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Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization for Desktops 2.2

Administration Guide

System Administration for Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization for Desktops

Edition 2

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Red Hat Documentation Team

Red Hat Engineering Services and Operations

Susan Burgess

Red Hat Engineering Content Services

Copyright © 2010 Red Hat, Inc

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Abstract
This document is a reference guide for the systems administrator of a Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization for Desktops system.
Preface
1. About this Guide
1.1. The Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization Documentation Suite
1.2. Audience
2. Document Conventions
2.1. Typographic Conventions
2.2. Pull-quote Conventions
2.3. Notes and Warnings
3. We Need Feedback!
1. Introduction
1.1. Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization Architecture
1.1.1. System Components
1.2. Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization Resources
1.2.1. Data Centers
1.2.2. Storage
1.2.3. Clusters
1.2.4. Hosts
1.2.5. Virtual Machines
1.2.6. Desktop Pools
1.2.7. Templates
1.2.8. Snapshots
1.2.9. Events and Monitors
1.2.10. Reports
1.3. Administration of the Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization Platform
1.3.1. Quick Start
1.3.2. Maintaining the Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization Platform
2. Getting Started
2.1. Prerequisites
2.1.1. Configuring Internet Explorer security settings
2.2. Logging In
2.3. Installing the ActiveX Component
2.4. Understanding the User Interface
2.4.1. Header Bar
2.4.2. Search Bar
2.4.3. Resource Tabs
2.4.4. Results List
2.5. Using the Details Pane
2.5.1. Parts of the Details Pane
2.6. Bookmarks Pane
2.7. Tags Pane
3. Managing Data Centers
3.1. Prerequisites for Setting up a Data Center
3.2. Working with Data Centers
3.2.1. Creating a New Data Center
3.2.2. Configuring a Data Center
3.2.3. Removing a Data Center
3.3. Working with Clusters
3.3.1. Creating a New Host Cluster
3.3.2. Configuring Cluster Policies
3.3.3. Maintaining a Cluster
3.3.4. Removing a Cluster
3.4. Maintaining Logical Networks
3.4.1. Adding Logical Networks to a Data Center
3.4.2. Editing Logical Networks
3.4.3. Maintaining Logical Networks in a Cluster
3.4.4. Mapping Logical Networks to Physical Interfaces
4. Managing Storage
4.1. Understanding Storage Domains
4.1.1. Understanding Virtual Disks
4.1.2. The Storage Pool Manager
4.1.3. Multipathing
4.2. Adding Storage Domains to a Data Center
4.2.1. Adding NFS Storage
4.2.2. Adding iSCSI Storage
4.2.3. Adding FCP Storage
4.2.4. Example - Adding a Multipath Storage Domain
4.3. Attaching Storage Domains to a Data Center
4.3.1. Attaching Disk Image Storage
4.3.2. Attaching ISO Image Storage
4.3.3. Attaching an Export Storage Domain
4.4. Maintaining Storage Domains
4.4.1. Moving Storage Domains to Maintenance Mode
4.4.2. Editing Storage Domains
4.4.3. Activating Storage Domains
4.5. Deleting Storage Domains
4.5.1. Detaching Storage Domains from a Data Center
4.5.2. Removing Storage Domains
5. Managing Hosts
5.1. About Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization Hosts
5.1.1. Securing Hosts
5.1.2. Viewing Hosts
5.2. Adding Hosts
5.2.1. Prerequisites
5.2.2. Adding Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization Hypervisor Hosts
5.2.3. Adding Red Hat Enterprise Linux Hosts
5.2.4. Activating a Host
5.3. Managing Host Network Interfaces
5.3.1. Editing Network Interfaces
5.3.2. Configuring Network Interfaces
5.4. Maintaining Hosts
5.4.1. Moving a Host into Maintenance Mode
5.4.2. Editing Host Details
5.5. Configuring Power Management and Fencing
5.5.1. Setting the Parameters for Fencing
5.5.2. Manually Fencing or Isolating a Host
5.6. Customizing Hosts
5.7. Deleting a Physical Host
6. Managing Virtual Resources
6.1. About Virtual Machines
6.1.1. Supported Virtual Machines
6.1.2. Virtual Machine Performance Parameters
6.1.3. Understanding Virtual Machine Storage
6.2. Creating New Virtual Machines
6.2.1. Creating Virtual Machines from Existing Templates
6.2.2. Creating New Virtual Machines without a Template
6.2.3. Cloning Virtual Machines from Existing Templates
6.3. Completing the Configuration of the Virtual Machine
6.4. Installing Operating Systems onto Blank Virtual Machines
6.5. Logging into Virtual Machines
6.5.1. Logging into Windows Virtual Machines using SPICE
6.5.2. Logging into Virtual Machines with Remote Desktop (RDP)
6.5.3. Logging into Virtual Machines with VNC
6.5.4. Console Window Menu Extension for Administrators
6.6. Managing Virtual Machines
6.6.1. Editing Virtual Machines
6.6.2. Powering Virtual Machines On
6.6.3. Shutting Down or Pausing Virtual Machines
6.6.4. Migrating Virtual Machines
6.6.5. Moving Virtual Machines within a Data Center
6.6.6. Removing Virtual Machines
6.7. Using Virtual Machine Snapshots
6.7.1. Creating Snapshots of Virtual Machines
6.7.2. Restoring Virtual Machines from Snapshots
6.7.3. Deleting Snapshots
6.8. Exporting and Importing Virtual Resources
6.8.1. Overview of the Export-Import Process
6.8.2. Exporting Virtual Machines
6.8.3. Importing Virtual Machines into the Destination Data Center
6.9. Backing Up Virtual Resources
6.10. Removing Virtual Machines
7. Using Templates
7.1. Creating Templates from Existing Virtual Machines
7.1.1. Sealing a Windows Template with Sysprep
7.2. Editing Templates
7.3. Copying Templates to a Different Storage Domain
7.4. Deleting Templates
7.5. Exporting and Importing Templates
7.5.1. Exporting Templates
7.5.2. Importing the Templates
7.6. Backing Up Templates
8. Using Pools
8.1. Creating Desktop Pools
8.2. Managing Desktop Pools
8.2.1. Assigning Users to a Desktop Pool
8.2.2. Editing Desktop Pools
8.2.3. Detaching desktops from a Pool
8.3. Removing Desktop Pools
9. Managing Users
9.1. Configuring Roles
9.1.1. Managing User Roles
9.2. Assigning Roles to Users
9.3. Adding Users and Groups
9.4. Managing User Access
9.4.1. Viewing General Information
9.4.2. Managing a User's Virtual Machines
9.4.3. Managing Event Notifiers
9.5. Removing Users
10. Locating Resources
10.1. Using the Search Syntax
10.1.1. Query Construction and Auto-Completion
10.1.2. Result-Type Options
10.1.3. Search Criteria
10.1.4. Determining Sort Order
10.2. Searching for Resources
10.2.1. Searching for Data Centers
10.2.2. Searching for Clusters
10.2.3. Searching for Hosts
10.2.4. Searching for Storage
10.2.5. Searching for Virtual Machines
10.2.6. Searching for Pools
10.2.7. Searching for Templates
10.2.8. Searching for Users
10.2.9. Searching for Events
10.3. Saving and Accessing Queries as Bookmarks
10.3.1. Creating Bookmarks
10.3.2. Editing Bookmarks
10.3.3. Deleting Bookmarks
11. Monitoring Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization
11.1. Using the Monitoring Tools
11.1.1. Monitoring Storage
11.1.2. Monitoring Hosts
11.1.3. Monitoring Virtual Machines
11.1.4. Viewing the Event List
11.1.5. Viewing Alert Information
12. Reporting from the History Database
12.1. Overview
12.1.1. Tracking Configuration
12.1.2. Recording statistical history
12.2. Connecting to the History Database
12.3. Example Reports
12.3.1. Resource utilization on a single host
12.3.2. Resource utilization across all hosts
12.4. Configuration Views
12.4.1. cluster_configuration_view_2_2
12.4.2. host_configuration_view_2_2
12.4.3. host_interface_configuration_view_2_2
12.4.4. vm_configuration_view_2_2
12.4.5. vm_disk_configuration_view_2_2
12.4.6. vm_interface_configuration_view_2_2
12.5. History Views
12.5.1. host_history_view_2_2
12.5.2. host_interface_history_view_2_2
12.5.3. vm_interface_history_view_2_2
12.5.4. vm_disk_history_view_2_2
12.5.5. vm_history_view_2_2
13. Using Tags
13.1. Managing Tags
13.2. Attaching Tags to Objects
13.3. Searching for Objects Using Tags
14. Configuring Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization Management
14.1. Using the Configuration Tool
14.1.1. Database Connection
14.1.2. Directory Services
14.1.3. Setting Local Variables for Sys prep
14.1.4. Configuring Storage
14.1.5. Setting the Host Parameters
14.1.6. Securing the System
14.1.7. Setting the Load Balancing Policy
14.1.8. Miscellaneous
14.1.9. Setting up Event Notification
14.2. Configuring USB Device Policy
14.2.1. Adding a USB Policy
14.2.2. Removing a USB Policy
14.2.3. Searching for USB device Policies
14.2.4. Export a USB Policy
14.2.5. Import USB Policy
15. Upgrading Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization
15.1. Prerequisites
15.1.1. Installing Powershell 2.0
15.1.2. Backup the Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization Manager database
15.2. Upgrading the Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization Manager
15.3. Upgrading to Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization 2.2
15.3.1. Preparing to Upgrade
15.3.2. Performing a Live Upgrade
A. Importing virtual machines with virt-v2v
A.1. Converting a Virtual Machine
A.1.1. Preparing to Convert a Virtual Machine
A.1.2. Converting Virtual Machines
A.1.3. Importing and running the Converted Virtual Machine
A.1.4. Configuration Changes
A.1.5. Scripting the v2v process
A.1.6. Scripted bulk v2v process
B. Configuring Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5.4 or higher virtual machines to use SPICE
C. Red Hat Enterprise Linux Host Package and Port Requirements
C.1. Using Red Hat Network to Acquire the Required Packages for Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5.4 and higher Hosts
C.2. Required Ports
D. KVM Virtual Machine Timing Management
E. Log Files
E.1. Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization Hypervisor Logs
E.1.1. Log Files Lists
E.1.2. Accessing Standard Linux system logs with sosreport
E.2. Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization Manager Logs
F. Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization Open Virtualization Files Format
F.1. Envelope
F.2. References Element
F.3. Network Section Elements
F.4. Disk Section Elements
F.5. Section Content Elements
G. Additional References
H. Revision History

Preface

Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization for Desktops is a richly featured virtualization management solution for servers that provides fully integrated management across virtual servers featuring live migration, high availability, system scheduling, power management, image management, snapshots, thin provisioning, and monitoring.
Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization for Desktops does not limit the amount of memory, cores or any other feature of the physical hardware in virtual machines and offers unmatched scalability in the management of large numbers of virtual servers.

1. About this Guide

This guide describes how to setup, configure and manage Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization for Desktops. It assumes that you have successfully installed the Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization manager and hosts.

1.1. The Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization Documentation Suite

The Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization Documentation suite provides information on installation, development of applications, configuration and usage of the Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization platform and its related products.
  • Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization Hypervisor Release Notes contain release specific information for Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization Hypervisors.
  • Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization Manager Release Notes contain release specific information for Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization Managers.
  • Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization for Desktops Installation Guide describes the installation prerequisites and procedures. Read this if you need to install Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization for Desktops. The installation of hosts, manager and storage are covered in this guide. You will need to refer to the Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization for Desktops Administration Guide to configure the system before you can start using the platform.
  • Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization for Desktops Administration Guide (the book you are reading) describes how to setup, configure and manage Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization for Desktops. It assumes that you have successfully installed the Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization manager and hosts.
  • Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization for Desktops User Guide describes how users of the Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization for Desktops system can access and use virtual desktops.
  • Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization Hypervisor Deployment Guide describes how to deploy and install the hypervisor. Read this guide if you need advanced information about installing and deploying Hypervisors. The basic installation of Hypervisor hosts is also described in the Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization for Desktops Installation Guide.
  • Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization Manager API Guide describes how to use the command line functions to set up and manage virtualization tasks. Use this guide if you do not wish to use the graphical user interface, and prefer using the command line.

1.2. Audience

This documentation suite is intended for Linux or Windows system administrators who need to manage a virtual environment using Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization platform. An advanced level of system administration, preferably including familiarity with virtual machine data center operations, is assumed. This document is not intended for beginners.

2. Document Conventions

This manual uses several conventions to highlight certain words and phrases and draw attention to specific pieces of information.
In PDF and paper editions, this manual uses typefaces drawn from the Liberation Fonts set. The Liberation Fonts set is also used in HTML editions if the set is installed on your system. If not, alternative but equivalent typefaces are displayed. Note: Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5 and later includes the Liberation Fonts set by default.

2.1. Typographic Conventions

Four typographic conventions are used to call attention to specific words and phrases. These conventions, and the circumstances they apply to, are as follows.
Mono-spaced Bold
Used to highlight system input, including shell commands, file names and paths. Also used to highlight keycaps and key combinations. For example:
To see the contents of the file my_next_bestselling_novel in your current working directory, enter the cat my_next_bestselling_novel command at the shell prompt and press Enter to execute the command.
The above includes a file name, a shell command and a keycap, all presented in mono-spaced bold and all distinguishable thanks to context.
Key combinations can be distinguished from keycaps by the hyphen connecting each part of a key combination. For example:
Press Enter to execute the command.
Press Ctrl+Alt+F2 to switch to the first virtual terminal. Press Ctrl+Alt+F1 to return to your X-Windows session.
The first paragraph highlights the particular keycap to press. The second highlights two key combinations (each a set of three keycaps with each set pressed simultaneously).
If source code is discussed, class names, methods, functions, variable names and returned values mentioned within a paragraph will be presented as above, in mono-spaced bold. For example:
File-related classes include filesystem for file systems, file for files, and dir for directories. Each class has its own associated set of permissions.
Proportional Bold
This denotes words or phrases encountered on a system, including application names; dialog box text; labeled buttons; check-box and radio button labels; menu titles and sub-menu titles. For example:
Choose System → Preferences → Mouse from the main menu bar to launch Mouse Preferences. In the Buttons tab, click the Left-handed mouse check box and click Close to switch the primary mouse button from the left to the right (making the mouse suitable for use in the left hand).
To insert a special character into a gedit file, choose Applications → Accessories → Character Map from the main menu bar. Next, choose Search → Find… from the Character Map menu bar, type the name of the character in the Search field and click Next. The character you sought will be highlighted in the Character Table. Double-click this highlighted character to place it in the Text to copy field and then click the Copy button. Now switch back to your document and choose Edit → Paste from the gedit menu bar.
The above text includes application names; system-wide menu names and items; application-specific menu names; and buttons and text found within a GUI interface, all presented in proportional bold and all distinguishable by context.
Mono-spaced Bold Italic or Proportional Bold Italic
Whether mono-spaced bold or proportional bold, the addition of italics indicates replaceable or variable text. Italics denotes text you do not input literally or displayed text that changes depending on circumstance. For example:
To connect to a remote machine using ssh, type ssh username@domain.name at a shell prompt. If the remote machine is example.com and your username on that machine is john, type ssh john@example.com.
The mount -o remount file-system command remounts the named file system. For example, to remount the /home file system, the command is mount -o remount /home.
To see the version of a currently installed package, use the rpm -q package command. It will return a result as follows: package-version-release.
Note the words in bold italics above — username, domain.name, file-system, package, version and release. Each word is a placeholder, either for text you enter when issuing a command or for text displayed by the system.
Aside from standard usage for presenting the title of a work, italics denotes the first use of a new and important term. For example:
Publican is a DocBook publishing system.

2.2. Pull-quote Conventions

Terminal output and source code listings are set off visually from the surrounding text.
Output sent to a terminal is set in mono-spaced roman and presented thus: 
books        Desktop   documentation  drafts  mss    photos   stuff  svn
books_tests  Desktop1  downloads      images  notes  scripts  svgs
Source-code listings are also set in mono-spaced roman but add syntax highlighting as follows: 
package org.jboss.book.jca.ex1;

import javax.naming.InitialContext;

public class ExClient
{
   public static void main(String args[]) 
       throws Exception
   {
      InitialContext iniCtx = new InitialContext();
      Object         ref    = iniCtx.lookup("EchoBean");
      EchoHome       home   = (EchoHome) ref;
      Echo           echo   = home.create();

      System.out.println("Created Echo");

      System.out.println("Echo.echo('Hello') = " + echo.echo("Hello"));
   }
}

2.3. Notes and Warnings

Finally, we use three visual styles to draw attention to information that might otherwise be overlooked.

Note

Notes are tips, shortcuts or alternative approaches to the task at hand. Ignoring a note should have no negative consequences, but you might miss out on a trick that makes your life easier.

Important

Important boxes detail things that are easily missed: configuration changes that only apply to the current session, or services that need restarting before an update will apply. Ignoring a box labeled 'Important' will not cause data loss but may cause irritation and frustration.

Warning

Warnings should not be ignored. Ignoring warnings will most likely cause data loss.

3. We Need Feedback!

If you find a typographical error in this manual, or if you have thought of a way to make this manual better, we would love to hear from you! Please submit a report by email to the author of the manual, Susan Burgess ( ). When submitting a bug report, be sure to mention the manual's identifier: Administration_Guide.
If you have a suggestion for improving the documentation, try to be as specific as possible when describing it. If you have found an error, include the section number and some of the surrounding text so we can find it easily.

Chapter 1. Introduction

1.1. Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization Architecture
1.1.1. System Components
1.2. Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization Resources
1.2.1. Data Centers
1.2.2. Storage
1.2.3. Clusters
1.2.4. Hosts
1.2.5. Virtual Machines
1.2.6. Desktop Pools
1.2.7. Templates
1.2.8. Snapshots
1.2.9. Events and Monitors
1.2.10. Reports
1.3. Administration of the Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization Platform
1.3.1. Quick Start
1.3.2. Maintaining the Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization Platform
Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization provides IT departments with the tools to meet the challenges of managing complex environments. Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization's state-of-the-art virtualization platform enables administrators to reduce the cost and complexity of large deployments, for example, for thousands of virtual machines. Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization platform includes:
  • High availability to quickly configure virtual machines for fault tolerance
  • Live migration to move virtual machines between physical hosts without interruption
  • System scheduler to create policies to dynamically balance compute resources
  • Power saver to create policies to conserve power and cooling costs.
  • Image manager to create, manage and provision virtual machines
  • Storage virtualization to consistently access common storage from any server.
  • Ability to convert existing virtual machines on foreign hypervisors to Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization platform.

1.1. Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization Architecture

Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization platform consists of three components:
  • Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization Hypervisor - based on Kernel Virtual Machine (KVM), is a thin virtualization layer deployed across the server's infrastructure. Because it is a core part of the Linux kernel, KVM is a highly efficient means of providing virtualization.
  • Agents and tools include VDSM which runs in the hypervisor or host providing local management for virtual machines, networks and storage.
  • Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization platform management infrastructure allows users to view and manage all the system components, machines and images from a single powerful interface. The management system GUI provides a comprehensive range of features including powerful search capabilities, resource management, live migrations and provisioning.
Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization Platform Overview
Figure 1.1. Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization Platform Overview

1.1.1. System Components

The various components work seamlessly together to enable the system administrator to setup, configure and maintain the virtualized environment through a meaningful graphical interface.

1.1.1.1. About the Components

Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization platform consists of one or more hosts (either Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization Hypervisors or Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5.5 and higher systems) and at least one Manager. The virtual machines are hosted on the hosts. The system and all its components are managed through a centralized management system.
Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization Hypervisor or Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5.5 or higher hosts run the user's Windows XP, Windows 2000 or Windows 7 or Linux virtual machines on Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization Hypervisor or Red Hat Enterprise Linux (5.5 and higher) and KVM virtualization technology (Kernel-based Virtual Machine). The hypervisor also includes a resource optimization layer that allows for better desktop interactivity and management.
Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization Manager is a graphical user interface that controls the platform. It manages provisioning, connection protocols, user session logon/logoffs, virtual desktop pools, virtual machine images and the high availability/clustering systems. Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization Manager runs on a Windows 2003 or 2008 server in clustered mode, in active stand-by configuration.

1.1.1.2. About the Virtual Machines

Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization platform enables you to create virtual machines that perform the same functions as physical machines. Using a standard Web browser, users can run virtual machines that behave like physical desktops.

1.1.1.3. About SPICE

The SPICE protocol allows the virtual machine to be connected to the host, with physical PC-like graphics performance. It supplies video quality (30+ frames per second), bi-directional audio (for soft-phones/IP phones), bi-directional video (for video telephony/video conferencing) and USB redirection from the client’s USB port into the virtual machine. SPICE also supports connection to multiple monitors with a single virtual machine. SPICE is automatically installed via ActiveX, using the browser on the virtual machine.

1.2. Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization Resources

The Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization platform manages the following resources within the management infrastructure to create a powerful, scalable virtual environment.

1.2.1. Data Centers

A data center is a logical entity that defines the set of resources used in a specific environment. It is a collection of a number of clusters of virtual machines, storage and networks.
The data center is the highest level container for all physical and logical resources within a managed virtual environment.

1.2.2. Storage

A data center relies on adequate and accessible physical storage. The storage pool provides an abstracted view of the physical storage assigned to a data center, that enables planners and administrators to easily monitor and manage storage requirements.
The storage pool is a logical entity that contains a standalone image repository of a certain type, either iSCSI, or Fiber Channel, or NFS. Each Storage Pool may contain several storage domains, for virtual machine disk images and for ISO images and for the import and export of virtual machine images.

1.2.3. Clusters

A cluster is a set of physical hosts that are treated as a resource pool for a set of virtual machines. Hosts in a cluster share the same network infrastructure and the same storage. They are a migration domain within which virtual machines can be moved from host to host.

1.2.4. Hosts

A host is a physical server that runs either Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization Hypervisor or Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5.5 and above, and hosts one or more virtual machines. Hosts are grouped into clusters. Virtual machines can be migrated from one host to another within a server cluster.

1.2.5. Virtual Machines

A desktop is a virtual machine containing an operating system and a set of applications. Multiple desktops can be created in a Pool.

1.2.6. Desktop Pools

A desktop pool is a group of identical virtual desktops that are available on demand by each one of the group members (not concurrently). Different desktop pools can be set up to for different purposes. For example, there can be one desktop pool for the Marketing department, another for Research and Development, and so on. The user gets an available desktop of the required type, from the appropriate pool.

1.2.7. Templates

A template is a model virtual machine with a unique configuration and settings. A virtual machine that is based on a particular template acquires the configurations and settings of the template. Templates are used to conveniently and efficiently create a set of identical virtual machines. Using templates is the quickest way of creating large number of virtual machines in a single step.

1.2.8. Snapshots

A snapshot is a view of a virtual machine's operating system and all its applications at a given point in time. It can be used to save the settings of a virtual machine before an upgrade, or before new applications are installed. In case of problems, the parameters from the snapshot can be used to restore the virtual machine to the state before the upgrade or installation.

1.2.9. Events and Monitors

Alerts, warnings, or other notice about activities within the system help the administrator to monitor the performance and running of various resources. Monitoring details can be displayed in both graphic and textual fashion.

1.2.10. Reports

Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization Manager now includes a data warehouse that collects monitoring data for hosts, virtual machines and storage, allowing customers to analyze their environment and create reports using any query tool that supports SQL.

1.3. Administration of the Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization Platform

This section provides a high level overview of the tasks and responsibilities of a system administrator for the Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization platform. The tasks are divided into two general groups:
  • Configuring a new logical data center is the most important task of the system administrator. Designing a new data center requires an understanding of capacity planning and definition of requirements. Typically this is determined by the solution architect, who provides the requirement to the system architect. Preparing to set up the virtualized environment is a significant part of the set up, and is usually part of the system administrator's role.
  • Maintaining the data center, including performing updates and monitoring usage and performance to keep the data center responsive to changing needs and loads.
The procedures to complete these tasks are described in detail in later sections of this guide.

1.3.1. Quick Start

This section provides an overview of the practical steps needed to start using Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization platform. It is recommended that you take the time to read this guide before attempting to carry out these steps.

