I recently went through the motions to install Nexenta CP 2 RC3 on XenServer 5, following the directions that I had previously posted for RC1. I’m happy to confirm that the process for RC1 seems to work fine for RC3.

As an aside, a poster to that original article (Bill McGonigle) included some instructions for using lofiadm to alter the miniroot archive from the Nexenta installation DVD image to use with Xen and XenServer (I used a separate OpenSolaris system for that step). Take a look at the comments attached to the previous article for details.

Nexenta Core Platform 2.0 has been released!

You can download the image by clicking here!

Sun is holding its CommunityOne West conference at the Moscone Center June 1-3 in San Francisco, California.

Sounds like there will be a wide range of Solaris and Open Source topics, including virtualization, system management, cloud development, mobile development, web development, and much more.

The OpenSolaris community will be there in force, so don’t miss it!

This is one of the first conferences since Oracle announced their acquisition of Sun; it would be interesting to be plugged into the rumour mill on the floor.

Did anyone go to CommunityOne East in New York City?

Powered by ScribeFire.

I put together a XenServer template for Nexenta. If you’re interested, please give it a try and post your results in the comments:

NexentaCP 2 RC1 Template

Here are the instructions from the README.txt file in that package:

Steps to install this package:

1. Copy the “nexentacp2_rc1.tar.gz” kernel/ramdisk archive to the root directory on the XenServer using scp (or, since you’ll likely be doing this from Windows, you can just use WinSCP):

scp ./nexentacp2_rc1.tar.gz root@xenserver:/

2. At the console of the XenServer (you can use XenCenter or just connect via SSH), decompress the kernel/ramdisk archive (be sure to use the “P” option to maintain the directory structure):

[root@xen /]# tar xvPf ./nexentacp2_rc1.tar.gz

The kernel should now be in /opt/xen/kernels and the ramdisk should be in /opt/xen/ramdisks on your XenServer. There will also be a failsafe ramdisk in the ramdisks folder should you ever need it.

3. Import the XVA into XenCenter. The image size is about 5GB; you’ll need an appropriate amount of space available to execute the import.

Thanks to rootard for posting a mirror of the rather large (~1GB) ZIP file.

UPDATED: Created a slimmer template with a helper script included (see README.txt). Thanks to eXeC001er for helping me to test and validate the original package!

Anil Gulecha ha anunciado la disponibilidad de la primera versión candidata para Nexenta Core Platform 2.0, un sistema operativo que combina el núcleo de OpenSolaris con los paquetes de software de Debian y Ubuntu.

Las principales características son las siguientes:

* Interesante soporte experimental para un procesador de 128-bit.

* Solucionados a muchos bugs desde la última beta.

* Basado en OpenSolaris build 104+.

* Más de 13000 paquetes en el repositorio, gracias a autobuilder.

* Facilidad de actualización desde NCP1.

* Drivers X.Org, GNOME y Xfce en el repositorio.

* Basado en Ubuntu 8.04 LTS (Hardy Heron).

* Soporte SMF para aplicaciones de servidor como Apache, MySQL, PostgreSQL, Exim.

* Incluye apt-clon que trae ZFS a apt-get.

Más información y descargas:

http://www.nexenta.org/os

Although Nexenta uses the OpenSolaris kernel, there are a few unique steps that you’ll need to take in order to get Nexenta up and running paravirtualized (PV) on XenServer 5. These steps are a result of the lack of certain files in the default ramdisk on the Nexenta installation CD.

Also, the CDROM device seems to be handled differently in Nexenta than it is in OpenSolaris. As a result, these instructions will require you to fully install Nexenta in HVM mode and then flip the right bits to convert it to PV.

A few notes: I use /opt/kernels on my XenServer to store the kernels and ramdisks I use for my PV systems. You can substitute whatever you like for that directory; technically I think the “correct” place would be somewhere in “/usr/local”. Likewise, the names that I give the ramdisks and kernels are completely subjective; feel free to devise your own scheme.

