Xen, the open source virtualization tool, is a system administrator's dream. Xen is a free, high-performance virtual machine monitor that lets you consolidate your hardware and finally put those unused cycles to use—without sacrificing reliability, performance, or scalability.
The Book of Xen explains everything you need to know in order to use Xen effectively, including installation, networking, memory management, and virtualized storage. You'll also learn how to use Xen and standard Linux tools to take snapshot backups, perform QoS operations on network traffic, and limit over-aggressive disk users.
Authors Chris Takemura and Luke S. Crawford show you how to:
Provide virtual hosting for dozens of users, each with their own individual needs
Install and manage multiple guests, including various flavors of Linux, NetBSD, Solaris, and Windows
Choose the right virtual storage options for your needs
Migrate your systems seamlessly and create new images
Tune and benchmark your systems to make them as fast as possible
Troubleshoot Xen's most common problems like network and memory management
Expert advice is priceless when it comes to running a complicated open source virtualization technology like Xen. You'll get the advice you need in The Book of Xen.
Chapter 1 XEN: A HIGH-LEVEL OVERVIEW
Virtualization Principles
Virtualization Techniques: Full Virtualization
Virtualization Techniques: OS Virtualization
Paravirtualization: Xen's Approach
Xen's Underpinnings: The Gory Details
Putting It Together
Chapter 2 GETTING STARTED
Hardware Compatibility
Installing CentOS
Getting Familiar with Your Xen System
Making a DomU
Configuring the DomU
You're Finished. Have a Cookie.
Chapter 3 PROVISIONING DOMUS
A Basic DomU Configuration
Selecting a Kernel
Quick-and-Dirty Install via tar
Using the Package Management System with an Alternate Root
QEMU Install
virt-install—Red Hat's One-Step DomU Installer
Converting VMware Disk Images
Mass Deployment
And Then…
Chapter 4 STORAGE WITH XEN
Storage: The Basics
Varying Types of Storage
Basic Setup: Files
Enlarge Your Disk
Copy-on-Write and Snapshots
LVM and Snapshots
Storage and Migration
Closing Suggestions
Chapter 5 NETWORKING
Xen's Network Setup Process
Defining Virtual Interfaces
Manipulating vifs with xm
Securing Xen's Virtual Network
Networking with network-route
Networking with network-bridge
Networking with network-nat
Configuration Variables
Custom Network Scripts
Further Thoughts
Chapter 6 DOMU MANAGEMENT: TOOLS AND FRONTENDS
Tools for the VM Provider
Administering the Virtualized Data Center
Administration for the VM Customer
Chapter 7 HOSTING UNTRUSTED USERS UNDER XEN: LESSONS FROM THE TRENCHES
Advantages for the Users
Shared Resources and Protecting Them from the Users
Storage in a Shared Hosting Environment
Remote Access to the DomU
PyGRUB, a Bootloader for DomUs
Wrap-Up
Chapter 8 BEYOND LINUX: USING XEN WITH OTHER UNIX-LIKE OSS
Solaris
NetBSD
Beyond Paravirtualization: HVM
Chapter 9 XEN MIGRATION
Migration for Troglodytes
Migration with xm save and xm restore
Cold Migration
Live Migration
Migrating Storage
Quo Peregrinatur Grex
Chapter 10 PROFILING AND BENCHMARKING UNDER XEN
A Benchmarking Overview
Application Benchmarks
Profiling with Xen
Conclusion
Chapter 11 CITRIX XENSERVER: XEN FOR THE ENTERPRISE
Chris Takemura is a recent graduate, occasional Xen consultant, and itinerant writer. He is currently working on a Xen hosting venture at prgmr.com and biking about the Bay Area.
Luke S. Crawford has been working with virtualization since before it was cool, selling virtual servers based on FreeBSD jails before diving headfirst into Xen. He is currently a Xen consultant, working on corporate server consolidation in a Fortune 100 corporate environment and works on a Xen hosting venture at prgmr.com.