Note:

Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization platform provides a default data center and a default cluster.
Setting up Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization
Figure 1.2. Setting up Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization

A typical workflow to create an optimum virtual environment for a data center that is easy to maintain and manage is:
  1. Setup, configure and add hosts to the system. A cluster must have a minimum of one host, and storage requires one active host before a domain can be activated. Refer Chapter 5, Managing Hosts.
  2. Setup, configure and define Storage. It is recommended that data centers have a minimum of two storage domains, one to store disk images of the virtual machines and one to store the ISO images. This must be defined at the level of the data center. Refer Chapter 4, Managing Storage.
  3. Upload ISO files onto the defined storage domains. This is essential as it enables the swift and agile creation of appropriate virtual machines as required. Refer Section 4.3.2, “Attaching ISO Image Storage”.
  4. Define clusters. A cluster is a group of hosts. Grouping hosts into a cluster allows resources to be shared across the cluster. Grouping also allows segmentation between groups (for example, resources are not shared between HR and finance). Refer Section 3.3, “Working with Clusters”.
  5. Define Logical Networks for the data center, cluster and the hosts. Refer Section 3.4, “Maintaining Logical Networks”.
  6. Define virtual machines by installing an operating system and applications using the Run Once function. Refer Section 6.2, “Creating New Virtual Machines”.
  7. Define templates from customised virtual machines. This enables the user to create large numbers of identical virtual machines quickly and efficiently. Refer Chapter 7, Using Templates.

1.3.2. Maintaining the Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization Platform

This section describes how to maintain a Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization platform.
The administrator's tasks include:
  • Managing physical and virtual resources such as hosts and virtual machines. This includes upgrading or adding hosts, importing domains, and converting virtual machines created on foreign hypervisors.
  • Monitoring the overall system resources for potential problems such as extreme load on one of the virtual machines, insufficient memory or disk space, and taking any necessary actions (such as migrating virtual machines to other hosts to lessen the load, freeing resources, for example, by shutting down machines).
  • Responding to the new requirements of virtual machines (for example, upgrading the operating system for a set of desktops or allocating more memory to a specific server).
  • Managing customized object properties (Tags).
  • Managing searches saved as public bookmarks.
  • Managing user setup and access.
  • Troubleshooting for specific users or virtual machines or overall system functionality.
  • Generating general and specific reports
These tasks are described in detail in later sections of this guide.

Chapter 2. Getting Started

2.1. Prerequisites
2.1.1. Configuring Internet Explorer security settings
2.2. Logging In
2.3. Installing the ActiveX Component
2.4. Understanding the User Interface
2.4.1. Header Bar
2.4.2. Search Bar
2.4.3. Resource Tabs
2.4.4. Results List
2.5. Using the Details Pane
2.5.1. Parts of the Details Pane
2.6. Bookmarks Pane
2.7. Tags Pane

2.1. Prerequisites

It is assumed that
  • Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization platform is successfully installed as described in the Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization for Desktops Installation Guide.
  • You can access the administration portal via a Windows client.

Disable Internet Explorer Enhanced Security Configuration

If the administration portal is running on Windows Server 2003 or Windows Server 2008 R2, Internet Explorer Enhanced Security Configuration (IE ESC) must be disabled. For instructions, refer to Section 2.1.1, “Configuring Internet Explorer security settings”
This document describes the administration portal. The administration portal allows you to monitor, create and maintain the whole virtualized system using a graphical interface.
Before attempting to work on the Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization platform, it is recommended that you read Chapter 1, Introduction, in particular Section 1.3.1, “Quick Start”.

2.1.1. Configuring Internet Explorer security settings

Before accessing the web administration portal, the default security settings for Internet Explorer have to be modified. This is to enable proper functioning of the administration portal on Windows Server 2003 and Windows Server 2008 R2. The following procedure explains how to turn off Internet Explorer's Enhanced Security Configuration.
Procedure 2.1. To disable Internet Explorer Enhanced Security Configuration
  1. Click Start → Administrative Tools → Server Manager.
  2. The Server Manager window displays. Under Server Summary, navigate to the Security Information section and click Configure IE ESC.
    Configure IE ESC on the Server Manager
    Figure 2.1. Configure IE ESC on the Server Manager

  3. Select Off for Administrators and Users to disable the security configuration.
    Disable IE ESC
    Figure 2.2. Disable IE ESC

Next, add the administration server to Internet Explorer's list of trusted sites. This procedure enables Internet Explorer to validate the website's security certificate and allow access to the administration portal.
Procedure 2.2. To add administration portal to Trusted Sites zone
  1. Navigate to the administration portal login page at: https://<Server IP>/RHEVManager/.
  2. On the Internet Explorer menu bar, click Tools → Internet Options.
  3. The Internet Options dialog box displays. Click on the Security tab and select Trusted sites.
    Add to Trusted Sites
    Figure 2.3. Add to Trusted Sites

  4. The Sites button is now available. Click on it to display the Trusted sites dialog box.
  5. The URL for your administration portal should appear in the textbox under Add this website to the zone. Click Add to move the site to the list of trusted zones, then click Close.
  6. Refresh the website to access the administration portal.
For more information on Internet Explorer Enhanced Security Configuration go to http://support.microsoft.com/kb/815141

2.2. Logging In

Only users with administrative privileges can log in to the administration portal.
If you are using a Windows machine and this is the first time that anyone has logged into the Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization, an ActiveX component automatically installs a client. This is to enable you to log onto the administration portal. Installing the ActiveX component is described in the following section.
To log in as an Administrator:
  1. Navigate to the login page at: http://<Server IP>/RHEVManager/.
    Login Page
    Figure 2.4. Login Page

  2. Enter the User Name. Use the exact user name assigned to you during installation.
  3. Enter your Password.
  4. Select the correct Domain.
  5. Click Login.
You have successfully logged into Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization platform. The administration portal displays.

2.3. Installing the ActiveX Component

The ActiveX component is automatically installed when the Administrator logs in for the first time. Similarly, if an updated component becomes available, it is automatically installed at login.
In many Windows systems, installing the ActiveX component causes the browser to issue a security warning.
To accept the installation of the ActiveX component :
  • Click Yes when the ActiveX Notification message displays.
  • The ActiveX component is installed on the browser.
Upon successful installation, the Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization page displays.

2.4. Understanding the User Interface

This section describes the components of the graphical interface.
User Interface Elements of the Administration Portal
Figure 2.5. User Interface Elements of the Administration Portal

Legend
  • 1 - Header
  • 2 -Search Bar
  • 3 - Resource Tabs
  • 4 - Results List
  • 5 - Details Pane
  • 6 - Bookmarks Pane
  • 7 - Alerts/Events Pane

2.4.1. Header Bar

The Header Bar contains the name of the current logged in user and the Sign out button. About provides access to version information and Configure allows you to configure user roles.
The Header Bar
Figure 2.6. The Header Bar

2.4.3. Resource Tabs

Every resource, such as a Host or a Cluster, can be managed using the appropriate tab. Additionally, the Events and Monitoring tabs allow you to manage and view events across the entire system.
The Header Bar
Figure 2.8. The Header Bar

Clicking a tab displays the results of the most recent search query on the selected object. For example, if you recently searched for all virtual machines starting with "M", clicking the virtual machines tab displays a list of all virtual machines starting with "M".
Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization platform uses the following tabs:
  • Data Centers
  • Clusters
  • Hosts
  • Storage
  • Virtual Machines
  • Pools
  • Templates
  • Users
  • Events
  • Monitor

2.4.4. Results List

The results window displays resources that match the searched query on the specific tab (for example, all virtual machines with their name starting with 'XP'). A grid displays the search results that can be sorted by column. Additionally, the order of columns and column widths can be modified.
You can perform a task on an individual item, multiple items, or all the items in the results list, by selecting the items(s) and then clicking the relevant action button. If multiple selection is not possible, the button is disabled.
Details of a selected item display in the details pane.
Results List
Figure 2.9. Results List

2.4.4.1. Customizing the Results Grid

The information displayed in the results grid can be customized according to your requirements, to make it more meaningful for the changing needs of a large virtualized enterprise. For example, if you wished to locate all over-allocated hosts, it would be convenient to have these at the the head of the list. The results list can be:
  • Sorted
  • Rearranged (the column order)
  • Adjusted to fit (the column width)
  • Grouped by a specific property

Note

The customization is valid for the current tab and session only. It is not persistent.
2.4.4.1.1. Sorting the Results List
Sort the results in the grid in either ascending or descending order, according to the information in any column.
To sort the list:
  • Select the column on which the list is to be sorted. Click the header of the column.
The list is sorted alphabetically and an arrow in the column header indicates the sort order (ascending or descending).
2.4.4.1.2. Rearranging Column Order
The order of the columns in the grid can be changed.
To change the location of a column:
  • Click and hold down the header of the column that you want to relocate and drag it to the column where you want it to appear.
2.4.4.1.3. Adjusting Column Widths
You can change the width of any column. For example, you may want to display more columns on the screen, or to display the contents of a column with longer items.
To adjust column width:
  • Select the vertical line separating one column header from the next and drag it to the position of the desired column width.

2.4.4.2. Selecting Resources

It is possible to select an individual resource or multiple items in the results list. The Details Pane (see Section 2.5, “Using the Details Pane”), displays extensive details about the first selected item. Any subsequent action is applied to all the selected items (see Section 2.4.4.3, “Working with Resources”).
To select an individual resource
  • Click the item in the grid.
    The details of the selected item appear in the Details Pane.
Results List with a Single Selected Item
Figure 2.10. Results List with a Single Selected Item

To select multiple items:
  • Click the first item, press Shift and then click the last item. You can also use the Ctrl key to select multiple separate items.
    All the items between the first and last item are selected, and any subsequent action applies to the set of selected items. The Details Pane displays the details of the first item selected.
Results List with Multiple Selected Items
Figure 2.11. Results List with Multiple Selected Items

2.4.4.3. Working with Resources

Actions buttons are provided to enable you to work with any selected resource (for example, a data center or a host). Permissible actions differ from resource to resource, and also according to the state of the resource. The action buttons are enabled/disabled according availibility of the action for the resource in its current state.
The action buttons appear under each tab, or can be seen by right-clicking an item in the results list. The Guide Me buttons displays on the Data Center and Cluster tabs, and provides a context sensitive lists of actions.
The following table describes the action buttons available for each object.
Table 2.1. Action Button Descriptions
Tab Button Description
Data Centers
New Opens the New Data Center dialog, to add configuration details for a new data center.
Edit Opens the Edit Data Center dialog, to edit data center details.
Remove Removes the selected data center from the system.
Guide Me Displays the Guide Me dialog, with prompts on suitable configuration steps.
Clusters
New Opens the New Cluster dialog, to add configuration details for a new cluster.
Edit Opens the Edit Cluster dialog, to edit cluster configuration details.
Remove Removes the selected cluster from the system.
Guide Me Displays the Guide Me dialog, with prompts on suitable configuration steps.
Hosts
New Opens the New Host dialog, to allow addition of a new (pre-configured) host to the system.
Edit Opens the Edit host dialog, to edit host properties.
Remove Deletes a host from the system.
Activate Activates a host, is the opposite of Maintenance.
Maintenance Brings a host down for maintenance.
Approve Approves an automatically discovered host.
Power Management Displays a list of options to Restart, Start or Stop power management.
Assign tags Assigns specific tags to the host.
Storage
New Domain Opens the New Domain dialog, to set/create configuration details for a new Storage domain.
Import Opens the New Preconfigured Domain dialog, to set/create configuration details for an external domain to be imported into the system.
Edit Opens the Edit Storage dialog, to change details.
Remove Removes the selected storage domain from the system.
Virtual Machines
New Desktop Opens the New Desktop dialog, to set/create configuration details for a new virtual desktop.
Edit Opens the Edit Virtual Machine dialog, to edit configuration details.
Remove Removes the selected virtual machine from the system.
Runs or resumes the selected virtual machine.
Opens the Run Once dialog, to specify parameters for running the virtual machine for a single run. The parameters are not saved for subsequent runs.
Puts the virtual machine into suspended mode.
Shuts down the virtual machine.
Connect to virtual machine display.
Migrate Migrates the virtual machine to another host in the same host cluster.
Make Template Opens the New Template dialog, to create a template from the selected virtual machine.
Export Opens the Export dialog, to export virtual machines.
Move Opens the Move Virtual Machine dialog, to move virtual machine to a different storage domain.
Guide Me Displays the Guide Me dialog, with prompts on suitable configuration steps.
Assign Tags Assigns specific tags to the virtual machine.
Pools
New Opens the New Pool dialog, to set/create configuration details for a new virtual pool of desktops.
Edit Opens the Edit Pool dialog, to edit pool details.
Remove Removes the selected pool from the system.
Templates
Edit Opens the Edit Template dialog, to edit template details.
Remove Deletes the selected template from the system.
Export Exports template to the Export domain.
Copy Opens the Copy Template dialog, to copy the template to a different storage pool.
Users
Add Opens the Add User dialog, to add a user from the Active Directory.
Remove Deletes the selected user from the system.
Assign Tags Opens the Assign Tag dialog, to assign tags to the user.

2.5. Using the Details Pane

Detailed information about a selected item in the Results grid displays in the Details Pane. If multiple items are selected, the Details pane displays information on the first selected item only.
Desktop Details Pane
Figure 2.12. Desktop Details Pane

2.5.1. Parts of the Details Pane

The Details Pane consists of:
Table 2.2. Parts of the Details Pane
Part
Description
Tabs
Tabs appropriate to the selected resource display in the Details Pane. For example, typical tabs are General, Logical Network, Snapshots, Applications, History, and Monitor. ToDo tabs may display to prompt users to complete actions.
Actions
Actions that can be performed on the selected resource.
Properties
Lists configuration details and statistics of the selected item.
History Tab
Lists event notifications.
Monitor Tab
Displays CPU, Memory and Network usage.

2.6. Bookmarks Pane

Bookmarks are used to save frequently-used or complicated searches for repeated use. Bookmarks can be added, edited, or removed.
Bookmarks Pane
Figure 2.13. Bookmarks Pane

2.7. Tags Pane

Tags are used to filter queries and resources in the virtualized system. It is a quick way to mark and later find objects. For example, a user can create groups of resources by tagging the individual resources. For example, each host in the Sales department may be tagged as being in the "Sales" group. A user can then track their status by simply using the tag "Sales" to display all hosts, or may perform an upgrade on all Sales hosts at a time when additional sales are expected
In the Tags Pane, tags can be added, edited, or removed.
Tags Pane
Figure 2.14. Tags Pane

Chapter 3. Managing Data Centers

3.1. Prerequisites for Setting up a Data Center
3.2. Working with Data Centers
3.2.1. Creating a New Data Center
3.2.2. Configuring a Data Center
3.2.3. Removing a Data Center
3.3. Working with Clusters
3.3.1. Creating a New Host Cluster
3.3.2. Configuring Cluster Policies
3.3.3. Maintaining a Cluster
3.3.4. Removing a Cluster
3.4. Maintaining Logical Networks
3.4.1. Adding Logical Networks to a Data Center
3.4.2. Editing Logical Networks
3.4.3. Maintaining Logical Networks in a Cluster
3.4.4. Mapping Logical Networks to Physical Interfaces
A Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization platform requires the initial creation and definition of the various resources in the system, followed by the tasks of managing and monitoring them regularly. This section describes how to create and manage data centers, clusters and networking.
A typical workflow has the following interconnected stages, for most stages default values and entities are provided.
  • Creating a new data center
  • Creating a new host cluster
  • Configuring the networks
  • Adding and configuring storage
  • Adding new hosts.
For a brief overview of terminology, see Section 1.2, “Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization Resources”.

3.1. Prerequisites for Setting up a Data Center

Before you create a new data center, it is recommended that the following resources be prepared. The following tasks must be done at the host level, not from the Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization platform.
  1. Setup and configure hosts. A host can be a Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization Hypervisor or a Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5.5 and higher host. A cluster needs a minimum of one host, and at least one active host is required to connect the system to a storage pool.
  2. Setup, configure and define storage. It is recommended that data centers have a minimum of two storage domains, one to store disk images of the virtual machines and one to store ISO images. Set up the storage domains of the type required for the data center; NFS, iSCSI or FCP. For example, for an NFS data center, create and mount the export directories.
  3. Set up logical networks for the data center, cluster and the hosts. It is recommended that you have the IP addresses/domain names available for reference.

3.2. Working with Data Centers

This section describes how to configure, create and manage data centers. The data center is the highest level container for all physical and logical resources within a managed virtual environment. The data center is a collection of clusters of hosts. It owns the logical network (that is, the defined subnets for management, guest network traffic and storage network traffic) and the storage pool.
Data Centers
Figure 3.1. Data Centers

Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization contains a default data center at installation. Enterprises can choose whether they need or already have additional data centers, and they can be managed from the single administration portal because the Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization platform can manage multiple data centers. For example, an organisation may have different data centers for different physical locations, business units, or for reasons of security. If you do not require additional data centers, you can proceed with configuring the default data center, the easiest way to do this is to use the Guide Me facility.

3.2.1. Creating a New Data Center

A data center is a logical grouping of clusters of hosts. If you wish to create an additional data center, use the instructions in this section; if you wish to configure the existing default data center, see Section 3.2.2, “Configuring a Data Center”.
To create a data center:
  1. Click the Data Centers tab.
    A list of data centers display.
    Data Centers Tab
    Figure 3.2. Data Centers Tab

  2. Click the New button. The New Data Center dialog displays.
    New Data Center Dialog
    Figure 3.3. New Data Center Dialog

  3. Enter the Name and Description of the data center.
  4. Select the storage Type of the data center. Select the storage appropriate to your data center; one of the following:
    • NFS
    • iSCSI
    • FCP
  5. Select the Compatibility Level of the data center, from either 2.1 or 2.2.
  6. Click OK.
  7. The Guide Me dialog displays a list of configuration tasks that must be completed before the data center can be activated. The data center configuration tasks can be done immediately or later. See Section 3.2.2.1, “Using the Guide Me facility”.
    New Data Center Guide Me Dialog
    Figure 3.4. New Data Center Guide Me Dialog

    Click Configure Later to close the dialog.
  8. The new data center is added to the system, and appears in appropriate searches or lists of datacenters, with a status of Uninitialized.
  9. An uninitialized data center typically requires further configuration, for example, storage domains must be attached to it. Either click the Configure Storage button on the Guide Me dialog or select the new data center in the list, and click the Storage tab in the Details pane. You can define existing storage for the data center, or attach existing storage domains to the data center.

3.2.2. Configuring a Data Center

This section describes how to manage, configure and maintain a data center.

3.2.2.1. Using the Guide Me facility

To set up a data center a number of tasks must be completed in sequence. Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization platform provides prompts in the form of context sensitive Guide Me dialogs, buttons and icons. The Guide Me dialog allows you to directly perform the required tasks. The Guide Me dialog is context sensitive, and only displays the actions that are appropriate to the resource that is being configured. The Guide Me dialog can be accessed at any time by clicking the Guide Me button on the resource toolbar.
New Data Center Guide Me Dialog
Figure 3.5. New Data Center Guide Me Dialog

3.2.2.2. Allocating Storage Domains for a Data Center

A data center requires storage before clusters can be allocated to it. This section describes how to define a storage pool for a data center. The pool must contain storage domains for disk images and ISO images. Only ISO storage domains can be shared between data centers. Every data center must have its own data domain. This section assumes that storage pools have been set up in readiness for the data center. Refer Section 3.1, “Prerequisites for Setting up a Data Center”. Creating and setting up storage domains are described in Chapter 4, Managing Storage.

Note

A data center is of a single storage type (iSCSI, FCP or NFS) only.
To attach storage domains to a data center:
  1. Select the data center in the list, and click the Storage tab in the Details pane, or use the Guide Me facility. See Section 3.2.2.1, “Using the Guide Me facility”.
    Storage Tab for a Data Center
    Figure 3.6. Storage Tab for a Data Center

  2. From the existing available storage domains, attach at least one disk image domain, using the Attach Domain button; and one ISO storage domain using the Attach ISO button.

    Note

    The disk image or data domain must be attached before the ISO domain.
  3. Click the Activate button to attach the storage domain for the new data center. The storage domains display in the Storage Pool on the Details pane for the data center.
    Storage Tab for a Data Center
    Figure 3.7. Storage Tab for a Data Center

Note:

If your enterprise uses only Linux, and the preferred method of booting virtual machines is using a PXE server, an ISO domain is not strictly necessary. Using a PXE server is not described in this document.

3.2.2.3. Maintaining a Data Center

This section describes now to manage, configure and maintain a data center. The Details tab of the Data Center allows you to maintain, edit or configure the Storage, Clusters and Logical Networks of the data center. Managing clusters, networks and storage is described in greater detail later in this document.
To maintain a data center:
  1. Click the Data Center tab.
    A list of data centers displays.
    If the required data center is not displayed, perform a search (see Chapter 10, Locating Resources).
  2. Select the data center.
  3. You can now use the buttons on the menu bar of the main Results page, or the tabs on the Details pane to make the required changes.
    The Details panel displays information about the Storage, Logical Networks and Clusters that comprise the data center. Select the tab that you wish to edit.
    Details Panel Buttons
    Figure 3.8. Details Panel Buttons

  4. Perform any required maintenance tasks using the enabled buttons.
    The Details pane displays information about the Storage, Logical Networks and Clusters that comprise the data center.

3.2.2.4. Editing Data Center Details

You can edit the general details of a data center.
To edit data center details:
  1. Click the Data Center tab.
    A list of data centers is displayed.
    If the required data center is not visible, perform a search (see Chapter 10, Locating Resources).
  2. Select the data center that you want to edit, and click the Edit button.
    The Edit Data Center dialog displays. The Edit Data Center dialog is identical to the New Data Center dialog and allows you to change the Name, Description, Type and Compatibility Level of the data center.
  3. Edit details, as required (see Section 3.2.1, “Creating a New Data Center”). You cannot change the Type of an active Data Center.
  4. Click Save.
    The details of the data center are updated in the Data Center tab.

Note:

If you have changed the Storage type (of an inactive data center only), ensure that you define the storage domains for the data center. See (see Section 3.2.2.2, “Allocating Storage Domains for a Data Center”)

3.2.3. Removing a Data Center

Data Centers that are not in use can be permanently removed. Deleting unused data centers saves system resources, as existing hosts are checked (or pinged) at fixed intervals.
Data centers can only be removed if there are no running hosts within any cluster belonging to the data center.

Note:

The clusters, hosts and storage domains are not removed, and can be allocated to a different data center.
To remove a data center:
  1. Click the Data Centers tab.
  2. If the required data center is not visible, perform a search (see Chapter 10, Locating Resources).
  3. Select the data center to be removed. Ensure that there are no running hosts in any cluster. You can use the Remove button or right-click on the data-center and select Remove.
  4. Click the Remove button.
    A message prompts you to confirm removal.
    Data Center Removal Dialog
    Figure 3.9. Data Center Removal Dialog

  5. Click OK.
    The data center is deleted and is no longer displayed on the Data Centers tab.

3.3. Working with Clusters

This section describes how to create, activate and manage host clusters in a data center. A cluster is a collection of physical hosts that share the same storage domains and have the same type of CPU. Because virtual machines can be migrated across hosts in the same cluster, the cluster is the highest level at which power and load-sharing policies can be defined. The Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization platform contains a default cluster in the default data center at installation.
Every cluster in the system must belong to a data center, and every host in the system must belong to a cluster. This enables the system to dynamically allocate a virtual machine to any host in the applicable cluster, according to policies defined on the Cluster tab and in the Configuration tool during runtime, thus maximizing memory and disk space, as well as virtual machine uptime. For more information on the Configuration tool, see Chapter 14, Configuring Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization Management.
At any given time, after a virtual machine runs on a specific host in the cluster, the virtual machine can be migrated to another host in the cluster using Migrate. This can be very useful when a host is shut down for maintenance. The migration to another host in the cluster is transparent to the user, and the user continues working as usual. Note that a virtual machine cannot be migrated to a host outside the cluster.

3.3.1. Creating a New Host Cluster

Before creating a new cluster, ensure that there is at least one host available to be assigned to it. The hosts in a cluster all run the same type of CPU. For example, there can be a cluster of R&D Hosts, and a cluster of QA Hosts.