1. Using the “Other Media” option in XenCenter, install NexentaCP from the installation CD like you’d install a Windows system.
2. Configure the installation appropriately at the presented prompts. Note that due to running in HVM mode, this initial installation will take a significant amount of time. Fear not, things will move much more quickly by the time you’re done.
3. Copy /platform/i86pc/miniroot from the Nexenta installation CD to a system where you can work with it. I used an OpenSolaris system for the next steps.
4. Rename miniroot to miniroot.gz.
5. Decompress the miniroot.gz archive: gunzip miniroot.gz
6. Mount the miniroot archive as a loopback device:
   mount -o loop [/path/to/]miniroot /[mountpoint]
7. Change directories into the /platform directory on the mounted filesystem
8. Copy the entire /platform/i86xpv directory from the HVM Nexenta system via scp over to the mounted filesystem. You might need to do this from the HVM Nexenta system (unless you svcadm enable ssh on the HVM Nexenta system).
9. Move out of the miniroot filesystem on your working machine (the OpenSolaris box for me) and unmount the archive:
   unmount /[mountpoint]
10. Recompress the miniroot archive: gzip miniroot
11. Copy the newly modified miniroot archive over to an appropriate directory on the XenServer:
    scp ./miniroot.gz \
root@xenserver:/opt/kernels/ramdisk_nexenta_install
12. Log in to the Nexenta HVM system and copy the i86xpv kernel over to the XenServer:
    scp /platform/i86xpv/kernel/unix \
root@xenserver:/opt/kernels/kernel_nexenta
13. Log in to the XenServer and configure the Nexenta VM to use the kernel and ramdisk you’ve moved over:
    1. xe vm-param-set uuid=[VM UUID] \
PV-kernel=/opt/kernels/kernel_nexenta
    2. xe vm-param-set uuid=[VM UUID] PV-ramdisk=\
/opt/kernels/ramdisk_nexenta_install
    3. xe vm-param-set uuid=[VM UUID] \
PV-args='/platform/i86xpv/kernel/unix \
-B console=ttya -m milestone=0 -v'
    4. xe vm-param-set uuid=[VM UUID] \
HVM-boot-policy=
14. Reboot the newly paravirtualized Nexenta VM. It will fail to boot – that’s okay.
15. When prompted to log in for maintenance, enter root with a blank password. If you have trouble getting the VM to respond to your keystrokes in XenCenter, try restarting XenCenter; every time I’ve done this, XenCenter has failed at this point and had to be restarted.
16. Import the syspool zpool: zpool import -f syspool
17. Configure the PV-args on the XenServer to specify the bootfs:
    xe vm-param-set uuid=[VM UUID] PV-args=\
'/platform/i86xpv/kernel/unix -B console=ttya,\
zfs-bootfs=syspool/rootfs-nmu-000,\
bootpath="/xpvd/xdf@51712:a"'
18. Reboot your Nexenta system. At this point, it should boot up and let you log in normally.
19. Once booted, plumb your virtualized network interfaces: ifconfig xnf0 plumb
20. Rename /etc/hostname.rtls0 and /etc/hostname6.rtls0 to /etc/hostname.xnf0 and /etc/hostname6.xnf0
21. Reboot.
22. Copy /platform/i86pc/boot_archive from the booted Nexenta system over to the XenServer as something like /opt/kernels/ramdisk_nexenta.
23. Reconfigure the VM parameters to point at the new boot archive:
    xe vm-param-set uuid=[VM UUID] \
PV-ramdisk=/opt/kernels/ramdisk_nexenta
24. Reboot.

