Subject: Re: [vserver] Can Windows OS run on VServer?
From: Matt Paine <matt@mattsoftware.com>
Date: Mon, 11 May 2009 12:01:03 +1000


> Hi Matt,
>
>
> Thanks for your advice.
>
>
> --- Matt Paine <matt@mattsoftware.com> wrote:
>
>   
>>> Can MS Windows, such as vista, server 2008, etc. run as guest on
>>> VServer?  TIA
>>>   
>>>       
>> Linux-VServer is an Operating System Virtualization technique.
>> Basically 
>> it can run many OS guests, all on the same kernel. So if you can get 
>> Vista or Server 2008 to run on a linux 2.6 variant kernel, then I
>> guess 
>> yes you can :)
>>     
>
>
> Is this technology termed as parallel virtualization?  So all servers
> running on VServer must be on linux 2.6 variant kernel.  Can linux 2.5
> variant kernel mixed with 2.6 version?
>
>   
Not that I am aware of. Its Operating System Virtualization.

(can people please correct me if I am wrong, or misleading....)

a) Linux boots up on a kernel (say 2.6, can be any linux kernel with 
Linux-VServer patches) into a "context" (say 0 - for the host context)
b) Processes that are started are started under "context 0".
c) You have the option of creating another context (say, context 100) - 
this will basically enable processes to be isolated from other processes 
in the system, but still run on top of the booted kernel. (note the 
kernel does not change, however the processes in context 100 are 
completely isolated from processes in context 0)
d) create more contexts as you want extra virtualization.

So basically you are not creating virtual machines, your running 
processes that are completely isolated from each other. This has the 
benefit of running each process at host speed (there are no bytecode 
emulation happening). However it has the dissadvantage that you are 
stuck with the one kernel. If your looking for a Virtual Machine to run 
an operating system 100% (kernel and all) then you really need to look 
at VMWare or others, this is not the project for you.

Having said that I use Linux-VServer to run mainly CentOS machines, and 
a few debian and the odd Fedora distro's, so it really depends on what 
level of virtualization you need. I also run VMWare Server (on the host, 
I havn't tried installing it in the guest, but I assume that would be 
possible) for my windows machines, they run well enough for me in that, 
including a production Accounting package.


>   
>> (although I suspect that to be more difficult than I suggested
>> above).
>>
>> I would bet you could run Vista on a VMWare Server instance under a 
>> Fedora guest running a Centos host running Linux-Vserver  - but thats
>>
>> probably not what your after.
>>     
>
>
> That is NOT my venture on this testing.  I have been testing KVM, Qemu,
> Xen, OpenVZ, etc. before.  I can make MS Windows to run on KVM (Qemu)
> but NOT on the later 2.  Is there alternative?
>
>   
I use VMWare Server 2. Might not be open sourced but free and works 
well, although the web based interface IMO is no where near as friendly 
version 1. But certainly usable.

Matt.