Windows Server 2003 on Ubuntu 8.10 + LVM + KVM

[gezley]

Hi,
I followed Falko's guide to setting up Ubuntu 8.10 with LVM and KVM, but as it's for Linux VMs I'm not sure how to go about creating a Windows 2003 VM.
Is it possible to use LVM with Windows VMs as well as Linux VMs, or is LVM just for Linux VMs? I take it I need to use virt-install instead of vmbuilder if so?
For Windows do I need to create an image first and then convert it to LVM with qemu-image?
And finally, which tool do I use to manage the VM once created?
Thank you.

[Miguel]

Well gzeley,

Here is an example to install another OS than ubuntu with bridged networking:

sudo virt-install --connect qemu:///system --hvm -n xpsp2 -r 512 -f windows.qcow2 -s 12 -c windowsxpsp2.iso --vnc --noautoconsole --os-type windows --os-variant winxp -network=bridge:br0

--hvm: type of hypervisor (is used for KVM/Qemu)
-n xpsp2 ==>virtual machine name
-r 512 ==> amount of memory
-f windows.qcow2 ==> virtual hard disk name and type
-c name of the cdrom (image)
-network=bridge ==> type of network, br0 ==> bridge name

sudo virt-install --connect qemu:///system -n xpsp2 -r 512 -f /vm/vmwin/windows.qcow2 -s 12 -c /vm/iso/windowsxpsp2.iso --vnc --noautoconsole --os-type windows --os-variant winxp -network=bridge

For example will install the vm in /vm/vmwin and will connect the (virtual) cdrom drive to the /vm/iso/windowsxpssp2.iso.

Take into account that you need the vm manager or another type of console to continue the install of windows graphically.

Local machine: virt-viewer -c qemu:///system xpsp2
Remote machine: virt-viewer -c qemu+ssh://ip/system xpsp2

In the graphical system you need to set the ip for the host. Afterwards edit / review the created /etc/libvirt/qemu/createdhost.xml to check if the network settings are correct for the network type (bridged).

see https://help.ubuntu.com/community/KVM/ for additional information.

Have fun setting it up.

[gezley]

Well gzeley,

Here is an example to install another OS than ubuntu with bridged networking:

sudo virt-install --connect qemu:///system --hvm -n xpsp2 -r 512 -f windows.qcow2 -s 12 -c windowsxpsp2.iso --vnc --noautoconsole --os-type windows --os-variant winxp -network=bridge:br0

That's very helpful.

sudo virt-install --connect qemu:///system -n xpsp2 -r 512 -f /vm/vmwin/windows.qcow2 -s 12 -c /vm/iso/windowsxpsp2.iso --vnc --noautoconsole --os-type windows --os-variant winxp -network=bridge

For example will install the vm in /vm/vmwin and will connect the (virtual) cdrom drive to the /vm/iso/windowsxpssp2.iso.

One thing that I can't get my head around is how a Windows VM disk image is written to disk. Falko says to use LVM for disk-intensive KVM Virtual Machines: does this apply to a Windows guest as well? If so, do I need to convert the image using the qemu converter?

And can a Windows disk image be written to the disk as a raw block device? I presume this would be the fastest of all solutions.

[Miguel]

Take a look at this, might be of help.

http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1026006

http://www.howtoforge.com/forums/sho...d.php?p=164751

I haven't tried lvm myself since the vm's I use are not file intense services like for example a win2k3 file server.

[qiubosu]

hi there,

does anyone know whether it is available to install windows server 2003 onto the sun virtual box installed in the ubuntu desktop? if yes, how? i tried this on sun virtual box installed in the ubuntu desktop, but the windows server 2003 can't be started when in the cd rom. does anyone know why?

[Nakarti]

The Windows install line is useful, but like all the ones I have been searching for, does not answer the question:
How do you get KVM to *work* with Windows (XP or 2003) as a guest ON LVM DISK NOT IMAGE DISK.

Xen is able to do this so easily, why can't KVM?