Re: Suggested Hardware?

[Greg Troxel <gdt%lexort.com@localhost>]

Louis Guillaume <louis%zabrico.com@localhost> writes:

> I'm looking to replace my old NetBSD/Xen Dom0 hardware (netbsd-7/Xen
> 4.6.3), which is getting quite old. The Hardware is not HVM able, so
> all guests are still running in PV mode. Assuming I will stay on
> NetBSD for Dom0, my questions are:
>
>   o What to look for hardware-wise - or maybe better - what to avoid?
>     If anyone has specifically good or bad experiences with particular
>     boards that would be really helpful.

Indeed it would.  No good advice from me here, sorry.

>   o Will my guests "Just Work" if going from a PV host to HVM? I imagine
>     certain hardware names in the config files may need to change, and
>     probably kernels will need to be updated, but will everything else
>     work within the guests' userlands? All guests are Linux or NetBSD

This question seems to presume something that seems not quite right to
me.  As I understand it, when you have a dom0, then it can run guests
that are PV or HVM, or some of each.  The issue is that without enough
HW support, you can only run PV and HVM doesn't work.  But with the
newer hardware, you can still run PV.

If you meant "I know I can keep the guests as PV, but part of my
motivation is that newer Linux won't do PV so I need to do HVM", and "
If I change them to HVM, what has to change", and I think you are right
that it's the xen domain config file and that the guest needs the right
(normal) kernel.  userland shouldn't have to change.