Storage for library of domains

Storage for library of domains

[m h]

Folks-

I'm interested in setting up a xen system where the user can request a
"vanilla" version of linux from a "library" of versions.  The user
will be able to do what they want with their system but subsequent
users requesting the same version, will also get the vanilla version,
not one that had the changes from the last user.

So let me rephrase that in a non user way.  I want to have a file
server that serves domains to a xen system.  What is the best way to
get the domain image to the xen system?

any input/ideas are appreciated.

thanks 

matt


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Re: Storage for library of domains

[Jan Kundrát]

m h wrote:
> I'm interested in setting up a xen system where the user can request a
> "vanilla" version of linux from a "library" of versions.  The user
> will be able to do what they want with their system but subsequent
> users requesting the same version, will also get the vanilla version,
> not one that had the changes from the last user.

Maybe setup LVM with snapshots (at least I think that's the name). One 
LV will be "vanilla" and other stoarge "partitions" will contain only 
changes.
You could expect some stability problems - this technology is new in 2.6.9.

-jkt

-- 
cd /local/pub && more beer > /dev/mouth


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Re: Storage for library of domains

[Jan Kundrát]

m h wrote:
> Ideally the library of domains would be available to more than one
> machine running xen.  So I could use LVM on the "library" machine. 
> Anyone have suggestions on how to load the domain from the library
> onto the xen machines?  Rsync?  (Does LVM have a way to do this?  A
> quick read through the howto did not reveal that to me.)

Please, reply also to the list, not just to me :-).

LVM can (afaik) operate over any block device, so the setup you want is 
to have some blockdev in pristine state and others serving as a storage 
for domains. Some cluster management suite could help you, but I'm not 
sure if there's anything that supports block device sharing between 
computers...

-jkt

-- 
cd /local/pub && more beer > /dev/mouth


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