[libvirt] Using ESX domain XML for V2V

[Matthias Bolte]

2010/1/14 Matthew Booth <mbooth at redhat.com>:
> I'm trying to use the ESX driver to extract metadata from ESX in an easily
> digestible form for driving V2V. I've noticed the domain XML seems to be
> missing a few bits:
>
> <features/>

This is currently not implemented, but could be by parsing the CPUIDs.
This is on my todo list.

> <graphics/>

VMware seems to use a certain type of VNC for this, but they use a
custom authentication mechanism. There is a Firefox plugin for that
(vmware-mks.xpi), but IIRC its Windows only. I think this could be
implemented but there is more research necessary what to expose as
graphics element.

> <input/>

A ESX virtual machine has a PS2 mouse and keyboard by default and
AFAIK that's not changeable. So the ESX driver could output input
elements for them, but the user won't be able to change it when
defining a new virtual machine. Currently input elements are ignored
by the ESX driver.

> <serial/> and <console/> are also missing, but that could well be because
> they aren't present.

By default a virtual machine doesn't have serial/parallel ports, but
you can add them and the ESX driver will output the serial/parallel
elements for them. The console element is automatically deduced by
libvirt from the first serial port in the domain XML config, the ESX
driver has not influence here.

> Is this intentional? Should I be assuming some of the above because it's
> ESX, or is this an omission?
>
> Thanks,
>
> Matt

Matthias