ML
    • Recent
    • Categories
    • Tags
    • Popular
    • Users
    • Groups
    • Register
    • Login

    KVM Desktop Setup Ideas

    Water Closet
    fedora kvm virtualization hypervisor linux
    17
    182
    20.8k
    Loading More Posts
    • Oldest to Newest
    • Newest to Oldest
    • Most Votes
    Reply
    • Reply as topic
    Log in to reply
    This topic has been deleted. Only users with topic management privileges can see it.
    • scottalanmillerS
      scottalanmiller @hobbit666
      last edited by

      @hobbit666 said in KVM Desktop Setup Ideas:

      I have a Desktop machine (Dell optiplex 9050, i7, 16gb Ram, 240ssd and 500sata)
      This is going to be used as a lab only. Managed remotely like a server would. I've used ESXi before, XenServer, Hyper-V.
      .....
      The only Hypervisor I haven't tried yet is KVM.

      So wait, it's desktop hardware, but being treated as a server? That's totally different.

      KVM, yes, obviously since that is part of your goal. But definitely not with a local screen. This goes back to ... "I like Cockpit."

      If you are just trying to learn, take a look at oVirt, too.

      1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 1
      • DashrenderD
        Dashrender
        last edited by

        d0fe8515-8651-4b74-9e55-7ed7821e3e37-image.png

        These three posts seemed to lead to all the problems

        @hobbit666 mentions that he's using desktop hardware
        which leads @dafyre to assume "regular desktop"
        Which leads Scott to assume daily driver (though not said in this post)

        Now we find out 10 mins ago that this machine while being consumer hardware will in fact be used as a typical, likely headless server.

        dafyreD 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
        • DashrenderD
          Dashrender @scottalanmiller
          last edited by

          @scottalanmiller said in KVM Desktop Setup Ideas:

          @Dashrender said in KVM Desktop Setup Ideas:

          @scottalanmiller said in KVM Desktop Setup Ideas:

          @Dashrender said in KVM Desktop Setup Ideas:

          @scottalanmiller said in KVM Desktop Setup Ideas:

          @Dashrender said in KVM Desktop Setup Ideas:

          @DustinB3403 said in KVM Desktop Setup Ideas:

          @coliver said in What Are You Doing Right Now:

          @DustinB3403 said in What Are You Doing Right Now:

          @dafyre said in What Are You Doing Right Now:

          KVM is also nice because you can continue using that machine as a regular desktop as well, if you need to do so. (Can't do that with VMware, Hyper-V or XenServer).

          No one expects to use their Type 1 hypervisor as a desktop.

          I have VMs on my local desktop with Hyper-V. Not production but they are good for a lab.

          Is it your expectation to use XenServer as a desktop?

          FFS did I say something that was confusing.

          This is not an expectation generally made that a Type 1 Hypervisor can also be used as a daily driver. Persons who do this are making a case in which they need a daily driver and a Type 1 Hypervisor.

          It is not the normal expectation.

          I'm late to this - but I absolutely want this - hell I want this for normal users so they can be more protected.

          I think you could with VDI. Just gets expensive.

          Yeah - normals would love VDI if there was a super easy/cheap way to do it.

          It's not THAT bad these days.

          Normal users would have a hard time paying $100/yr for it - hell I can't get normals to pay $50/yr for offsite/online backups.

          Is it that much now? I don't think so.

          You can get Windows VDI for less than $100/yr? I thought the VDI license was that much alone, let alone someone's platform upon which to run it.

          Also is VDI in someone else's DC now legal? I thought it wasn't for a while there because you didn't know what hardware it was on? - though I might be misremembering that.

          1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
          • dafyreD
            dafyre @Dashrender
            last edited by

            @Dashrender said in KVM Desktop Setup Ideas:

            d0fe8515-8651-4b74-9e55-7ed7821e3e37-image.png

            These three posts seemed to lead to all the problems

            @hobbit666 mentions that he's using desktop hardware
            which leads @dafyre to assume "regular desktop"
            Which leads Scott to assume daily driver (though not said in this post)

            Now we find out 10 mins ago that this machine while being consumer hardware will in fact be used as a typical, likely headless server.

            To be fair, you are correct, I did assume "regular desktop". However, that still doesn't change my recommendation of KVM + Virt-Viewer (I use Virt-Viewer to manage a couple of KVM servers).

            1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
            • Emad RE
              Emad R @hobbit666
              last edited by Emad R

              @hobbit666

              AMD Ryzen and disable SMT, get something with NVMe M2 storage, buy cheapest m2 storage, install OS there, make RAID on the SATA disks, or something else, and use those as VM storage

              coliverC 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
              • coliverC
                coliver @Emad R
                last edited by

                @Emad-R said in KVM Desktop Setup Ideas:

                @hobbit666

                AMD Ryzen and disable SMT, get something with NVMe M2 storage, buy cheapest m2 storage, install OS there, make RAID on the SATA disks, or something else, and use those as VM storage

                Why? Your OS gets loaded to memory having it on an SSD when your actual workloads aren't doesn't make a lot of sense.

