/hypervisor/
- Run 'xm list' and observe Domain-0
- Use virt-install to deploy a Fedora 9/10 paravirt guest
- Use virt-install to deploy a Fedora 8 paravirt guest
- Use virt-install to deploy a Fedora 8/9/10 fullyvirt guest
- Use 'virsh' to save & restore a PV guest and HVM guest
- Balloon down memory of a guest with virsh.
User Experience
- Stock Fedora kernel supports Xen
- The Xen kernel does not lag behind the Fedora kernel
- All features and hardware supported on baremetal also works on Xen Dom0
- Can enable/disable use of HV via a /etc/sysconfig setting
Dependencies
- Update to 'new-kernel-pkg' to know how to install HV
Contingency Plan
If Dom0 support is not ready, continue the status quo of only shipping with DomU support.