Installing VMware Server on unRAID Box

[Venares]

So, having read in the other thread that SysV is supported in recent unRaid kernels:

http://lime-technology.com/forum/index.php?topic=6939.msg69860#msg69860

 

I downloaded VirtualBox on my dev system. Steps:

 

1. Executed the downloaded .run file. VirtualBox was unpacked and modules were built once I pointed it to the default kernel source directory at /usr/src/linux, containing the matching kernel.

 

2. I created a Windows XP vm using a few VBoxManage commands.

 

3. Started the vm using VBoxHeadless.

 

 

That's it. It works flawlessly so far. I'm only interested in bridged ethernet and so that's all I've tried as far as networking, but it works great. I installed VirtualBox additions later by using the included .iso file.

 

I haven't tried running it on the stock unRaid, so I would need to look at how it's possible to manage any temp directories and possibly swapfiles. What's nice is that the install seems to keep everything in one place (/opt/VirtualBox). VM disks get created where you choose to put them, and the VM XML files get created by default in .VirtualBox in the root user directory. Seems easily manageable — the install footprint is about 100 MB. Creating VMs in command-line is probably more tedious than using a web interface like VMware, but I like the simplicity of it.

 

Hey, did anyone else have any success with getting Virtiualbox running on a stock unRAID?

[Ford Prefect]

Hey, did anyone else have any success with getting Virtiualbox running on a stock unRAID?

 

Virtualbox needs additional kernel drivers/modules which are not part of stock unRAID.

Therefore you need to go with a custom install.

 

[SSD]

Can someone identify the additional pieces Tom would need to include in the stock unRaid OS so that VirtualBox could be installed. So long as they aren't huge he may include them if we do the legwork to identify them.

[smino]

It seems an awful waste to me to only have my server host files.

...

Has anyone tried installing VM Server on unRAID?

 

An awful waste, indeed! I'm trying to cut down on the number of processors and disks, not increase it. I understand why unRAID is a standalone product, but I really find it counterproductive in practice.

 

I like your idea of running VMware on the unRAID box, but I don't get along very well with Linux so I'm taking the opposite approach: Running Windows on the physical hardware, then hosting an unRAID VM which gets control of the SATA disks for bulk storage.

 

I've been toying with this on my laptop and it seems to work fine. UnRAID may like lots of RAM for caching, but it's been perfectly happy in 256MB, so the VM won't even chew up too much memory on the host. The only feature I haven't been able to test is whether the OS in the VM can spin down physical disks, since my test environment uses virtual disks. If not, I can just do that with inactivity timers on the host OS, no big deal.

 

The server I'm replacing has been running XP from a Compactflash card for quite a while with no issues, other than the slow swap. The new box will have quadruple the RAM so that shouldn't be an issue, and I might be able to use the XP Embedded Toolkit to tweak some things too, though I have to check the licensing on that.

 

I ordered the hardware this morning (Via PC2500E, two WD10EACS) and I'll post my progress in a few days.

 

Are your sata drives able to power down in unriad?

[Ford Prefect]

Can someone identify the additional pieces Tom would need to include in the stock unRaid OS so that VirtualBox could be installed. So long as they aren't huge he may include them if we do the legwork to identify them.

 

...the kernel modules themselves aren't huge ...what makes it more complicated is the linkage with

the VBox version.

If you change the kernel or VBox, the modules would need to be rebuild,

so an essential build tree - like with DKMS - needs to be shipped as well.

Also VBox comes in two different versions, that have two different licenses and feature sets.

Along with the feature sets (i.e. USB passtrough) another, additional module is needed,

which leads to the rebuild again.

 

...so, although technically doable, I'd consider that too complex for the average user.

If unRaid would be based on another distro, i.e. debian, a 1-2-3 guide (that makes use of DKMS and the

standard + VBox repositories) would be possible.

[prostuff1]

I have not looked at this completely but I did manage to find the VirtualBox Linux Guide that may be of some help to us.

 

I would love to see VBox or VMWare a little better supported.  The rebuild of my server is going to be happening in the next couple months and I am going to add one of these to my list.

[Ford Prefect]

I have not looked at this completely but I did manage to find the VirtualBox Linux Guide that may be of some help to us.

 

I would love to see VBox or VMWare a little better supported.  The rebuild of my server is going to be happening in the next couple months and I am going to add one of these to my list.

 

Hmm...ok.

This would be a more static architecture / unRaid distribution, which I don't find to be elegant.

As said, it is not that complicated when you start from a custom slackware environment.

