Re: Virt-disk-path selection patch and other virt. attributes...

[Adam Rosenwald <thestrider@xxxxxxxxx>]

Thanks, Michael!  See inline for comments...

Michael DeHaan wrote:

I've checked in some modifications to the --virt-path code and rearranged it somewhat.

To use a standard disk image with koan:

   leave --virt-path off and assume defaults (like /var/lib/xen/images)

While observing this (reasonable -- although should be documented in Koan (if not already)) default, I think a free-space check is in order for the filesystem that contains /var/lib/xen/images.  If there is not enough free space to accommodate --virt-size, then an error message should be printed out.  The current (virtinst?) reaction is to let the filesystem fill up to 100% and then alert the user about free space.  This doesn't make sense, and either cobbler/koan or dependency libraries should show awareness of this problem.

   or specify --virt-path=/path/to/directory

What will the full virtual path be then? /path/to/directory/<name>?  /path/to/directory/<mac>?

   or specify --virt-path=/path/to/directory/filename

To use an existing partition:
   specify --virt-path=/dev/sda4, or equivalent

To carve out of a chunk of a volume group, of the requested --virt-size, using the name cobbler would ordinarily choose:
   have an existing LVM volume group named something, such as VolGroup00, with some free space on it
   specify --virt-path=VolGroup00, or equivalent
   or be more specific:  --virt-path=VolGroup00 --virt-name=asdf   (this creates /dev/mapper/VolGroup00/asdf)

The --virt-name can be confusing with --name.  What's wrong with --virt-vg=VolGroup00 --virt-lv=asdf?  Or --virt-path=VG:[LV]?  To make the second form clearer, '--virt-path=VolGroup00:' (notice the trailing colon) or '--virt-path=VolGroup00:asdf'.

If you were concerned about the rare case where VolGroup or LogVol included a colon in the name (e.g. "VolGroup\:" or "Log\:Vol00"), the colon-checking could check for the existence of colons in the actual filename and ignore them.  Honestly, I don't think anyone would ever consciously put a colon in their device name, unless (s)he were mad!  And this is a reasonable assumption!

Sidenote -- I've tested the above with qemu-kvm and they perform quite well.    When virt-manager's next-release supports installing these
via kickstart locations (like Xen), I'll move the kvm bits over to use virtinst -- until then, qemu-kvm systems created with koan do not show up
in virt-manager and you have to use the standard KVM tools for basic management.   That should change very shortly.

Additionally I've added a --virt-graphics flag to koan which enables VNC in both virt types ("qemu", "xenpv").    virt-graphics is currently not read as a default

Cool!  Should --virt-graphics check for the existence of vnc?  Or are you satisfied with xenlibs' awkward stack tracing output?

value from cobbler, but it probably should be.  --virt-path and --virt-type can be passed to both koan and cobbler (profile add and system add).

Awesome!  Would you like me to follow your example in implementing the other koan virt attributes?  Or do you have these covered?

-A.

--Michael





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