[Xen-users] Problem using Tivoli Provisioning Manager for OS deployment on XEN VMs

[Marc Vuilleumier Stueckelberg <VUI@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Hello,

We are currently testing the compatibility
of our software with XEN guests and seem to have hit a limitation of the
virtualization kernel of XEN.

In order to orchestrate the automated
provisioning operations, our software uses a small proprietary protected-mode
kernel that takes control at every boot to dispatch between the various
actions to perform during an OS install. Our code uses task gates for task
switching, and in particular call to task gates. In response to a call
to a task gate, the CPU is supposed to setup the back link of the target
task to point to the calling task, and whenever an IRET is hit with the
NT flag set, the CPU should return back to the previous task. I know this
is not the method used for task switching in mainstream OSes, but it is
nevertheless supposed to work according to the specs. VMWare and Hyper-V
handle that properly, and more recently KVM supports that as well.

Is there already a patch available to
apply to XEN to fix this issue ?

Marc
_________________________
Marc Vuilleumier Stückelberg
Tivoli OS Provisioning
IBM Software Group
vui@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
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