XenServer Import Disk Failure

stacksofplates

So I've been attempting to import a drive to XenServer for a while. Apparently you need the Windows 7 iSCSI initiator for it to work, which is blocked by GPO here. I found this, which I was able to use.

From http://docs.vmd.citrix.com/XenServer/6.5.0/1.0/en_gb/guest.html

The default transfer protocol is iSCSI. In which case, the Transfer VM requires an iSCSI Initiator on the XenServer host. An alternate transfer protocol is RawVDI.

To use the RawVDI transfer protocol:

Backup the XenCenterMain.exe.config file, which is located in the installation folder.

Using a text editor, open the XenCenterMain.exe.config file.

Add the following section group to the configSection:

<sectionGroup name="applicationSettings" 
type="System.Configuration.ApplicationSettingsGroup, System, Version=2.0.0.0, 
Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=b77a5c561934e089" >
  <section name="XenOvfTransport.Properties.Settings" 
  type="System.Configuration.ClientSettingsSection, System, Version=2.0.0.0, 
  Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=b77a5c561934e089" requirePermission="false"/>
</sectionGroup>

To the end of the file, add the following section:

<applicationSettings>
  <XenOvfTransport.Properties.Settings>
    <setting name="TransferType" serializeAs="String"> <value>UploadRawVDI</value> 
    </setting>
  </XenOvfTransport.Properties.Settings>
  </applicationSettings>

Save the XenCenterMain.exe.config file.

Dashrender

Just so I follow along, you're trying to import it using XenCenter running on Windows? i.e. your desktop?

stacksofplates

@Dashrender said in XenServer Import Disk Failure:

Just so I follow along, you're trying to import it using XenCenter running on Windows? i.e. your desktop?

Correct. This is all through XenCenter. Kind of a pain that you have to edit this, esp with the non helpful logs they give you. I tried just moving the disk on and making up a UUID but the labeling was all screwed up.

scottalanmiller

@Dashrender said in XenServer Import Disk Failure:

Just so I follow along, you're trying to import it using XenCenter running on Windows? i.e. your desktop?

That's where XC would be expected to run.

Dashrender

@scottalanmiller said in XenServer Import Disk Failure:

@Dashrender said in XenServer Import Disk Failure:

Just so I follow along, you're trying to import it using XenCenter running on Windows? i.e. your desktop?

That's where XC would be expected to run.

OK I was overly verbose - but I wanted to make sure he wasn't using something like XO.

BRRABill

This is one of the (few) "issues" I have seen with XS, in general.

As a simple hypervisor (as I am using it), it works flawlessly. It also seems a lot of the stuff I have had issues with are not really issues in larger deployments.

However, it seems like doing anything outside the norm causes all sorts of headache.

I'm not sure if it is Linux knowledge deficiency, or just that XS is hard to work with. Or, more likely, their stance of ... hey, do what we say and don't try to figure it out yourselves is really their motto.

scottalanmiller

@BRRABill said in XenServer Import Disk Failure:

Or, more likely, their stance of ... hey, do what we say and don't try to figure it out yourselves is really their motto.

That's how I think it is going down. They are setting things up for you in a prescribed way. Going outside of that.... figure it out yourself.

scottalanmiller

But unlike ESXi that simply blocks things that they don't want you to do, XS just stops making it easy.

BRRABill

@scottalanmiller said in XenServer Import Disk Failure:

But unlike ESXi that simply blocks things that they don't want you to do, XS just stops making it easy.

Well, if none of the stuff anyone tried to do works, maybe they SHOULD block it!