4 Creating A Second VM
If you want to create a second VM (vm2), here's a short summary of the commands:
mkdir -p /vm/vm2/mytemplates/libvirt
cp /etc/vmbuilder/libvirt/* /vm/vm2/mytemplates/libvirt/
vi /vm/vm2/vmbuilder.partition
vi /vm/vm2/boot.sh
cd /vm/vm2/
vmbuilder kvm ubuntu --suite=lucid --flavour=virtual --arch=amd64 --mirror=http://de.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu -o --libvirt=qemu:///system --ip=192.168.0.102 --gw=192.168.0.1 --part=vmbuilder.partition --templates=mytemplates --user=administrator --name=Administrator --pass=howtoforge --addpkg=vim-nox --addpkg=unattended-upgrades --addpkg=acpid --firstboot=/vm/vm2/boot.sh --mem=256 --hostname=vm2 --bridge=br0
(Please note that you don't have to create a new directory for the VM (~/vm2) if you pass the -d DESTDIR argument to the vmbuilder command - it allows you to create a VM in a directory where you've already created another VM. In that case you don't have to create new vmbuilder.partition and boot.sh files and don't have to modify the template, but can simply use the existing files:
cd /vm/vm1/
vmbuilder kvm ubuntu --suite=lucid --flavour=virtual --arch=amd64 --mirror=http://de.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu -o --libvirt=qemu:///system --ip=192.168.0.102 --gw=192.168.0.1 --part=vmbuilder.partition --templates=mytemplates --user=administrator --name=Administrator --pass=howtoforge --addpkg=vim-nox --addpkg=unattended-upgrades --addpkg=acpid --firstboot=/vm/vm1/boot.sh --mem=256 --hostname=vm2 --bridge=br0 -d vm2-kvm
)
5 Managing A VM
VMs can be managed through virsh, the "virtual shell". To connect to the virtual shell, run
virsh --connect qemu:///system
This is how the virtual shell looks:
root@server1:~/vm2# virsh --connect qemu:///system
Connecting to uri: qemu:///system
Welcome to virsh, the virtualization interactive terminal.
Type: 'help' for help with commands
'quit' to quit
virsh #
You can now type in commands on the virtual shell to manage your VMs. Run
help
to get a list of available commands:
virsh # help
Commands:
help print help
attach-device attach device from an XML file
attach-disk attach disk device
attach-interface attach network interface
autostart autostart a domain
capabilities capabilities
cd change the current directory
connect (re)connect to hypervisor
console connect to the guest console
cpu-baseline compute baseline CPU
cpu-compare compare host CPU with a CPU described by an XML file
create create a domain from an XML file
start start a (previously defined) inactive domain
destroy destroy a domain
detach-device detach device from an XML file
detach-disk detach disk device
detach-interface detach network interface
define define (but don't start) a domain from an XML file
domid convert a domain name or UUID to domain id
domuuid convert a domain name or id to domain UUID
dominfo domain information
domjobinfo domain job information
domjobabort abort active domain job
domname convert a domain id or UUID to domain name
domstate domain state
domblkstat get device block stats for a domain
domifstat get network interface stats for a domain
dommemstat get memory statistics for a domain
domblkinfo domain block device size information
domxml-from-native Convert native config to domain XML
domxml-to-native Convert domain XML to native config
dumpxml domain information in XML
edit edit XML configuration for a domain
find-storage-pool-sources discover potential storage pool sources
find-storage-pool-sources-as find potential storage pool sources
freecell NUMA free memory
hostname print the hypervisor hostname
list list domains
migrate migrate domain to another host
migrate-setmaxdowntime set maximum tolerable downtime
net-autostart autostart a network
net-create create a network from an XML file
net-define define (but don't start) a network from an XML file
net-destroy destroy a network
net-dumpxml network information in XML
net-edit edit XML configuration for a network
net-list list networks
net-name convert a network UUID to network name
net-start start a (previously defined) inactive network
net-undefine undefine an inactive network
net-uuid convert a network name to network UUID
iface-list list physical host interfaces
iface-name convert an interface MAC address to interface name
iface-mac convert an interface name to interface MAC address
iface-dumpxml interface information in XML
iface-define define (but don't start) a physical host interface from an XML file
iface-undefine undefine a physical host interface (remove it from configuration)