Important

The default rhevm network cannot be modified once a cluster has been attached to a data center. Any configuration required for the rhevm network, such as enabling VLAN tagging, must be performed before a cluster is attached, and the data center is still in the Uninitialized state. See Section 3.4.2, “Editing Logical Networks” for instructions to configure the rhevm network.
To create a new host cluster:
  1. Click the Clusters tab. A list of clusters displays.
    Cluster Tab
    Figure 3.10. Cluster Tab

  2. Click the New button on the Clusters tab.
    The New Cluster dialog displays.
    New Cluster
    Figure 3.11. New Cluster

  3. Enter the cluster Name and Description. The name should not include spaces.
  4. Select an existing Data Center from the list.
  5. Define the permitted Memory Over Commit.
    This field allows you to define how much of the host's memory can be used in excess of the permitted memory for a virtual machine in the cluster. For example, all virtual machines will not be using the full amount of allocated memory all the time. Memory overcommit allows virtual machines that require additional memory at a certain time to use memory that is not being used at that time by other virtual machines.
    Select from None(100%), Desktop Load (200%) or Server Load(150%).
  6. Select the CPU Name for hosts in this cluster. All hosts must run the same type of CPU. The CPU Name list displays all the CPU types supported by Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization.
  7. Select the Compatibility Level of the data center, from either 2.1 or 2.2.
  8. Click OK. The new host cluster is added to the data center and displays on the Cluster tab.
    The New Cluster - Guide Me dialog displays. For more information on this feature, see Section 3.2.2.1, “Using the Guide Me facility”.
    New Cluster
    Figure 3.12. New Cluster

  9. The Guide Me tab prompts you to add hosts to the new cluster. Click the Configure Hosts button, the New Host dialog displays.
    New Host Dialog
    Figure 3.13. New Host Dialog

    Enter the details of the host to assign to the cluster. Click OK to close the New Host dialog and return to the Clusters tab. The Hosts tab on the Details pane displays the newly added hosts. Adding hosts is described in Chapter 5, Managing Hosts.

3.3.2. Configuring Cluster Policies

Defining the load-balancing or power sharing modes for hosts in the cluster is highly recommended. You can choose to set the policy on either load balancing or power saving, but not both.
To set load and power management policies for hosts in a cluster:
  1. Click the Clusters tab.
    A list of clusters displays. Select the required cluster. The Details pane for the cluster displays.
    Cluster Policy Tab
    Figure 3.14. Cluster Policy Tab

  2. On the Details pane click the Policy tab. Click the Edit button. The Edit Policy dialog displays, typically with the None option selected.
    Edit Policy Dialog
    Figure 3.15. Edit Policy Dialog

  3. Define the Load and Power Mode for hosts in the cluster. Select one of the following:
    • None; to have no load or power sharing between hosts. This is the default mode.
    • Even Distribution; to evenly distribute the processing load across all hosts in the cluster. The host's CPU load is measured and used to apply the policy. Use the blue slider to specify the Maximum Service Level a host is permitted to have. For example, a host that has reached the maximum service level defined will not have further virtual machines started on it. You can also specify the time interval in minutes that a host is permitted to run at the maximum service level before virtual machines are migrated off it.
    • Power Sharing; to distribute the amount of power consumed across all running hosts. Use the green slider to specify the Minimum Service Level a host is permitted to have. For example, a host that has reached the minimum service level defined virtual machines will be migrated to other hosts, enabling the hosts with low usage levels to be switched off to conserve power. You can also specify the time interval (in minutes) that a host is permitted to run at the minimum service level before a power down is triggered.
  4. Click OK to define the policy for the cluster.

3.3.3. Maintaining a Cluster

You can edit cluster details, view hosts, virtual machines and logical networks, and add logical networks to a cluster. Logical Networking is described in a separate section.
To edit a cluster:
  1. Click the Clusters tab.
    A list of server clusters displays.
  2. Click the Edit button.
    The Edit Cluster dialog displays. The Edit Cluster dialog is identical to the New Cluster dialog. Modify the fields as described in Section 3.3.1, “Creating a New Host Cluster”
  3. Click OK.
    The changes to the server cluster details are displayed in the list.
To view hosts in a cluster:
  1. Click the Clusters tab. A list of server clusters displays. Select the appropriate cluster. The Details pane displays.
  2. Click the Hosts tab. A list of hosts displays.
    The Hosts tab on the Cluster Details Pane
    Figure 3.16. The Hosts tab on the Cluster Details Pane

To view virtual machines in a cluster:
  1. Click the Clusters tab.
    A list of clusters displays. Select the appropriate cluster. The Details pane displays.
  2. Click the Virtual Machines tab.
    A list of virtual machines displays. This includes both virtual servers and virtual desktops.

3.3.4. Removing a Cluster

Clusters that are not in use can be permanently removed. Deleting unused clusters saves system resources, as existing hosts are checked (or pinged) at fixed intervals.

Warning

It is recommended that the default cluster should not be removed.
To remove a cluster:
  1. Click the Cluster tab.
  2. If the required cluster is not visible, perform a search (see Chapter 10, Locating Resources).
  3. Select the cluster to be removed. Ensure that there are no running hosts.
  4. Click the Remove button.
    A message prompts you to confirm removal. The dialog lists the clusters that are selected for removal.
  5. Click OK.
    The cluster is deleted and disappears from the Clusters tab.

Note:

The hosts and storage domains can still be used, and allocated to a different cluster.

3.4. Maintaining Logical Networks

By default the Management network is defined for a data center. However new logical networks, for example for data, storage or display can be defined by the administrator. The logical networks parameters will also need to be edited if a new network card is added to the data center.
Logical Networks
Figure 3.17. Logical Networks

In general, logical networks are assigned by functionality and physical topology. For example, a data center may have the following:
  • Guest data network
  • Storage network access
  • Management network
  • Display network (for SPICE and VNC)

3.4.1. Adding Logical Networks to a Data Center

A data center must contain all the networks that its constituent clusters and hosts need to use. Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization platform allows you to use VLAN ID tagging and supports STP in logical networks.
Click the Data Centers tab, and select the appropriate data center.
Logical Networks Tab
Figure 3.18. Logical Networks Tab

To add a logical network:
  1. Select the data center. Click the Logical Networks tab in the Details pane.
    List of Data Centers
    Figure 3.19. List of Data Centers

  2. Click the New button. The New Logical Network dialog displays.
    Logical Networks Tab
    Figure 3.20. Logical Networks Tab

  3. Enter the Name, Network address, Subnet, Default gateway and Description.
  4. Select STP support if STP support is required.
  5. Select the Enable VLAN tagging check box if required. Enter the VLAN ID in the text box.

    Note

    Ensure that the the VLAN has been configured correctly across the network, that is, configure your routers accordingly.
  6. Click OK. The New Logical Network dialog closes and the logical network displays on the Logical Networks tab.

3.4.2. Editing Logical Networks

Logical networks can be changed when the need arises. For example, new NICs may be added to improve reliability or enhance performance, or you may need to re-route networks to work more efficiently. Existing logical networks can be edited from within the system.

Important

The default rhevm network cannot be modified once a cluster has been attached to a data center. Any configuration required for the rhevm network, such as enabling VLAN tagging, must be performed before a cluster is attached, and the data center is still in the Uninitialized state.
To edit a logical network:
  1. Select the data center. Click the Logical Networks tab in the Details pane.
  2. Click the Edit button. The Edit Logical Network dialog displays. The fields are identical to the New Logical Network dialog. See Figure 3.20, “Logical Networks Tab”.
  3. Change the Name, Network address, Subnet, Default gateway and Description as required.
  4. Select the STP check box if required
  5. Select the Enable VLAN tagging check box if required, and enter the VLAN ID.
  6. Click OK to change the details and close the dialog.
To remove a logical network:
  1. Select the data center. Click the Logical Networks tab in the Details tab.
  2. Click the Remove button.
    A message prompts you to confirm removal.
  3. Click OK. The logical network is deleted and disappears from the Logical Networks tab.

3.4.3. Maintaining Logical Networks in a Cluster

The management and storage subnets are defined by default when a cluster is created, however these can be edited and added to during maintenance. Each cluster defines the logical networks that every host must connect to. These networks are usually functional groups like: Guest data, Storage traffic, Management, Control (migration) and Display (for SPICE)
Each Cluster may have a different set of logical networks but all the logical networks must exist in the Data Center definition. All hosts in the Cluster must have the same network configuration.
To manage logical networks in a cluster:
  1. Click the Clusters tab. The list of clusters displays.
  2. Select the appropriate cluster. Click the Logical Networks tab in the Details pane.
    Logical Networks Tab
    Figure 3.21. Logical Networks Tab

  3. Click the Manage Networks button on the Logical Networks tab. The Manage Network dialog displays. A list of available networks displays in the dialog.
    Manage Network Dialog
    Figure 3.22. Manage Network Dialog

  4. Select from the available Networks displayed and click OK.
    The logical network displays on the Logical Networks tab. If further configuration is required, the ToDo Icon and instruction displays in the Details tab.
    Logical Networks Tab
    Figure 3.23. Logical Networks Tab

To use a logical network as a display network for SPICE:
  1. Click the Clusters tab. The list of clusters displays.
  2. Select the appropriate cluster. Click the Logical Networks tab in the Details pane.
  3. Select the network to be used as the display network for SPICE. For more information on the SPICE protocol, see Section 1.1.1.3, “About SPICE”.
    Logical Networks Tab
    Figure 3.24. Logical Networks Tab

  4. Click the Set as Display button.
  5. Click OK. The role of the network appears as Display in the pane. The selected network will be used for SPICE/vnc traffic.
To remove a logical network from a cluster:
  1. Select the cluster. Click the Logical Networks tab in the Details tab.
  2. Click the Manage Networks button. The Manage Network dialog displays.
    Manage Networks Dialog
    Figure 3.25. Manage Networks Dialog

  3. De-select the network that is to be removed.
  4. Click OK.
    The logical network is deleted from the Logical Networks tab.

3.4.4. Mapping Logical Networks to Physical Interfaces

Once a logical network has been created and added to a cluster, it must be attached to a physical interface on each host in the cluster. For each host:
  1. Click on the Hosts tab and select the host. Click on the Network Interfaces tab and select the physical interface to map to. Click Edit / Add VLAN.
    Host Network Interfaces Tab
    Figure 3.26. Host Network Interfaces Tab

  2. Select the logical network to map to this interface and click OK.
    Edit Network Interface
    Figure 3.27. Edit Network Interface

  3. The mapping between the logical network and physical interface will now appear in the Network Interfaces tab for the host.

Chapter 4. Managing Storage

4.1. Understanding Storage Domains
4.1.1. Understanding Virtual Disks
4.1.2. The Storage Pool Manager
4.1.3. Multipathing
4.2. Adding Storage Domains to a Data Center
4.2.1. Adding NFS Storage
4.2.2. Adding iSCSI Storage
4.2.3. Adding FCP Storage
4.2.4. Example - Adding a Multipath Storage Domain
4.3. Attaching Storage Domains to a Data Center
4.3.1. Attaching Disk Image Storage
4.3.2. Attaching ISO Image Storage
4.3.3. Attaching an Export Storage Domain
4.4. Maintaining Storage Domains
4.4.1. Moving Storage Domains to Maintenance Mode
4.4.2. Editing Storage Domains
4.4.3. Activating Storage Domains
4.5. Deleting Storage Domains
4.5.1. Detaching Storage Domains from a Data Center
4.5.2. Removing Storage Domains
Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization uses a centralized storage system for virtual machine disk images, ISO files and snapshots. Storage networking can be implemented using Network File System (NFS), Internet Small Computer System Interface (iSCSI) or Fibre Channel Protocol (FCP). This section describes how to set up and manage the variety of storage types that can be used in the Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization platform. Setting up storage is a vital prerequisite for a new data center because a data center cannot be initialized unless storage domains are attached and activated.
A Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization system administrator needs to create, configure, attach and maintain storage for the virtualized enterprise. A familiarity with the storage types and their use is highly recommended. This document does not describe the concepts, protocols, requirements or general usage of NFS, iSCSI or FCP. It is recommended that you read your storage array vendor's guides, and refer to Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5.5 Online Storage Reconfiguration Guide for more information on managing storage, if necessary.
The Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization platform enables administrators to assign and manage storage effectively and efficiently. The Storage tab on the Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization platform provides an efficient graphical way to view and manage networked storage. The Storage Results list displays all the storage domains, and the Details pane enables access to general information about the domain.
Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization platform has three types of domains:
  • Data domains hold the disk images of all the virtual machines running in the system, operating system images and data disks. In addition, snapshots of the virtual machines are also stored in the data domain. The data cannot be shared across data centers, and the data domain must be of the same type as the data center. For example, a data center of a iSCSI type, must have an iSCSI data domain. A data domain cannot be shared between datacenters.
  • ISO domains store ISO files (or logical CDs) used to install and boot operating systems and applications for the virtual machines. Because an ISO domain is a logical entity replacing a library of physical CDs or DVDs, an ISO domain removes the data center's need for physical media. An ISO domain can be shared across different data centers.
  • An Export domain is a temporary storage repository that is used to copy/move images between data centers and Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization Manager installations. In addition, the export domain can be used to backup virtual machines. An Export domain can be moved between data centers, however, it can only be active in one data center at a time.

4.1. Understanding Storage Domains

Setting up, managing and monitoring storage is essential for a data center to function efficiently at all times. A storage domain is a collection of images that have a common storage interface. A storage domain contains complete images of the virtual machines including templates and snapshots. A storage domain can be either for block devices (SAN - iSCSI or FCP) or files (NAS - NFS). On NFS, all virtual disks, templates and snapshots are simple files. On SAN (iSCSI/FCP), the LUNs are aggregated into a logical entity called a Volume Group (VG). This is done via LVM (Logical Volume Manager) See Red Hat Enterprise Linux Logical Volume Manager Administration Guide for more information on LVM. Each virtual disk, template or snapshot is a Logical Volume (LV) on the VG.
Virtual disks can have one of two formats, either Qcow2 or Raw. The type of storage can be either Sparse or Preallocated. Snapshots are always sparse but can be taken for disks created either as raw or sparse.
Virtual machines that share the same storage domain can be migrated between hosts that belong to the same cluster.

4.1.1. Understanding Virtual Disks

Virtual disks are of two types, Sparse or Pre-allocated, and each behaves in a different manner. The available formats are either Raw or qCow2.
  1. Preallocated or Sparse (also referred to as Thin Provisioning)
    A Preallocated virtual disk has reserved storage of the same size as the virtual disk itself. This results in better performance because no storage allocation is required during runtime.
    On SAN (iSCSI, FCP) this is achieved by creating a block device with the same size as the virtual disk. On NFS this is achieved by filling the backing file with zeros and assuming that backing storage is not Qcow2 and does not de-duplicate zeros (If these assumptions are incorrect, do not select Sparse for NFS virtual disks).
    For sparse virtual disks backing storage is not reserved and is allocated as needed during runtime. This allows for storage over commitment under the assumption that most disks are not fully utilized and storage capacity can be utilized better. This requires the backing storage to monitor write requests and can cause some performance issues. On NFS backing storage is achieved simply by using files. On SAN this is achieved by creating a block device smaller than the virtual disk's defined size and communicating with the hypervisor to monitor necessary allocations. This does not require support from the underlying storage devices.
  2. Raw
    For raw virtual disks the backing storage device (file/block device) is presented as is to the virtual machine with no additional layering in between. This gives better performance but has several limitations.
The possible combinations of storage types and formats are described in the following table.
Table 4.1. Permitted Storage Combinations
Storage Format Type Note
NFS or iSCSI/FCP Raw or Qcow2 Sparse or Preallocated
NFS Raw Preallocated A file whose initial size is the size defined for the virtual disk and has no formatting
NFS Raw Sparse A file whose initial size is close to zero and has no formatting
NFS Qcow2 Preallocated A file whose initial size is the size defined for the virtual disk and has qcow2 formatting
NFS Qcow2 Sparse a file whose initial size is close to zero and has qcow2 formatting
SAN Raw Preallocated A block device whose initial size is the size defined for the virtual disk and has no formatting
SAN Qcow2 Preallocated A block device whose initial size is the size defined for the virtual disk and has qcow2 formatting. Not useful, but possible.
SAN Qcow2 Sparse A block device whose initial size is much smaller than the size defined for the VDisk (currently 1GB) and has qcow2 formatting and for which space is allocated as needed (currently in 1GB increments)

4.1.2. The Storage Pool Manager

The Storage Pool Manager (SPM) coordinates all the metadata changes across the datacenter. This includes creating, deleting and manipulating virtual disks (Images), snapshots, and templates, and allocating storage for sparse block devices (on SAN). The SPM role is granted by the Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization Manager and can be migrated between any host in a data center. This means that all hosts in a data center must have access to all the storage domains defined in the data center. Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization Manager ensures that the SPM is always available and in case of errors will try to move the SPM role to a different host. This means that if the host that is running as the SPM has problems accessing the storage, the Manager will automatically check if there is another available host that can access the storage and will move the SPM over to that host. When the SPM starts, it tries to ensure that it is the only host that was granted the role, therefore it will acquire a storage-centric lease. This process can take some time.

4.1.3. Multipathing

Multipathing is supported in Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization Manager by default. Setting up a multipathed storage domain is described later in this section. To configure multipathing for Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization Hypervisor hosts, see Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization Hypervisor Deployment and Installation Guide. For more information on Multipathing in Red Hat Enterprise Linux, see Red Hat Enterprise Linux DM-Multipath Guide.

Warning

Do not add user_friendly_names and aliases to a multipath.conf file on a Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization Hypervisor.

4.2. Adding Storage Domains to a Data Center

Use the Storage tab to add or edit storage domains, activate, deactivate or detach a storage domain from a data center, and maintain and delete storage domains. This section describes how to add a storage domain to the system. The next section describes how to configure the storage for your Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization platform.
There are two ways of adding storage domains to the Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization platform, you can set up and add a new storage domain; or you can import an existing ISO or Export domain from another installation of Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization Manager.
While any available host in the data center can be used to add or configure a storage domain (using the Use Host field), all Storage Domains defined in the data center must be reachable by all the hosts in the data center. If a host is unable to access a Storage Domain that host is likely to become non-operational. Therefore, when adding new storage domains to an active cluster, ensure that the storage is reachable from all hosts.

Note

If an ISO storage domain is required, it must be added after at least one data storage domain has been added.
To add a new storage domain:
  1. Click the Storage tab. The Storage list and toolbar display.
    The Storage Tab
    Figure 4.1. The Storage Tab

  2. Click New Domain. The New Domain dialog box displays.
    Adding New Storage
    Figure 4.2. Adding New Storage

  3. Enter the Name of the storage domain, for example, accounting-server-images. A descriptive name is recommended.
  4. Select the appropriate Domain Function. Select one:
    • Data
    • ISO
    • Export
  5. Select the appropriate Storage Type. Select one:
    • NFS
    • iSCSI
    • FCP
    Depending on the type of Storage selected, enter the required information in the fields that display. Details on each setup are described later in this chapter.

    Note

    NFS is the only storage type available for a new ISO Library. This may change for future releases.
  6. Select a host in Use host. To attach a domain, an active host must be selected.

    Note

    All communication to the storage domain is via the selected host and not from the Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization Manager. At least one host must be active and have access to the storage before the storage can be configured.
  7. Click OK.
  8. The storage domain displays on the Storage tab.
To import an existing ISO or Export storage domain:
  1. Click the Storage tab. The Storage list and toolbar display. Refer Figure 4.1, “The Storage Tab”.
  2. Click Import Domain. The New Domain dialog box displays.
    Import Domain
    Figure 4.3. Import Domain

  3. Select the appropriate Domain Function for the data center. Select either:
    • ISO
    • Export
    Depending on the Domain Function, options display for the Storage Type field.
    Additional Fields for an Export Domain
    Figure 4.4. Additional Fields for an Export Domain

  4. Select the appropriate Storage Type for the domain. Select one:
    • NFS. This is the only option for ISO domains.
    • iSCSI
    • FCP
    Depending on the type of Storage selected, enter the required information in the fields that display. Details on each setup are described later in this chapter.
  5. Select a host in Use host. To attach a domain, an active host must be selected.

    Note

    All communication to the storage domain is via the selected host and not from the Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization Manager. At least one host must be active and have access to the storage before the storage can be configured.
  6. Click OK.
  7. The storage domain is imported and displays on the Storage tab. The next step is to attach it to a data center. This is described later in this chapter, Section 4.3, “Attaching Storage Domains to a Data Center”.

4.2.1. Adding NFS Storage

An NFS type storage domain is a mounted NFS share that is attached to a data center. Mount NFS shares by attaching them to the data center as a storage domain. Once attached, the storage domains can be used to provide storage for virtualized guest images and ISO boot media. For further information about using NFS, refer to the Red Hat Enterprise Linux Deployment Guide.
Preparing an NFS Share
This section outlines how to set up an NFS share with recommended settings.
  • Ensure NFS is installed. 
    rpm -q nfs-utils
    If the package is not detected, install it using the following commands: 
    yum install nfs-utils
    chkconfig --add nfs
    chkconfig nfs on
  • Determine the NFS share directory. For example, if you intend to share /RHEV/Images, enter the following line into the /etc/exports file. 
    /RHEV/Images       *(rw)
    Restart the NFS service.
  • The NFS export directory must be configured for read write access and must be owned by vdsm:kvm. If these users do not exist on your external NFS server use the following command, assuming that /RHEV/Images is the NFS share. 
    chown -R 36:36 /RHEV/Images
To Add NFS Storage:
  1. Click the Storage tab. The Storage list and toolbar display.
  2. Click New Storage. The New Storage dialog box displays.
    NFS Storage
    Figure 4.5. NFS Storage

  3. Enter the Name of the domain. A suitably descriptive name is recommended.
  4. Select the appropriate Domain Function for the data center. Select one of:
    • Data
    • ISO
    • Export
    Depending on the Domain Function, options display for the Storage Type field. For example, NFS is the only option for an ISO domain.
  5. Select the Storage Type for the domain. Select NFS from:
    • NFS
    • iSCSI
    • FCP
  6. Select an active host in the Use host field. To attach a domain, the name of an active host must be selected from the list of existing hosts.

    Note

    All communication to the storage domain is via the selected host and not from the Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization Manager. At least one host must exist in the system before the storage can be configured.
  7. Enter the Export path of the storage. The export path can be either an IP address or a resolvable hostname. For example, 192.168.0.10:/Images/ISO or storage-server.labs.company.com:/Images/ISO.
  8. Click OK.
  9. The NFS storage domain displays on the Storage tab. This may take a few moments.

4.2.2. Adding iSCSI Storage

Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization platform supports iSCSI storage at two levels:
  • VG level – Volume Group Level associates a set of predefined Logical Unit Numbers (LUNs) to a volume group that is assigned to a certain storage domain. Volume Groups cannot be shared between storage domains.
  • LUN level – allows an administrator to assign a set of LUNs to a storage domain. LUNs that are attached to one storage domain cannot be attached to another storage domain.
For information regarding the setup and configuration of iSCSI on Red Hat Enterprise Linux, please refer to the Online Storage Reconfiguration Guide.
To Add iSCSI Storage:
  1. Click the Storage tab. The Storage list and toolbar display.
  2. Click New Storage. The New Storage dialog box displays.
    New Storage
    Figure 4.6. New Storage

  3. Enter the Name of the storage.
  4. Select iSCSI as the storage Type. The dialog box displays a set of fields appropriate to the iSCSI type.
    Adding iSCSI Storage
    Figure 4.7. Adding iSCSI Storage

  5. Select an active host in the Use host field. To attach a domain, the name of any active host must be selected from the list of existing hosts.

    Note

    All communication to the storage domain is via the selected host and not from the Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization Manager. At least one host must exist in the system before the storage can be configured.
  6. Select either Build New Domain or Use Preconfigured Volume Group. In this step you can either attach a set of LUNs (create a volume group) or attach an already existing Volume Group as your storage domain.
  7. To Build New Domain:
    1. If necessary, to search for LUNs, click the Connect to Target button.
    2. The Connect to Targets dialog displays, enabling you to define a target on which to search for LUNs. Enter the requisite information in the fields.
      Adding iSCSI Storage
      Figure 4.8. Adding iSCSI Storage

      • Enter the IP Address of the iSCSI target.
      • Enter the Port to connect to.
      • If required, enter the details for User Authentication.
      • Click the Discover button to find the targets.
      • The targets display in the list of Discovered Targets
      • Click to either Login to All targets, or Add targets manually. If adding manually, select the LUNs from the list.
      • Click Close. The targets are now selected, and the LUNs display in the New Storage dialog.
        Adding LUNs
        Figure 4.9. Adding LUNs

    3. A list of LUNs (Logical Unit Numbers) display in the list of Discovered LUNs. Click the Add button to select the LUNs to add to the storage domain.
    4. The LUNs selected in the previous step display in the Selected LUNs grid. The set of LUNs in this list will be assigned to the new storage domain. Use the Remove button to remove LUNs from the Selected LUNs if necessary.
      Adding LUNs
      Figure 4.10. Adding LUNs

    5. Click OK to attach the selected LUNs to the iSCSI storage domain.
  8. To Use a Preconfigured Domain:
    1. In this step you use an existing volume group. Ensure that all tags and LVs have been removed from the VG before creating the new domain. The New Storage dialog changes to display the required fields for the preconfigured domain.
      New Storage - Use Existing Volume group
      Figure 4.11. New Storage - Use Existing Volume group

    2. Use the Add a Target link to connect to an existing storage domain. The Connect to Targets dialog displays. See Figure 4.8, “Adding iSCSI Storage”.
    3. Select a Volume Group to connect to. The Name and Size are displayed. Click the Expand button to view the LUNs that comprise the VG.
  9. Click OK.
  10. The new storage domain displays in the Storage tab.

