Re: [Xen-users] Making system templates

[Jeff Williams <jeffw@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

On 09/06/09 12:04, Fajar A. Nugraha wrote:
> On Tue, Jun 9, 2009 at 7:08 AM, Jeff Williams<jeffw@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
>   
> > So to confirm, rather than making /dev/xenvg/domudisk and doing:
> >
> > disk = ['phy:/dev/xenvg/domudisk,xvda,w']
> >
> > and partitioning /dev/xenvg/domudisk in the guest, you'd make (for example):
> >
> > /dev/xenvg/domudisk-root
> > /dev/xenvg/domudisk-home
> > /dev/xenvg/domudisk-swap
> >
> > and configure it like:
> >
> > disk = [
> >   'phy:/dev/xenvg/domudisk-root,xvda1,w',
> >   'phy:/dev/xenvg/domudisk-home,xvda2,w',
> >   'phy:/dev/xenvg/domudisk-swap,xvda3,w'
> > ]
> >
> > Is that right?
> >     
> That's what I do with templates-based installation.
>
>   
> > The idea had crossed my mind, but all the tools seemed to
> > want to do it the other way.
> >     
> For some tools (like virt-manager), yes. Other tools (like eucalyptus)
> seems to use tar.gz. images.
> Personally I don't use provisioning tools, but rather doing it all
> manually (lvcreate, mkfs, tar xfvz, etc.).
>
>   
Interesting. So what I have so far is:

- no-one seems to use lvm snap shot for provisioning as I guess it is 
too inflexible.
- no-one seems to use dd either
- no-one seems to use virt-clone either
- most people seem to do one of:

1) Create the disks and file systems and do a file level copy of the 
template (tar seems to be preferred over cpio)
2) Use some sort of bootstrap procedure to do a network install of the 
OS, followed optionally by a start -up script which installs and 
configures required packages.
Also interesting was that a few people are doing "partitioning" at the 
Dom0/LVM level with a separate LV per partition and passing those 
partitions through to the DomU rather than passing an LV as a disk and 
partitioning at the DomU level.
Thanks for all the input. At this point I'll be using templates with a 
file level copy and a separate LV per partition to make resize easier.
Regards,
Jeff

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