iface-edit edit XML configuration for a physical host interface
iface-start start a physical host interface (enable it / "if-up")
iface-destroy destroy a physical host interface (disable it / "if-down")
managedsave managed save of a domain state
managedsave-remove Remove managed save of a domain
nodeinfo node information
nodedev-list enumerate devices on this host
nodedev-dumpxml node device details in XML
nodedev-dettach dettach node device from its device driver
nodedev-reattach reattach node device to its device driver
nodedev-reset reset node device
nodedev-create create a device defined by an XML file on the node
nodedev-destroy destroy a device on the node
nwfilter-define define or update a network filter from an XML file
nwfilter-undefine undefine a network filter
nwfilter-dumpxml network filter information in XML
nwfilter-list list network filters
nwfilter-edit edit XML configuration for a network filter
pool-autostart autostart a pool
pool-build build a pool
pool-create create a pool from an XML file
pool-create-as create a pool from a set of args
pool-define define (but don't start) a pool from an XML file
pool-define-as define a pool from a set of args
pool-destroy destroy a pool
pool-delete delete a pool
pool-dumpxml pool information in XML
pool-edit edit XML configuration for a storage pool
pool-info storage pool information
pool-list list pools
pool-name convert a pool UUID to pool name
pool-refresh refresh a pool
pool-start start a (previously defined) inactive pool
pool-undefine undefine an inactive pool
pool-uuid convert a pool name to pool UUID
secret-define define or modify a secret from an XML file
secret-dumpxml secret attributes in XML
secret-set-value set a secret value
secret-get-value Output a secret value
secret-undefine undefine a secret
secret-list list secrets
pwd print the current directory
quit quit this interactive terminal
exit quit this interactive terminal
reboot reboot a domain
restore restore a domain from a saved state in a file
resume resume a domain
save save a domain state to a file
schedinfo show/set scheduler parameters
dump dump the core of a domain to a file for analysis
shutdown gracefully shutdown a domain
setmem change memory allocation
setmaxmem change maximum memory limit
setvcpus change number of virtual CPUs
suspend suspend a domain
ttyconsole tty console
undefine undefine an inactive domain
update-device update device from an XML file
uri print the hypervisor canonical URI
vol-create create a vol from an XML file
vol-create-from create a vol, using another volume as input
vol-create-as create a volume from a set of args
vol-clone clone a volume.
vol-delete delete a vol
vol-wipe wipe a vol
vol-dumpxml vol information in XML
vol-info storage vol information
vol-list list vols
vol-pool returns the storage pool for a given volume key or path
vol-path returns the volume path for a given volume name or key
vol-name returns the volume name for a given volume key or path
vol-key returns the volume key for a given volume name or path
vcpuinfo domain vcpu information
vcpupin control domain vcpu affinity
version show version
vncdisplay vnc display
snapshot-create Create a snapshot
snapshot-current Get the current snapshot
snapshot-delete Delete a domain snapshot
snapshot-dumpxml Dump XML for a domain snapshot
snapshot-list List snapshots for a domain
snapshot-revert Revert a domain to a snapshot
virsh #
list
shows all running VMs;
list --all
shows all VMs, running and inactive:
virsh # list --all
Id Name State
----------------------------------
- vm1 shut off
- vm2 shut off
virsh #
Before you start a new VM for the first time, you must define it from its xml file (located in the /etc/libvirt/qemu/ directory):
define /etc/libvirt/qemu/vm1.xml
Please note that whenever you modify the VM's xml file in /etc/libvirt/qemu/, you must run the define command again!
Now you can start the VM:
start vm1
After a few moments, you should be able to connect to the VM with an SSH client such as PuTTY; log in with the default username and password. After the first login you will be prompted to change the password.
list
should now show the VM as running:
virsh # list
Id Name State
----------------------------------
1 vm1 running
virsh #
To stop a VM, run
shutdown vm1
To immediately stop it (i.e., pull the power plug), run
destroy vm1
Suspend a VM:
suspend vm1
Resume a VM:
resume vm1
These are the most important commands.
Type
quit
to leave the virtual shell.
Virtualization With KVM On Ubuntu 10.10 - Page 2