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This article is basicaly written for OpenVZ LiveCD and assumes that the reader only starts using OpenVZ. == Introduction ==So, as you probably know, OpenVZ allows the user to create '''[[VE''']]s - , or Virtual Environments, which seems very much

In the same way , a VE can be based on various [[OS (Operating System) '''templates'''|OS template]]. On the LiveCD only Debian minimaltemplate is installed and it is used by default. Each VE is indentified by its identification number -- a '''veidVEID'''. == VE creation ==So, how to create a VE with veid 1 VEID of 101 based on Debian template? Very easy. Just type the following commands in your

root@Knoppix:~# vzctl create 1101

'''vzctl''' - is the tool that manages VEs.  == List of VEs ==You can get the list of all created VEs on '''HN''' (Hardware Node) by using '''vzlist''' command:

1 101 - stopped - -

As you see, VE #1 101 is in stopped state now.  == Starting VE ==Let's start it:

root@Knoppix:~# vzctl start 1101

1 101 5 running -

Five == Executing commands in VE ==From the previous command you see that 5 processes are running in inside VE, but who are they? Beeing 101. Being on usual [[hardware node ]] you can use <code>ps </code> command to identify themthose,and the same command can be used here. The only difference is that this command should be called inside VE. 

root@Knoppix:~# vzctl exec 1 101 ps

root@Knoppix:~# vzctl enter 1101entered into VE 1101

exited from VE 1101

I guess you've noted that there is not much soft in VE. It is because minimal template was used.But of course, you can install any soft in == Setting up VE by yourself. For example in Debian usual apt-get tool can be used.networking ==The only small problem is that all the packages should be downloaded from Internet so letLet's set up network networking in VE. 

root@Knoppix:~# vzctl set 1 101 --ipadd 10.1.1.1 --save

1 101 4 running 10.1.1.1 -

Now your '''HN''' ([[Hardware Node) ]] can ping VE and VE can ping HN:

root@Knoppix:~# vzctl exec 1 101 ping 192.168.0.244

However, it isn't is not possible to ping other computers in the network: for it we need toset up NAT (Network Address Translation) and set the nameserver. 

root@Knoppix:~# vzctl set 1 101 --nameserver 192.168.1.1 --save

Saved parameters for VE 1101root@Knoppix:~# vzctl exec 1 101 ping google.com

== Installing software inside VE ==I guess you've noted that there is not so many packages in VE. It is because minimal template was used.But of course, you can install any software in VE by yourself. For example, in Debian usual apt-get tool can be used. Now, for example, we can install gcc inside VE #1 101 for developing purposes:

root@Knoppix:~# vzctl enter 1101entered into VE 1101

exited from VE 1101

== Resource limiting ==The very important feature of VEs VE is that you can limit them it by resources: cpuCPU, memory, disk space.It's done by is also performed via vzctl also. Crelayurrent Current usage/values and limits of memory -related resources can be veiwed viewed through'''[[/proc/user_beancounters''' ]] file:

1 101: kmemsize 628209 976969 2752512 2936012 0

Note, that if you have failcounters in the last column, it means, that the appropriate VEexpirienced experienced resource shortage. This is very common reason, why some applications application fail torun in a VE. In this case you should increase limits/barriersaccordingly; see[[resource shortage]] for more info.

root@Knoppix:~# vzctl stop 1101

root@Knoppix:~# rm -rf /var/lib/vz/private/1 101 # THIS STEP IS TEMPORARY: http://bugzilla.openvz.org/show_bug.cgi?id=455root@Knoppix:~# vzctl destroy 1101Destroying VE private area: /var/lib/vz/private/1101

== Links ==That's all you need to start playing with OpenVZ. Additional information can be found in man page on vzctl and at http://wiki.openvz.org/. If you expirience some difficulties , contact us via http://forum.openvz.org/. Templates and other tools at are available from http://download.openvz.org/.