Thanks Rafael. I'll check to see what the maintenance status is for xcp-xapi with Debian when I get back to the office on Monday. I do recall there being issues raised last summer.
One of the reasons the question I've asked is so important has to do with CloudStack assumptions in a XenServer environment. For example, it doesn't directly issue xe commands, but uses both the Java and Python xapi bindings, and has a number of supporting scripts which assume package versions which match those of specific XenServer releases. btw, by way of disclosure, I'm the XenServer community manager and have acquired a pretty decent level of expertise with things Xen, XCP, XAPI and XenServer since joining the team in 2008. Here's a google search for me: https://www.google.com/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&ion=1&espv=2&ie=UTF-8#q=tim%20mackey%20xenserver Oh, and I'm grinning as I write this since I suspect some colleagues will kid me over you educating me. No harm, and no offense. I guess I'm not as well known as I thought ;) -tim On Fri, Apr 17, 2015 at 5:21 PM, Rafael Weingartner < rafaelweingart...@gmail.com> wrote: > UPDATE: > you can find more on Xenserver and XCP here: > http://pt.slideshare.net/xen_com_mgr/xpus13-pavlicek > > On Fri, Apr 17, 2015 at 4:12 PM, Rafael Weingartner < > rafaelweingart...@gmail.com> wrote: > > > Dear Tim Mackey, > > > > I have a production environment using XCP (XAPI). As far as I know, the > > difference between the use of XAPI and Xenserver is that Xenserver is an > OS > > bundled altogether with a version of Xen hypervisor, XAPI and some > > management tools. While, XAPI is just the API used to consolidate > workloads > > and interact with the Xen hypervisor hosts. > > > > At the end, Xenserver environments are using the Xen hypervisor and XAPI > > toolstack. The difference is that it comes pre-built with an OS > (CentOS?). > > > > When Cloudstack sends some command to start or stop a VM, it will send > > something like “xe vm-start uuid=<uidVM>” or “xe vm-shutdown > uuid=<uidVM>”, > > these are XAPI commands. Therefore, even if you are using Xenserver > > environments, those are the commands that are going to be used; hence, > > Xenserver encapsulates the XAPI and Xen hypervisor. > > > > To my knowledge, now that Xenserver was open by Citrix, there should not > > be any difference on capabilities between the XAPI that we get from here: > > http://www.xenproject.org/developers/teams/xapi.html > > > > And the one that we get when we install the Xenserver directly. > > > > > > > > Now answering your questions: > > > > 1. What OS/version are you using for dom0 and with what hypervisor > version? > > > > We are using Debian 7.4.0, we first tried Ubuntu server, but it was not > > stable enough for a production environments. The Ubuntu had some bugs and > > missing dependencies that had to be worked around. > > > > 2. How did you deploy XCP (from pre-compiled ISO, built from source, > > package source i.e yum/apt-get, xenserver-core packages, something else) > > > > We installed the XCP (XAPI) using the apt repository. > > We first installed the xen hypervisor: > > > > # apt-get install xen-hypervisor-amd64 > > > > then the XAPI packages: > > > > # apt-get install xcp-xapi > > > > Of course, is not as simple as just running those commands, we also had > to > > configure the networking and tuned the xen hypervisor, XAPI, storage and > > etc. > > > > > > 3. How are you handling updates to the XCP/Xen/XAPI components, > > particularly those of a security nature? > > > > If any patch is created and we find that it has to be applied in our > > environment, we first look if it is already in apt-get repository, if it > is > > there, we just upgrade that package. If the upgrade is not in the > official > > repository, we get and apply it manually. > > > > > > I am curious, what are the assumptions you make for Xenserver > environments? > > > > On Fri, Apr 17, 2015 at 11:23 AM, Tim Mackey <tmac...@gmail.com> wrote: > > > >> A little bit ago there was a thread started on the dev list about XCP > and > >> CloudStack. I've had a bit of a think about this if you're using XCP I > >> would like to understand better how XCP, and by extension the XAPI > >> toolstack when *not* part of XenServer, is deployed in your > environments. > >> If XCP/XAPI users can answer these three questions, it would help in > >> understanding how to best handle XCP moving forward. > >> > >> 1. What OS/version are you using for dom0 and with what hypervisor > >> version? > >> > >> 2. How did you deploy XCP (from pre-compiled ISO, built from source, > >> package source i.e yum/apt-get, xenserver-core packages, something else) > >> > >> 3. How are you handling updates to the XCP/Xen/XAPI components, > >> particularly those of a security nature? > >> > >> While the XAPI toolstack as part of XenServer receives significant > >> development and QA attention, the same can't be said for legacy XCP and > >> pure XAPI. There are also assumptions made for XenServer which aren't > >> always valid in a legacy XCP or general XAPI installation. What I'm > >> trying > >> to figure out is if we need to address any issues, and if so what the > >> impact might be. > >> > >> Thanks > >> > >> -tim > >> > > > > > > > > -- > > Rafael Weingärtner > > > > > > -- > Rafael Weingärtner >
