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Oracle VM User Manual

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virt-install
Command-Line Tools A-3
virt-install
The virt-install command-line tool creates paravirtualized guests and hardware
virtualized guests. virt-install can be used as an interactive shell, or all parameters can
be given at the same time. Enter multiple parameters to the virt-install command-line
tool in the format:
virt-install [option ...]
This section contains a brief explanation of some of the more common virt-install
options. For full documentation, use the virt-install -h command.
Chapter 4, "Creating a Guest Virtual Machine" discusses using the virt-install tool.
Options
[-h | --help]
Displays the virt-install command parameters and their purpose.
# virt-install -h
[-nname | --name=name]
Sets the name of the guest instance.
# virt-install -nMyGuest
[-rRAM | --ram=RAM]
Sets the memory to allocate for a guest instance in Megabytes.
# virt-install --ram=256
[-uUUID | --uuid=UUID]
Sets the UUID (Universally Unique Identifier) for the guest. If none is given, a random
UUID is generated.
# virt-install -u
[--vcpus=number]
Sets the number of virtual CPUs to configure for the guest.
# virt-install --vcpus=2
[-fdiskfile | --file=diskfile]
Sets the file to use as the disk image.
# virt-install --file=/home/myhome/myimage
[-sfilesize | --file-size=filesize]
Sets the size of the disk image (if it does not exist) in Gigabytes.
# virt-install -s2
[-nonsparse]
Do not use sparse files for disks. This option may be significantly slower when
creating guests.
[-mvalue | --mac=value]
Sets the fixed MAC address for the guest; if none or RANDOM is given, a random
address is used.
# virt-install --mac=RANDOM

Table of Contents

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Oracle VM Specifications

General IconGeneral
Live MigrationYes
DeveloperOracle Corporation
Storage SupportNFS, iSCSI, Fibre Channel, Local Storage
CategoryServer
Host OS SupportOracle Linux, Red Hat Linux, SUSE Linux
Guest OS SupportOracle Linux, Red Hat Linux, SUSE Linux, Windows, Solaris
ManagementOracle VM Manager
High AvailabilityYes
Network SupportVLAN

Summary

Preface

Audience

Defines the intended audience for the Oracle VM Server User's Guide, including system administrators and end users.

Documentation Accessibility

Outlines Oracle's commitment to making documentation accessible to all users, including those with disabilities.

Command Syntax

Explains the conventions used for command-line syntax, including monospace font and special characters.

Related Documents

Lists other relevant documents in the Oracle VM Release 2.1 documentation set for further information.

Conventions

Details text conventions used in the document, such as boldface, italic, and monospace type.

What ’s New in Oracle VM Server?

New Features in Release 2.1.5

States that Release 2.1.5 has no new features, only fixes for software and documentation errata.

New Features in Release 2.1.2

Highlights new features in Release 2.1.2, including High Availability and conversion capabilities.

New Features in Release 2.1.1

Confirms that Release 2.1.1 has no new features.

1 Introduction to Virtualization

1.1 What is Virtualization?

Defines virtualization as the ability to run multiple virtual machines on a single piece of hardware.

1.2 Why Virtualize?

Explains the benefits of virtualization, such as server consolidation and reduced complexity in datacenters.

1.3 Xen Technology

Describes Xen hypervisor as a lightweight software virtual machine monitor for x86-compatible computers.

1.4 Oracle VM

Introduces Oracle VM as a platform for deploying operating systems and applications in a virtualized environment.

2 Oracle VM Server

2.1 Oracle VM Server

Details Oracle VM Server, including its Xen hypervisor and Oracle VM Agent components.

2.2 Hypervisor

Explains the hypervisor's role as the primary privileged entity controlling system resources.

2.3 Domains, Guests and Virtual Machines

Differentiates terms like domain, guest, and virtual machine in the Oracle VM context.

2.4 Management Domain

Describes the management domain (dom0) and its responsibility for hardware detection and guest management.