Congratulations! You now have a paravirtualized Nexenta core system. Upon booting, the VM screen should look something like:

v3.2.1 chgset ‘58bf50a2c754.3c18e9e0f827 (3.2.1 5.0.0.235.17085)’
SunOS Release 5.11 Version NexentaOS_20081207 32-bit
Loading Nexenta…
NOTICE: xdf@51712: failed to read feature-barrier
Hostname: nexenta-test
Reading ZFS config: done.
Mounting ZFS filesystems: (2/2)

NexentaCore 2.0 RC1 (Hardy 8.04/b104+)

nexenta-test console login:

Take particular note: when you update a package that includes a kernel module, be sure to update the boot_archive (bootadm update-archive) and copy that updated archive over to the XenServer as /opt/kernels/ramdisk_nexenta BEFORE rebooting the Nexenta VM. I ran into a problem where the system could not load the console after doing an aptitude safe-upgrade and rebooting without updating the ramdisk.

Also, after installing I had to run an apt-get -f install to finish the installation of libtimedate-perl before doing an aptitude safe-upgrade. That package doesn’t appear to be installed correctly by the installer.

As always, please let me know if you have any comments or suggestions!

After my post last night, I did a little more digging; all that was required was to import the syspool from the HVM install (zpool import -f syspool) and reset the PV-args.

It looks like I need to re-configure the interfaces (the rtls0 interface would not plumb, presumably because the PV process changed the name), but I think we’re there. I’ll clean up the process and post comprehensive instructions later tonight.

Gulecha ha annunciato la disponibilità della prima release candidate di Nexenta Core Platform 2.0, un sistema operativo base che combina il kernel OpenSolaris con le utilità di Debian e i pacchetti software di Ubuntu: “Questo per annunciare la disponibilità di Nexenta Core Platform 2.0 RC1. Le interessanti dotazioni aggiunte a questa release è lo sperimentale supporto ai processori a 128-bit. Abbiamo corretto anche molti bugs e risolto problemi rispetto alla ultima beta. Release highlights: OpenSolaris build 104+ con patches cruciali; oltre 13,000 pacchetti nella repository, grazie all’autobuilder; upgrade da NCP1; gli sforzi della comunità hanno permesso di aggiungere X.Org, Xfce e GNOME Core nella repository; basata su repository Ubuntu 8.04 LTS (Hardy Heron); supporto SMF aggiunto per applicazioni server come Apache, MySQL, PostgreSQL, Exim; include Vim e screen di default; include apt-clone con potenziali ZFS in apt-get.” Qui c’è il completo annuncio di rilascio.
Download (MD5): nexenta-core-platform_2.0-b104-rc1_x86.iso.zip (499MB).

Nexenta is an OpenSolaris distribution that combines a GNU userland with an OpenSolaris kernel. Because it’s based on OpenSolaris (kernel 104 for this release), we should be able to get it up and running on XenServer in a manner similar to what I’ve covered in previous blog entries.

Unfortunately, I haven’t yet been fully successful. Nonetheless, I thought it might be useful to post my findings:

1. The boot archive on the installation CD (miniroot) does not include the paravirtualized kernel.
2. The boot process doesn’t seem to recognize the CDROM device as a CDROM.
3. Once booted, all of the disks and virtualized devices seem to be detected successfully (except the CDROM). See the output below for details.
4. Installing via HVM (which does work, but is terribly slow) and attempting to convert the installation to PV doesn’t seem to work – the kernel will not boot the “syspool/root-nmu-000″ ZFS environment. This isn’t surprising; I couldn’t get this to work with OpenSolaris either. With OpenSolaris I was able to just install directly into a PV environment, thereby circumventing that difficulty altogether.

I solved the first problem by modifying the miniroot archive (/platform/i86pc/miniroot on the installation CD) using an OpenSolaris box. It’s a gzipped UNIX Fast File System file. To alter it, you’ll need to unzip and mount the file (use “-o loop”) on OpenSolaris and just add the /platform/i86xpv files from a fully installed Nexenta instance to the archive. After adding the files, unmount it, re-gzip it and transfer it over to the XenServer as the VM’s PV-ramdisk.

Similarly, take the /platform/i86xpv/kernel/unix file and move it over to the XenServer as the VM’s PV-kernel.