4.2.3. Adding FCP Storage

Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization platform supports SAN storage. The system supports physical storage configuration at two levels:
  • Volume Group level – associates a set of predefined LUNs to a volume group that is assigned to a certain storage domain. VG cannot be shared between storage domains.
  • LUN level – allows an administrator to assign a set of LUNs to a storage domain. LUNs that are attached to one storage domain cannot be attached to another storage domain.
Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization system administrators need a working knowledge of Storage Area Networks (SAN) concepts. SAN usually uses Fibre Channel Protocol (FCP) for traffic between hosts and shared external storage. For this reason, SAN may occasionally be referred to as FCP storage.
For information regarding the setup and configuration of FCP or multipathing on Red Hat Enterprise Linux, please refer to the Online Storage Reconfiguration Guide and DM-Multipathing Guide.

Warning

Do not add user_friendly_names and aliases to a multipath.conf file on a Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization Hypervisor.
To Add FCP Storage:
  1. Click the Storage tab. The Storage list and toolbar display.
  2. Click New Domain. The New Domain dialog box displays.
  3. Enter the Name of the storage.
  4. Select FCP as the storage Type. The dialog box displays the appropriate fields.
    Adding FCP Storage
    Figure 4.12. Adding FCP Storage

  5. Select a host in Use host. To attach a domain, any active host must be selected.

    Note

    All communication to the storage domain is via the selected host and not from the Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization Manager. At least one host must be active and have access to the storage before the storage can be configured.
  6. Select either Build New Domain or Use Existing Volume Group.
  7. To Build New Domain:
    • A list of LUNs (Logical Unit Numbers) display in the list of Discovered LUNs. Select one or more LUNs and click the Add button to select the LUNs to add to the storage domain.
      Adding FCP Storage
      Figure 4.13. Adding FCP Storage

    • The LUNs selected in the previous step display in the Selected LUNs grid. The set of LUNs in this list will be assigned to the new storage domain.
      Selected LUNs
      Figure 4.14. Selected LUNs

      Use the Remove button to remove LUNs from the Selected LUNs if necessary.
    • Click OK to attach the selected LUNs to the storage domain.
  8. To Use Preconfigured Volume Group:
    • In this step you use an existing volume group. The New Storage dialog changes to display the required fields for the preconfigured domain.
    • Select a Volume group to connect to. Ensure that all tags and LVs have been removed from the VG before creating the new domain. The Name and Size are displayed. Click the Expand button to view the LUNs that comprise the Volume group.
  9. Click OK.
  10. The new storage domain displays in the Storage list.

4.2.4. Example - Adding a Multipath Storage Domain

This example describes how to set up an multipath iSCSI Storage Domain for Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization Manager. Multipathing is inherently supported in Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization Manager. In this example, each iSCSI path must be defined manually. To do this, enter an IP for every port that the iSCSI SAN has. If only a single IP is provided, only a single path to the iSCSI target will be used.
For information regarding the setup and configuration of iSCSI on Red Hat Enterprise Linux, please refer to the Online Storage Reconfiguration Guide.
To Add Multipathed iSCSI Storage:
  1. Click the Storage tab. The Storage list and toolbar display.
  2. Click New Domain. The New Domain dialog box displays.
    New Domain
    Figure 4.15. New Domain

  3. Enter the Name of the storage domain.
  4. Enter the Domain function of the storage domain, as Data, ISO or Export.
  5. Select iSCSI as the storage Type. The dialog box displays a set of fields appropriate to the iSCSI type.
    Adding iSCSI Storage
    Figure 4.16. Adding iSCSI Storage

  6. Select a host in the Use host field. To attach a domain, the name of any active host must be selected from the list.

    Note

    All communication to the storage domain is via the active host and not from the Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization Manager. At least one host must exist in the system before the storage can be configured.
  7. Select either Build New Domain or Use Preconfigured Volume Group. In this step you can either attach a set of LUNs (create a volume group) or attach an already existing Volume Group as your storage domain. This example shows you how to build a new domain using a set of LUNs.
  8. If necessary, to search for LUNs, click the Connect to Target button.
  9. The Connect to Targets dialog displays, enabling you to define a target on which to search for LUNs. Enter the requisite information in the fields.
    Adding iSCSI Storage
    Figure 4.17. Adding iSCSI Storage

    1. Enter the IP Address of the iSCSI target.
    2. Enter the Port to connect to, or leave it as the default port.
    3. If required, enter the details for User Authentication.
    4. Click the Discover button to find the targets.
    5. The targets display in the list of Discovered Targets
    6. Click to either Login to All targets, or Add targets manually. If adding manually, select the LUNs from the list, and click the Login to login.
    7. Click OK. The Connect to Targets dialog closes and the LUNs display in the New Domain dialog.
  10. A list of LUNs (Logical Unit Numbers) display in the list of Discovered LUNs. Note that the Multipathing column will display a number of or above to indicate the number of paths available to each LUN on the target. Click the check box of the LUN/s to select for addition.
    Adding Multipathed Storage
    Figure 4.18. Adding Multipathed Storage

  11. Click the Add button to use the LUNs as a storage domain.
  12. The LUNs selected in the previous step display in the Selected LUNs grid. The set of LUNs in this list will be assigned to the new storage domain. Use the Remove button to remove LUNs from the Selected LUNs if necessary.
    Adding Multipathed Storage
    Figure 4.19. Adding Multipathed Storage

  13. Click OK to attach the selected LUNs to the iSCSI storage domain.

4.3. Attaching Storage Domains to a Data Center

In the previous step, storage domains were created in preparation for attachment to the data center. A data center must have at least one storage domain in order to be activated. This section describes the steps to attach the data domain for virtualized disk images and subsequently the steps to attach an ISO image storage domain to a specific data center.

4.3.1. Attaching Disk Image Storage

A storage domain must be allocated to a data center to store the disk images and data of virtual machines.
To attach a data domain:
  1. Click the Data Centers tab. Select the data center to which the storage is to be attached. If the required data center is not displayed, perform a search (see Chapter 10, Locating Resources).
  2. The Details pane of the selected data center displays. Select the Storage tab.
    Data Center Storage Tab
    Figure 4.20. Data Center Storage Tab

  3. Click the Attach Domain button to add the storage location where the data and disk images are stored.
  4. The Attach Storage Domain dialog box displays.
  5. Select the domain from the Storage Domain list. The names of any existing storage domains, of the type appropriate for the data center display in the list. For example, if the default data center has a storage type of NFS, only existing NFS storage domains display in the list, because only NFS storage domain types can be attached to this particular data center.
  6. Click OK. The new storage domain displays on the Storage tab of the Details pane.

4.3.2. Attaching ISO Image Storage

Typically, a data center can have a storage domain for ISO images. The ISO storage domain can only be attached after at least one data domain is attached.

Note

ISO storage domains can be shared across data centers. All ISO images required for the virtual machines must exist in the ISO storage domain.
To configure an ISO storage domain:
  1. Click the Data Centers tab.
    Select the data center to which the ISO storage domain is to be attached.
  2. The Details pane displays. Select the Storage tab.
    Data Centers
    Figure 4.21. Data Centers

  3. Click the Attach ISO button to add the storage location where the images are stored.
  4. The Attach Storage Domain dialog box displays.
  5. Select the appropriate ISO locations from the Storage Domain list.
  6. Click the OK. The new ISO storage domain displays on the Storage tab of the Details pane.
  7. Select the new ISO storage domain on the Storage tab of the Details pane, and click the Activate button.

4.3.2.1. Uploading ISO Images using the ISO Uploader

If an ISO Domain is defined for a data center, CD-ROM images or ISO images must be available in the ISO domain for the virtual machines to use. Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization Platform provides an ISO Uploader tool that ensures that the ISO images are uploaded into the correct directory path, with the correct user permissions. The ISO Uploader is described later in this section.

Note

It is assumed that you have access to ISO images, or know how to create them. Creating ISO images is not described in this document.
To Upload ISO images:
  1. Create or acquire the appropriate ISO images from boot media, and store them in a temporary directory on the system running Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization Management.
  2. Click Start > All Programs > Red Hat > RHEV Manager > ISO Uploader. The ISO Uploader tool displays..
    The ISO Uploader
    Figure 4.22. The ISO Uploader

    Due to permissions limitations, it appears as if only the Administrator of the Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization Manager machine can use the ISO Uploader tool. For any user to use the ISO Uploader tool, right click on ISO Uploader icon and use the Windows Run As.. feature to run the ISO Uploader tool.
  3. Click Add and browse to the directory containing the ISO images.
    Adding ISO Images
    Figure 4.23. Adding ISO Images

  4. Select the ISO image and click Open. The ISO image displays in the ISO File List on the ISO Uploader dialog box.
  5. Enter the correct Data Center and Host details. Click Upload. The status of the upload displays as the upload process proceeds.

4.3.3. Attaching an Export Storage Domain

An export domain can be attached to a data center to enable the import or export of virtual machines from one data center to another. An export domain can also be used to backup virtual machines and templates. To import an existing export domain, refer To import an existing ISO or Export storage domain:.

Note

At a given time, an export data domain can only be attached to a single data center.
To attach an export storage domain:
  1. Click the Data Centers tab.
    Select the data center to which the export storage domain is to be attached.
  2. The Details pane displays. Select the Storage tab.
    Attaching an Export Domain
    Figure 4.24. Attaching an Export Domain

  3. Click the Attach Export button to add the storage location where the images are stored.
  4. The Attach Export Domain dialog box displays, if there are export domains available.
    Attach Export Domain Dialog
    Figure 4.25. Attach Export Domain Dialog

  5. Select the export domain from the list.
  6. Click the OK. The new export storage domain displays on the Storage tab of the Details pane, with a status of Locked, followed by Inactive.
    The Inactive Export Domain
    Figure 4.26. The Inactive Export Domain

  7. Select the new export storage domain on the Storage tab of the Details pane, and click the Activate button.
  8. The Export domain will be activated in a few moments and display an Active status.
    Activated Export Domain
    Figure 4.27. Activated Export Domain

4.4. Maintaining Storage Domains

This section describes how to maintain storage domains. For example, you may need to do this to balance the load, improve performance for particular applications, or if storage domains are being replaced or retired. You can edit, reactivate and update domains. You can also de-activate domains, and detach them from the cluster and data center. Changing the Storage Domain properties is a sensitive task as it affects the all the Virtual Machines and Hosts in the Cluster.

Warning

All maintenance tasks need to be approached with extreme care. Proceed with caution before any parameters on a storage domain are changed. Failure to do so may result in the loss of all data and images. There is no guarantee that the images can be recovered.

4.4.1. Moving Storage Domains to Maintenance Mode

Storage Domains in a data center need to be put into maintenance mode in a fixed order. If the data center also has an ISO domain, the ISO domain must be placed into Maintenance mode before you can place the Storage domain into maintenance mode.
To move a storage domain into maintenance mode:
  1. Click the Storage tab. The Storage page displays the list of existing storage domains, and the Storage toolbar displays.
    The Storage Tab
    Figure 4.28. The Storage Tab

    If the required storage is not displayed, perform a search (see Chapter 10, Locating Resources).
  2. Shut down and move all the virtual machines running on the data domain. See Section 6.6.5, “Moving Virtual Machines within a Data Center”.
  3. Select the ISO storage domain, if any, to place in maintenance mode.
  4. On the Details pane, click the Data Center tab. Click the Maintenance button. The ISO storage domain is deactivated, and displays as Inactive in the Storage pane.
  5. Select the data domain to be moved into maintenance mode. If you attempt to move a data storage domain into maintenance mode while the ISO domain is still active, a message appears prompting you to deactivate other data domains.
  6. On the Details pane, click the Data Center tab. Click the Maintenance button. The data storage domain is deactivated, and appears as Inactive in the Storage pane.
You can now edit, detach, remove or re-activate the inactive storage domains from the data-center.

Note

You can also activate, detach and place domains into maintenance mode using the Storage tab on the Details pane of the data center it is associated with.

4.4.2. Editing Storage Domains

Inactive or Active Storage Domains in a data center may need to be modified in a dynamically changing environment.

Warning

All maintenance tasks need to be approached with extreme caution. Proceed with caution before any parameters on a storage domain are changed. Failure to do so may result in the loss of all data and images. There is no guarantee that the images can be recovered.
To Edit Storage Domains:
  1. Click the Storage tab. The Storage page displays the list of existing storage domains, and the Storage toolbar displays.
    The Storage Tab
    Figure 4.29. The Storage Tab

  2. Select the required storage domain. Ensure that it is in Maintenance mode.
    If the required storage is not displayed, perform a search (see Chapter 10, Locating Resources).
  3. Click Edit on the Storage toolbar. The Edit Storage Domain dialog displays. Depending on the status of the domain, some or all fields in the dialog box are enabled. The Edit Storage Domain dialog contains the same fields as the New Storage dialog. See Figure 4.2, “Adding New Storage”.
  4. Change the required fields and click OK.
  5. You can now activate the storage and check the validity of the configuration. See Section 4.3, “Attaching Storage Domains to a Data Center”

Note

You can also activate, detach and place domains into maintenance mode using the Storage tab on the Details pane of the data center it is associated with.

4.4.3. Activating Storage Domains

Inactive Storage Domains in a data center need to be re-activated before they can be used. At least one Data Storage domain must be activated before the ISO domain can be activated, if an ISO domain exists.
To activate storage domains:
  1. Click the Storage tab. The Storage page displays the list of existing storage domains, and the Storage toolbar displays.
    An Inactive Domain
    Figure 4.30. An Inactive Domain

  2. Select an inactive data storage domain.
    If the required storage is not displayed, perform a search (see Chapter 10, Locating Resources).
  3. On the Details pane, click the Data Center tab.
    Click Activate button on the toolbar. The domain is activated, and displays as Active in the Storage pane.

    Note

    If you attempt to activate the ISO domain before activating the data domain, an error message displays, and the domain is not activated.
    An Activated Domain
    Figure 4.31. An Activated Domain

Note

You can also activate, detach and place domains into maintenance mode using the Storage tab on the Details pane of the data center it is associated with.

4.5. Deleting Storage Domains

This section describes how to delete storage domains from a data center. For example, you may need to do this if storage domains are being replaced or retired. There are two ways to do this, you can choose to detach storage from a particular data center, or you may choose to remove it altogether from the system. Storage domains cannot be removed or detached if any virtual machines that reside on it are running.

Warning

Deleting storage domains is an irreversible process. Proceed with caution before any storage domains are detached or removed. All images on the storage domain are irreversibly lost on detachment and removal of a storage domain.

4.5.1. Detaching Storage Domains from a Data Center

The space available on storage domains that are merely detached from a data center remain available to be reassigned later, or assigned to other data centers. After detachment the domain will still appear in the lists of assigned or unassigned storage domains.
To detach a storage domain from a data center:
  1. Click the Storage tab. The Storage page displays the list of existing storage, and the Details pane displays.
  2. Select the storage domain to be detached. Ensure that no virtual machines are running on the domain.
  3. Move the storage domain into Maintenance mode. See Section 4.4, “Maintaining Storage Domains”.
  4. On the Details pane, click the Data Centers tab.
  5. Click Detach button on the Storage toolbar.
    The Detach Storage dilaog displays a list of the domains selected for detachment.
    The Detach Storage Dialog
    Figure 4.32. The Detach Storage Dialog

  6. The detached storage domain displays in the list of storage domains with a status of Detached.

Note

To check if the storage location is still available, use the Attach Domain or Add ISO button on the Storage tab in the Details pane of the data center to attach the domain again, if necessary. Refer Section 4.3, “Attaching Storage Domains to a Data Center”.

4.5.2. Removing Storage Domains

Storage domains that are removed from a data center are also deleted from the system. After deletion they no longer display in the lists of storage domains, for example in the Add Storage Domain dialog box.
Storage domains that are removed from the system must be fully reconfigured before they can be re-used.

Warning

Proceed with caution before any storage domains are detached or removed. All images on the storage domain are irreversibly lost on detachment and removal of a storage domain.
To remove a storage domain:
  1. Click the Storage tab. The Storage page displays the list of existing storage domains, and the Storage toolbar displays.
  2. Select the storage domain to be removed. Ensure that no virtual machines are running on the domain.
  3. Move the domain into Maintenance mode to de-activate it. See Section 4.4.1, “Moving Storage Domains to Maintenance Mode”.
    Removing a storage domain
    Figure 4.33. Removing a storage domain

  4. Click Remove on the Storage Tool bar.
  5. The Remove Storage dialog displays prompting you to confirm removal, and select the host to be used to effect the removal. Select a host from the listbox.
    Remove Storage Dialog
    Figure 4.34. Remove Storage Dialog

  6. Click OK. The storage domain is permanently removed from the system.
  7. Click the Storage tab. The deleted storage domain no longer displays in the list of storage domains.

Note

To check that the deleted storage domain is no longer available, use the Add storage domain button on the Storage toolbar. Refer Section 4.2, “Adding Storage Domains to a Data Center”.

Chapter 5. Managing Hosts

5.1. About Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization Hosts
5.1.1. Securing Hosts
5.1.2. Viewing Hosts
5.2. Adding Hosts
5.2.1. Prerequisites
5.2.2. Adding Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization Hypervisor Hosts
5.2.3. Adding Red Hat Enterprise Linux Hosts
5.2.4. Activating a Host
5.3. Managing Host Network Interfaces
5.3.1. Editing Network Interfaces
5.3.2. Configuring Network Interfaces
5.4. Maintaining Hosts
5.4.1. Moving a Host into Maintenance Mode
5.4.2. Editing Host Details
5.5. Configuring Power Management and Fencing
5.5.1. Setting the Parameters for Fencing
5.5.2. Manually Fencing or Isolating a Host
5.6. Customizing Hosts
5.7. Deleting a Physical Host
This section describes how set up and manage the host types that can be used in the Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization platform. Hosts are the physical servers on which the virtual machines run.

5.1. About Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization Hosts

A host is a physical 64 bit server with the Intel VT or AMD-V extensions running any of the following:
  • Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization Hypervisor
  • Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5.4 AMD64/Intel 64 version (exclusively for systems that have been upgraded from Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization 2.1)
  • Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5.5 AMD64/Intel 64 version
A physical host on the Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization platform:
  • Can belong to only one cluster in the system
  • Must have the same CPU type as other hosts in the cluster. All hosts in a cluster must be either AMD or Intel. The different architectures cannot be mixed in a cluster.
  • Hosts virtual machines that migrate from one identical host to another, as necessary. For more information on clusters, refer Section 3.3, “Working with Clusters”.
  • Can have a maximum of 64 physical CPUs.
  • Can have a maximum of 1 TB RAM.

5.1.1. Securing Hosts

The Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization Hypervisor has various security features enabled. Security Enhanced Linux (SELinux) and the iptables firewall are fully configured and on by default.
Administrators can receive the latest security advisories from the Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization watch list. Subscribe to the Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization watch list to receive new security advisories for Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization products by email. Subscribe by completing this form:
http://www.redhat.com/mailman/listinfo/rhev-watch-list/
Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization platform uses various network ports for management and other virtualization features. These ports must be open on a Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5.5 host or higher. For a full list of ports, see Appendix C, Red Hat Enterprise Linux Host Package and Port Requirements

5.1.2. Viewing Hosts

The Hosts tab provides a graphical view of all the hosts in the system. The General, Virtual Machines and Network Interfaces tabs on the Details pane of a selected host provide you with information about the hardware and software profile of the host, as well a list of the virtual machines currently running on the host. The Network Interfaces tab is described in Section 5.3, “Managing Host Network Interfaces”.

5.1.2.1. Viewing General Information on Hosts

The General tab on the Details pane provides information on an individual host, including hardware and software verions, and whether updates are available (in the case of Hypervisor hosts).
To view general information on a host:
  1. Click the Hosts tab. If the host you want to view is not displayed, perform a search (see Chapter 10, Locating Resources).
    A list of hosts displays. Select the appropriate host. The Details pane displays. The Details pane displays General Information, Network Interface information and Virtual Machine information.
    Host Details Pane
    Figure 5.1. Host Details Pane

  2. Click the General tab.
    Information displayed includes software version, the host type, CPU type and Memory information, and the number of active virtual machines. In addition, if an updated version of the host is available, an Alert appears.
    Host Details Pane - Part
    Figure 5.2. Host Details Pane - Part

5.1.2.2. Viewing Virtual Machines on Hosts

The Virtual Machines tab on the Details pane provides information on virtual machines running on the host.
To view a list of virtual machines on a host:
  1. Click the Hosts tab. A list of hosts displays. Select the appropriate host. The Details pane displays.
    The Hosts Tab
    Figure 5.3. The Hosts Tab

  2. Click the Virtual Machines tab on the Details pane. A list of virtual machines running on the host displays. This includes both virtual servers and virtual desktops. The list also displays cluster, network and display information.
  3. You can Pause, Stop and Migrate a virtual machine from this tab.

5.2. Adding Hosts

Hosts must be correctly installed before you can add them to the Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization platform. Before adding hosts ensure that they have been configured correctly with a name, IP address and network bridge. Once added to the Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization platform, hosts must be either approved or activated from the Hosts tab on Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization Manager.

Note

If you re-install Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization Manager, you must remove the hosts to enable them to be reconnected with the correct ssh keys for the new installation of Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization Manager. In contrast, if you upgrade Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization Manager, the hosts remain connected, and no action is required from you.

5.2.1. Prerequisites

Before you can add a host to Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization platform, ensure the following criteria have been met.
  • The host is a Red Hat Enterprise Linux certified server.
    The Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization platform only supports 64 bit processors with the Intel VT or AMD-V extensions. Only the AMD64/Intel 64 version of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5.4 and higher is compatible for use with Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization platform.
  • The network VLAN is configured for access to the Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization Manager.
  • If a host is to be highly available, and have power management, out-of-band management must be set up and configured correctly. In most instances, this requires the presence of a remote access card (RAC) in the host.
  • The BIOS in the host has Intel VT or AMD-V activated.
  • The host has been installed with either of the supported operating systems. For detailed information on installation, including how to install multiple hosts, install from networks, or other advanced features, refer to the appropriate installation documents. Refer Appendix G, Additional References.
  • The host has a resolvable IP address and hostname.
  • A data partition with a minimum size of 25 GB is recommended to provide temporary storage.

5.2.2. Adding Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization Hypervisor Hosts

During the installation of the Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization Hypervisor on a host, the process prompts for the IP address of the host running Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization Manager. If the correct address is provided, the Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization Hypervisor host automatically appears in Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization Manager, and only needs to be approved. It is also called a pre-registered host, and is typically a newly configured host.
If the Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization Hypervisor host was installed as a standalone host, and you now wish to add it to the Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization platform use the process described in the next section. Refer Section 5.2.3.2, “To Add a Host”.
For more information on installation of the Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization Hypervisor, refer Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization for Servers Installation Guide or Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization Hypervisor Deployment Guide.
To approve a pre-registered host:
  1. In the Hosts tab (see Figure 5.4, “List of Hosts”), select the pre-registered host. This host will display a status of "Pending Approval".
  2. Click the Approve button.
The approval process is basically a hand shake between the Management server and the host. On successful conclusion of this process the host's status changes to Up. The host is now certified and is part of the Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization platform. Virtual machines can be scheduled to run on the approved host.