I have build one with vbox on my own but never converted that into a distribution package.

 

May I suggest that you consider the following as well:

- use Virtualbox v4.x

  Since v4.0 the package architecture of the OpenSoure Licence and the non-OpenSource License has changed.

  The non-OpenSource part is now an addon to the Base, OpenSource Part...that makes it easier to start and enhance

- Virtualbox will need to run in headless mode (I believe for most its installs) in unRAID.

  There's one more package to add, called "vboxwebsrv".

  That module would enable for future use of this for remote management of VMs.

  Either from a separate Webserver or a PHP addon to unRAID.

 

[prostuff1]

Hmm...ok.

This would be a more static architecture / unRaid distribution, which I don't find to be elegant.

As said, it is not that complicated when you start from a custom slackware environment.

I have build one with vbox on my own but never converted that into a distribution package.

 

May I suggest that you consider the following as well:

- use Virtualbox v4.x

  Since v4.0 the package architecture of the OpenSoure Licence and the non-OpenSource License has changed.

  The non-OpenSource part is now an addon to the Base, OpenSource Part...that makes it easier to start and enhance

- Virtualbox will need to run in headless mode (I believe for most its installs) in unRAID.

  There's one more package to add, called "vboxwebsrv".

  That module would enable for future use of this for remote management of VMs.

  Either from a separate Webserver or a PHP addon to unRAID.

 

 

Thanks for the information!!  I had looked into most of what you mentioned but had not seen vbox v4.

 

I understand that vbox will have to run headless, I want it that way.  I had also looked at the phpvirtualbox stuff and knew I would have to get that up and running.  With unRAID 5.0 having its web interface rewritten in php I was eventually hoping to leverage it for the phpvirtualbox interface.

 

If you could create a package that would install on stock unRAID that would be superb!!  There is a web server in unMenus package manager and with a little messing around I should be able to get phpvirtualbox up and running.

[Venares]

Looks like I stirred up a hornets nest, good 

I seriously hope you guys can get this working, its would be wonderful.

I'd love to help but sadly my Linux skills are somewhat lacking.

[nia]

If you could create a package that would install on stock unRAID that would be superb!!

 

That would be excellent indeed. Hope You make it!  

 

I REALLY would like to consolidate a few auxilliary machines on my unRAID server. Also to save on CO2 from consoldating all our machines - let unRAID be the enabler of a green wave  

(and I get to save on my electric bill at 38cents/kWh)

 

[madburg]

Hello to all,

 

Testing unRaid Basic in a lab currently to get up to speed. Like what i see, I am a wintel guys so ramping up. I am testing unRaid 4.7 .as my understand is this is the last production version (non beta).

Meself and a good friend are look deeply into this and purchasing the Pro version, each.

 

Running VMServer 2.0.2 is very important to us. So a few question before we make an attempt to get this working.

 

1) Is anyone running VMServer 2.0.2 on unRaid 4.7?

 

2) The basic version will not allow a cache disk, for a lack of better "a pretend drive" could be used? What i mean is the selection to specify use the following disk to be a cache drive in unRaid menu is not there (I am assuming that is what we would see once we purchase a license). But it will see other drives availabe no? To be more discripive, if we have 4 drives in the lab (test) box. Disk 1 set to partiy, Disk2 & 3 as data disks, but we have disk4 in the controller & powered up, unraid should see that right, we just can add it to unraid basic, but it is there and viewable. So can this be use to setup the VMServer install on? or not so simple becuase you would have to manual mount it and that changes the parameters you would be compile with to move over to a production unRaid system?

 

3) If I took a chance and both the pro version, my understand it is would be tied to my USB stick, how does one go about creating a dev stick and then making it a prod stick? or do you have to buy 2 lic's to pul this off?

 

4) Is bundling up the VM Server install for everyone to use still an issue provided we would still have to provide the (free mind you) license file/key we get when we sign up for the (free mind you) VM Server 2.0.2 download and agree to the EULA a dozon times?

[prostuff1]

1) Is anyone running VMServer 2.0.2 on unRaid 4.7?

That I do not know.

 

2) The basic version will not allow a cache disk, for a lack of better "a pretend drive" could be used? What i mean is the selection to specify use the following disk to be a cache drive in unRaid menu is not there (I am assuming that is what we would see once we purchase a license). But it will see other drives availabe no? To be more discripive, if we have 4 drives in the lab (test) box. Disk 1 set to partiy, Disk2 & 3 as data disks, but we have disk4 in the controller & powered up, unraid should see that right, we just can add it to unraid basic, but it is there and viewable. So can this be use to setup the VMServer install on? or not so simple becuase you would have to manual mount it and that changes the parameters you would be compile with to move over to a production unRaid system?

unRAID will see the drive you just will not be able to assign it into the array.  YOU yourself will have to handle the formatting, mounting, and sharing of that drive so that it can be used "like the cache drive" for the install of VMWare Server.

