[Xen-users] Convert "full virtual" xenU to "paravirtual"

[James Drenter <jdrenter@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

I'm stuck in a position where I need to be able to convert (in situ) a fully 
virtualized xenU to a paravirtualized xenU.  I've seen this discussed a few 
times in a few places, but I've never seen a good discussion of it actually 
being done.  It always seems like some workaround is put into place.  My 
options are extremely limited so that isn't really feasible for me.

Here's the situation:
I have a single RHEL5 system (64-bit) with plenty of memory and hard drive 
space with Xen 3.0.3 installed.  While I have root access and can reboot this 
system, I do not have access to the system console (it sits in an inaccessible 
data center).

On this system, I need to host 4 paravirtualized xenU's running 64-bit RHEL 4 & 
5.  Still all well and good.

Now it starts to get tricky:  I need to install these systems from prepared ISO 
images.  There does not seem to be any way to directly install a 
paravirtualized domain from ISOs, only a fully virtualized domain (HVM).  I've 
been able to install HVM domUs, but now performance is an issue and I'd really 
like to convert them to paravirtualized domUs.  I can't seem to make it work.

I've got the xenU kernel in place and changed the original /etc/xen/vm.cfg file 
from:
name = "vm1"
builder = "hvm"
memory = "1000"
disk = [ 'phy:/dev/VolGroupVMa/LogVol03,hda,w', ]
vif = [ 'type=ioemu, mac=00:16:3e:1a:19:29, bridge=xenbr0', ]
uuid = "7c3cc0d6-9135-714e-df58-d85e16136d29"
device_model = "/usr/lib64/xen/bin/qemu-dm"
kernel = "/usr/lib/xen/boot/hvmloader"
vnc=1
vncunused=1
apic=1
acpi=1
pae=1
vcpus=2
serial = "pty" # enable serial console
on_reboot   = 'restart'
on_crash    = 'restart'

To:
name = "vm1"
memory = "1000"
disk = [ 'phy:/dev/VolGroupVMa/LogVol03,hda,w', ]
vif = [ 'type=ioemu, mac=00:16:3e:1a:19:29, bridge=xenbr0', ]
uuid = "33983d8f-5235-155f-719c-0a0ca299a7a7"
bootloader = "/usr/bin/pygrub"
root = "/dev/hda1 rw"
vnc=1
vncunused=1
vcpus=2
on_reboot   = 'restart'
on_crash    = 'restart'

Everytime I try to start the xenU domain (xm create vm1), it looks like it is 
going to work, then dies after a couple of seconds.  The output is not very 
helpful:
Using config file "./vm4".
Going to boot Red Hat Enterprise Linux AS (2.6.9-55.ELxenU)
kernel: /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.9-55.ELxenU
initrd: /boot/initrd-2.6.9-55.ELxenU.img
Started domain vm4
xen_start_info @ffffffff80818000
shared @m0000275000 @ffffffff80107000=@ffffffffff5fd000 [0x802]
xen_start_info: @ffffffff80818000
cr3 0000000000101000 pml4p ffffffff80101ff8
pml4e 0000000000103067 (real 000000012a711067) pgdp ffffff8000103ff0
pgde 0000000000105067 (real 000000012a667067) pmdp ffffff8000105020
pmde 0000000000822067 (real 000000012a9ca067) ptep ffffff80008220c0
pte 0010000000818027 (real 001000012a9d4027)
xen_shared_info: @ffffffffff5fd000
cr3 0000000000101000 pml4p ffffffff80101ff8
pml4e 0000000000103067 (real 000000012a711067) pgdp ffffff8000103ff8
pgde 0000000000000000 is none
PAGE_OFFSET+1.2: @ffffff8000001000
cr3 0000000000101000 pml4p ffffffff80101ff8
pml4e 0000000000103067 (real 000000012a711067) pgdp ffffff8000103000
pgde 0000000000824067 (real 000000012a9c8067) pmdp ffffff8000824000
pmde 0000000000825067 (real 000000012a9c7067) ptep ffffff8000825008
pte 0000000000001167 (real 000000012a643167)
rtc: IRQ 8 is not free.
i8042.c: No controller found.
Kernel panic - not syncing: Attempted to kill init!

That's it, it stops there.

My experience with XEN is limited, so I know I might be doing something 
completely wrong.  Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Regards,
James


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