RE: [Xen-users] Making system templates

["David Morris" <dmorris@xxxxxxxxxx>]

For linux templates (W/pvm), I use tar+gzip/bzip to preserve the
contents of the drive. The script that provisions new VMs creates a new
drive using lvm and untars the desired initialization contents. Size is
determined before the untar operation so as long as the new lv is at
least as large as the original volume, no problem. In this case the lv
is a partition, not a drive so lvresize will work fine. No partition
tables either. The LV just mounts on the Dom0 for setup.

-----Original Message-----
From: Jeff Williams [mailto:jeffw@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx] 
Sent: Monday, June 08, 2009 7:38 AM
To: xen-users@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [Xen-users] Making system templates

Hi,

I am wanting to set up a bunch of system templates for my Xen servers,
to save me from running some standard package installs and
configuration. I can see 4 alternatives, but all seem to have issues and
I'm wondering what works in practice:

1) LVM snapshot

Problem with this is that I don't see any way to change the disk size of
the new disk ever. Fast though.

2) New device and block level copy (dd)

Seems to work fine, but the disk needs to be repartitioned and
filesystem resized for bigger disks on the new guest. Takes a while.

3) New device and file level copy (cpio)

Can completely change the partition scheme and filesystem. Complex to do
from dom0. Slow.

4) virt-clone?

I couldn't get this to work at all. Either the domU was running and I 
got "ERROR    Domain status must be SHUTOFF" or the domU was shutdown 
and I got "ERROR    Domain test is not found".

Regards,
Jeff

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