Linux Virtualization standards on Proliant Servers

[Shibin_2]

Hi All,

I am not sure, whether this posting is in right forum or not.  However, I couldn't find correct information anywhere.

What are the standard recommendations available for Virtualization Technology (VT) for the Operating System Redhat Linux Enterprise ( version 4 and above ) running in HP Proliant Servers ( all series )?

Appreciate your response.

[Modris Bremze]

Not sure if there is a specific recommendation for RHEL or any other distro for that matter regarding VT. I guess if you plan to run any kind of virtualization workload on the server, then you should enable it. Otherwise it will probably not make any difference.

[Abhishek Bangalore]

Hello Shibin,

There are no basic requirement for the virtualization for any OS ... the hardware should support VT rest most of the server OS are compatible to VT 

Regards

Abhishek 

 

[Ken Green]

RHEL5 provides XEN, this should allow virtualisation on all Proliant systems using "Para Virtualization" and where the processor includes the virtualisation extentions (Intel VT or AMD Pacifica) is allows full virtualization. I think these virtualisation extentions in the processor are available from the G5 boxes onwards.

If you want to run VMs running RHEL using para-virtualisation then the setup is really simple. They provide a GUI from the standard desktop. Other OSs will need a little more setup for para-virtualisation.

For the full virtualisation, then just having access to the ISO file of the OS's DVD makes the install really easy.

RHEL6 uses KVM, this requires the chip extentions.

[Shibin_2 · Accepted solution]

Hi All,

This is what I found from some docs, which believed to be from Redhat.

Xen para-virtualization requirements
Para-virtualized guests require a Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5 installation tree available over the
network using the NFS, FTP or HTTP protocols.
Xen full virtualization requirements
Full virtualization with the Xen Hypervisor requires:
• an Intel processor with the Intel VT extensions,
• an AMD processor with the AMD-V extensions, or
• an Intel Itanium processor.
Refer to Section 28.6, “Verifying virtualization extensions” to determine if your processor has the
virtualization extensions.
KVM requirements
The KVM hypervisor requires:
• an Intel processor with the Intel VT and the Intel 64 extensions, or
• an AMD processor with the AMD-V and the AMD64 extensions.

Document available here look for page 3.   What I can understand from this, Virtualization is possible without Intel-VT or AMD-V extensions.  Those will consider as Para Virtualized guests and need Redhat kernel-xen package or PAE enabled kernel. ( Refer the same document at page 287 ).

If you install OS on hardware that support VT extensions and if we enable it in bios, we can fully utilize the virtualization otherwise, it will be para-virtualized ( if using recommended kernels ). 

Correct me, if I am wrong.

[Shibin_2]

One more doubt I have to clear.

Is there any benefit of enabling vt on a system that does not run any kvm or xen?  In other words, if ur hw is supporting vt, would enabling it provide any gain to the os or db or any other apps ?