5.2.3. Adding Red Hat Enterprise Linux Hosts

Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization also supports hosts running Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5.5 AMD64/Intel 64 version. This section describes the preparatory steps for installing the Red Hat Enterprise Linux host, as well as the steps to manually add the host to the Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization platform.
Adding a host can take some time, as the following steps are completed by the platform: virtualization capability checks, installation of packages, creation of bridge and a reboot of the host. Use the Details pane to monitor the hand-shake process as the host and management system establish a connection.

Note

Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5.4 hosts can only be used with a Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization Manager which was upgraded from version 2.1 to 2.2. They can only be attached to data centers running in version 2.1 compatibility mode. New installations of Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization Manager 2.2 or data centers running in version 2.2 compatibility mode can only support Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5.5 hosts. Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization Manager 2.2 in version 2.1 compatibility mode can support Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5.5 hosts.
The following table shows which versions of Red Hat Enterprise Linux are supported as hosts for each version of Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization.
Red Hat Enterprise Linux Version Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization 2.1 Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization 2.2 Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization 2.2 in 2.1 compatibility mode
5.4 Supported Unsupported Supported
5.5 Unsupported Supported Supported

5.2.3.1. Preparing Red Hat Enterprise Linux Hosts

To ensure a smooth and successful integration of Red Hat Enterprise Linux Hosts and Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization platform, prepare the host carefully according to the instructions in this section.
  • Ensure that Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5.5 is correctly installed and configured on the physical host. Refer to the Red Hat Enterprise Linux Installation Guide for more information.
  • Only the Base package group is required. All other packages can be removed or not selected.

    Important note on fresh installations

    Do not select the Virtualization or KVM package groups when installing Red Hat Enterprise Linux, as they contain packages that are not compatible for use with Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization.
  • Ensure that VLANs are configured for access to the Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization Manager.
  • Ensure the host is correctly subscribed to the appropriate Red Hat Network channels.
    • Red Hat Enterprise Virt Management Agent (v.5 for x86_64)
    • RHEL Virtualization (v. 5 for 64-bit x86_64)

    Note

    If you do not have the appropriate subscription entitlements, contact Red Hat Customer Service.
  • Install the fence-agents, kvm-qemu-img bridge-utils packages required by Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization Manager to manage Red Hat Enterprise Linux hosts. During installation if the required additional packages are not found, they will be automatically installed by the Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization Manager.
    Install the required packages with yum: 
    # yum install bridge-utils fence-agents kvm-qemu-img

    Warning

    If you are using proprietary directory services or standard directory services with no access to authentication files for user management, the vdsm package will fail to create the required system user . The authentication files required by the useradd command must be accessible to the installer. Red Hat Directory Server (RHDS) recommends a security policy with a mixture of local files and LDAP. Following this recommendation will resolve this issue.
  • Uninstall incompatible packages.
    The Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization management daemon (vdsm) is currently incompatible with Xen. Therefore Xen, including all dependencies, should be removed.

    Warning

    The following steps will destroy data on all existing virtual machines. It is strongly recommended to back up or migrate existing virtual machines to other Red Hat Enterprise Linux servers before proceeding. This process is not reversible.
    • Remove the xen and kernel-xen packages with the yum command: 
      # yum remove xen kernel-xen
    • Reboot the system. The reboot effects a return to the default kernel if the Xen kernel was in use; and the reboot disables the default libvirt network bridge.
  • Add a manual host entry to the /etc/hosts file (on the Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5.5 host) for the Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization Manager server to enable vdsm and other services to connect properly to the host.
    Because Active Directory uses layered domain names, the Active Directory instance takes the domain name usually used by a Linux host. For example, if the server running the Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization Manager has a hostname of server1.example.com, Active Directory uses that address and creates a sub-address named rhev-manager.server1.example.com.
    Edit the /etc/hosts file on the Red Hat Enterprise Linux Host. The following screen output sample resembles the contents of the file: 
    127.0.0.1        localhost.localdomain localhost
								::1        localhost6.localdomain6 localhost6
    Append a new line to /etc/hosts with the IP address and both variants of the Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization Manager domain names. The following screen output sample resembles the required contents of the file: 
    127.0.0.1        localhost.localdomain localhost
::1        localhost6.localdomain6 localhost6
10.0.0.1    server1.example.com rhev-manager.server1.example.com
  • Open firewall ports on the host.
    Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization platform uses a number of network ports for management and other virtualization features.
    The following steps configure iptables to open the required ports.
    • Add the required ports as iptables rules. Advanced users can modify rules or use the iptables -i option instead of iptables -A in order to integrate with existing rules. 
      # iptables -A INPUT -m state --state ESTABLISHED,RELATED -j ACCEPT
# iptables -A INPUT -p icmp -j ACCEPT
# iptables -A INPUT -i lo -j ACCEPT
# iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport 54321 -j ACCEPT
# iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport 22 -j ACCEPT
# iptables -A INPUT -p tcp -m multiport --dports 5634:6166 -j ACCEPT
# iptables -A INPUT -p tcp -m multiport --dports 49152:49216 -j ACCEPT
# iptables -A INPUT -j REJECT --reject-with icmp-host-prohibited
# iptables -A FORWARD -m physdev ! --physdev-is-bridged -j REJECT --reject-with icmp-host-prohibited
    • Save the modified rules. 
      # service iptables save
  • Configure sudo access
    The Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization Manager makes use of sudo to perform operations as root on the host. The default configuration stored in /etc/sudoers contains values to allow this. If this file has been modified since Red Had Enterprise Linux installation these values may have been removed. As root run visudo to ensure that the /etc/sudoers contains the default configuration values. Where it does not they must be added. 
    # Allow root to run any commands anywhere 
root    ALL=(ALL)   ALL
  • Enable SSH access for root
    The Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization management daemon accesses host machines via SSH. To do this it logs in as root with an encrypted key for authentication. To ensure that SSH is configured and root is able to use it to access the system follow these additional steps.

    Warning

    The first time the Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization Manager is connected to the host it will install an authentication key. In the process it will overwrite any existing keys which exist in /root/.ssh/authorized_keys.
    • These steps assume that the openssh-server package is installed on the system. Where the package is not present use yum to install it. 
      # yum install openssh-server
    • Use chkconfig to verify which run-levels SSH is enabled at. 
      # chkconfig --list sshd
sshd			0:off	1:off	2:on	3:on	4:on	5:on	6:off
    • It is expected that the SSH daemon shows as on for run-levels 3, 4, and 5. This is the default configuration.
      If the configuration on the host differs use chkconfig to enable it for the required run-levels. The /etc/init.d/sshd script can then be used to ensure the service is currently started. 
      # chkconfig --level 345 sshd on
# /etc/init.d/sshd start
      To verify this operation as successful run chkconfig --list sshd again and check the output. It should now show the daemon as on at run-level 3, 4, and 5.
    • In Red Hat Enterprise Linux the default SSH daemon configuration allows remote login by the root user. This is also a requirement for the Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization Manager to successfully access the machine. In some cases an administrator may have disabled this ability.
      To check whether or not this is the case search the /etc/ssh/sshd_config for the value PermitRootLogin. This must be done while logged in as root. 
      # grep PermitRootLogin /etc/ssh/sshd_config
PermitRootLogin no
      Where PermitRootLogin is set to no the value must be changed to yes. To do this edit the configuration file. 
      # vi /etc/ssh/sshd_config
      Once the updated configuration file has been saved the SSH daemon must be told to reload it. 
      # /etc/init.d/sshd reload
Reloading sshd:                                            [  OK  ]
      The root user should now be able to access the system via SSH.
You can now add the correctly installed and configured Red Hat Enterprise Linux host to Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization platform.

5.2.3.2. To Add a Host

Before adding a host, ensure you have the correct IP and password of the host. Once you have entered the requisite details, the following steps are completed by the platform:
  • Virtualization capability checks
  • Installation of requisite packages
  • Creation of bridge
  • Reboot of the host.
The process of adding a new host can take some time, the progress can be followed in the Events pane.
  1. Click the Hosts tab. The Hosts tab displays a list of all hosts in the system.
    List of Hosts
    Figure 5.4. List of Hosts

  2. Click the New button. The New Host dialog displays.
    New Host Dialog
    Figure 5.5. New Host Dialog

    Enter the details of the new host.
  3. Name: a descriptive name for the host.
  4. Address: the IP address, or resolvable hostname of the host (provided during installation).
  5. Port: the port used for internal communication control between the hosts. A default port is displayed; change the default only if you are sure that another port can be used.
  6. Host Cluster: the cluster to which the host belongs (select from the drop-down list).
  7. Root password: the password of the designated host; used during installation of the host.
  8. Enable Power Management: Select this checkbox to turn out-of-band (OOB) power management on. If selected, the information for the following fields must also be provided.
    • The Address of the host. This is usually the address of the remote access card (RAC) on the host.
    • A valid User Name for the OOB management.
    • A valid, robust Password for the OOB management.
    • The Type of the OOB management device. Select the appropriate device from the drop down list.
      alom Sun ALOM
      apc APC
      bladecenter IBM Bladecentre Remote Supervisor Adapter
      drac5 Dell Remote Access Controller for Dell computers
      eps Entry-Level Power Supply Specification
      ilo HP Integrated Lights Out standard
      ipmilan Intelligent Platform Management Interface
      rsa IBM Remote Supervisor Adaptor
      rsb
      wti WTI PowerSwitch
    • Click Secure to use SSH to connect to OOB management.
    • The Port to connect to OOB management.
    • Enter the Slot if a Blade server is being configured.
    • Enter any Options that are needed for the SSH command.
    • Click the Test button to test the operation of the OOB management solution. Alerts, if any, appear on the Alerts panel. The Alerts panel displays on the bottom right corner of the screen. If there are existing alerts, the Alerts text changes color to brighter red.
      Alerts Tag
      Figure 5.6. Alerts Tag

      The Alerts panel can be resized by using the Expand/Collapse button, or dragging the border upwards/downwards.
      Alerts Panel Expanded
      Figure 5.7. Alerts Panel Expanded

    Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization recommends the configuration of power management on the hosts. Power management enables the system to fence a troublesome host using an additional interface.

    Note

    If the host is required to be Highly Available, power management must be enabled and configured.
    Setting up power management for hosts is described in detail later in this section. Refer Section 5.5, “Configuring Power Management and Fencing”.
  9. Click OK.
    The new host displays in the list of hosts with a status of "Installing". Once installation is complete, the status of the newly added host is Pending Approval. The host must be activated for the status to change to Up.

Note:

View the process of the host installation on the Details pane.

5.2.4. Activating a Host

After a host has been added, or an existing host has been taken down for maintenance, it needs to be activated before it can be used. Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5.5 and higher hosts need to be activated after being added or upgraded.
To activate a host:
  1. In the Hosts tab (see Figure 5.4, “List of Hosts”), select the host to be activated.
  2. Click the Activate button.
The host status changes to Up. Virtual machines can now run on the host.

5.3. Managing Host Network Interfaces

The Network Interface tab on the Details pane of a host, allows you to define the attachment of the logical network in the Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization Manager to the physical network interface cards (or NICs) of the host. This is a simple operation in which you attach one or more of the host's physical Network Interface Cards (NICs) to a predefined logical network in the cluster.

Note

New logical networks cannot be defined at the host level.
The management and storage subnets are defined by default in the cluster. Typically, eth0 is allocated to the management network interface (which displays as RHEVM) and eth1 is allocated to the storage network interface (which may display as data). The Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization platform automatically detects the attached subnets and networks, so all that is required is to match the logical network name to the correct subnet.
Each host can support up to 32 interfaces, and these are grouped by logical networks. If the default settings are not correct, or more subnets need to be added, the Network Interfaces tab can be used to make changes.

5.3.1. Editing Network Interfaces

You can edit the host NICs and the RHEVM Management network using the Network Interfaces tab on a host's Details pane.

5.3.1.1. Editing Host Network Interfaces

The Network Interfaces tab displays the name, network name, address, MAC address, speed, and link status for each interface. The Edit, Edit Management Network, Bond/Unbond, Detach and Save Network Configuration buttons enable you to manage host NICs.
To edit a network interface:
  1. Click the Hosts tab. A list of hosts displays. Select the appropriate host. The Details pane displays.
    Host Network Interface Tab
    Figure 5.8. Host Network Interface Tab

  2. Place the host in maintenance mode. See Section 5.4, “Maintaining Hosts”.
  3. Click the Network Interface tab on the Details tab. The Network Interface tab displays the list of NICs on the host, and a number of buttons.
    Host Network Interface Tab
    Figure 5.9. Host Network Interface Tab

  4. Click the Edit button. The Edit Network Interface dialog displays.
    Host Network Interface Tab
    Figure 5.10. Host Network Interface Tab

  5. To attach the NIC to a different logical network, select a different Network from the list of available logical networks.
  6. Select the network setting of None, DHCP or Static. For Static setting, provide the IP, Subnet and Default Gateway information for the host.
  7. Select the Check Connectivity check box if necessary.
  8. Click OK.
  9. Activate the host. See Section 5.2.4, “Activating a Host”.

5.3.1.2. Editing Management Network

The Network Interfaces tab displays the name, network name, address, MAC address, speed, and link status for each interface. In the course of editing the host NICs, it may be necessary to check or edit the Management Network Interface.

Note:

Communication between the Management Server and the host is via the management interface. Changing the properties of the management interface may cause the host to become unreachable.
To edit the management network:
  1. Click the Hosts tab. A list of hosts displays. Select the appropriate host. The Details pane displays.
    Host Network Interface Tab
    Figure 5.11. Host Network Interface Tab

  2. Place the host in maintenance mode. See Section 5.4, “Maintaining Hosts”.
  3. Click the Network Interface tab on the Details tab. The Network Interface tab displays the list of NICs on the host, and a number of buttons.
    Host Network Interface Tab
    Figure 5.12. Host Network Interface Tab

  4. Click the Edit Management Network button. The Edit Management Network dialog displays.
    Edit Management Network Dialog
    Figure 5.13. Edit Management Network Dialog

  5. To attach the RHEVM management network to a different NIC, select a different Interface from the list of available NICs.
  6. Select the network setting of None, DHCP or Static. For Static setting, provide the IP, Subnet and Default Gateway information for the host.
  7. Select the Check Connectivity check box if necessary.
  8. Click OK.
  9. Activate the host. See Section 5.2.4, “Activating a Host”.

5.3.2. Configuring Network Interfaces

After editing the NICs to ensure that the physical NICs connect to the logical networks, some further configuration may be necessary. For example, you may want to aggregate links, separate bonded links, or even detach NICs from the network. When the host is correctly configured and linked to the RHEVM network, you may want to save the network configuration.

5.3.2.1. Bonding Network Interfaces

Network bonding (also known as link aggregation, NIC bonding) consists of aggregating multiple network interfaces into a single logical bonded interface that correspond to a single IP address. Network bonding uses multiple network cables/ports in parallel to increase the link speed beyond the limits of any one single cable or port, and to increase the redundancy for higher availability. Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization platform conform to what used to be clause 43 of IEEE 802.3-2005 Ethernet standard, usually referred to by its working group name of "IEEE 802.3ad".
Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization platform allows bonding of several NICs on a host. For example, if a host has four NICs but only two logical networks, two of the NICs can be bonded together using 802.3ad protocol to create a single channel. This channel can be mapped to a single logical network providing a higher bandwidth.

Note

Ensure that the NICs have been configured correctly across the network, that is, configure your routers accordingly.
To bond host NICs:
  1. Click the Hosts tab. A list of hosts displays. Select the appropriate host. The Details pane displays.
    Host Network Interface Tab
    Figure 5.14. Host Network Interface Tab

  2. Place the host in maintenance mode. See Section 5.4, “Maintaining Hosts”.
  3. Click the Network Interface tab on the Details tab. The Network Interface tab displays the list of NICs on the host, and a number of buttons.
    Host Network Interface Tab
    Figure 5.15. Host Network Interface Tab

  4. Select the multiple NICs that are to be bonded together.
  5. Click the Bond button. The Bond Network Interface dialog displays.
    Bond Network Interface Dialog
    Figure 5.16. Bond Network Interface Dialog

  6. To create a bonded interface select a Bond from the list.
  7. Select the network setting of None, DHCP or Static. For Static setting, provide the IP, Subnet and Default Gateway information for the host.
  8. Select the Check Connectivity check box if necessary.
  9. Click OK.

5.3.2.2. Detaching NICs

The Network Interfaces tab displays the name, network name, address, MAC address, speed, and link status for each interface. In the course of editing the host NICs, it may be necessary to detach a particular NIC.
To detach a NIC:
  1. Click the Hosts tab. A list of hosts displays. Select the appropriate host. The Details pane displays.
    Host Network Interface Tab
    Figure 5.17. Host Network Interface Tab

  2. Place the host in maintenance mode. See Section 5.4, “Maintaining Hosts”.
  3. Click the Network Interface tab on the Details tab. The Network Interface tab displays the list of NICs on the host, and a number of buttons.
    Host Network Interface Tab
    Figure 5.18. Host Network Interface Tab

  4. Select the NIC (or NICs) to be detached, and click the Detach button. The Detach Network Interface dialog displays.
  5. The dialog box lists the NICs selected for detachment.
  6. Click OK to confirm the detachment.
  7. Activate the host. See Section 5.2.4, “Activating a Host”.

5.3.2.3. Saving Host Network Configuration

When the host is correctly configured and linked to the RHEVM network, you may want to save the network configuration.
To save a network interface configuration:
  1. Click the Hosts tab. A list of hosts displays. Select the appropriate host. The Details pane displays.
    Host Network Interface Tab
    Figure 5.19. Host Network Interface Tab

  2. Place the host in maintenance mode. See Section 5.4, “Maintaining Hosts”.
  3. Click the Network Interface tab on the Details tab. The Network Interface tab displays the list of NICs on the host, and a number of buttons.
    Host Network Interface Tab
    Figure 5.20. Host Network Interface Tab

  4. Click the Save Network Configuration button.
  5. Click OK. The host network configuration is saved.

5.4. Maintaining Hosts

This section describes how to maintain host and upgrade hosts on the Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization platform. For example, you may have to change the network configuration details of the host, or the host cluster to which it belongs. All virtual machines are migrated automatically, however the migration increases the load on the network and on other hosts. If a large number of virtual machines are running on the host (that is to be moved into maintenance mode), the migration of the virtual machines may take a considerable amount of time.

Warning

Maintaining hosts may involve the shut down, de-activation and re-start of the physical host. Moving hosts into Maintenance must be planned and considered carefully.

5.4.1. Moving a Host into Maintenance Mode

Hosts must occasionally be brought down for maintenance. Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization platform attempts to migrate all the virtual machines running on the host to other hosts automatically. In some instances this may not be possible, and you may have to manually migrate or shut down a virtual machine, before the host can be placed in maintenance.
To move a host into maintenance mode:
  1. Click the Hosts tab. A list of hosts displays. If the host you want to edit is not displayed, perform a search (see Chapter 10, Locating Resources).
  2. Select the host. The Details panel displays information about the host.
    Host Details Pane
    Figure 5.21. Host Details Pane

  3. Click the Maintenance button to migrate all virtual machines to alternative hosts, and place the host into maintenance.
    The Status field of the host changes to Preparing for Maintenance, followed by Maintenance. The icon changes to indicate that the host is in maintenance.
    Host Details Pane
    Figure 5.22. Host Details Pane

  4. Perform any required tasks. When the host is ready to be reactivated, click the Activate button to bring the host back up.
    The Status field of the host changes to Up.

Note

If Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization Manager is unable to communicate with and control the host, its status displays Non-responsive.

5.4.2. Editing Host Details

You can edit the details of a host, such as its name or network configuration. You can also change the cluster to which the host belongs.
Before changing the cluster that the host belongs to, you must first place it into maintenance mode (see Section 5.4.1, “Moving a Host into Maintenance Mode”).

Warning

Maintaining hosts may involve the shut down, de-activation and re-start of the physical hosts. If any virtual machines are running on the host, be aware that you may lose data and configuration details if the virtual machine have not been shut down. Moving hosts into maintenance must be carefully planned and executed with due care and consideration.
To edit host details:
  1. Click the Hosts tab. A list of hosts is displayed. If the host you want to edit is not displayed, perform a search (see Chapter 10, Locating Resources).
  2. Select the host that you want to edit. Click the Edit button. The Edit Host dialog opens.
    Edit Host Dialog
    Figure 5.23. Edit Host Dialog

  3. Edit details, as required (see Section 5.2.3, “Adding Red Hat Enterprise Linux Hosts”). Click Save to save the changes.
    The details of the host are updated in the Hosts tab, and the status changes appropriately.

5.5. Configuring Power Management and Fencing

All hosts on the Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization platform work in a cluster mode and therefore need to be fenced by the Manager either automatically or manually. Therefore, it is highly recommended, that administrator configure the fencing parameters and test their correctness from time to time. Hosts can be fenced automatically using the Power Management parameters, or manually by right clicking on a host and using the options on the menu. Both methods are described in this section. In a fencing operation, a host is re-booted, and if the host does not return to an active status within a prescribed time, Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization Manager marks it as non-responsive and stops checking its status. If the host is required to run virtual machines that are to Highly Available, power management must be enabled and configured.

5.5.1. Setting the Parameters for Fencing

The parameters for host fencing are set using the Power Management fields on the New or Edit Host dialog. Power management enables the system to fence a troublesome host using an additional interface such as a Remote Access Card (RAC).
Power management parameters are tested by Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization Manager only when they are entered by the administrator. If the administrator chooses to ignore alerts about wrong parameters, or if the parameters are changed on the power-management hardware without the corresponding change in Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization Manager, fencing is likely to fail when most needed.
To set up fencing on a host:
  1. Click the Hosts tab. The Hosts tab displays a list of all hosts in the system.
  2. Select the host for which you wish to set up fencing and Click the Edit button. The Edit Host dialog displays.
    New Host Dialog
    Figure 5.24. New Host Dialog

  3. Enable Power Management: Select this checkbox to turn out-of-band (OOB) power management on. The fields for Power Management are enabled.
    • The Address of the host. This is usually the address of the remote access card (RAC) on the host.
    • A valid User Name for the OOB management.
    • A valid, robust Password for the OOB management.
    • The Type of the fencing device. Select the appropriate device from the drop down list.
      alom Sun ALOM
      apc APC
      bladecenter IBM Bladecentre Remote Supervisor Adapter
      drac5 Dell Remote Access Controller for Dell computers
      eps Entry-Level Power Supply Specification
      ilo HP Integrated Lights Out standard
      ipmilan Intelligent Platform Management Interface
      rsa IBM Remote Supervisor Adaptor
      rsb
      wti WTI PowerSwitch
    • Click Secure to use SSH to connect to OOB management.
    • If needed, enter the Port to connect to the power management device.
    • Enter the Slot if a Blade server is being configured. Use this only if you would like to manage the server via slot 2 on the Blade server.
    • Enter any Options that are needed for the fence-agents commands or ssh command. This is free text field that enables the administrator to enter commands that are not available via the graphical user interface. Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization Manager does not perform any checks on these options. This options should only be used by advanced users, as any errors may cause the host to become unreachable.
    • Click the Test button to test the operation of the OOB management solution.

    Warning

    Power management parameters (userid, password, options, etc) are tested by Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization Manager only when they are entered by the administrator. If the administrator chooses to ignore alerts about wrong parameters, or if the parameters are changed on the power management hardware without the corresponding change in Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization Manager, fencing is likely to fail when most needed.
  4. Click OK.
    The new host displays in the list of hosts with a status of "Installing". Once installation is complete, the status of the newly added host is Pending Approval. The host must be activated for the status to change to Up.

5.5.1.1. Using Power Management

Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization recommends the configuration of power management. Power management enables the system to fence a troublesome host using an additional interface and to reduce power usage.

Note

If the host is required to be Highly Available, power management must be enabled and configured.
Power Management must be set up when the host is added to the platform, or later, using the Edit Host dialog. Refer Section 5.5.1, “Setting the Parameters for Fencing”.
Hosts can be fenced using the Power Management button on the Hosts tab.
To use power management to manage fencing on a host:
  1. Select the host on the Hosts tab.
  2. Click the Power Management button. Select the appropriate option from the list, Start, Stop or Restart.
    The Power Management Options
    Figure 5.25. The Power Management Options

5.5.2. Manually Fencing or Isolating a Host

If a host unpredictably goes into an unresponsive state, for example, due to a hardware failure; it can significantly affect the performance of the system. For example, if the unresponsive host is the Storage Pool Manager, Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization Manager needs to move this function to an active host. Administrators can isolate a non-reponsive host from networked storage, and other hosts by manually rebooting the host. Once the administrator has manually rebooted the host, click the Confirm Host has been Rebooted option on the right-click submenu, to indicate to the platform that the host has been manually rebooted. .