 

3) If I took a chance and both the pro version, my understand it is would be tied to my USB stick, how does one go about creating a dev stick and then making it a prod stick? or do you have to buy 2 lic's to pul this off?

Most do the 2 lic's thing.  Use one as a dev/backup stick and the other as the production stick.  It is how I do it (I actually have 3... production, test, and dev).  Dev has a metric crap-ton of stuff on it, stuff gets moved to test for testing, then it moves to production.

 

4) Is bundling up the VM Server install for everyone to use still an issue provided we would still have to provide the (free mind you) license file/key we get when we sign up for the (free mind you) VM Server 2.0.2 download and agree to the EULA a dozon times?

It has been a long time since I looked as VMWare Server related EULA stuff so can't answer this one.

[olympia]

1) Is anyone running VMServer 2.0.2 on unRaid 4.7?

 

Yes I do. It works flawless.

[madburg]

1) Is anyone running VMServer 2.0.2 on unRaid 4.7?

That I do not know.

 

Thanks for chiming in olympia,

 

Anything you could share that was different from the original posts here to get it working, example PAM version your using, etc...

It would be most appreciated.

 

2) The basic version will not allow a cache disk, for a lack of better "a pretend drive" could be used? What i mean is the selection to specify use the following disk to be a cache drive in unRaid menu is not there (I am assuming that is what we would see once we purchase a license). But it will see other drives availabe no? To be more discripive, if we have 4 drives in the lab (test) box. Disk 1 set to partiy, Disk2 & 3 as data disks, but we have disk4 in the controller & powered up, unraid should see that right, we just can add it to unraid basic, but it is there and viewable. So can this be use to setup the VMServer install on? or not so simple becuase you would have to manual mount it and that changes the parameters you would be compile with to move over to a production unRaid system?

unRAID will see the drive you just will not be able to assign it into the array.  YOU yourself will have to handle the formatting, mounting, and sharing of that drive so that it can be used "like the cache drive" for the install of VMWare Server.

 

So that would make it difficult to go from dev compile into production then huh? (referreing to all the info here on starting in dev (using basic) to make a package to be used in (Licensed, pro) production to install.

 

3) If I took a chance and both the pro version, my understand it is would be tied to my USB stick, how does one go about creating a dev stick and then making it a prod stick? or do you have to buy 2 lic's to pul this off?

Most do the 2 lic's thing.  Use one as a dev/backup stick and the other as the production stick.  It is how I do it (I actually have 3... production, test, and dev).  Dev has a metric crap-ton of stuff on it, stuff gets moved to test for testing, then it moves to production.

 

Sounds like you have a nice setup going there . Ok what I am about to say should not be taken personally or a method around licensing or anything of that nature. From making a Basic version stick, it seems I could do the following. Purchase the Pro Lic., which is the version I would like to have. Install unraid and lic. Do a flat file back to a HD of the structure. Go start in dev, compile a vm install package, once all is working , flat backup the stick to HD to another directory. Wipe flat files of the stick Copy back the original install, add the vm installation package to it. Go to my prod unraid system and off I go??? The issue would only be I would have to do this back and forth until I got everything I wanted working. My plan is to make sure I have all that I need in prod before move any data to it, so its not like I would be having the nas down until I am finished in dev. thoughts? I can't do the $300 in lic to run 3 sticks. Even thought I think you have a great thing going there!

 

4) Is bundling up the VM Server install for everyone to use still an issue provided we would still have to provide the (free mind you) license file/key we get when we sign up for the (free mind you) VM Server 2.0.2 download and agree to the EULA a dozon times?

It has been a long time since I looked as VMWare Server related EULA stuff so can't answer this one.

 

Believe its exactly as I stated

 

Is there anyway I believe his name is "Tom" that can create another Test/QA version of Basic to allow testing with a Cache Drive (say for a limited time or something to that affect, or maybe better yet limit format volume size to 10gb) this way I and I am sure others could test the performance and understanding of a cache drive. My understanding how it works. What I mean by that is, I am assuming here, that once you specify a cache drive all Folders from disk arrays  are created on the cache drive and all access to the unraid system via shares is actually to the cache drive on disk arrays(once you enabled cache drive), and in the evening (must be a way to control what time, and for QA manual kick off) ia script (think called mover) to move everything from the cache drive to the disk array... But I have some questions around that as well, like what happens if the drive fills up before the data is moved in the array, etc... I like testing thinks in the lab (the 3 drive limit is perfect in basic for this) to see and understand how things works, performance as well. And then do a mock up of what ones perreference would be and give it a whirl to see that is does what you expect. Before comitting to setup a prod box and moved alot of data to it.

