Recently, I've been very interested in server virtualization. Specifically, I've been interested in virtualizing Linux using Xen. I've been reading a ton about it, and have compiled the following trail. It starts with the more general (what is virtualization, theory, examples, etc.) and gradually becomes more specific (Xen info and howtos).
An Introduction to Virtualization
This is a rather long and in-depth look at what exactly virtualization means and why you'd want to use it. The author includes short descriptions of many different ways of achieving virtualization. Sadly, he doesn't delve into Xen, but I think that's because at the time of writing Xen was relatively new.
Virtualization -- Short introduction to virtualization techniques
Basically, this is just a bare-bones intro--not as in-depth as the previous article. It presents short explanations of the three main virtualization techniques and gives examples of each.
Exclusive: Xen Grows Up
This is a really good article that discusses Xen, describes how it works, how you can use it, and how it compares to other virtualization techniques. Sadly, it requires a username and password, but the one I got from
BugMeNot works just fine.
Ok, enough with the theory and intros. On to the howtos and tutorials!
The Perfect Xen Setup For Debian And Ubuntu
A very in-depth, step-by-step tutorial on installing Xen on Debian or Ubuntu. It has this helpful note at the beginning:
This is a "copy & paste" HowTo! The easiest way to follow this tutorial is to use a command line client/SSH client (like PuTTY for Windows) and simply copy and paste the commands (except where you have to provide own information like IP addresses, hostnames, passwords,...). This helps to avoid typos.
Debian Administration :: Installing Xen 3.0 upon Debian Sarge
Debian Administration :: Installing Xen 3.0 upon Debian Unstable, with a custom Kernel
These are two tutorials on installing Xen in Debian from the great Debian site,
Debian Administration. Both are by the site's maintainer (and Debian developer), Steve. The first one describes installing Xen using one of the stock Debian kernels. The second one describes the process for installing a custom-compiled kernel in the Xen instances. It also touches on using the
xen-tools script (written by Steve) to automate the installation of a basic Xen instance.
Note: I've got a few more articles (two about clustering Xen, and one about using multiple Xen instances to create a virtual network for testing), but they're outside the scope of this trail. So, I'm posting them to my del.icio.us/xen page in case anyone is interested.
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