Now, with the PV-args set thusly:

xe vm-param-set uuid=[VM UUID] PV-args='/platform/i86xpv/kernel/unix -B console=ttya -m milestone=0 -v'

. . . you should be able to boot the PV kernel. What you should see is:

module /platform/i86xpv/kernel/unix: text at [0xf4c00000, 0xf4cdca6f] data at 0xf5000000
module /kernel/genunix: text at [0xf4cdca70, 0xf4ea541f] data at 0xf506c140
v3.2.1 chgset '58bf50a2c754.3c18e9e0f827 (3.2.1 5.0.0.235.17085)'
SunOS Release 5.11 Version NexentaOS_20081207 32-bit
Loading Nexenta...
features: 611e66c6
mem = 1048576K (0x40000000)
Using default device instance data
root nexus = i86xpv
pseudo0 at root
pseudo0 is /pseudo
scsi_vhci0 at root
scsi_vhci0 is /scsi_vhci
ramdisk0 at root
ramdisk0 is /ramdisk
root on /ramdisk:a fstype ufs
/cpus (cpunex0) online
pseudo-device: dld0
dld0 is /pseudo/dld@0
xpvd0 at root
xencons@0, xencons0
xencons0 is /xpvd/xencons@0
cpu0: x86 (chipid 0x0 GenuineIntel F64 family 15 model 6 step 4 clock 2660 MHz)
cpu0: Intel(r) Xeon(tm) CPU 2.66GHz
pseudo-device: lofi0
lofi0 is /pseudo/lofi@0
pseudo-device: stmf_sbd0
stmf_sbd0 is /pseudo/stmf_sbd@0
pseudo-device: devinfo0
devinfo0 is /pseudo/devinfo@0
Hostname: hardy_installcd
iscsi0 at root
iscsi0 is /iscsi
xsvc0 at root: space 0 offset 0
xsvc0 is /xsvc@0,0
pseudo-device: pseudo1
pseudo1 is /pseudo/zconsnex@1
pseudo-device: profile0
profile0 is /pseudo/profile@0
pseudo-device: ramdisk1024
ramdisk1024 is /pseudo/ramdisk@1024
pseudo-device: lockstat0
lockstat0 is /pseudo/lockstat@0
pseudo-device: llc10
llc10 is /pseudo/llc1@0
pseudo-device: dtrace0
dtrace0 is /pseudo/dtrace@0
pseudo-device: systrace0
systrace0 is /pseudo/systrace@0
pseudo-device: fbt0
fbt0 is /pseudo/fbt@0
pseudo-device: sdt0
sdt0 is /pseudo/sdt@0
pseudo-device: fasttrap0
fasttrap0 is /pseudo/fasttrap@0
pseudo-device: power0
power0 is /pseudo/power@0
pseudo-device: zfs0
zfs0 is /pseudo/zfs@0
pseudo-device: srn0
srn0 is /pseudo/srn@0
pseudo-device: stmf0
stmf0 is /pseudo/stmf@0
pseudo-device: fct0
fct0 is /pseudo/fct@0
pseudo-device: ucode0
ucode0 is /pseudo/ucode@0
pseudo-device: fcsm0
fcsm0 is /pseudo/fcsm@0
pseudo-device: fcp0
fcp0 is /pseudo/fcp@0
/xpvd/xnf@0 (xnf0) online
xdf@51712, xdf0
xdf0 is /xpvd/xdf@51712
/xpvd/xdf@51712 (xdf0) online
xdf@51760, xdf1
xdf1 is /xpvd/xdf@51760
/xpvd/xdf@51760 (xdf1) online
xenbus@0, xenbus0
xenbus0 is /xpvd/xenbus@0
domcaps@0, domcaps0
domcaps0 is /xpvd/domcaps@0
balloon@0, balloon0
balloon0 is /xpvd/balloon@0
NOTICE: xdf@51712: failed to read feature-barrier
xdf@51712: 41943040 blocksxdf@51760: 1034668 blocksCD-ROM: discovery failed
ERROR: svc:/system/filesystem/usr:default failed to mount /dev/fd (see 'svcs -x' for details)
Apr 2 12:42:44 svc.startd[7]: svc:/system/filesystem/usr:default: Method "/lib/svc/method/fs-usr" failed with exit status 95.
Apr 2 12:42:44 svc.startd[7]: system/filesystem/usr:default failed fatally: transitioned to maintenance (see 'svcs -xv' for details)
Requesting System Maintenance Mode
(See /lib/svc/share/README for more information.)
Console login service(s) cannot run
Enter user name for system maintenance (control-d to bypass):

From here, you can log in as root (blank password), but you can’t do much. If someone knows how to solve the CDROM detection problem, I think we can move further.