2.5 Domains

Defines domU as unprivileged domains that run virtual machines and have no direct hardware access.

2.6 Paravirtualization, Hardware Virtualization, and Binary Translation

Compares paravirtualization and hardware virtualization methods used by Oracle VM Server.

2.7 Creating Virtual Machines

Guides on creating virtual machines using virt-install or Oracle VM Manager templates.

2.8 Managing Domains

Explains how to manage domains using the xm command-line tool or Oracle VM Manager.

2.9 Configuring Oracle VM Server

Details configuration options for Oracle VM Server using the xend-config.sxp file.

2.10 Managing Oracle VM Server Repositories

Covers the creation of Oracle VM Server repositories for ISOs, guests, and live migration.

3 Oracle VM Agent

3.1 Oracle VM Agent Command-Line Tool

Introduces the ovs-agent command-line tool for configuring and controlling Oracle VM Agent.

3.2 Configuring Oracle VM Agent

Explains how to configure Oracle VM Agent, including network access control and password changes.

3.3 Starting Oracle VM Agent

Details how to start Oracle VM Agent automatically or manually.

3.4 Stopping Oracle VM Agent

Describes the process for stopping the Oracle VM Agent service.

3.5 Monitoring Oracle VM Agent

Explains how to check the status and get information about the Oracle VM Agent daemon.

4 Creating a Guest Virtual Machine

4.1 Supported Guest Operating Systems

Lists the operating systems supported for creating guest virtual machines in Oracle VM.

4.2 Creating an Installation Tree

Guides on creating an installation tree for guest VM deployment via NFS, FTP, or HTTP.

4.3 Creating a Guest Using a Template

Explains how to create a guest virtual machine using pre-configured templates.

4.4 Creating a Guest Using virt-install

Details the process of creating paravirtualized or hardware virtualized guests using the virt-install tool.

4.5 Creating a Paravirtualized Guest Manually

Provides step-by-step instructions for manually creating a paravirtualized guest VM.

4.6 Creating a Hardware Virtualized Guest Manually

Guides on manually creating a hardware virtualized guest VM, including configuration file setup.

4.7 Converting a Hardware Virtualized Guest to a Paravirtualized Guest

Explains the process of converting a hardware virtualized guest to a paravirtualized guest.

4.8 Creating a Paravirtual Guest with Red Hat Enterprise Linux 3.8 or 3.9

Details creating paravirtual guests, noting the need to convert from hardware virtualized for older RHEL versions.

4.9 Installing Paravirtual Drivers

Covers installing paravirtual drivers on hardware virtualized guests for performance optimization.

5 Domain Monitoring and Administration

5.1 Domain Lifecycle

Describes the various states a domain can exist in, such as starting, running, and paused.

5.2 Using the xm Command-Line Interface

Explains how to use the xm command-line tool for creating, destroying, and managing domains.

6 Domain Live Migration

6.1 Creating a Shared Virtual Disk for Live Migration

Details creating shared virtual disks using OCFS2 (iSCSI/SAN) or NFS for live migration.

6.2 Migrating a Domain

Explains the process of migrating a domain from one computer to another, including live migration.

7 Managing Oracle VM Server Repositories

7.1 Repository Directory Structure

Describes the standard sub-directories created under the /OVS repository directory.

7.2 Oracle VM Server Repositories

Lists the Oracle VM Server repositories and related configuration files.

7.3 Repository Configuration File

Explains the format of the repository configuration file, including UUID and source.

7.4 Repository Mount Options

Details how to create an optional file for repository mount options.

7.5 Adding a Repository

Guides on adding a file system or shared virtual disk as a repository using the makerepo script.

7.6 Removing a Repository

Explains how to remove a repository using the ovs-offlinerepo script.

8 Converting Hosts and VMware Virtual Machines

8.1 Converting a Linux or Windows Host

Details converting physical Linux or Windows computers to Oracle VM hardware virtualized guest images using P2V.

