I’m interested in XenSource because they give me, a Linux and Xen novice, a simple way to play with Xen. Ignoring the fact that their CEO says “Since we are going after the Windows market, installation has to be absolutely simple, simple, simple…” (source) implied slant aside it is a very simple installation.

Since the management tools and virtualization platforms are where everyone is trying to get to I wanted to see what XenSource had done for Xen. I am aware of some other Xen management tools out there both open and closed but most of them require me to install and configure Xen seperately, and while I while I might be able to pull that off eventually, a couple trips down that road had me looking for something else. Then earlier this month I come across XenSource’s new XenExpress, a free version of their XenEnterprise product with some capacity limitations. You can get it here. 

Since I didn’t have a box I was going to wipe for a Xen test I wondered if I could get it running in virtualized environment. I’ve been to the “you can’t emulate an emulator” school but I thought I’d give it a go anyway. I could not get it going in any flavor of MS Virtual Server or Virtual PC, including the 07 beta. So I power up VMWare 5.5.3 on an Intel-VT enabled box, I don’t know that VT is required because I can turn it off and it still runs but I mention it anyway, the short of it is that it worked. Here’s what I did.

1. Create a new virtual machine using the recommended settings. 
2. Select Linux as the guest operating system and Other Linux 2.6.x kernel as the version 
3. Then you specify you disk capacity XenSource requires a 25GB minimum so I gave it 30GB and select Allocate all disk space now. 
4. Once that was done I gave it the required minimum 1GB Ram, and pointed the CD to the XenSource ISO.  

1. When it boots it goes through the normal hardware checks and give you a notice that it does not detect any hardware acceleration but it can in stall anyway. Presumably I won’t be able to get a Windows machine running on it but I haven’t tried yet. 
2. Once the install starts it is a simple (simple, simple) click wizard and about 13 minutes and a reboot later you are at the XenServer login prompt and your IP is presented.

1. After that all you do is install the client console form the ISO on your local machine or another virtual machine and point to the XenServer VM. 
2. I configured the Debian template and have been playing with that.

Now I have a XenServer running in a VM that I can play and test with as needed. Of course it does not perform like it does on native hardware or on a good IntelVT or AMDv enabled server and I concede there is no good reason (beyond testing) to do this but if you are cramped on hardware and want to run a Xen/XenSource test it does provide an option.