Re: best way to mix workstation/server purpose

[Manuel Bouyer <bouyer%antioche.eu.org@localhost>]

On Tue, Mar 21, 2006 at 12:39:10AM +0100, Joel CARNAT wrote:
> Hi,
> 
> I plan to migrate my netbsd/i386 (on amd64 cpu) workstation into a NetBSD/xen 
> box.
> I want to run both my workstation things (X, firefox, windowmaker, ...),
> some NetBSD domU servers (to replace services - like bind9, openldap -
> that bug with my netbsd/sparc64) and some Linux/FreeBSD/OpenSolaris domU just
> to keep an eye on what's going on there.
> 
> My question is "how to deal with workstation/server mix" ?
> I'm thinking of two scenari:
> 1. run NetBSD/xen as the workstation side and some domU for server side
> and OS testings.
> 2. run NetBSD/xen as a "minimal" system and run everything else in
> domUs.
> 
> About point 1:
> - how much danger is this looking at server domU stability ? I've never
>   seen my X hanging my workstation (only X in worse case) so I expect
>   dom0 to be as stable. But doesn't this look like running OpenOffice on
>   your firewall - dangerous and "better doing it another way" ;)

Sure, it would be better to not have potentially harmfull software running
on dom0

> 
> About point 2:
> - if dom0 is NetBSD/xen (or Linux/xen), without X started, can I start X
>   from a domU (via xm console I guess) ? Or do I need xdm on dom0
>   connecting to X/XCDMP (or X/VNC) on any domU ?

The X server has to run on dom0. But you can use xdmcp or vnc or whatever
to have your X clients run in a domU

> 
> Finally, applying to both cases, what's the best way to share disk space.
> I have a 200Go IDE plugged in and would like /home to be shared between
> every doms. I'm first thinking of NFS from dom0 to domU but I expect
> poor perf. Can real dom0 partitions be mounted into domU (as long as
> filesystem is compatible) ? I'm thinking of something like :
> wd0a = NetBSD/i386 and NetBSD/xen (dom0)
> wd0b = swap
> wd0e = FFS with domU kernels and images
> wd0f = FFS (or ext2) with /home

NFS is the only thing that will work. You can't mount the same block
device multiple times; ffs is not designed for that.

-- 
Manuel Bouyer <bouyer%antioche.eu.org@localhost>
     NetBSD: 26 ans d'experience feront toujours la difference
--