[OmniOS-discuss] oracle vm server in kvm enabled zone

[Dale Ghent]

Nested KVMs have not been a priority for implementation, mainly because we see very small value or real utility gained by using them in a operational environment (versus a more experimental or hobbyist environment) for the implementation effort required. The KVM code we put into OmniOS is the same which comes with SmartOS.

To be honest, our (perhaps selfish) opinion is that if one reaches for nested KVMs as a tool in a datacenter environment (which is the intended primary audience for OmniOS, after all) something is amiss with the intention or planning. Soon, with Dan's work, we hope to introduce LX zones to OmniOS, further diminishing the need for KVM instances in general... at least when it comes to Linux.

/dale


> On Aug 10, 2016, at 10:52 AM, pieter van puymbroeck <pietervanpuymbroeck at hotmail.com> wrote:
> 
> Isn't it supported in omnios? 
> It is supported in different linux flavours, but I don't like to go on that way.
> 
> I read on the omniti website that kvm is one of the key-features, so nesting was something which I'd expected to be there. Don't get me wrong, the not nested kvm is working perfectly (and fast!).
> 
> Is there an estimated timeline in which it should be supported or a place to launch enhancement requests?
> 
> 
> From: Michael Rasmussen <mir at miras.org>
> Sent: Wednesday, August 10, 2016 2:48 PM
> To: pieter van puymbroeck; omnios-discuss at lists.omniti.com
> Subject: Re: [OmniOS-discuss] oracle vm server in kvm enabled zone
>  
> Seem to remember nested kvm is not supported.
> 
> On August 10, 2016 3:53:11 PM GMT+02:00, pieter van puymbroeck <pietervanpuymbroeck at hotmail.com> wrote:
> Hello,
> Currently I'm building a new homelab based on omnios (omnios-r151018)
> There a kvm enabled zone is created and inside the zone I have 3 kvm-guests running. These guests are running oracle vm (xen based). All is running fine except if I want to start a linux-testvm inside oracle vm, the system complains about:
> 
> Error: HVM guest support is unavailable: is VT/AMD-V supported by your CPU and enabled in your BIOS?
> 
> Inside the kvm enabled zone, kvm is enabled:
> root at ovm1:/root# ls -l /dev/kvm
> crw------- 1 root sys 125, 0 Aug 10 12:48 /dev/kvm
> root at ovm1:/root# modinfo |grep -i kvm
> 207 fffffffff840a000  3a030 125   1  kvm (kvm driver v0.1)
> root at ovm1:/root#
> 
> For sure I checked the processor itself from the global zone if it is supported:
> # isainfo -v
> 64-bit amd64 applications
> vmx pclmulqdq aes sse4.2 sse4.1 ssse3 popcnt tscp cx16 sse3 sse2
> sse fxsr mmx cmov amd_sysc cx8 tsc fpu
> 32-bit i386 applications
> vmx pclmulqdq aes sse4.2 sse4.1 ssse3 popcnt tscp ahf cx16 sse3
> sse2 sse fxsr mmx cmov sep cx8 tic fpu
> #
> 
> 
> and to me it looks I have the required flags available. 
> inside the lvm-guest the flags are indeed not given to the guest:
> 
> [root at ovm2 ~]# uname -s -r -i -p
> Linux 2.6.39-400.279.1.el5uek x86_64 x86_64
> [root at ovm2 ~]# cat /etc/oracle-release
> Oracle VM Server release 5.7
> [root at ovm2 ~]# grep flags /proc/cpuinfo
> flags : fpu de tsc msr pae mce cx8 apic sep mca cmov pat clflush mmx fxsr sse sse2 ss syscall nx lm constant_tsc up nopl pni ssse3 cx16 sse4_1 sse4_2 popcnt aes hypervisor lahf_lm
> [root at ovm2 ~]#
> 
> it does not matter if I start the kvm guest using
> -cpu host \
> or using 
> -cpu qemu64,+vmx,+aes,+sse4.2,+sse4.1,+ssse3 \  # --> this one is faster
> 
> despite I have an intel cpu I use the -enable-nested flag as well, but it doesn't seem to make a difference.
> 
> How can I fix this?
> 
> Thanks and best regards,
> Pieter
> 
> 
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