Ubuntu 9.04 + LVM possible with Proxmox?

[emilyg]

Hi there,

I've been looking into Proxmox because I need to virtualise our QA labs. Essentially we - currently - run VMWare Server 1.0 with many base VMWare images to use for testing (some are accessed on dev machines etc).

I need to consolidate them into one box and have several images running full time - the server will have a UPS. I looked into XEN but came across Proxmox as a good alternative - and its KVM which seems the way of the future.

Heres what I need to ask, if I opt to use Proxmox, can I install Ubuntu 9.04 (both desktop and server) as a VM later, then let them 'see' a LVM partition external to them?

Heres my dilema, we have a 2Tb LVM partition that contains our build files and other junk, its currently mounted in /media/QABuild/ on one machine. If I install Proxmox on another drive, install LVM2 in the Lenny modified OS would it be able to see those files (maybe also install SAMBA so the main host is like a Fileserver)...?

I'm a bit confused. I need to offer the files in /media/QABuild to both the VMs and the Windows workstations (via Samba) and yet offer VMs via KVM.

Which brings me to my next question. Can we have non-browser based VNC sessions (eg. via TightVNC or RemoteDesktop for Windows) or does it all have ot be via the web? One of the reasons we didnt opt for VMWareServer 2.0 was because of the web-interface.

Thanks muchly.
Em

 

[tom]

Hi there,

I've been looking into Proxmox because I need to virtualise our QA labs. Essentially we - currently - run VMWare Server 1.0 with many base VMWare images to use for testing (some are accessed on dev machines etc).

I need to consolidate them into one box and have several images running full time - the server will have a UPS. I looked into XEN but came across Proxmox as a good alternative - and its KVM which seems the way of the future.

yes, thats true.

Heres what I need to ask, if I opt to use Proxmox, can I install Ubuntu 9.04 (both desktop and server) as a VM later, then let them 'see' a LVM partition external to them?

Ubuntu 9.04 runs perfectly under KVM. I do not understand the question about LVM.

Heres my dilema, we have a 2Tb LVM partition that contains our build files and other junk, its currently mounted in /media/QABuild/ on one machine. If I install Proxmox on another drive, install LVM2 in the Lenny modified OS would it be able to see those files (maybe also install SAMBA so the main host is like a Fileserver)...?

you can install SAMBA on Proxmox VE (use it as fileserver for Linux and Windows KVM guests). If you run containers (OpenVZ) you do a bind mount, means you do not need SAMBA. But you can use both methods side by side.

I'm a bit confused. I need to offer the files in /media/QABuild to both the VMs and the Windows workstations (via Samba) and yet offer VMs via KVM.

Which brings me to my next question. Can we have non-browser based VNC sessions (eg. via TightVNC or RemoteDesktop for Windows) or does it all have ot be via the web? One of the reasons we didnt opt for VMWareServer 2.0 was because of the web-interface.

Thanks muchly.
Em

In contrast to the vmware server interface, there is no need of special browser plugin - just the sun-java6-plugin is needed.

BUT the big advantage of KVM is that you can script everything very easy - for a test/build environment a must - you will love it. (e.g. see 'man qm')

 

[emilyg]

Hi,

Thanks so much for the reply

That clears things up. What kernel is running in Proxmox? I need to run it with the latest as we need to have Ext4 support on our LVM partition.

So from what you mentioned - I think - this is the way we may endup doing this.

-> Proxmox
- Install (if not already available stock)
- OpenSSH
- LVM2
- Samba to offer access to the LVM partition.
--> VM of Windows 2003
- Handles our IIS6 requirements
--> VM of Ubuntu 9.04
- Handles our Apache2 and other bits and bobs

Map the drives on the Proxmox "host" for machines that are not VMs (Eg. Developer machines). Configure a mount point for VMs to see the LVM partitions that are virtualised.

Does that sound reasonable?

Also is there a way the developers can view the VNC sessions that doesnt tie them to a browser or Java? Eg. via Tight/Ultra VNC?

 

[tom]

use the search function of the forums about the VNC access with a VNC client - there are already some solutions for this.

ext4:
Proxmox VE uses a modified 2.6.24 Kernel (due to the OpenVZ limitations on newer Kernels).

So as ext4 needs at least 2.6.28 this will not work (as far as I know).

 

[wese]

Just confirming:

So as ext4 needs at least 2.6.28 this will not work (as far as I know).

Ext4 was released as stable with the 2.6.28 Kernel.

http://ext4.wiki.kernel.org/index.php/Ext4_Howto

General Information Ext4 was released as a functionally complete and stable filesystem in Linux 2.6.28, and it's getting included in all the modern distros (in some cases as the default fs), so if you are using a modern distro, it's possible that you already have Ext4 support and you don't need to modify your system to run Ext4.