8.2 Converting a VMware Virtual Machine

Explains that Oracle VM Manager automatically converts VMware VMs when imported.

9 High Availability

9.1 High Availability (HA)

Discusses implementing High Availability (HA) for server pools and guests in Oracle VM.

9.2 Creating a Shared Virtual Disk for HA

Guides on creating shared virtual disks using OCFS2 (iSCSI/SAN) or NFS for HA.

9.3 Creating HA Clusters

Details creating NFS or OCFS2 clusters to support HA for Oracle VM Server.

9.4 Enabling HA

Explains how to enable HA for server pools and guests using Oracle VM Manager.

A Command-Line Tools

ovs-agent Command-Line Tool

Provides references for the ovs-agent command-line tool, including options like start, stop, restart, status, and configure.

virt-install Command-Line Tool

Details common options for the virt-install command-line tool used for creating virtual machines.

xm Command-Line Tool

Explains the xm command-line management tool for creating, destroying, managing, and migrating guests.

P2V Utility

Covers the Physical to Virtual (P2V) conversion utility and its kickstart file parameters.

B Oracle VM Server Configuration File

Oracle VM Server Configuration File

Provides information on configuring Oracle VM Server using the /etc/xen/xend-config.sxp file.

C Guest Configuration

C.1 e100 And e1000 Network Device Emulators

Details using Intel e100 and e1000 network device emulators for hardware virtualized guests.

C.2 Quality of Service (QoS)

Explains setting virtual disk and network traffic priority parameters for guest QoS.

C.3 Configuration File Example 1

Provides a simple example of a guest configuration file.

C.4 Configuration File Example 2

Presents a more complex example of a guest configuration file.

D Oracle VM Agent Architecture

D.1 Oracle VM Agent Architecture

Details the architecture of Oracle VM Agent and its three main components.

D.2 Oracle VM Agent Deployment

Explains Oracle VM Agent deployment architectures utilizing server pools and shared storage.

E Troubleshooting

E.1 Debugging Tools

Guides on using log files, directories, and command-line tools for troubleshooting Oracle VM Server.

E.2 Using DHCP

Recommends static IP addresses for Oracle VM Server installations, and static DHCP for client computers.

E.3 Guest Console Access

Explains how to access guest consoles using Oracle VM Manager or VNC.

E.4 Cannot Display Graphical Installer When Creating Guests

Provides steps to troubleshoot issues with graphical installers not starting during guest creation.

E.5 Hardware Virtualized Guest Console Not Displayed

Addresses problems with hardware virtualized guest consoles not displaying, often due to disk specification.

E.6 Setting the Guest ’s Clock

Details setting paravirtualized guest system clocks via sysctl.conf or hypervisor management.

E.7 Wallclock Time Skew Problems

Discusses wallclock time skew issues in hardware virtualized guests and the use of timer_mode.

E.8 Mouse Pointer Tracking Problems

Suggests adding 'usbdevice=tablet' to xend-config.sxp for mouse tracking issues in VNC.

E.9 Hardware Virtualized Guest Stops

Explains that QEMU memory usage can cause hardware virtualized guests to stop, suggesting increased dom0 memory.

E.10 Hardware Virtualized Guest Devices Not Working as Expected

Discusses issues with devices like sound cards in hardware virtualized guests due to DMA virtualization.

E.11 Hardware Virtualized Guest Windows Installation

Provides a workaround for Windows installation issues related to finding the CDROM.

E.12 CD-ROM Image Not Found

Addresses CD-ROM image not found errors during guest installation, suggesting IDE device order check.

E.13 Firewall Blocks NFS Access

Explains how to resolve NFS access issues by stopping the firewall service.

E.14 Migrating Domains

States that domains cannot be migrated between computers with different hardware.

E.15 Attaching to a Console with the Grub Boot Loader

Suggests adding console configuration to Grub boot loader for troubleshooting startup problems.

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