 

I have to say the wiki, forums, etc. is top notch here and very impressed. I have start only yesturday and even though it was me and a friend in the lab we when throught alot of test and learned alot. Continuing later today, with add-on, etc... regards to all!

[prostuff1]

So that would make it difficult to go from dev compile into production then huh? (referreing to all the info here on starting in dev (using basic) to make a package to be used in (Licensed, pro) production to install.

It might make it a little bit more difficult but my suggestion would be to dev everything with basic and install to a data disk in the server (disk1 perhaps).

 

Sounds like you have a nice setup going there . Ok what I am about to say should not be taken personally or a method around licensing or anything of that nature. From making a Basic version stick, it seems I could do the following. Purchase the Pro Lic., which is the version I would like to have. Install unraid and lic. Do a flat file back to a HD of the structure. Go start in dev, compile a vm install package, once all is working , flat backup the stick to HD to another directory. Wipe flat files of the stick Copy back the original install, add the vm installation package to it. Go to my prod unraid system and off I go??? The issue would only be I would have to do this back and forth until I got everything I wanted working. My plan is to make sure I have all that I need in prod before move any data to it, so its not like I would be having the nas down until I am finished in dev. thoughts?

As mentioned above, I would work everything out on a dev stick using basic but install everything to disk1 in the array.  That will get you a close approximation to how things will work and what you will need to do to get everything up and running.  It will probably be a little slower running from disk1 than a cache drive because of parity, but it will give you an idea.

 

The other thing you can do is use something like unmenu to mount and format a drive outside of the array (essentially a cache drive).  You will have to remount it via unmenu or via the go script on every reboot but this approach will also work.

 

I can't do the $300 in lic to run 3 sticks. Even thought I think you have a great thing going there!

Not many people can/want to do it like I do.  Some of us Moderators and more experienced member write addons for unRAID that require us to do some testing/breaking/tweaking/cursing/fixing.

 

Is there anyway I believe his name is "Tom" that can create another Test/QA version of Basic to allow testing with a Cache Drive (say for a limited time or something to that affect, or maybe better yet limit format volume size to 10gb) this way I and I am sure others could test the performance and understanding of a cache drive.

I doubt this will happen but stranger things could happen.

 

My understanding how it works. What I mean by that is, I am assuming here, that once you specify a cache drive all Folders from disk arrays  are created on the cache drive and all access to the unraid system via shares is actually to the cache drive on disk arrays(once you enabled cache drive), and in the evening (must be a way to control what time, and for QA manual kick off) ia script (think called mover) to move everything from the cache drive to the disk array

This is not the case.  Data is written to the cache drive and once moved to the array is always accessed from the array.  You never go to the cache drive unless the data you are accessing is actually there.

 

But I have some questions around that as well, like what happens if the drive fills up before the data is moved in the array, etc... I like testing thinks in the lab (the 3 drive limit is perfect in basic for this) to see and understand how things works, performance as well. And then do a mock up of what ones perreference would be and give it a whirl to see that is does what you expect. Before comitting to setup a prod box and moved alot of data to it.

If the cache drive fills up then you will not be able to write to the User Share or the cache drive until the data is moved off it.  You can start the move yourself our wait for it to happen.  It is typically suggested that the cache drive be bypassed when the initial transfer of data is happening so that this problem does not occur.

 

I have to say the wiki, forums, etc. is top notch here and very impressed. I have start only yesturday and even though it was me and a friend in the lab we when throught alot of test and learned alot. Continuing later today, with add-on, etc... regards to all!

Glad you found everything helpful.  If you have more questions feel free to ask

[olympia]

Thanks for chiming in olympia,

 

Anything you could share that was different from the original posts here to get it working, example PAM version your using, etc...

It would be most appreciated.

 

The only difference is that you have to apply a patch (covered somewhere in this thread as well) to vmware to have it compile on newer kernel versions.

