Curx

"curx" aka Thorsten Schifferdecker

--//--

OpenVZ consists of a kernel, user-level tools, and VE templates.

This guide tells how to install the kernel and the tools on [http://www.debian.org Debian] and related Distribution like [http://www.ubuntu.com/ Ubuntu].

== Requirements ==

=== Filesystems ===
It is recommended to use a separate partition for VEs private directories (by default /var/lib/vz/private/<veid>). The reason why you should do so is that if you wish to use OpenVZ per-VE disk quota, you won't be able to use usual Linux disk quotas on the same partition. Bear in mind, that per-VE quota in this context includes not only pure per-VE quota, but also usual Linux disk quota used in VE, not on [[HN]].

At least try to avoid using root partition for VEs, because the root user of VE will be able to overcome 5% disk space barrier in some situations. This way HN root partition can be completely filled and it will break the system.

OpenVZ per-VE disk quota is supported only for ext2/ext3 filesystems. So use one of these filesystems (ext3 is recommended) if you need per-VE disk quota.


=== Repository setup ===

At the moment two different repositories are online at http://download.openvz.org  :

 Ola Lundqvist <opal@debian.org> --> apt-uri [http://download.openvz.org/debian http://download.openvz.org/debian]

 Thorsten Schiffedecker <tsd@debian.systs.org> --> apt-uri [http://download.openvz.org/debian-systs http://download.openvz.org/debian-systs] (Mirror of OpenVZ Repository from http://debian.systs.org)

{{Note|The next steps used the Repository http://download.openvz.org/debian-systs}}

{{Note|per default on ubuntu system, root task are done with [https://help.ubuntu.com/community/RootSudo sudo]}}

This can be achieved by the following commands, as root or as privileged "sudo" user

<pre>
# [sudo] echo "deb http://download.openvz.org/debian-systs etch openvz" >> /etc/apt/sources.list
# wget http://download.openvz.org/debian-systs/dso_archiv_signing_key.asc
# [sudo] apt-key add dso_archiv_signing_key.asc
# [sudo] apt-get update
</pre>

== Kernel installation ==

{{Note|In case you want to recompile the OpenVZ kernel yourself on Debian, see [[kernel build debian]].}}

First, you need to choose what “flavor” of the kernel you want to install.

<pre>
 # apt-get install <flavour>
</pre>


=== Configuring the bootloader ===

In case GRUB is used as the boot loader, it will be configured automatically: lines similar to these will be added to the <tt>/boot/grub/menu.lst</tt> file:

<pre>
[...]
  title           Debian GNU/Linux, kernel 2.6.18-ovz-028stab051.1-686
  root            (hd0,1)
  kernel          /vmlinuz-2.6.18-ovz-028stab051.1-686 root=/dev/sda5 ro vga=791
  initrd          /initrd.img-2.6.18-ovz-028stab051.1-686
  savedefault
[...]
</pre>

{{Note|per default on debian/ubuntu, a 2.6.22 kernel will boot before a 2.6.18, please check manually the grub boot order. See man update-grub for more details}}

=== Rebooting into OpenVZ kernel ===

{{Warning|Before you restart your Server, keep in mind, that your system has all needed modules enabled; booting from your harddisk (e.g. hardware modules, raid system(s), lvm2 etc). May you need a INITRD (initramdisk) or compile needed kernel modules statically in.}}

Now reboot the machine and choose the OpenVZ Linux Kernel on the boot loader menu. If the OpenVZ kernel has been booted successfully, proceed to installing the user-level tools for OpenVZ.


== Installing the user-level tools ==

OpenVZ needs some user-level tools installed. Those are:

; vzctl
:    A utility to control OpenVZ VPSs (create, destroy, start, stop, set parameters etc.)
; vzquota
:    A utility to manage quotas for VPSs. Mostly used indirectly (by vzctl).


<pre>
 # [sudo] apt-get install vzctl vzquota
</pre>


== Configuring ==

=== sysctl ===

There are a number of kernel parameters that should be set for OpenVZ to work correctly. These parameters are stored in <tt>/etc/sysctl.conf</tt> file. Here is the relevant part of the file; please edit it accordingly.

{{Note|vzctl version from debian-systs, automate changing sysctl options for openvz}}

<pre>
[...]

# On Hardware Node we generally need
# packet forwarding enabled and proxy arp disabled
net.ipv4.conf.default.forwarding=1
net.ipv4.conf.default.proxy_arp = 0

# Enables source route verification
net.ipv4.conf.all.rp_filter = 1

# Enables the magic-sysrq key
kernel.sysrq = 1

# TCP Explict Congestion Notification
#net.ipv4.tcp_ecn = 0

# we do not want all our interfaces to send redirects
net.ipv4.conf.default.send_redirects = 1
net.ipv4.conf.all.send_redirects = 0

[...]
</pre>

{{Note|You can make a symlink from /var/lib/vz to /vz as backward compability to Main OpenVZ
 (Debian vz root directory is installed FHS-like to /var/lib/vz}}

  # [sudo] ln -s /var/lib/vz /vz 


=== VE OS Templates ===

To install a VE, you need VE OS Template(s), precreated can be found [http://download.openvz.org/contrib/template/precreated/ here] or create it : [http://wiki.openvz.org/Debian_template_creation Debian] , [http://wiki.openvz.org/Ubuntu_Gutsy_template_creation ubuntu] and all about [http://wiki.openvz.org/Category:Templates Templates]

{{Note|Setup your prefered standard OS Template : edit the /etc/vz/vz.conf}}

{{Note|Debian Packages of a precreate Debian 4.0 can be fetch from Repository at http://download.openvz.org/debian-systs }}
  
  # [sudo] apt-get install vzctl-ostmpl-debian


== Additial user tools ==

; vzprocps
:    A set of utilities to provide system information (vzps and vztop)
; [http://wiki.openvz.org/Backup_of_a_running_VE_with_vzdump vzdump]
:    A utility to backup and restore VE. 

{{Note|Debian Packages can be fetch from Repository at http://download.openvz.org/debian-systs }}

  # [sudo] apt-get install vzprocps vzdump


[[Category: HOWTO]]
[[Category: Installation]]