Re: [Xen-users] Can't install Windows 2003 on SLES10SP1

[Alexander Hoßdorf <xen-users@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

I'm not an expert in this, too.
There are a few different methods how to use your hvm disks.
You could specify tap:vmdk for vmware format for example.
And this isn't readable for normal partitioning programms, too.
You have to cut this down first.

cfdisk or other tools can't difference.
This is why you have to mount a file made with dd by losetup.
So that it seems to be a physical device to this tools.


Cheers,

Alex



Dustin Henning schrieb:
>         I really don't know.  I don't use file-based disks at all, so it was
> just a thought.  Additionally, I am not familiar with cfdisk.  However, I
> don't understand how cfdisk or kpartx (another tool I am unfamiliar with)
> could differentiate between sparse and solid files, as I would expect the
> underlying file system to deal with that.
>         Dustin
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: xen-users-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> [mailto:xen-users-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Alexander
> Hoßdorf
> Sent: Tuesday, July 15, 2008 16:05
> To: Dustin.Henning@xxxxxxxxxxx
> Cc: xen-users@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> Subject: Re: [Xen-users] Can't install Windows 2003 on SLES10SP1
>
> Hi Dustin,
>
> I don't think this is possible.
> You can't even read a hvm guests sparse disk file using tap:aio, with 
> cfdisk when it's ext3 formatted.
> Or am I wrong?
>
> Cheers,
>
> Alex
>
>
> Dustin Henning schrieb:
>   
> >         Even if you couldn't create a sparse file formatted with ntfs
> > directly from dd (which doesn't sound plausible), couldn't you create the
> > sparse file, partition it, and then format the appropriate partition with
> > mkfs.ntfs (after making the file accessible in /dev with whatever tools
> >     
> are
>   
> > necessary on a given distro)?  This still might not cut it, though,
> >     
> because
>   
> > Server2003 might be as picky about the formatting as XP SP1+ (prior to XP
> > SP1 or SP2, I always used 8-64K clusters on my Windows partition, after
> > that, I had to use the default ntfs format [512 byte clusters?] or Windows
> > couldn't boot).
> >         Dustin
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: xen-users-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> > [mailto:xen-users-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Alexander
> > Hoßdorf
> > Sent: Tuesday, July 15, 2008 07:26
> > To: James Pifer; xen-users@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> > Subject: Re: [Xen-users] Can't install Windows 2003 on SLES10SP1
> >
> > James Pifer schrieb:
> >   
> >     
> > > >         
> > > >         
> > > >         By the way, don't use sparse files if you don't have to.
> > > >     
> > > >       
> > > >         
> > > Why not use sparse files?
> > >
> > >   
> > >     
> > >       
> > > >         
> > > >
> > > > Looked like SLES 10 SP1 as the dom0 OS, and the version of Xen there
> > > > would be 3.1 I believe (or maybe a 3.0.x variant). SLES 10 SP2 has Xen
> > > > 3.2.
> > > >  
> > > >     
> > > >       
> > > >         
> > > Yes, SLES 10 SP1. xen version is actually 3.0.4.
> > >
> > >   
> > >     
> > >       
> > > > The format should complete and then the initial file copy for Windows
> > > > begin (enough to set up the actual graphical part of the Windows
> > > > installation). Are you saying you consistently don't get this initial
> > > > file copy to occur? Is it an unexpected reboot of domU, or are you
> > > > prompted to do it? 
> > > >
> > > >     
> > > >       
> > > >         
> > > Correct, at the point it should start copying files the domU reboots, by
> > > itself. 
> > >
> > >   
> > >     
> > >       
> > > > In addition to not using sparse files (again shouldn't really affect
> > > > things too much) I'd also suggest setting dom0 memory to a low value.
> > > > What's the overall RAM in the system? setting dom0 down to 512M should
> > > > be fine: xm mem-set domain0 512 for example...
> > > >
> > > >     
> > > >       
> > > >         
> > > I do have memory restricted for dom0 on my production servers, which
> > > have anywhere from 8 to 16 gig of RAM. I have not limited on this
> > > machine yet, which has 4 gig of ram. 
> > >
> > > I have also tried using an ISO for the install instead of the CD and it
> > > does the exact same thing. 
> > >
> > > I could install SP2 and see if that makes a difference. Anyone know the
> > > commands to create a sparse file pre-formatted to ntfs using dd? Time to
> > > google I guess. 
> > >
> > > Thanks,
> > > James
> > >
> > >
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> > >
> > >   
> > >     
> > >       
> > #I could install SP2 and see if that makes a difference. Anyone know the
> > #commands to create a sparse file pre-formatted to ntfs using dd? Time to
> > #google I guess.
> >
> >
> > Hi James,
> >
> > I don't think it's possible to format a sparse file natively with ntfs 
> > under linux.
> > But maybe I'm wrong.
> >
> > But if you think this helps,
> > I can send you a ntfs fomatted sparse file.
> > Just let me know the size.
> >
> >
> >
> > Regards,
> >
> > Alex
> >
> >
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