Note

At least one host must be up and running in order to test fencing. Do not attempt to test the first host that is added to a data center, until at least one other host is up and running.
To manually fence a non-responsive host
  1. Click the Hosts tab. If a host is not displayed, perform a search (see Chapter 10, Locating Resources).
  2. Select the host. The status must display as Not Responding.
  3. Manually reboot the host.For example, this could mean physically entering the lab and rebooting the host.
  4. In the Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization Manager, right click and select the Confirm Host has been rebooted button.
    The Host Right-click menu
    Figure 5.26. The Host Right-click menu

  5. A message displays prompting you to ensure that the host has been shut down or rebooted. Select the Approve Operation check box and click OK.
    The Fencing Confirmation Message
    Figure 5.27. The Fencing Confirmation Message

  6. The host to be fenced is isolated from the virtualized system, enabling any of its functions to be automatically transferred to an active host.
  7. After the non-responding host is rectified, and is reinstalled or rebooted, click the Activate button to restore the host status to Up.

5.6. Customizing Hosts

You can assign user defined tags to objects and aggregate these objects into a group; for example you can create a group of hosts running in a department or location.
To tag a host:
  1. Click the Hosts tab.
    A list of hosts is displayed.
  2. If the host you want to edit is not displayed, perform a search (see Chapter 10, Locating Resources).
  3. Select the appropriate host, and click the Assign Tags button.
    The Assign Tag Button on the Host menu
    Figure 5.28. The Assign Tag Button on the Host menu

    The Assign Tags dialog opens. It displays a list of available tags.
    Assign Tag Dialog
    Figure 5.29. Assign Tag Dialog

  4. Select the required tags.
  5. Click Close.
The tagged host displays in the result of searches for the assigned tag, as shown in the figure.
Tag Search Result
Figure 5.30. Tag Search Result

5.7. Deleting a Physical Host

Hosts that are no longer being used by the Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization platform can be permanently removed. Deleting unused hosts saves system resources, as existing hosts are checked (or pinged) at fixed intervals. Ensure that any virtual machines are migrated off the host, or shut down if they are no longer required.
To delete a host:
  1. Click the Hosts tab. If a host that you want to delete is not displayed, perform a search (see Chapter 10, Locating Resources).
  2. Select the host to be deleted.
  3. Place the host into Maintenance mode (see Section 5.4.1, “Moving a Host into Maintenance Mode”).
  4. Click the Remove button. A confirmation message displays.
  5. Click OK. The host is removed from Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization platform and deleted from the Hosts tab.

Chapter 6. Managing Virtual Resources

6.1. About Virtual Machines
6.1.1. Supported Virtual Machines
6.1.2. Virtual Machine Performance Parameters
6.1.3. Understanding Virtual Machine Storage
6.2. Creating New Virtual Machines
6.2.1. Creating Virtual Machines from Existing Templates
6.2.2. Creating New Virtual Machines without a Template
6.2.3. Cloning Virtual Machines from Existing Templates
6.3. Completing the Configuration of the Virtual Machine
6.4. Installing Operating Systems onto Blank Virtual Machines
6.5. Logging into Virtual Machines
6.5.1. Logging into Windows Virtual Machines using SPICE
6.5.2. Logging into Virtual Machines with Remote Desktop (RDP)
6.5.3. Logging into Virtual Machines with VNC
6.5.4. Console Window Menu Extension for Administrators
6.6. Managing Virtual Machines
6.6.1. Editing Virtual Machines
6.6.2. Powering Virtual Machines On
6.6.3. Shutting Down or Pausing Virtual Machines
6.6.4. Migrating Virtual Machines
6.6.5. Moving Virtual Machines within a Data Center
6.6.6. Removing Virtual Machines
6.7. Using Virtual Machine Snapshots
6.7.1. Creating Snapshots of Virtual Machines
6.7.2. Restoring Virtual Machines from Snapshots
6.7.3. Deleting Snapshots
6.8. Exporting and Importing Virtual Resources
6.8.1. Overview of the Export-Import Process
6.8.2. Exporting Virtual Machines
6.8.3. Importing Virtual Machines into the Destination Data Center
6.9. Backing Up Virtual Resources
6.10. Removing Virtual Machines
Virtual machines provide the enterprise with the benefits of high availability, scalability and interoperability that are expected from virtualized data center. The Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization platform supports both virtual servers and virtual desktops. The Virtual Machines tab on the Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization platform provides an efficient graphical way to view and manage virtual machines. For more information on virtual machines, virtual disk formats and storage of guest images, refer to Red Hat Enterprise Linux Virtualization Guide.
The Virtual Machines Tab
Figure 6.1. The Virtual Machines Tab

Administrative tasks for virtual machines include:
  • Creating virtual machines manually or from templates.
  • Starting, suspending and migrating virtual machines.
  • Backing up and restoring virtual machines by taking a snapshot.
  • Importing or exporting virtual machines.
  • Converting virtual machines from foreign hypervisors. Refer Appendix A, Importing virtual machines with virt-v2v
This chapter describes how to create and maintain virtual machines. A virtual desktop fulfils the tasks of a physical desktop without the actual hardware. Virtual machines in a cluster can be migrated to other hosts within the same cluster. An understanding of how virtual machines access networked storage is helpful.

6.1. About Virtual Machines

This section briefly describes the storage, processing and network parameters of virtual machines in the Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization platform.
It is recommended that the overcommit memory feature be used in order to achieve density for Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization for Desktops installations. However this may result in some virtual machines running with a 'Not enough memory' error message. This is a transient state, running the virtual machines again should succeed. For more information on setting memory overcommit, see Section 3.3.1, “Creating a New Host Cluster”.

6.1.1. Supported Virtual Machines

Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization presently supports the following virtual machines:
  • Red Hat Enterprise Linux 3 (32 bit and 64 bit)
  • Red Hat Enterprise Linux 4 (32 bit and 64 bit)
  • Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5 (32 bit and 64 bit)
  • Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6 (32 bit and 64 bit)
  • Windows XP Service Pack 3 and newer (32 bit only)
  • Windows Server 2003 Service Pack 2 and newer (32 bit and 64 bit)
  • Windows Server 2008 (32 bit and 64 bit)
  • Windows Server 2008 R2 (64 bit only)
  • Windows 7 (32 bit and 64 bit)
Para-virtualized drivers (the virtio drivers) that increase the performance for a virtual machine's block and network devices are available for the following operating systems and versions.
Para-virtualized drivers support
  • Windows XP
  • Windows 7 (32 bit and 64 bit)
  • Windows Server 2008 (32 bit and 64 bit)
  • Windows Server 2003 R2 (32 bit and 64 bit)
  • Red Hat Enterprise Linux 4.8 and newer (32 bit and 64 bit)
  • Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5.4 and newer (32 bit and 64 bit)
  • Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6.0 and newer (32 bit and 64 bit)

Note:

If a network interface on a Windows virtual machine is configured using the default network drivers, the network configuration settings are lost if the Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization para-virtualized network drivers are installed subsequently. To avoid this issue, you should install the RHEV para-virtualized network drivers before configuring network interfaces on Windows virtual machines.

6.1.2. Virtual Machine Performance Parameters

Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization virtual machines can support the following parameters:
Parameter Number Note
Virtualized CPUs 16 per virtual machine
Virtualized RAM 256GB For a 64 bit virtual machine
Virtualized RAM 4GB per 32 bit virtual machine. Note, the guest may not register the entire 4GB. How much RAM the guest recognizes is limited by its operating system.
Virtualized storage devices 8 per virtual machine
Virtualized network interface controllers 8 per virtual machine
Virtualized PCI devices 32 per virtual machine

6.1.3. Understanding Virtual Machine Storage

Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization platform supports three storage types: NFS, iSCSI and FCP. In each type, a host known as the Storage Pool Manager (SPM) manages access between hosts and storage. The SPM host is the only node that has full access within the storage pool; the SPM can modify the images data, and meta-data and the pool's meta-data.
In an NFS data center, the SPM creates the virtual disk on top of a regular file system, either as a Qcow2 disk for a thin provision (sparse) format, or as a normal disk for a preallocated (RAW) format. For iSCSI and SAN, the SPM creates a Volume group (VG) on top of the Logical Unit Numbers (LUNs) provided. During the virtual disk creation, either a preallocated format (RAW) or a Thin Provision (Sparse) format is created.
For a virtual disk with a preallocated format, a Logical Volume (LV) of the specified size in GB is created. If necessary, the VM can be mounted on a Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5.5 and higher server using kpartx, vgscan, vgchange and mount to investigate the VM's processes or problems.
For a virtual disk with a thin provision format, a 512M LV is created initially. The LV is continuously monitored by the host on which the VM is running. As soon as the usage nears a threshold the host notifies the SPM, and the SPM extends the LV by 512M. The host is responsible for resuming the VM after the LV has been extended. If the VM goes into a pause state it means that the SPM could not extend the disk on time. This can occur if the SPM is too busy or there is not enough storage space.
From a performance point of view, a virtual disk with a preallocated (RAW) format is significantly faster than a virtual disk with a thin provisioning (Qcow2) format. It is recommended that the thin provision format be used for non-IO intensive virtual desktops.

6.2. Creating New Virtual Machines

You can create a virtual machine in several ways:
  • From an existing template.
  • From a blank template. This is the same as creating a virtual machine from scratch.
  • As a clone from an existing template.

Note:

It is best practice to create a virtual desktop from an existing template. This is the easiest way to ensure that network, storage, processing and memory is set up correctly and efficiently. It is also the best way to set up multiple identical virtual desktops. Using identical virtual desktops is also the best way to make the most efficient use of storage.

6.2.1. Creating Virtual Machines from Existing Templates

You can create a virtual machine from an existing template (either created by you, or one that came with the system). A template is a base virtual machine that is set with a unique configuration and settings. A virtual machine that is based on a particular template acquires the configurations and settings of the template. Thus, templates are used to conveniently and efficiently create a set of identical virtual machines.
For a complete list of all the required settings to create a virtual machine, refer to Section 6.2.2, “Creating New Virtual Machines without a Template”.
To create a new virtual machine from an existing template:
  1. Click the Virtual Machines tab. The Virtual Machines tab displays a list of existing virtual machines.
    Virtual Machine List
    Figure 6.2. Virtual Machine List

    The icon to the left of the virtual machine name indicates whether it is a virtual server, a desktop or a part of a desktop pool.
  2. Click the New Desktop button.
    Virtual Machines Toolbar
    Figure 6.3. Virtual Machines Toolbar

    The New Virtual Machine dialog displays.
  3. Select the Datacenter, Host Cluster and optionally, the Host on which the desktop is to run. All templates that exist in the selected cluster display in the list. Select an existing template from the Based on Template list.
    New Virtual Machine Dialog
    Figure 6.4. New Virtual Machine Dialog

  4. Enter a suitable Name and appropriate Description, and accept the default values inherited from the template in the rest of the fields. You can change them if needed. See Table 6.1, “New Virtual Machine Dialog Fields” for field descriptions.
  5. If you select a Windows Operating System, an additional Windows Sys Prep group displays on the New Virtual Machine dialog.
    Windows Sys Prep Group
    Figure 6.5. Windows Sys Prep Group

  6. Click Stateless if the virtual machine is to run in stateless mode. A stateless desktop is always created from the base template, and deleted on shutdown. This type of virtual machine is very useful when creating virtual machines that need to be used for a short time, or by temporary staff
  7. Click OK to create the virtual machine. The virtual machine displays in the Virtual Machines list.

Note:

It may take some time for the virtual machine to be created. During this time, the status of the virtual machine displays as Image Locked, followed by Down.

6.2.2. Creating New Virtual Machines without a Template

The Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization platform allows you to create a number of different types of virtual machines. Like physical machines, virtual machines within a cluster must run the same CPU to enable the migration of virtual machines within the cluster.
To create a new virtual machine from a blank template :
  1. Click the Virtual Machines tab.
    The Virtual Machines tab displays the existing virtual machines.
    Virtual Machine List
    Figure 6.6. Virtual Machine List

    The icon to the left of the virtual machine name indicates whether it is a virtual server, a desktop or a part of a desktop pool.
    Virtual Machine List
    Figure 6.7. Virtual Machine List

  2. Click the New Desktop button.
    Virtual Machine Toolbar
    Figure 6.8. Virtual Machine Toolbar

    The New Virtual Machine dialog displays. This dialog box consists of the following groups, General, Console, and Boot Sequence. If you choose Windows as the operating system, a Windows Sys Prep group also displays. You will need to enter some information in most the groups, if mandatory information is not entered, on clicking OK, the required unfilled mandatory fields display with a coloured border. Ensure that you enter the requisite information in the mandatory fields.
    New Virtual Machine - General
    Figure 6.9. New Virtual Machine - General

  3. Enter information in the General fields of the New Virtual Machine dialog:
    Table 6.1. New Virtual Machine Dialog Fields
    Field
    Description
    Notes
    Data Center
    Select an existing Data Center from the list.
    		The Default data center displays by default.
    Host Cluster
    		The name of the host cluster to which the virtual machine is attached. It can be hosted on any physical machine in the cluster depending on the policy rules. This is the migration domain for the virtual machine. The Default cluster displays by default.
    Default Host
    		The name of the host on which the virtual machine is to be run. Or select Auto Assign to run the virtual machine on any host in the cluster depending on the policy rules.
    Name
    		The name of new virtual machine. Ensure it is a unique name. A virtual machine name must not contain any spaces, and must contain at least one character a-z. The maximum length of a virtual machine name is 15 characters. Follow the operating system's rules for virtual machine names.
    Description
    		A meaningful description of the new virtual machine.  
    Template
    Select Blank (the default) to create a virtual machine from scratch.
    Select an existing template to create a virtual machine from an existing model. See Section 6.2.1, “Creating Virtual Machines from Existing Templates”
    Memory Size (MB)
    		The amount of memory assigned to the virtual machine. Consider the processing and storage needs of the applications that are intended to run on the virtual machine. The maximum allowable memory for a virtual machine is 256GB, allowing even the most memory-intensive enterprise workloads to be virtualized. The total amount of memory allocated to Virtual Machines is able to exceed the amount of physical memory available to the host where memory over-commit is enabled. See Section 14.1.5, “Setting the Host Parameters” for more information.
    Total Cores
    		The processing power allocated to the virtual machine, as CPU Cores, from 1 to 16 on the slider bar. It is recommended that you do not assign too high a number to a single Virtual Machine, or more cores in total than actually exist on the physical host.
    CPU Sockets
    		The number of CPU sockets for the virtual machine from 1 to 16 on the slider bar. It is recommended that you do not assign too high a number to a single Virtual Machine, or more CPUs in total than actually exist on the physical host.
    Operating System
    		The operating system. Valid values include a range of Windows and Linux variants. This is a display only field, as no operating system is actually installed during this process.
    Stateless The virtual machine is to run in stateless mode. The stateless mode is mostly used for virtual desktops. A stateless desktop or server is always created from the base template, and deleted on shutdown. Everytime the virtual machine is run, a new instance of the virtual machine is created from the base template. This type of virtual machine is very useful when creating virtual machines that need to be used for a short time, or by temporary staff.  

  4. If the Operating System chosen was Windows, the Windows Sys Prep group displays. Enter the following information:
    Table 6.2. Windows Sys Prep Fields
    Field
    Description
    Notes
    Domain Enter the domain in which the virtual machine is to be created. If the operating system is Windows, a domain can be specified.
    Time Zone Enter the time zone in which the virtual machine is to run. This is the time zone for the virtual machine, and not necessarily the time zone for the physical host on which the virtual machine is running.

  5. Enter information in the Console fields of the New Virtual Machine dialog:
    New Virtual Machine - Console
    Figure 6.10. New Virtual Machine - Console

    Table 6.3. New Virtual Machine Dialog Fields
    Field
    Description
    Notes
    Protocol Define the display protocol to be used. Select either:
    • SPICE
    • VNC
    		Select SPICE for Windows or Linux virtual machines. This is the recommended protocol. or select VNC for Linux virtual machines if desired.
    USB Policy Select Enabled or Disabled to indicate whether a USB device can be inserted into the client machine.  

  6. Enter information in the Boot Sequence fields of the New Desktop Virtual Machine dialog:
    New Virtual Machine - Boot Sequence
    Figure 6.11. New Virtual Machine - Boot Sequence

    Table 6.4. New Virtual Machine Dialog Fields
    Field
    Description
    Notes
    First Device
    • HardDisk
    • CD-ROM
    • Network (PXE)
    		After installing a new virtual machine, the new virtual machine must go into Boot mode before powering up. Select the first device that the virtual machine must try to boot the virtual machine:
    • Hard Disk to boot from the hard disk (though if this is a blank virtual machine, it will obviously not boot from the hard disk)
    • CD-ROM to boot from the CD
    • Network (PXE) to boot from the network.
    Second Device Any two of the following:
    • Hard Disk
    • CD-ROM
    • Network (PXE)
    		Select the second device for the virtual machine to use to boot if the first device is not available. The first device selected in the previous option does not appear in the options.
    Attach CD A list of available CD-ROMs appear if Attach CD is selected. Select the appropriate operating system ISOs available on the system, as shown in the example below.

    New Virtual Machine - CDROMs
    Figure 6.12. New Virtual Machine - CDROMs

  7. Click OK.
    If all the mandatory fields have been selected, The New Virtual Machine - Guide Me dialog displays. (If not, the dialog box does not close, and unfilled fields are indicated with a red border. Complete all the mandatory fields.)
    New Virtual Machine Guide Me Dialog
    Figure 6.13. New Virtual Machine Guide Me Dialog

    You can use the buttons in the New Virtual Machine - Guide Me dialog immediately, or the tabs on the Details Pane to complete the configuration. Click Configure Later. The new virtual machine is created and displays in the list of virtual machines with the Virtual Server icon and Status Down icon.
    New Virtual Machine
    Figure 6.14. New Virtual Machine

6.2.3. Cloning Virtual Machines from Existing Templates

You can clone a virtual machine from an existing template (either created by you, or one that came with the system). A template is a base virtual machine that is set with a unique configuration and settings. A virtual machine that is cloned from a particular template acquires the configurations and settings of the template.
To create a cloned virtual machine from an existing template:
  1. Click the Virtual Machines tab.
    The Virtual Machines tab displays a list of existing virtual machines.
    Virtual Machine List
    Figure 6.15. Virtual Machine List

    Note

    The icon to the left of the virtual machine name indicates whether it is a virtual server, a desktop or a part of a desktop pool.
  2. Click the New Server button.
    Virtual Machines Toolbar
    Figure 6.16. Virtual Machines Toolbar

    The New Virtual Machine dialog displays.
    New Virtual Machine Dialog
    Figure 6.17. New Virtual Machine Dialog

  3. Select an existing template from the Based on Template list. All templates that exist in the cluster display in the list.
  4. Enter a suitable Name and appropriate Description, and accept the default values inherited from the template in the rest of the fields. You can change them if needed. See Table 6.1, “New Virtual Machine Dialog Fields” for field descriptions.
  5. In the Allocation group, on the Provisioning field, select the Clone option.
    Provisioning - Clone
    Figure 6.18. Provisioning - Clone

  6. Click OK to create the cloned virtual machine. The virtual machine displays in the Virtual Machines list.

    Note

    It may take some time for the virtual machine to be created. During this time, the status of the virtual machine displays as Image Locked, followed by Down.

6.3. Completing the Configuration of the Virtual Machine

Use the buttons on the New Virtual Machine - Guide Me dialog to complete the configuration of the new virtual machine. The New Virtual Machine - Guide Me provides direct access to required dialog boxes to continue the configuration.
New Virtual Machine Guide Me Dialog
Figure 6.19. New Virtual Machine Guide Me Dialog

Define the NICs and Virtual Disks:
  1. The New Virtual Machine - Guide Me dialog displays when the OK button is clicked on the New Virtual Machine dialog.
  2. To set up one or more network interfaces (or NICs) click the Configure Network Interfaces button. The New Network Interface dialog displays. You can accept the default values, or change them if necessary.
    New Network Interface Dialog
    Figure 6.20. New Network Interface Dialog

    Enter or select the Name, Network and Type of the network interface for the new virtual machine.

    Note

    The options on the Network and Type fields are populated by the networks available to the cluster, and the NICs available to the virtual machine.
    To choose the correct NIC Type follow these the general guidelines:
    • for virtual machines running Linux operating systems, use e1000 or Red Hat VirtIO
    • for virtual machines running Windows operating systems, use rtl8139
    • You can also use dual mode; rtl8139, VirtIO for either operating system.
    The NIC Type type depends on the drivers that are available for the different types of virtual machines. Thus the VirtIO drivers are available for Red Hat Enterprise Linux 4.8 and above, and for Windows virtual machines; while Windows supports rtl8139 without the need for any drivers. For other Linux machines, or earlier versions of Red Hat Enterprise Linux, use e1000 or rtl8139.
  3. If required, select the Specify Custom MAC address check box, and enter the address of the NIC. Ensure that the MAC address is entered in lower-case.
    Example 6.1. MAC address
    82:80:00:f5:9d:7c

  4. Click OK. The dialog closes, and the New Virtual Machine - Guide Me dialog re-displays, with changed context.
    New Virtual Machine Guide Me Dialog
    Figure 6.21. New Virtual Machine Guide Me Dialog

    If you have additional NICs, you can add additional network interfaces, by clicking the Add Another Network Interface button.
  5. To set up one or more virtual disks, on the New Virtual Machine - Guide Me dialog, click the Configure Virtual Disk button.
  6. The New Virtual Disk dialog box displays. You can accept the default values, or change them if necessary.
    New Virtual Disk Dialog
    Figure 6.22. New Virtual Disk Dialog

    • Enter the Size of the virtual disk in GB. Ensure that the size is appropriate to the applications that need to run on the virtual machine.
    • Select the Storage domain where the virtual disk image is to be created.
    • You can also define the Advanced properties of the Virtual Disk. These are:
      Table 6.5. New Virtual Machine Dialog Fields
      Field
      Options
      Notes
      Disk Type
      Select from System or Data options.
      		Select System if the virtual machine is to be bootable.
      Interface
      		Select the network drivers, either IDE or PV. IDE is the default selection that uses an emulation of the IDE protocol. Windows 2008 virtual machines require a IDE drivers. Select PV to use the para-virtualized drivers.
      Format
      Select from Pre-allocated or Thin-Provision.
      Pre-allocated or RAW is the recommended selection for a virtual machine, where a block of disk space is reserved for the virtual machine.
      Thin Provision or Qcow2 option, allocates disk space on the fly, as and when the virtual machine requires it. Thin Provision is the recommended selection for a virtual desktop. If you intend to use the virtual machine as the basis for a template, the Thin Provision option must be selected.
      Wipe after delete
      		Select if the disk is to be formatted after the virtual machine is deleted. Selecting this option ensures that all data in the virtual machine is removed after the virtual machine is deleted.
      Is bootable
      		Select if the disk is to be a bootable disk.

  7. Click OK. The dialog closes, and the New Virtual Machine - Guide Me dialog re-displays, with changed context. There should now be no further mandatory configuration to perform. Click Configure Later to close the dialog.
Once the virtual machine is configured with virtual disk space and one or more network interfaces, the next step is to install operating systems and applications on it. The virtual machine displays in the list of virtual machines on the Virtual Machine tab, with a status of Down.
The New Virtual Machine after Configuration
Figure 6.23. The New Virtual Machine after Configuration

Note

You can also use the Details Pane on the Virtual Machines tab to add new virtual disks or network interfaces.