Hopefully Nexenta includes provisions to allow booting the system as a domU in their next release. It seems silly not to, considering that the framework is already pretty much there.

NexentaCore proporciona un ambiente nativo de Debian/OpenSolaris, y ahora ha liberado la segunda beta que presenta muchos arreglos de bugs después de la liberación de la primera bera. Aún así, esta beta está clasificada como inestable.

Las características son las siguientes:

* Basado en OpenSolaris build 104+.
* Más de 13000 paquetes disponibles en el depósito.
* Basado en Ubuntu 8.04 LTS (Hardy Heron).
* Incluye lo último de  dpkg/apt, gcc, binutils, coreutils, perl, python, ruby, Qt libs, GTK libs, etc
* Añadido soporte SMF para aplicaciones servidor como apache, mysql, postgresql, exim4, etc.
* Ambiente Debian natural al 100%, fácil de usar y actualizar.
* Incluye la última devzone versión al CD.
* Incluye apt-clone que lleva energía zfs a apt-get.

Más información y descargas:

http://www.nexenta.org/os/Download

Anil Gulecha ha anunciado la disponibilidad de la primera versión beta de la Plataforma NexentaCore (NCP) 2.0, una libre distribucion de código abierto que combina el núcleo OpenSolaris con la usabilidad de Ubuntu: “Esto es para anunciar la disponibilidad de NexentaCore 2.0 beta – un Ubuntu / medio ambiente OpenSolaris nativo. Los paquetes son relativamente estables, y por lo tanto hemos trasladado la NCP a beta, y el objetivo es la liberación de una versión estable a principios del próximo año.

El lanzamiento pone de manifiesto: basado en OpenSolaris 104 + con parches críticos, más de 6000 paquetes en el repositorio, basado en Ubuntu 8.04 LTS “Hardy Heron” repositorio, incluye el más reciente APT, gcc, binutils, coreutils, Perl, Python, Ruby, Qt libs, GTK libs,…, Soporte añadido SMF para aplicaciones de servidor como Apache, MySQL , PostgreSQL, Exim4. El anuncio de la liberación y descargas:

http://lists.sonic.net/pipermail/gnusol-devel/2008-December/001251.html

You can download it from here!

Pogo Linux, Inc fue fundada en 1999, presenta soluciones en estaciones de trabajo, servidores, sistemas de almacenamiento y proveedor con sede en Seattle, Washington. Presenta soluciones en diferentes sitemas operativos y la empresa está dedicada a proveer asequibles, fiables y de alto rendimiento energético sistemas basados en Linux, Solaris, Windows. Nexenta Systems, Inc, ha desarrollado NexentaStor (TM), la principal empresa en soluciones de almacenamiento abiertoy patrocinador de NexentaCore, un sistema operativo de fuente abierta que combina el alto rendimiento y la fiabilidad de OpenSolaris con la facilidad de el uso y la amplitud de aplicaciones de Linux.
Pogo Linux anunció la disponibilidad inmediata de una nueva serie de aparatos de almacenamiento de NexentaStor en esta semana durante la OSCON 2008. Estos aparatos de almacenamiento, llamado el StorageDirector Z-Series es lo que los clientes están buscando: la escalabilidad sin complejidad, y el anuncio de hoy significa Nexenta y Pogo Linux están muy bien posicionadas para satisfacer estas demandas de manera eficaz y económica. Los aparatos también incluyen capacidades de búsqueda para gestionar copias de seguridad según las políticas, y elimina el riesgo de corrupción de datos silenciosa que afecta a muchas soluciones basadas en SATA. Fuente.

