Topic: Using Xen Virtualization with SME 7.3 or SME 8 as dom0 (Host)

[sonoracomm]

Hi All,

I have several installations using VMware running on a SME 7 host in order to run Windows 2003 Server as a guest.  I generally do this in order to provide Terminal Services or SQL Server to the clients.  It all works better than you would think when installed on server class hardware.

http://www.sonoracomm.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=116

Testing and experience have taught me that for best performance, it is best to run primary services in the host OS (or dom0 using Xen).  Limited testing and experience have also taught me that Xen with paravirtualized guests offers better performance than VMware Server or VMware Workstation.  I feel the addition of Asterisk with SAIL/SARK makes this even more important.

I recently read that the new VMware Server 2.0 will not include the native Linux VMware Server Console I have successfully used in the past.  This is a problem for me as I don't use Windows on my own workstations.

Here is my request for comment:

Is there an easily supported way to use SME 7/8 as a Xen dom0?

Are there any instructions for doing so?

Will anything change with SME 8?

Thanks for your comments,

G

[SoftDux]

I'd also like to install Xen on SME in order to run other OS' on it, so if you have any working solution on this, please post it

[guest22]

Way in the past, I've been playing with Xen and SME as Host and guest. Please search the wiki for those limited notes/remarks.

Are you sure that from within a guest you can use E/T1 stuck in th host? (PCI, interrupts etc)

guest

[sonoracomm]

Hi again,

Perhaps I was unclear.  I would like to use the SME Server as the Xen host (dom0).

SAIL/Asterisk would also run in dom0.

I would most likely use Windows Server 2003 Std. Edition as a guest (domX) in order to provide certain services such as Terminal Services or SQL Server databases.

I have quite a few similar VMware installations that I support, but I just wanted to see if Xen was an option.

Thanks all for you comments,

G

p.s.  yes, I believe a Xen guest would be able to use a T1/E1 board, though that's not my primary goal