6.4. Installing Operating Systems onto Blank Virtual Machines

A virtual machine that is newly created from the "Blank" template requires an operating system and applications to be installed on it. Use the Run Once function to install an Operating System and relevant applications onto the new virtual machine.
The Run Once function allows the Administrator to run the virtual machine in a number of special modes, such as ACPI support, disable/enable acceleration, and others. Note that running a virtual machine in these special modes can cause performance degradation.
To install an operating system onto a virtual machine:
  1. Click the Virtual Machines tab.
    The Virtual Machines tab displays the existing virtual machines.
    Virtual Machine List
    Figure 6.24. Virtual Machine List

  2. Select the newly created virtual machine. It should have a status of Down.
  3. Click the Run Once button on the Virtual Machines toolbar.
    Run Virtual Machine Dialog
    Figure 6.25. Run Virtual Machine Dialog

  4. The Run Virtual Machine dialog displays. The Run Virtual Machine dialog consists of three sections, Boot Options to define how the virtual machine is to boot; Display Protocol to select how the virtual machine is to connect to the system.
    Run Virtual Machine Dialog
    Figure 6.26. Run Virtual Machine Dialog

  5. Define the Boot Options
    • Attach Floppy – Use this option typically to install Windows drivers. It is mandatory to attach the floppy before attempting installation. The floppy must be attached, and the Boot from CD option selected to install drivers for the virtual machine.
    • Attach CD – Select this option to install the operating system and applications from the CD onto the newly created virtual machine. In this case, select an ISO file from the drop-down list.
    • Boot Sequence – After installing a new virtual machine, the new virtual machine must go into Boot mode before powering up. The Boot sequence can be altered from the previously selected one by moving the options up or down using the list buttons: Hard Disk to boot from the hard disk (though if this is a blank virtual machine, it will obviously not boot from the hard disk), CD-ROM to boot from the CD, or Network (PXE) to boot from the network.
      The selected device displays in disabled mode.
    • Start in Pause Mode – Select this option to run the virtual machine in Pause mode. In some instances, the virtual machine needs to be started and then paused to allow the administrator to connect to the display before the virtual machine goes into timeout. Connection to a virtual machine in a remote location may take longer than usual; consequently, the SPICE session may open after a timeout in an executed program has passed. To avoid such an occurrence, use the Pause mode. After the remote connection is made, continue the Run from the SPICE window or from inside SPICE.
    • Reinitialize sysprep - When a virtual machine runs for the first time, the system automatically attaches a virtual floppy drive containing the Sysprep configuration file to be used during Sysprep (relevant only if the virtual machine was sealed with Sysprep). The Reinitialize sysprep option allows the Administrator to restart the virtual machine with the attached floppy and configuration file. (For Windows virtual machines only). This option may not display for virtual machines that have never been initialized.
    • Click Run Stateless if the virtual machine is to run in stateless mode. The stateless mode is mostly used for virtual desktops. A stateless desktop or server is always created from the base template, and deleted on shutdown. Everytime the virtual machine is run, a new instance of the virtual machine is created from the base template. This type of virtual machine is very useful when creating virtual machines that need to be used for a short time, or by temporary staff.
    Define the Display Protocol
    • Select SPICE for Windows or Linux virtual machines. This is the recommended protocol.
    • Select VNC for Linux virtual machines if desired.
  6. Click OK.
The virtual machine runs with the selected settings. The status changes to Powering Up, followed by Up.

Note

These parameters only apply to the current run, and do not hold for subsequent runs.

6.5. Logging into Virtual Machines

After creating a virtual machine from either a blank template or existing template, you can log into onto the virtual machine with either the SPICE, VNC or RDP connection protocols to customize the virtual machine, install databases or applications, or make changes to the virtual machine. You can also use the Virtual Machines tab on the Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization platform to make changes. Refer Section 6.6.1, “Editing Virtual Machines” for details on editing virtual machines from the Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization platform.

6.5.1. Logging into Windows Virtual Machines using SPICE

Use SPICE to log into Virtual Machines running Windows.
To customize the virtual machine using SPICE
  1. On the Virtual Machines tab select the the virtual machine.
    The Details Pane displays.
  2. Click the Console button or click the Console option from the right-click menu.
    Connection Icon on the Virtual Machine Menu
    Figure 6.27. Connection Icon on the Virtual Machine Menu

  3. The SPICE installation process starts if SPICE has not been previously installed. Follow the prompts to install SPICE, and proceed.
  4. SPICE displays the Windows login screen:
    Virtual Machine Details Pane
    Figure 6.28. Virtual Machine Details Pane

  5. Enter your Username and Password.
  6. Click OK to log onto the virtual machine.
  7. It is recommended that you install the SPICE drivers on the virtual machine. See Appendix B, Configuring Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5.4 or higher virtual machines to use SPICE.
  8. Shut down the virtual machine, or logout from Windows in the usual way.

6.5.2. Logging into Virtual Machines with Remote Desktop (RDP)

You can use RDP to log into Windows virtual machines.
To log into a virtual machine using RDP:
  1. Select the virtual machine from the list on the Virtual Machines tab.
  2. Click the down arrow on the Console button and select the RDP option or click the RDP option from the right-click menu.
    Connection Icon on the Virtual Machine Menu
    Figure 6.29. Connection Icon on the Virtual Machine Menu

    The RDP Windows login screen of the virtual machine displays.
  3. Enter your username and password, and click OK. You are logged on to the virtual machine.
  4. Install/uninstall applications and make the required changes to settings, if needed. If you wish, you can use the virtual machine to create a template. Refer Chapter 7, Using Templates.
  5. Shut down the virtual machine, or logout in the usual way.

6.5.3. Logging into Virtual Machines with VNC

You can use VNC to log into virtual machines.
To log into a virtual machine using VNC:
  1. Select the virtual machine from the list on the Virtual Machines tab.
  2. Click the Connection Protocol button on the Virtual Machines toolbar, and click the VNC link from the menu.
    Connection Icon on the Virtual Machine Menu
    Figure 6.30. Connection Icon on the Virtual Machine Menu

    The VNC Windows login screen of the virtual machine displays.
  3. Enter your username and password, and click OK. You are logged on to the virtual machine.
  4. Install/uninstall applications and make the required changes to settings, if needed. If you wish, you can use the virtual machine to create a template. Refer Chapter 7, Using Templates.
  5. Shut down the virtual machine, or logout from the virtual machine.

6.5.4. Console Window Menu Extension for Administrators

There are various functions available to the Administrator via the Windows menu.

Note

The functions available to the Administrator differ from the ones available to the user, while the user is connected to the console.
To view the functions available to the Administrator:
  1. At the top left corner of the Console window, click the SPICE icon.
  2. The SPICE menu displays.
Console Window Menu for Administrators
Figure 6.31. Console Window Menu for Administrators

The following features are available on the SPICE menu:
  1. Send CTRL+ALT+END (or enter Ctrl+Alt+End): to simulate this key sequence as if entered on the virtual machine.
  2. Toggle full screen (or enter Shift+F11): to switch between full-screen and window mode for the virtual machine.
  3. Special Keys : to input special characters (selecting from the list to send a key sequence to the virtual machine).
  4. USB Devices : allows attaching and detaching USB devices currently connected to your client.
  5. Change CD : for the list of imported ISO image files found in the /images folder.
  6. Play, Pause, Stop : to perform these basic virtual machine management operations from the Console Window menu.

6.6. Managing Virtual Machines

Some maintenance tasks are performed directly on the virtual machine (such as running, pausing, or stopping), and some maintenance tasks involve other objects (such as migrating a virtual machine to a different physical host in the same cluster).
Maintenance tasks include:
  • Editing virtual machine details.
  • Powering on a virtual machine.
  • Shutting down or pausing a virtual machine.
  • Migrating a virtual machine to another host.
  • Working with snapshots.
  • Deleting a virtual machine.
  • Exporting/Importing a virtual machine.

6.6.1. Editing Virtual Machines

You can edit the details of a virtual machine, such as its name or memory size. You cannot change the host cluster, template or Storage Domain to which the virtual machine belongs. Changes take effect after the virtual machines are shut down and restarted.

Warning

Be aware that changes to Storage, operating system or networking parameters can adversely affect the virtual machine. Ensure that you have the correct details before attempting to make any changes. It is recommended that you take the precaution of backing up the virtual machine before you make changes.
To edit virtual machine details:
  1. Click the Virtual Machines tab.
  2. If the virtual machine you want to edit is not visible in the list, perform a search (see Chapter 10, Locating Resources).
  3. Select the virtual machine.
  4. Click the Edit button.
    The Edit Virtual Machine dialog displays. Disabled fields cannot be changed.
    Edit Virtual Machine
    Figure 6.32. Edit Virtual Machine

  5. Edit the required details of enabled fields. Refer Section 6.2.2, “Creating New Virtual Machines without a Template” for details of the fields.

    Note

    Some fields cannot be changed, and are disabled by default.
  6. Click OK.
    The details of the virtual machine are updated in the Virtual Machines tab.

6.6.2. Powering Virtual Machines On

When you power on a virtual machine, the Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization platform automatically selects the best available host on which to run the virtual machine.
To power on a virtual machine:
  1. Click the Virtual Machines tab.
  2. If the virtual machine that you want to edit is not visible in the list, perform a search (see Chapter 10, Locating Resources).
  3. Select the virtual machine with a status of Down.
  4. Click or right-click and select Run.
    The Status of the virtual machine changes to Up. The display protocol and IP of the selected host display.

6.6.3. Shutting Down or Pausing Virtual Machines

It is recommended that a virtual machine be shut down from within its console. However, occasionally there is a need to shut down the virtual machine from the administrator portal. The Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization platform provides for an orderly shutdown if the guest tools are installed.
It is best practice that all users are logged off from a Windows virtual machine before shutting down. If any users are still logged in, the following Windows message displays on the virtual machine, Other people are logged on to this computer. Shutting down Windows might cause them to lose data. Do you want to continue shutting down?, and the virtual machine remains with a "Powering Off" status in Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization Manager.
If a virtual machine can’t be properly shut down, since, for example, the OS is not responsive, you might need to force a shutdown, which is equivalent to pulling out the power cord of a physical machine.

Warning

Exercise extreme caution when forcing shutdown of a virtual machine, as data loss may occur. Shutdown of virtual machines should be planned after due consideration, preferably as times that will least impact users.
To pause a virtual machine:
  1. Click the Virtual Machines tab.
  2. If the virtual machine that you want to edit is not visible in the list, perform a search.
  3. Select the virtual machine.
  4. Click
    The Status of the virtual machine changes to Paused.
Pausing a virtual machine puts it into Hibernate mode, where the virtual machine state is preserved. Applications continue running, but CPU usage is zero.
To shut down a virtual machine:
  1. Click the Virtual Machines tab.
  2. If the virtual machine that you want to edit is not visible in the list, perform a search (see Chapter 10, Locating Resources).
  3. Select the virtual machine.
  4. Click
    The Status of the virtual machine changes to Down.

6.6.4. Migrating Virtual Machines

A running virtual machine can be migrated to any host within its designated host cluster. This is especially useful if the load on a particular host is too great, and is essential before bringing a server down for maintenance (migration is automatic in this case). Migration of virtual machines does not cause any service interruption.

Note

Virtual Machines migrate within their designated host cluster. The system determines the host to which the virtual is migrated, according to the Load balancing and Power rules set up in the Policy Engine. Refer Section 5.5.1.1, “Using Power Management” and Section 3.3.1, “Creating a New Host Cluster”.
To migrate a virtual machine to another host:
  1. Click the Virtual Machines tab.
  2. If the virtual machine you want to migrate is not visible in the list, perform a search (see Chapter 10, Locating Resources).
  3. Select the virtual machine.
  4. Click the Migrate button.
    Migrate Virtual Machine
    Figure 6.33. Migrate Virtual Machine

  5. The Migrate Virtual Machine dialog displays.
    Migrate Virtual Machine
    Figure 6.34. Migrate Virtual Machine

  6. Select from Select Host Automatically or select a destination from the Select Destination Host list. If you selected Select Destination Host, only active hosts within the cluster display in the list.
  7. Click OK to close the dialog box.
The virtual machine is migrated to another host in the cluster. Shortly after, the Host column displays the new host to which the virtual machine has migrated.

6.6.5. Moving Virtual Machines within a Data Center

A virtual machine can be moved to a different Storage Domain within the data center. The Data Center requires an additional active data domain in the data center.
To move a virtual machine to another storage domain:
  1. Click the Virtual Machines tab.
  2. If the virtual machine you want to migrate is not visible in the list, perform a search (see Chapter 10, Locating Resources).
  3. Select the virtual machine.
  4. Shut down the virtual machine.
  5. Click the Move button.
  6. The Move Virtual Machine dialog displays. Select from the list of available Storage Domains. If there are no additional Storage domains, an error message displays.
  7. Click Close.
The virtual machine is moved to the different storage domain.

6.6.6. Removing Virtual Machines

Virtual Machines no longer in use can be removed.

Warning

Removing a virtual machine is final and cannot be reversed.
To remove a virtual machine:
  1. Click the Virtual Machine tab.
  2. If the virtual machine you want to remove is not visible in the list, perform a search (see Chapter 10, Locating Resources).
  3. Select the virtual machine.
  4. Shutdown the virtual machine. The Remove button is only enabled for a virtual machine that has a status of Down.
  5. Click the Remove button.
    A confirmation message is displays. Click OK.
  6. The virtual machine is removed from the platform and no longer displays on the Virtual Machines tab.

6.7. Using Virtual Machine Snapshots

A snapshot is a view of a virtual machine's operating system and all its applications at a given point in time. The snapshot is a very important tool in managing virtual machines. Whenever the virtual machine is powered off, you can create a snapshot of a virtual machine's hard drive. If future changes cause a problem, you can restore the virtual machine to the previous state of any of the snapshots. Restoration to a snapshot means that you return to the point in time when the snapshot was created. After you restore to that point of time, you cannot return to snapshots created after that time.
For example, given that snapshots were created on Sunday at 8 am, 10 am, 12 pm, and at 3 pm. At 6 pm, a problem arises on your virtual machine, and you decide to restore the virtual machine to the state of the snapshot created at 10 am. This restore automatically erases the snapshots created after 10 am, meaning the snapshots of 12 pm and 3 pm no longer exist. However, the snapshots taken before the restoration, in this case at 8 am, still exist.

Warning

When a restoration is performed from a snapshot, all data written to the virtual machine’s hard drive after the selected snapshot creation point is lost, including subsequent snapshots.

6.7.1. Creating Snapshots of Virtual Machines

This section describes how to create a snapshot of a virtual machine. You can also Preview, Commit, Undo and Delete the snapshot.
To create a snapshot of a virtual machine:
  1. Click the Virtual Machines tab.
  2. If the virtual machine for which you want to create a Snapshot is not displayed, perform a search (see Chapter 10, Locating Resources).
  3. Select the virtual machine. Ensure that the virtual machine is powered down and has a status of Down. On the Details pane, select the Snapshots tab.
    The Snapshots tab
    Figure 6.35. The Snapshots tab

  4. Click the Snapshots sub-tab, and click the Create button.
    The Virtual Machines list with Snapshots tab
    Figure 6.36. The Virtual Machines list with Snapshots tab

    The Create Snapshot dialog displays.
    New Snapshot Dialog
    Figure 6.37. New Snapshot Dialog

  5. Enter a description for the snapshot, select all the virtual disks attached to the virtual machine and click OK.
    New Snapshot Dialog
    Figure 6.38. New Snapshot Dialog

    The virtual machine's operating system and applications are stored in a snapshot that can be previewed or restored. The Status of the virtual machine briefly changes to Image Locked, before returning to Down.

6.7.2. Restoring Virtual Machines from Snapshots

This section describes how to restore a virtual machine from a snapshot.
To use a snapshot to restore a virtual machine:
  1. Click the Virtual Machines tab.
  2. If the virtual machine you want to restore is not visible in the list, perform a search (see Chapter 10, Locating Resources). Ensure that the virtual machine is powered down and has a status of Down.
  3. Click the virtual machine. On the Details Pane, click the Snapshots tab. A list of snapshots displays.
    Snapshot List
    Figure 6.39. Snapshot List

  4. Select the snapshot that you want to restore.
    The Snapshot Details display, and the Preview button is enabled.
  5. Click Preview to preview the snapshot. The Status of the virtual machine briefly changes to Image Locked, before returning to Down.
  6. At this point, you can start the virtual machine and it will run with a "hard" drive that is identical to the snapshot point. After you have checked the snapshot do one of the following:
    1. To restore to this point:
      Click Commit.
      The virtual machine is restored to the state it was in at the time of the snapshot. Also, any subsequent snapshots are erased.
      Snapshot List
      Figure 6.40. Snapshot List

    2. Alternatively, click the Undo button.
      Snapshot List
      Figure 6.41. Snapshot List

      The snapshot is discarded.

6.7.3. Deleting Snapshots

This section describes how to delete a snapshot. Snapshots occupy virtual disk space, and depending on the installed applications can significantly reduce available disk space.
To delete a snapshot:
  1. Click the Virtual Machines tab.
  2. If the virtual machine is not visible in the list, perform a search (see Chapter 10, Locating Resources). Ensure that the virtual machine is powered down and has a status of Down.
  3. Click the virtual machine. On the Details Pane, click the Snapshots tab. A list of snapshots displays.
    Snapshot List
    Figure 6.42. Snapshot List

  4. Click Preview to preview the snapshot. The Status of the virtual machine briefly changes to Image Locked, before returning to Down.
  5. At this point, you can start the virtual machine and it will run with a "hard" drive that is identical to the snapshot point. After you have checked the snapshot, and are sure that you wish to delete it, click the Delete button.
The snapshot is deleted.

6.8. Exporting and Importing Virtual Resources

A virtual machine or a template can be imported or exported to a data center in a different Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization system. Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization Manager allows you to import and export virtual machines (and templates) stored in Open Virtual Machine Format (OVF). This feature can be used in multiple ways:
  • To move virtual resources to a different installation of Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization.
  • To move virtual resources to a different data center in the same installation of Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization. To do this, the original virtual resource must be deleted.
  • To back up virtual resources.
There are two methods of exporting and importing virtual resources:
A virtual machine must be stopped before it can be moved across data centers. If the virtual machine was created using a template, the template is not automatically exported, however the template must exist in the destination domain for the virtual machine to work.

6.8.1. Overview of the Export-Import Process

To export or import resources, an active Export domain must be attached to the data center. The Export domain can be thought of as a temporary storage area that contains one directory per virtual machine. The directory consists of all the OVF (Open Virtualization Format) files pertaining to the virtual machine. The Export domain enables you to add pre-configured virtual machines or domains to a Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization Manager system. You can also import virtual machines from a different format, for example, Xen, VMware or Windows virtual machines, using the V2V feature provided. V2V converts virtual machines and places them in the export domain. For more information on V2V, refer Appendix A, Importing virtual machines with virt-v2v.

Note

Only one Export domain can be active in the data center. This means that the domain can be attached to either the source data center or the destination data center.
To perform an export-import of virtual resources:

6.8.2. Exporting Virtual Machines

Exporting virtual resources across data centers requires some preparation, for example, an export domain should exist, and be attached to the appropriate data center; the virtual machine must be shut down, and the template requirements need to be considered as well. You will also need to consider whether you want to export the virtual machine to the new data center and retain the original virtual machine, or move it to the new data center, and remove it from the source data center. You will also need to attach or detach the export domain as appropriate.
To export individual virtual machines to the export domain:
  1. Click the Virtual Machines tab.
  2. If the virtual machine you want to export is not visible in the list, perform a search (see Chapter 10, Locating Resources).
  3. Select the virtual machine.
  4. Shut down the virtual machine. Once the virtual machine is shut down, right click to display the menu.
    Export Button
    Figure 6.48. Export Button

  5. Click the Export option.
    Export Option
    Figure 6.49. Export Option

  6. The Export Virtual Machine dialog displays. Select from the list of available options as appropriate, Force Override and Collapse Snapshots.
    Select Force Override to override existing images of the virtual machine which may already exist on the Export Domain.
    Select Collapse Snapshots to create a single export file per disk. Select this option if you wish to retain both the source and destination versions of the virtual machine.
    Export Virtual Machine
    Figure 6.50. Export Virtual Machine

  7. Click OK.
    The export of the virtual machine begins, this can take some time. The virtual machine displays in the Virtual Machines list with a Locked Status. Use the Events tab to view the progress.
    Export Virtual Machine
    Figure 6.51. Export Virtual Machine

  8. The Events tab displays that the virtual machine has been exported.
    The VM Import Tab
    Figure 6.52. The VM Import Tab

  9. The virtual machine displays on the VM Import tab of the Export domain.
    Export Virtual Machine
    Figure 6.53. Export Virtual Machine

  10. You can repeat the procedure above to export each virtual machine that you need to migrate, so that the Export domain has a number of virtual machines.

6.8.3. Importing Virtual Machines into the Destination Data Center

Once the virtual machine, or machines are available in the Export domain, you can import them into the destination data center. If the destination data center is within the same installation of Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization, delete the originals from the source data center after exporting them to the Export domain.
To Import the Virtual Machine into the Destination Data Center
  1. Detach the Export domain from the source data center, and attach it to the destination data center. Refer To perform an export-import of virtual resources:
  2. On the Storage tab, select the Export data domain. The Details pane of the Export storage domain displays.
  3. On the Details pane, select the VM Import tab. Select the virtual machine th that is to be imported.
    Import Virtual Machine
    Figure 6.54. Import Virtual Machine

    The Import and Delete buttons are enabled on the VM Import tab.
  4. The Import Virtual Machine dialog displays. The names of the available virtual machines display.
    Import Virtual Machine
    Figure 6.55. Import Virtual Machine

  5. Select the name of the virtual machine, and select the Destination Cluster and Destination Storage of the destination data center.
    If you have not deleted the original virtual machine in the source data center, select Collapse Snapshots. Click OK.
  6. The virtual machine is imported into the destination data center. This can take some time. Eventually, the virtual machine displays in the Virtual Machines tab on the Details pane of the Storage domain belonging to the destination data center.
    Import Virtual Machine
    Figure 6.56. Import Virtual Machine

  7. You can now run the virtual machine. Provided the template exists, or if it was created with a blank template, the virtual machine powers up and start running.

6.9. Backing Up Virtual Resources

Virtual Machines and Templates may need to be backed up from time to time, for example, before undertaking maintenance of hosts or storage servers. To back up virtual machines and templates, use the Export domain and procedures as described in Section 6.8, “Exporting and Importing Virtual Resources”.

6.10. Removing Virtual Machines

Virtual Machines no longer in use can be removed. Virtual machines that are being moved to a different data center in the same Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization system must be deleted from the source data center before they can be imported into the destination data center.

Warning

Removing a virtual machine is final and cannot be reversed.
To remove a virtual machine:
  1. Click the Virtual Machine tab.
  2. If the virtual machine you want to remove is not visible in the list, perform a search (see Chapter 10, Locating Resources).
  3. Select the virtual machine.
  4. Shutdown the virtual machine. The Remove button is only enabled for a virtual machine that has a status of Down.
  5. Click the Remove button.
    A confirmation message is displays. Click OK.
  6. The virtual machine is removed from the platform and no longer displays on the Virtual Machines tab.

Chapter 7. Using Templates

7.1. Creating Templates from Existing Virtual Machines
7.1.1. Sealing a Windows Template with Sysprep
7.2. Editing Templates
7.3. Copying Templates to a Different Storage Domain
7.4. Deleting Templates
7.5. Exporting and Importing Templates
7.5.1. Exporting Templates
7.5.2. Importing the Templates
7.6. Backing Up Templates
Templates are model virtual machines that are used as a convenient and efficient way to create new virtual machines of the same type and content. Templates provide a shortcut that reduces the time required to build virtual machines. A template can contain an operating system only, or can contain all applications required by a particular department. Template details can be edited, and a template can be deleted if no virtual machines were built from it. Templates can also be exported and imported across data centers.

7.1. Creating Templates from Existing Virtual Machines

A template can be created from an existing virtual machine that has been configured to meet the needs of several individuals in the organization, and has been sealed with Sysprep (Windows machines only) or a similar tool.
When selecting an existing virtual machine as the source for a template, ensure that the virtual machine is general enough for this purpose. A virtual machine that is too specific to a particular user or group may require a lot of changes, and is therefore not practical to use as a template.
To create a template from an existing virtual machine:
  1. Click the Virtual Machines tab.
    The Virtual Machines tab displays a list of all virtual machines in the system.
  2. Select the virtual machine that you want to use as a basis for the template definition. Ensure that the virtual machine is powered down and has a status of Down.
    Select Virtual Machine
    Figure 7.1. Select Virtual Machine

    Note:

    Take a snapshot of the Virtual Machine at this stage if you wish to use the virtual machine (as a virtual machine) after it is used to create a template.
  3. Click Make Template.
    The New Virtual Machine Template displays, with the details of the selected Virtual Machine.
    New Template from Virtual Machine Dialog
    Figure 7.2. New Template from Virtual Machine Dialog

  4. Enter, accept or change the following information. Name and Description are typically the only fields in which new information is to be entered. The rest of the fields are taken directly from the existing virtual machine.
    1. Name: Name of the new template.
    2. Description: Description of the new template.
    3. Host Cluster: The Host Cluster for the virtual machines using this Template.
  5. Click OK. The virtual machine displays a status of "Image Locked" while the template is being created. The template is created and added to the Templates tab. The template displays the "Image Locked" status icon, while the template is being created. This may take a few seconds, or a minute or two. During this time, the action buttons for the template remain disabled. Once created, the action buttons are enabled and the template is ready for use. For example, the newly created template displays in the list of templates in the Template field on the New Virtual Machine dialog.
    New Template in List of Templates
    Figure 7.3. New Template in List of Templates

Note

Before a Windows template is ready for application, you must first run sysprep (or a similar tool) to generalize the Virtual Machine and remove "specific" personalization. In general, templates of Linux virtual machines do not require sealing.