[gfjardim]

Regarding VBox, I'm using it successfully under unRAID 4.7. Since now VBox OSE is distributed apart from the closed source part, called now extension packs, it's viable to distribute a package with pre-configured modules, but there is a catch:

 

VBox 4.X refuses to launch if its binaries are located in a mounted FS that's not owned by root, and that discards every disk mounted in unRAID, including the cache and flash disk. This forces the use of the ramfs to store VBox binaries, a total of 250MB of data, and that isn't viable to most of our users with low RAM.

 

 

[dabl]

Regarding VBox, I'm using it successfully under unRAID 4.7. Since now VBox OSE is distributed apart from the closed source part, called now extension packs, it's viable to distribute a package with pre-configured modules, but there is a catch:

 

VBox 4.X refuses to launch if its binaries are located in a mounted FS that's not owned by root, and that discards every disk mounted in unRAID, including the cache and flash disk. This forces the use of the ramfs to store VBox binaries, a total of 250MB of data, and that isn't viable to most of our users with low RAM.

 

Then again there are those of us with 4 GB who would definitely appreciate any kind of pre-configured package.......

 

It would also be worth it to me to dedicate a disk unavailable to unraid to run VBox on my unraid server.

[jamerson9]

Regarding VBox, I'm using it successfully under unRAID 4.7. Since now VBox OSE is distributed apart from the closed source part, called now extension packs, it's viable to distribute a package with pre-configured modules, but there is a catch:

 

VBox 4.X refuses to launch if its binaries are located in a mounted FS that's not owned by root, and that discards every disk mounted in unRAID, including the cache and flash disk. This forces the use of the ramfs to store VBox binaries, a total of 250MB of data, and that isn't viable to most of our users with low RAM.

Actually, I like the idea of using ramfs and not losing a drive slot. Also, given that if you are thinking of running VMs you most probably are going to use a machine with more than the minimum recommended memory for unRAID.

 

Could you spare any details on how you got things installed or a quick point to the info? Thanks.

[madburg]

Many thanks "prostuff1" and "olympia" for the replies.

[Venares]

Regarding VBox, I'm using it successfully under unRAID 4.7. Since now VBox OSE is distributed apart from the closed source part, called now extension packs, it's viable to distribute a package with pre-configured modules, but there is a catch:

 

VBox 4.X refuses to launch if its binaries are located in a mounted FS that's not owned by root, and that discards every disk mounted in unRAID, including the cache and flash disk. This forces the use of the ramfs to store VBox binaries, a total of 250MB of data, and that isn't viable to most of our users with low RAM.

 

 

 

Guide on this would simply be awsome.

Running in RAM isnt realy a problem for most people that would want to do this anyway.

Besides, whats 4GB of RAM these days, think I paied £35 the other week for my 4GB Corsair Kit for my new box.

[TaterSalad]

After reading through this thread and much of the documentation on installing VMware Server on UNRAID, it seems that the processes are generally the same but the wiki has become outadate with new information available. I am wanting to install VMware Server from a bare unRAID 4.7 Final install. I'd like to document my processes so others won't have to gather all of these pieces of information.

 

Before I start, a few pieces of information are required. I plan to start with a fresh Slackware install, then apply unRAID to it, and then install vmware server. I see that this process heavily relies on getting the kernel versions correct. While I have seen a few accounts of having 4.7 running vmware server smoothly, I am unsure which kernels and Slackware version they are running on. So my questions:

 

Q: Which Slackware version should I start with?

Q: Which kernel version have people had the most success with unRAID 4.7 / Slackware?

[olympia]

You have to use the same kernel version what unRAID 4.7 uses.

[ftp222]

Q: Which Slackware version should I start with?

Q: Which kernel version have people had the most success with unRAID 4.7 / Slackware?

 

I used Slackware 13.0 to build all of my VMware server packages.  The most important thing is that the kernel matches.

 

The last package I had to build was for 4.5.3 (I think) - I am running 4.6 currently.  The kernel hasn't changed since that version, so you can continue to use the same package.

 

Take a look at my notes a few pages back regarding the VMware install.  There are some patches that need to be applied in order to get it to install on the newer kernels.  In fact I tried compiling for the 5.0b6a and there are even more kernel changes that affect VMware that I couldn't even find a recent patch to get it installed.

 

The documentation could definitely use a good update, thank you.

 

[Snowball]

Hey all. Good write up. follwed all the instructions through from building myself a dev environment to building the packages to install VMware on my unraid box all with little problems considering i'm a complete linux noob.

 

And then I realise i cant use them as the kernel version doesn't match. is there an easy way to fix it without building a whole new dev envoronment and doing it all again from scratch??

 

I built using a Slcakware12.2 install and i'm running 4.7 Final on my unraid box