[ovs-discuss] Open vSwitch with Xen Server?

Ben Pfaff blp at ovn.org
Thu Jan 9 17:56:43 UTC 2020


It's been many years since I worked with XenServer.  Things might have
changed.

With that said, when I worked on XenServer, OVS was installed out of the
box on the host.  It would have been extra work to install it anywhere
else.  You make it sound like it's not there.

On Wed, Jan 08, 2020 at 10:02:40PM +0000, Michael Cropper wrote:
> I should probably clarify. I can do whatever is recommended best practice. I've a physical test machine running Xen Server currently that I've been playing with, with full access to everything (physical hardware, HostOS, GuestOS' VMs to spin up etc.).
> 
> What is the recommended best practice approach? I've noticed within the Xen Server screen post-boot (when a monitor is plugged in), there is an option to configure a vSwitch against an IP address on there. I'm not fully sure what would happen under different scenarios (maybe I just need to have a play with the options...).
> 
> I assume based on what you've said, if OVS usually runs in the host, then the settings within Xen Server would point to it's own IP address once OVS is installed on the HostOS.
> 
> I'll give that a go initially and see how the two pieces of software interact. There seems to be very little up-to-date, authoritative and accurate information online about on how these different pieces of software work together.
> 
> 
> ________________________________
> From: Ben Pfaff <blp at ovn.org>
> Sent: 07 January 2020 00:27
> To: Michael Cropper <michael.cropper at contradodigital.com>
> Cc: ovs-discuss at openvswitch.org <ovs-discuss at openvswitch.org>
> Subject: Re: [ovs-discuss] Open vSwitch with Xen Server?
> 
> On Mon, Jan 06, 2020 at 09:16:26PM +0000, Michael Cropper wrote:
> > I've been reading conflicting information on various websites about
> > how to get the two working together. Some say that the Open vSwitch
> > software should sit on the HostOS, others say it should sit on a
> > GuestOS VM. My thoughts are that it should sit on a GuestOS VM - am I
> > correct in thinking this?
> 
> If you run OVS in a VM, then you need to get packets to and from the
> host OS and the host's physical NICs somehow, and often that involves
> another virtual switch somewhere.  So, usually OVS runs in the host.


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