Help me setting up virtual environment

[dipeshmehta]

Hello All,

I am running two different linux servers on two sets of hardware. Both of them, usually do not utilise the server resources more than 10%. So I am planning to use virtulisation and putting both on one set of hardware. Details are as under:

1. Hardware: HP ML110 G4 Server running on Intel Xeon 3040 CPU with 1 GB RAM.
2. I want to run Ubuntu 8.04 Server and Untangle 6.2

Please help me doing this.

I searched for howtos and stuffs regarding doing this, but all I found are related to desktop OS.

Moreover, I would like to go for opensource solutions only.

I am newbie in virtulisation, but not in linux world.

Thanks in advance.

Dipesh

[falko]

You could use KVM or Xen.

[dipeshmehta]

Hello,

After studying for various virtulisation options, I come to preference over KVM. Now, I have couple of questions in my mind:

1. I have been using Ubuntu 8.04 Server, but could not find any howto for this version. May I go ahead with http://www.howtoforge.com/virtualiza...on-ubuntu-8.10 ?

2. Is it possible to install KVM on already running Ubuntu 8.04 Server, and another OS as guest? i.e. my ubuntu server will work as server as it does now, plus will be as host for KVM to allow more OS to run as guest. and server + all guest OS shall work simulteneously.

Shall wait for reply, I would be setting up all these stuffs this sunday.

Dipesh

[falko]

Originally Posted by dipeshmehta

1. I have been using Ubuntu 8.04 Server, but could not find any howto for this version. May I go ahead with http://www.howtoforge.com/virtualiza...on-ubuntu-8.10 ?

I haven't treid this on 8.04, but it shouldn't be much different.

Originally Posted by dipeshmehta

2. Is it possible to install KVM on already running Ubuntu 8.04 Server, and another OS as guest?

Yes.

[dipeshmehta]

Thanks Falko,

Moreover, I would like to know how to create guest using its live cd.

Dipesh

[falko]

http://www.howtoforge.com/installing...tu-8.10-server

[dipeshmehta]

Hello Falko,

I am getting you but now things are messed into my mind. I again describe what I want to do and what is in my mind:

I want to run a couple of linux servers and an instance of windows 2003 server on a virtulised server. I would like to do this using Ubuntu 8.04 server as host for KVM. I would set it up as guided into http://www.howtoforge.com/virtualiza...on-ubuntu-8.10. but as I want to have guest OS other than ubuntu, I would prefer setting up guests as guided into http://www.howtoforge.com/installing...tu-8.10-server and management for those guest as per http://www.howtoforge.com/kvm-guest-...on-ubuntu-8.10

Now, please tell me, upto this point, am I going on the right way or need to change anything?

Further, as required to run virt-manager and virt-viewer, there should be ubuntu-desktop running either at any network PC or server running KVM host itself. There is no PC with ubuntu desktop in my network, so I would need it on server itself as guest. My question comes here, how do I setup and run ubuntu desktop on the host server to complete the installation of other guest OSs?

Sorry for the lengthy post, but I am fairly new to virtual environments and without having few queries cleared, I do not want to move further.

Please reply with as much details possible, I have read lots of stuffs but nothing was as clear as your howtos.

Thanks in advance.

Dipesh
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Edit:
Last night, I tried to setup virtual environment for the first time. I setup ubuntu 8.10 desktop as host and installed KVM over it.

With virt-manager I successfully setup ubuntu server 8.04 as guest, and it works fine. But when tried to install windows server 2003, after prelim text based setup, when it needs to go to graphical setup (continuing setup after system restart), it can not continue. I get a screen with some text like VGA BIOS Driver, QEMU etc, but at very fast it goes and I get 'Guest not running', (i.e. it is not at all possible to read what that screen contains, it switches so fast)

Please help in the matter.

Dipesh

[dipeshmehta]

Hello,

After few tries, I then moved to vmware esxi platform. its free (but I think - not open source), and easy to manage. I can not say about its performance since I just set it up. I would give a trial run for few days, until then I would like to know more and troubleshoot kvm from where I left.

Thanks anyway for continued support all the time.

Dipesh

[darvesh88]

It would be way easier to run VboxHeadless virtualbox on a server and use Remote Desktop to manage virtual machines. They're are tutorials on how to set this up on howtoforge just search. Also you stated your physical server has 1GB ram. I wouldn't advise running 3 VM's in 1GB ram. Server 2003 runs all right under 512 ram, and you have two other linux vm's minimum of 256 mb each, so 512 windows vm1, 256 linux vm2, 256 linux vm3. What's left for your host os? Having only 1GB of ram, your virtualized setup won't run at optimal condition or be that stable.

Good luck

[edenCC]

I'm also using esxi, it's really much powerful!