Tres configuraciones están disponibles actualmente:
StorageDirector Z100 NAS Appliance: 1 TB de almacenamiento, a partir de $ 3555
StorageDirector Z300 NAS Appliance: 5TB de almacenamiento, ampliable a través de SAS, a partir de $ 6999
StorageDirector Z400 NAS Appliance: 10 TB de almacenamiento, ampliable a través de SAS, a partir de $ 8999

Tempo fa ho ricevuto, tramite un servizio praticamente uguale a ShipIt di Ubuntu, il LiveCd di OpenSolaris 2008.05, meglio conosciuto come Progetto Indiana.

Il Progetto Indiana, guidato da Ian Murdock, uno dei fondatori del progetto Debian, ha come scopo quello di rendere OpenSolaris un sistema ideale anche per il desktop.

Ma, stando alle mie impressioni, la strada è ancora lunga.

Il problema più evidente ( ma anche quello più prevedibile) è il supporto hardware un pò limitato: funzionano discretamente bene i processori AMD serie athlon64/Opteron ( la Sun commercializza(va) workstation con questa cpu), mentre per le altre piattaforme, soprattutto quelle in uso sui portatili, ci sono problemi nel riconoscimento delle politiche per il risparmio energetico. Da questo punto di vista, una mancanza secondo me “imperdonabile” è il mancato supporto per i processori SPARC prodotti dalla Sun stessa.

Altro problema è dal punto del software, o meglio dalla licenza con cui il sistema viene distribuito: la Common Development and Distribution License (CDDL) la stessa versione che adottava java prima del passaggio alla GPL, e per chi conosce la storia di questo passaggio, sa quanto la CDDL non sia ben vista.

E poi l’ubuntizzazione “forzata” (e lo dice uno che ubuntu la usa): la Sun rincorre (giustamente) il successo di ubuntu (la chiamata di Ian “papà della ubuntu-mamma” ne è forse la dimostrazione), ma il progetto sembra non avere una propria identità.E non basta l’adozione del mitico (nel senso letterale e letterario del termine) file system ZFS a dargliene.

Devo dire che la strada per creare una distribuzione Desktop-oriented di OpenSolaris la stanno percorrendo meglio è più speditamente gli altri progetti basati su OpenSolaris, soprattutto Belenix, che non il progetto Indiana. Forse la Sun avrebbe fatto meglio a dare supporto ad uno di questi due progetti già avviati, piùttosto che crearne uno da zero.

Nexenta Systems, Inc., ha liberado la primera Alpha de la versión NexentaCore 2.0, del proyecto de sistema operativo que une el kernel Opensolaris con las herramientas GNU tales como el escritorio Gnome, APT, etc. Con ello los desarrolladores cuentan con una base solida en la cual trabajar y los usuarios cuentan con un escritorio con el que pueden realizar las tareas básicas con facilidad. En el anuncio de su liberación, cuenta con:

- 3392 paquetes que incluyen las ultimas versiones de dpkg/apt, gcc, binutils, coreutils, perl, python, ruby, Qt libs, GTK libs, etc
- Basado en Ubuntu 8.04 LTS (Hardy Heron).
- Ambiente 100% nativo Debian, fácil de usar y de actualizar.
- Basado en OpenSolaris b85+ (x86 32-bit y 64-bit).

Nexenta Systems, Inc. fue fundada en 2005, y entre sus productos ha desarrollado NexentaStor(TM), conocida solución de almacenamiento de tipo empresarial, y patrocina NexentaCore, un sistema operativo que combina el alto rendimiento y fiabilidad de OpenSolaris con la facilidad de uso y la variedad de aplicaciones de Linux. Ambas soluciones fomentan el uso del revolucionario sistema de archivos ZFS. Puede obtener más información acerca de Nexenta Systems, Inc. y descargar las versiones del sistema operativo en su sitio web:

http://www.nexenta.com