7.1.1. Sealing a Windows Template with Sysprep

Templates that have been created for Windows virtual machines must be generalised before use, by means of a tool such as sysprep. This section describes how to use sysprep to seal a template before use. This ensures that personalizations, such as user security settings are not propagated through the template.

Important

Do not reboot the virtual machine during this process.
  1. Download sysprep to the virtual machine to be created as a template.
    This example uses Windows XP. However, please use the appropriate sysprep utility for the desktop OS.
    The Windows XP Sysprep tool is available at: WindowsXP-KB838080-SP2-DeployTools-ENU.cab
  2. Create a new folder c:\sysprep.
  3. Open the WindowsXP-KB838080-SP2-DeployTools-ENU.cab file and put its contents in c:\sysprep.
  4. Execute sysprep.exe from within the folder. Click OK on the welcome message.
  5. The sysprep tool displays.
    Select the following checkboxes:
    • Don't reset grace period for activation
    • Use Mini-Setup
    Ensure that the Shutdown mode is set to Shut down before clicking Reseal
  6. Acknowledge the pop-up window. The virtual desktop will go through the sealing process and then shut down automatically.
The Windows virtual machine has now been sealed, and can be used as a template for Windows virtual machines.
To set up local variables for sysprep, see Section 14.1.3, “Setting Local Variables for Sys prep”.

7.2. Editing Templates

You can edit the details of a template, such as its name, description, or memory size. You can also change the host cluster to which the resulting Virtual Machine belongs. Use the Templates tab to access and edit existing templates.
The Templates Tab
Figure 7.4. The Templates Tab

The Template tab and Details tab provides information on existing templates including Creation Date, Cluster and the number of virtual machines that are using a template.
To edit template details:
  1. Click the Templates tab.
    The Templates tab displays.
  2. If the template you want to edit is not visible on the list, perform a search (see Chapter 10, Locating Resources).
  3. Select the template.
  4. Click the Edit button.
  5. The Edit Template dialog opens. This dialog is essentially the same as the Create New Virtual Machine dialog.
    Edit Template Dialog
    Figure 7.5. Edit Template Dialog

  6. Edit details, as required. Refer Section 6.2.2, “Creating New Virtual Machines without a Template”.
  7. Click OK.
    The details of the template are updated in the Templates tab.

Note

For a complete description of the fields, see Table 6.1, “New Virtual Machine Dialog Fields”

7.3. Copying Templates to a Different Storage Domain

You can copy a template to a new Storage domain. This will result in the identical template being available in a different Storage domain.

Note:

You cannot have two copies of the same template in the same Storage domain.
To copy a template:
  1. Click the Templates tab.
    The Templates tab displays.
  2. If the template you want to copy is not visible on the list, perform a search (see Chapter 10, Locating Resources).
  3. Select the template.
  4. Click the Copy button.
  5. The Copy Template dialog displays.
  6. Select the Storage Domain that you wish to copy the template to.
  7. Click OK.
    The details of the template are copied to the new Storage Domain. The copy of the template displays the new storage domain in the Domain column of the Templates tab.

7.4. Deleting Templates

Disk space can be conserved by deleting unused templates. Templates that have been used to build virtual machines cannot be deleted unless all virtual machines created from the particular template are first removed.
To delete a template:
  1. Click the Templates tab.
  2. If the template you want to delete is not visible on the list, perform a search (see Chapter 10, Locating Resources).
  3. Select the template.
  4. Click the Remove button.
    A confirmation message displays.
  5. Click OK.
    The template is deleted, and removed from the Templates tab.

7.5. Exporting and Importing Templates

Like a virtual machine, a template can be imported or exported to a different Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization Manager system. Exporting templates allows you to distribute templates of virtual machines to users, including users who cannot directly access and use the templates in a specific installation of Red Hat Enterprise Virtulaization Manager system.

Note

Only one export domain can be active in the data center. This means that the domain can be attached to either the source data center or the destination data center.
If a virtual machine was created using a template, the template is not automatically exported, because the template must exist in the destination domain for the virtual machine to work, the template must also be exported to the destination data center.
There are two methods of exporting and importing virtual templates:

7.5.1. Exporting Templates

Exporting templates to a different installation of Red Hat Enterprise Manager requires some preparation, for example, an export domain should exist, and be attached to the appropriate data center; any virtual machines using the templates must be shut down. You will also need to attach or detach the export domain as appropriate. Refer To perform an export-import of virtual resources:
To export individual templates to the export domain:
  1. Click the Templates tab.
  2. If the template you want to export is not visible in the list, perform a search to display the template on the results list.(see Chapter 10, Locating Resources).
    The Templates Tab
    Figure 7.6. The Templates Tab

  3. Ensure that no virtual machines are using the template. Select the template and click Export.
  4. The Export Template dialog displays.
    Export Template
    Figure 7.7. Export Template

  5. Click OK.
    The export of the template begins, this can take some time. Use the Events tab to view the progress. Finally, the template displays in the Virtual Machines list with a Locked Status.
  6. On the Storage tab, select the Export data domain. The Details pane of the Export storage domain displays. The successfully exported template displays on the Template Import tab of the Export domain.
    Template Import
    Figure 7.8. Template Import

  7. You can repeat the procedure above to export each template that you need to migrate, so that the export domain has a number of templates before you start the import process.

7.5.2. Importing the Templates

Once the templates are available in the export domain, they can be imported into a data center on the destination setup.
To Import the Template into the Destination Data Center
  1. Detach the Export domain from the source data center, and attach it to the destination data center. Refer To perform an export-import of virtual resources:
  2. On the Storage tab, select the Export data domain. The Details pane of the Export storage domain displays.
  3. On the Details pane, select the Template Import tab. Select the template that is to be imported.
    Import Template
    Figure 7.9. Import Template

    The Import and Delete buttons are enabled on the Template Import tab.
  4. Click Import. The Import Template dialog displays. The names of the available templates display.
    Import Templates
    Figure 7.10. Import Templates

  5. Select the name of the template, and select the Destination Cluster and Destination Storage of the destination data center.
    Click OK.
  6. A message displays:
    Import Templates
    Figure 7.11. Import Templates

    You can click Close to close the message box, and check the progress in the Events tab. The template is imported into the destination data center. This can take some time.
  7. Eventually, the template displays in the Template tab on the Details pane of the Storage domain belonging to the destination data center. It also displays on the Templates tab with its changed cluster information indicating it's new location.
    Imported Template
    Figure 7.12. Imported Template

  8. You can now use the template to create new virtual machines, or run existing imported virtual machines that are based on the template.

7.6. Backing Up Templates

Virtual Machines and Templates may need to be backed up from time to time, for example, before undertaking maintenance of hosts or storage servers. To back up virtual templates, use the Export domain and export procedures as described in Section 7.5, “Exporting and Importing Templates”.

Chapter 8. Using Pools

8.1. Creating Desktop Pools
8.2. Managing Desktop Pools
8.2.1. Assigning Users to a Desktop Pool
8.2.2. Editing Desktop Pools
8.2.3. Detaching desktops from a Pool
8.3. Removing Desktop Pools
Virtual desktops provide the enterprise with the benefits of high availability, scalability and interoperability that the enterprise requires from a virtualized data center. To optimise their use and maintenance, virtual machines can be placed in pools.
A desktop pool is a group of identical desktops that can be used on demand by each one of the group members (not concurrently). There are different desktop pools for different purposes. For example, there can be one desktop pool for the Marketing department, another for Research and Development, and so on. The user does not always get the same desktop, but gets an available desktop of the required type, from the appropriate pool. This is similar to using a public PC at a University.
This section describes how to create, maintain and remove pools of desktops. It includes alloting desktops to users and detaching users from desktops.

8.1. Creating Desktop Pools

Use the Pools tab to create a set of identically configured desktops. A user associated with a desktop pool can use any available desktop in the pool. Virtual desktop pools must be created within a migration domain, and cannot be migrated outside a cluster.
Three types of desktop pools are available, reflecting the way desktops are used and how they are returned to the pool, manual, automatic and time lease.
Once a user logs on to a desktop that belongs to a pool, the desktop belongs to that user alone until it is released according to the pool type. When the user finishes working on a desktop, the desktop image reverts to base image, and becomes available to any user in the pool. Assigning users to a desktop pool is described later in this section.
To create a desktop pool:
  1. Click the Pools tab. The Pools tab displays a list of pools.
    Pools Tab
    Figure 8.1. Pools Tab

  2. Click the New button.
  3. The Pools dialog displays. This dialog box consists of the following groups, General, Pool, Console, Allocation and Boot Sequence. If you choose Windows as the operating system, a Windows Sys Prep group also displays. Enter the requisite information in most the groups, if mandatory information is not entered, on clicking OK, the unfilled mandatory fields display with a coloured border. Ensure that you enter the requisite information in the mandatory fields.
    New Desktop Pool Dialog
    Figure 8.2. New Desktop Pool Dialog

  4. In the General group, enter the basic information about the pool, and the type of virtual machines required, as listed in the table.
    Table 8.1. New Pool Dialog Fields
    Field
    Description
    Notes
    Data Center
    Select an existing Data Center from the list.
    		The Default data center displays by default.
    Host Cluster
    		The name of the host cluster to which the pool is attached. It can be hosted on any physical machine in the cluster depending on the policy rules. This is the migration domain for the virtual machine. The Default cluster displays by default.
    Default Host
    		The name of the host on which the virtual machines in this pool are to be run. Select from the list of available hosts. Or select Auto Assign to run the virtual machines on any host in the cluster depending on the policy rules.
    Name
    		The name of new pool. Ensure it is a unique name. The name must be less than 15 characters, and must contain at least one alphabet, a-z. A number is appended onto the name of the desktop pool to create a unique name for the virtual desktops. For example, if the desktop pool is named HR, and has five virtual desktops, the names of the virtual desktops will be, HR-1, HR-2, HR-3, HR-4, HR-5. Ensure that the name is succinct rather than verbose. The maximum length of a virtual machine name is 15 characters. Follow the operating system's rules for virtual machine names.
    Description
    		A meaningful description of the new pool.  
    Number of VMs
    		Enter the Number of VMs (Virtual Machines) or desktops to create for the pool.
    Based on Template
    Select an existing template to create the virtual machines from an existing model. See Section 6.2.1, “Creating Virtual Machines from Existing Templates”
    The field displays the list of existing templates in the storage domain.
    Memory Size (MB)
    		The amount of memory assigned to each virtual machine. Consider the processing and storage needs of the applications that are intended to run on the virtual machines. The maximum allowable memory for a virtual machine is 256GB, allowing even the most memory-intensive enterprise workloads to be virtualized.
    Total Cores
    		The processing power allocated to the virtual machine, as CPU Cores, from 1 to 16 on the slider bar. It is recommended that you do not assign too high a number, or more cores than actually exist on the phusical host.
    CPU Sockets
    		The number of CPU sockets for the virtual machine from 1 to 16 on the slider bar. It is recommended that you do not assign too high a number, or more CPUs than actually exist on the phusical host.
    Operating System
    		The operating system. Valid values include a range of Windows and Linux variants. This is a display only field, as no operating system is actually installed during this process.

  5. In Pool Type, select one of the following pool types: Manual, Automatic, or Time Lease.
    If Time Lease is selected, additional time lease fields enable you to precisely set the exact time when the desktops are available to the users.
    New Desktop Pool – Lease Time
    Figure 8.3. New Desktop Pool – Lease Time

    Table 8.2. Pool Types Fields
    Field
    Description
    Notes
    Manual The administrator is responsible for explicitly returning the desktop to the pool. The desktop reverts to the original base image after the administrator returns it to the pool.
    Automatic When the desktop is shut down, it reverts to its base image and is then returned to the desktop pool.
    Time Lease The desktop is defined with a specific activity period (for example, the duration of a training session), during which it can be freely used, including shutdown and power up operations, at the end of this period, when the desktop is shut down, it reverts to its base image and is then returned to the desktop pool. If Time Lease is selected, the fields Default Lease Period (in days), Default Lease Start, and Default Lease End display. The time lease fields enable you to precisely set the exact time when the desktops are available to the users.

  6. If the Operating System chosen was Windows, the Windows Sys Prep group displays.
    New Pool Windows Sys Prep
    Figure 8.4. New Pool Windows Sys Prep

    Enter the following information:
    Table 8.3. Windows Sys Prep Fields
    Field
    Description
    Notes
    Domain Enter the domain in which the virtual machines are to be created.  
    Time Zone Enter the time zone in which the virtual machines are to run. This is the time zone for the virtual machines, and not necessarily the time zone for the physical host on which the virtual machines are to run.

  7. Enter information in the Console group, to specify the communication protocol to be used, whether USB devices are allowed, and the number of monitors that the virtual machines are permitted.
    New Pool - Console
    Figure 8.5. New Pool - Console

    Table 8.4. New Virtual Machine Dialog Fields
    Field
    Description
    Notes
    Protocol Define the display protocol to be used. Select either:
    • SPICE
    • VNC
    		Select SPICE for Windows or Linux virtual machines. This is the recommended protocol. or select VNC for for Linux virtual machines if desired.
    USB Policy Select Enabled or Disabled to indicate whether a USB device can be inserted into the client machine. The USB policy editor can be used to set up policies. Refer Section 14.2, “Configuring USB Device Policy”.
    Monitors
    		The number of monitors that the virtual machine can have. Consider the processing and storage needs of the applications that are intended to run on the virtual machine.

  8. Enter information in the Allocation group. This step specifies the storage requirements for all the virtual machines in the pool.
    New Pool - Allocation
    Figure 8.6. New Pool - Allocation

    Table 8.5. New Pool Allocation Fields
    Field
    Description
    Notes
    Storage Domain The name of storage domain where the images of the virtual machines will be stored. Ensure that you select the master domain and not the ISO image domain.
    Provisioning The type of storage required for the virtual machines. Select either:
    • Thin
    • Clone
    		Refer Section 6.1.3, “Understanding Virtual Machine Storage” for a description of these options.

  9. Enter information in the Boot Sequence fields to specify how the virtual machines are to attempt to boot.
    New Pool - Boot Sequence
    Figure 8.7. New Pool - Boot Sequence

    Table 8.6. New Pools Boot Sequence Fields
    Field
    Description
    Notes
    First Device
    • HardDisk
    • CD-ROM
    • Network (PXE)
    		After installing a new virtual machine, the new virtual machine must go into Boot mode before powering up. Select the first device that the virtual machine must try to boot the virtual machine:
    • Hard Disk to boot from the hard disk (though if this is a blank virtual machine, it will obviously not boot from the hard disk)
    • CD-ROM to boot from the CD
    • Network (PXE) to boot from the network.
    Second Device Any two of the following:
    • Hard Disk
    • CD-ROM
    • Network (PXE)
    		Select the second device for the virtual machine to use to boot if the first device is not available. The first device selected in the previous option does not appear in the options.
    Attach CD A list of available CD-ROMs appear if Attach CD is selected. Select the appropriate operating system ISOs available on the system.

  10. Click OK. If any mandatory fields have been omitted, you are prompted to enter information. The required fields display with a red border, enter the requisite information.
    A pool of the specified number of identical virtual machines is created. You can view these virtual machines in the Virtual Machine tab (on the Details pane), or on the main Virtual Machines tab.
    Desktop Pool VMs
    Figure 8.8. Desktop Pool VMs

    Note the icon denoting that the virtual machines are part of a pool. During creation, the desktops have a status of Image Locked, followed by a status of Down. You need to start the desktops in the Virtual Machines tab. See Chapter 6, Managing Virtual Resources.
    Desktop Pool VMs in the Details Pane
    Figure 8.9. Desktop Pool VMs in the Details Pane

8.2. Managing Desktop Pools

Desktop pools will require maintenance from time to time, for example to add or remove users, or detach desktops.

8.2.1. Assigning Users to a Desktop Pool

The system administrator allocates users to a desktop pool. Once a user logs on to a desktop that belongs to a pool, the desktop belongs to that user until it is released according to the pool type. A virtual desktop can only be used by a single user at a time.
When the user finishes working on a desktop, the desktop image reverts to the snapshot of its state before it was taken from the pool (the original “base image”), and is then available for use by any other user in the pool.

Note

Because all desktops are identical, a user of a pooled desktop can be assigned any desktop in the pool.
The Users tab on the Details pane of the Pools tab enables you to manage users for a pool. These users must be existing users in Active Directory.
The Users tag in the Details Pane
Figure 8.10. The Users tag in the Details Pane

Adding Users to a Desktop Pool
  1. On the Pools tab, select the desktop pool. The Details pane displays. Click the Users tab.
  2. Click Add. The Add Users to Pool dialog displays.
    Add Users to Pool
    Figure 8.11. Add Users to Pool

  3. Click the Go button to view all existing users, or enter search criteria for a set of users.
  4. Select the users from the list, and click OK.
  5. The users are assigned to the pool and display in the Users tab on the Details pane of the Pools tab.
Removing Users from a Pool
  1. On the Pools tab, select the desktop pool. The Details pane displays. Click the Users tab.
    The Users Tab in the Details Pane
    Figure 8.12. The Users Tab in the Details Pane

  2. Select the user to be removed. The Remove button is enabled.
    The Remove Button in the Users tab
    Figure 8.13. The Remove Button in the Users tab

  3. Click Remove. A dialog box displays, prompting to confirm the user or list of users. Click OK. The user is removed from the pool.

Note

The users are only detached from the desktop pool, they are not deleted.

8.2.2. Editing Desktop Pools

You can edit some details of a pool such as the Name and Description, you can change the pool type, and add virtual machines to the pool. However, you cannot change any parameters on the Windows Sys Prep, Console, Allocation or Boot Sequence groups.

Note

Changes do not apply to existing virtual machines, only to virtual machines that are created after the change is made.
To edit a desktop pool:
  1. Click the Pools tab.
  2. If the pool you want to edit is not displayed, perform a search (see Chapter 10, Locating Resources).
  3. Select the pool.
  4. Click the Edit button.
    The Edit pool dialog opens.
  5. This dialog is identical to the New Pool dialog, except that fields that cannot be changed are disabled. Make other changes as appropriate. See Section 8.1, “Creating Desktop Pools” .
  6. Click OK.
    The details of the desktop pools are updated.
To add virtual machines to a desktop pool:
  1. Select the desktop pool.
  2. Click the Edit button.
    The Edit pool dialog opens.
  3. On the General tab, in the Number of VMs field, click the Add more button. A text box appears allowing you to indicate the number of additional virtual machines to be added to the pool.
  4. Click OK.
    The additional virtual machines display in the Virtual Machines tab on the Pools Detail pane. These virtual machines are identical to the existing virtual machines.

8.2.3. Detaching desktops from a Pool

You can detach one or more desktops from a pool, or you can delete the desktop. To delete the desktop, you must first detach it from the pool and then delete it. To delete a desktop, see Section 6.6.6, “Removing Virtual Machines”
To detach desktops from a desktop pool:
  1. Click the Pools tab. The list of desktop pools displays.
  2. Select the pool containing the desktop that is to be detached.
    The Virtual Machines tab on the Details pane displays a list of the virtual machine in the pool.
    The Virtual Machine tab in the Details Pane
    Figure 8.14. The Virtual Machine tab in the Details Pane

  3. Select the desktop(s) that you want to remove, and click Detach. A confirmation message box displays.
  4. Click OK.
    The desktop is detached from the pool, however, it still exists in the system, and can be viewed and accessed from the Virtual Machines tab. Note that the icon changes to denote that the virtual machine is a stand-alone desktop.
    A Detached Desktop
    Figure 8.15. A Detached Desktop

8.3. Removing Desktop Pools

This section describes how to remove a desktop pool. Before removing a pool, all the virtual machines must be detached from the pool.
To remove a desktop pool:
  1. Click the Pools tab.
    The list of desktop pools displays.
  2. Select the pool to be removed.
    Click the Virtual Machines tab to display a list of the pool's desktops.
  3. Select all the desktops in the Virtual Machines tab and click Detach.
  4. The desktops are detached from the pool. However, they will continue to display in the Virtual Machines tab as stand-alone desktops.
  5. Ensure the pool is selected on the Pools tab, and click the Remove button. A message displays prompting you to confirm the removal.
  6. Click OK to confirm the removal of the pool.
  7. The pool is removed from the data center.

Note:

Since all the desktops must be detached before the pool can be removed, it means that there is no interruption of service.

Chapter 9. Managing Users

9.1. Configuring Roles
9.1.1. Managing User Roles
9.2. Assigning Roles to Users
9.3. Adding Users and Groups
9.4. Managing User Access
9.4.1. Viewing General Information
9.4.2. Managing a User's Virtual Machines
9.4.3. Managing Event Notifiers
9.5. Removing Users
This section describes how to set up user roles, and manage users on the Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization platform. Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization manager accesses user information from the organization's Directory Service (Active Directory). The system administrator needs to maintain user access. For example, absent users might need to be logged off, or administrative privileges can be assigned to specific users. When users leave the organization, access to their desktops should be removed, and their user accounts should be removed from Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization platform.

Note

Users are not created in Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization platform, but in the Active Directory domain. Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization Manager can be configured to use multiple Active Directory domains.
When a user is attached to a desktop or is assigned a role, the user is automatically added to the Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization platform. A user can be granted permission to log into a desktop; alternatively, this permission may be removed. In addition, users may be granted the roles of SuperUser, RHEVMUser, RHEVMPower User and RHEVMVDIUser.

9.1. Configuring Roles

Roles are predefined sets of privileges that can be configured from Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization Manager, permitting access and management to different levels of resources in the datacenter.

Note

The default roles of SuperUser, RHEVMUser, RHEVMPowerUser and RHEVMVDIUser cannot be removed from the platform, or privileges cannot be modified, however the name and descriptions can be changed.
Table 9.1. Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization Default Roles
Role Privileges Notes
SuperUser Full access to all resources and users. Can add, remove, and set access privileges for all the users and groups, for all physical and virtual resources in the datacenter.
RHEVMUser Read only privileges View resource state and details. View all the resource tabs.
RHEVMPowerUser A set of limited privileges to allow the user to work with virtual machines, hosts, pools and snapshots. Access to Active Directory, and management of event notifications.
RHEVMVDIUser Access to Virtual Machines and Pools. Level of privileges allow the user to work with virtual machines and pools, not administer them.

9.1.1. Managing User Roles

In addition to the default roles, you can set up custom roles that permit actions on objects, such as virtual machines, hosts and clusters. The roles can create a granularity of permissions to suit the needs of a group or set of users. At this time, permissions are set at the object level, for example, a permission can be set for an action on all virtual machines, not for a particular set of virtual machines.
To configure Roles:
  1. On the Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization Manager menu, click Configure. The Configure dialog displays. The dialog includes a list of default roles, and any custom roles that exist on the platform.
    The Configure Dialog
    Figure 9.1. The Configure Dialog

  2. You can create a New role, Edit or Remove an existing role. In each case the appropriate dialog displays. For example, the Edit Role dialog displays if the Edit is clicked.
    The Edit Role Dialog
    Figure 9.2. The Edit Role Dialog

  3. Use the Expand All or Collapse All buttons to view more or fewer of the permissions for the listed objects. You can also expand or collapse the options for each object.
  4. For each of the objects, select or deselect the actions you wish to permit/deny for the role you are setting up.
  5. Click Close to apply the changes you have made.
The following table details the actions for each object in the datacenter.
Table 9.2. Permissions Actions on Objects
Object Action
Virtual Machine (VM) Add Disk to VM
Add NIC to VM
Attach Group to VM
Attach Tag to VM
Attach User to VM
Change CD
Create Snapshot
Detach Group from VM
Detach Tag from VM
Detach User from VM
Edit VM Disk properties
Edit VM Interface properties
Edit VM properties
Hibernate VMs