Bug 1041072

Summary:	[RFE][nova]: Support Linux guests running as HVM mode on XenServer
Product:	Red Hat OpenStack	Reporter:	RHOS Integration <rhos-integ>
Component:	openstack-nova	Assignee:	RHOS Maint <rhos-maint>
Status:	CLOSED UPSTREAM	QA Contact:
Severity:	low	Docs Contact:
Priority:	low
Version:	unspecified	CC:	hateya, markmc, ndipanov, sgordon, yeylon
Target Milestone:	Upstream M3	Keywords:	FutureFeature
Target Release:	5.0 (RHEL 7)
Hardware:	Unspecified
OS:	Unspecified
URL:	https://blueprints.launchpad.net/nova/+spec/xenapi-support-linux-hvm
Whiteboard:	upstream_milestone_icehouse-3 upstream_status_implemented upstream_definition_approved
Fixed In Version:		Doc Type:	Enhancement
Doc Text:		Story Points:	---
Clone Of:		Environment:
Last Closed:	2013-12-12 21:31:53 UTC	Type:	---
Regression:	---	Mount Type:	---
Documentation:	---	CRM:
Verified Versions:		Category:	---
oVirt Team:	---	RHEL 7.3 requirements from Atomic Host:
Cloudforms Team:	---	Target Upstream Version:

Description RHOS Integration 2013-12-12 13:34:03 UTC

Cloned from launchpad blueprint https://blueprints.launchpad.net/nova/+spec/xenapi-support-linux-hvm.

Description:

Currently all HVM guests get the following flag added:
platform:viridian=true

But this confuses some linux kernels, so linux machines should really get:
platform:viridian=true

This will be controlled using the existing os_type glance flags.

The viridian flag is used by Xen to provide hyper-v style optimisations to Windows guests. However, if you try these with some linux kernels, strange things can happen. in XenServer, this is all handled with the built-in templates, there is little documentation on the flag its-self.

Some details can be found here:
http://old-list-archives.xenproject.org/archives/html/xen-users/2009-07/msg00661.html

The issue with Linux boxes can be found here:
http://lists.xen.org/archives/html/xen-api/2013-03/msg00073.html

Please note, that technically, it the linux guests will still be able to detect the presence of Xen and negotiate the use of PV drivers, despite running inside an HVM container. This is also not quite the same as the PVH mode of operation Xen is currently working on.

Specification URL (additional information):

None

Comment 2 Stephen Gordon 2013-12-12 21:31:53 UTC

Xen is not formally supported in RHELOSP at this time.