Sumit KumarArchana Kumar

Group # 4

CSE 591 : Virtualization and Cloud Computing4/19/2011

GoalsStudying on memory optimization and

implementing.Studying feasibility of using XVP to support

the UI for optimization.

CSE 591 : Virtualization and Cloud Computing4/19/2011

Components of XVPxvpweb: A web front end for XenServer, running on

Apache/PHP.xvpviewer: A Java applet for accessing XenServer consoles

(used by xvpweb, of course).xvp: A server-side proxy for XenServer consoles, so that

you can use ordinary VNC clients.xvpdiscover: A tool that queries a XenServer pool, and

writes the appropriate configuration files for xvp and xvpweb.[ref : http://www.xenbear.com/2009/11/22/xvp/]

Creating a VM for XVPappliance allows us to configure all the four components.

CSE 591 : Virtualization and Cloud Computing4/19/2011

Inferences XVP is a very basic package that can be used to manage the virtual

machines on Xen Server or XCP. Advantages:

Just a browser is required. The VM consoles can be accessed using XVPviewer (uses Java applets).

Platform-independent access to manage virtual machines. Can be enhanced with our own projects since it is a open-source. Supports role-based access configurations to server pools. The

servers can be configured into pools with different users having different accesses to the different pools.

Limitations: Monitoring does not currently support exhaustive displays as in a

XenCenter performance monitor. Creating / Importing/ Exporting VMs not possible.

CSE 591 : Virtualization and Cloud Computing4/19/2011

Why XVP?XenCenter is only supported in the Windows machine

and is not opensource. The openxenmanager project to enable a XenCenter

like VMM is in initial state and is not ready for use yet.

Even after the project is ready for use, this may require configuration at each individual machine.

Potential Use of XVP : if the XVP Appliance is configured, the role based access to the server pools can be given to the individual users within the Enterprise with the minimal requirement of a browser running in the user’s system.

4/19/2011CSE 591 : Virtualization and Cloud Computing

Challenges faced in XVPConfiguring the XVP appliance was easier.However trying to install the individual packages had

dependency on many other packages.Had to manually type in and save xvpweb.conf and

xvpusers.confThe tunneling with the TightVNC for Java was not working

Though the server was detected after all the configuration, the console view could not be enabled.

Only the context menu for the different VMs appeared with the information.

Modifications require changing corresponding Java and PHP files. Any small change required recompilation of all the associated jar files

Making the API in the VM to talk with the information from server pool was difficult

Limited troubleshooting help and no proper documentationCSE 591 : Virtualization and Cloud Computing4/19/2011

Memory Management in XenMemory optimization can be done In 2 ways

By sharing memory among virtual machinesBallooning

4/19/2011CSE 591 : Virtualization and Cloud Computing

Memory SharingCan be done:

Use prior knowledge about certain blocks of data being identical.

Actively compare the blocks to find identical blocks of data.

Memory sharing using prior knowledgeContent based sharing.Copy on Write.Shared memory.

4/19/2011CSE 591 : Virtualization and Cloud Computing

Dynamic SharingMemory sharing decision can be taken

dynamically also by comparing block of memory in different virtual machines

Using done using hashing.Other available method is bit wise

comparision.

4/19/2011CSE 591 : Virtualization and Cloud Computing

DisadvantagesSignificant performance overhead.Additional operations are needed if VM tries

to modify read only pages. Hashing introduces new overhead of finding

new pages for sharing.These methods don’t care about memory

distribution and memory utilization ratio in virtual machines.

4/19/2011CSE 591 : Virtualization and Cloud Computing

BallooningBalloon is a method that allows Dom0 to ask

virtual machines running above it to release some amount of memory.

Implemented as xen driver.Dom0 needs to have knowledge of idle

memory in virtual machines in order to get it back.

4/19/2011CSE 591 : Virtualization and Cloud Computing

Self-BallooningBalloon driver can be modified in order to

get information about idle memory in virtual machines.

Take action and redistribute memory among virtual machines.

Not available in free version of Xen Server.Implementation is underway.

4/19/2011CSE 591 : Virtualization and Cloud Computing

Challenges facedInterdependency of packagesKernel has to be recompiled againRequires knowledge of device driver

programmingIdentified Patch or programs correspond to

much older version of kernel.Sudden expiry of Xenserver version disabling

the developer environment. No access using XenCenter as the system was on Mobicloud.

4/19/2011CSE 591 : Virtualization and Cloud Computing

ConclusionsIt was decided that XVP Appliance will only be

accessed using the preconfigured machine. It is used to only enable browser-based access and no improvements were made on the existing source code.

Kernel Patch for implementing Self-ballooning has been identified. However it corresponds to much older version of Kernel. Hence if adequate time is available, the changes in the patches can be applied comparing the kernel versions to implement self-ballooning.

4/19/2011CSE 591 : Virtualization and Cloud Computing

4/19/2011CSE 591 : Virtualization and Cloud Computing

THANK YOU…