Re: [Xen-devel] Re:Trying to get HyperSCSI and Xen to work... ;-)

[Ian Pratt <Ian.Pratt@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

> 1.) Is it possible to access the created vd (virtual disk) or the created 
> vbd (virtual block device)  _without_ booting and logging in to domain 1 ??
> I have found no way to access either the created vd or vbd in domain 0
> in order to create a filesystem on it and to fill it with something usefull.

You should be able to use "xenctl vdb create -k<key> -v0 -w -n0"
to make the virtual block device accessible from domain0 as
/dev/xvda (major 125, minor 0 -- use tools/misc/xen-mkdevnodes if
the device doesn't exist)

I haven't tried this in a while, but it should work unless it got
accidentally broken when the "xenctl physical grant" stuff got
added. 
 
> 2.) Is it possible to boot domains > 1 from a vbd (virtual block device)
>      which is defined as the root device in the kernel command line ?

Yes, e.g. root=/dev/xvdb3  (4th attached vbd, 3rd partition).

See xenolinux-2.4.22/init/do_mounts.c for the grim way that Linux
selects boot devices.

> 3.) Does the number of the created vbd coresspond to the name of
>      the block device during boot time of domains > 0,  such that, if
>      the vbd number is 1 then the device name is /dev/xvda1 (according
>      to the README.CD file) ?
>      At least in domain 0  I could not find such a device entry before
>      or after creating the vbd in domain 0 ?

The numbering is per domain, i.e. it is controlled by the -vX
parameter to "xenctl vbd create". You can connect a virtual disk
(vd) as the first vbd in one domain (/dev/xvda) and
simultaneously as e.g. the 3rd vbd in another domain
(/dev/xvdc). The optional number suffixed to a disk is a PC
partition number if present.  If you don't put a partition table
on a virtual disk, Linux is pretty good at guessing that you mean
the whole device.

Hope this helps.

Ian


-------------------------------------------------------
This SF.net email is sponsored by: SF.net Giveback Program.
SourceForge.net hosts over 70,000 Open Source Projects.
See the people who have HELPED US provide better services:
Click here: http://sourceforge.net/supporters.php
_______________________________________________
Xen-devel mailing list
Xen-devel@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/xen-devel