                DashrenderD 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 2
                • DashrenderD
                  Dashrender @coliver
                  last edited by

                  @coliver said in KVM Desktop Setup Ideas:

                  @Emad-R said in KVM Desktop Setup Ideas:

                  @hobbit666

                  AMD Ryzen and disable SMT, get something with NVMe M2 storage, buy cheapest m2 storage, install OS there, make RAID on the SATA disks, or something else, and use those as VM storage

                  Why? Your OS gets loaded to memory having it on an SSD when your actual workloads aren't doesn't make a lot of sense.

                  Exactly - this is the same reasoning that you don't install ESX-I or Hyper-V on it's own drives - it's a waste of IOPs. Instead give those IOPs to the workload - i.e. just make OBR10, not a smaller RAID 1 for hypervisor and OBR10

                  1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 1
                  • DustinB3403D
                    DustinB3403
                    last edited by DustinB3403

                    So to continue this conversation.

                    If you have the space and available hardware, install Fedora Server 29, the KVM role (headless virtualization) and use Cockpit to manage the machine from a remote system.

                    You could, and is the recommended approach would use Virt-Manager (from a Fedora Workstation) to connect to this KVM hypervisor remotely and manage your VMs and Hypervisor with that. Rather than just using Cockpit.

                    While Cockpit is a great tool it isn't at all like what many of the other tools you may be familiar with are like.

                    Virt-Manager would be like XenCenter, where Cockpit would be like XO.

                    1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 1
                    • DustinB3403D
                      DustinB3403
                      last edited by

                      Going down the rabbit hole of how and where to install Fedora (to SSD, winchester, SD card, an array) all comes back to best practice and what you have at your disposal.

                      If you have a hardware raid card that would be a good solution to use, as most commodity servers will come with this type of functionality and setup function.

                      I create my array and then I install my OS (or hypervisor)

                      If you don't have hardware raid and are wanting to not spend any additional money on this unit, just install Fedora Server with the KVM role directly with how the system assigns the storage. No changes need to be changed. Especially since it appears you're just wanting to learn how to use and manage KVM

                      1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 1
                      • DustinB3403D
                        DustinB3403
                        last edited by DustinB3403

                        If you do have additional disk space in this tower, and the disks to use. You can add them to the tower and exclude 1 of them (assuming 5 disks) and use the other 4 to create a software RAID 10.

                        Use the new array as the target for your VMs to be live and run from and go from there.

                        This would also be a valid and great option, but is similar to splitting the array as we often discuss.

                        1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                        • DustinB3403D
                          DustinB3403
                          last edited by DustinB3403

                          Setting up a software array during installation isn't an option (when using all disks) because of the file structure. So you are required to either install to a separate medium (stand alone disk) or something like SD card and use the remaining disks to create your array from.

                          This is where hardware raid has a benefit because you're able to provide all of the IOPS to the hypervisor (and VMs) and have nothing split up.

                          Of course the hypervisor itself doesn't require much in terms of IOPS performance. But it's the most "simple" way to deal with it and provide a level of protect to the entire environment.

                          1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                          • black3dynamiteB
                            black3dynamite
                            last edited by

                            @DustinB3403 said in KVM Desktop Setup Ideas:

                            Setting up a software array during installation isn't an option (when using all disks) because of the file structure. So you are required to either install to a separate medium (stand alone disk) or something like SD card and use the remaining disks to create your array from.

                            Software raid during installation is possible. Just have to choose Advanced Custom (Blivet-GUI) when choosing storage configuration.
                            Peek 2019-02-07 08-23.gif

                            DustinB3403D 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 2
                            • DustinB3403D
                              DustinB3403 @black3dynamite
                              last edited by

                              @black3dynamite said in KVM Desktop Setup Ideas:

                              Software raid during installation is possible. Just have to choose Advanced Custom (Blivet-GUI) when choosing storage configuration.

                              Interesting. . I had always encountered issues with the file system that was created.

                              That's good to know.

                              1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 1
                              • jmooreJ
                                jmoore @Dashrender
                                last edited by

                                @Dashrender I do this also. kvm on top, fedora, suse, win10 enterprise vm's

                                1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                                • hobbit666H
                                  hobbit666
                                  last edited by

                                  So,
                                  I've install Fedora 29 min as i don't need the desktop.
                                  Updated
                                  Installed Cockpit-machines
                                  so when i log into http:server:9090 i can mange the server and create VM's

                                  That's as far as it goes today (been on a store visit today so this is all i've had time to do :))

                                  DustinB3403D 2 Replies Last reply Reply Quote 1
                                  • DustinB3403D
                                    DustinB3403 @hobbit666
                                    last edited by

                                    @hobbit666 said in KVM Desktop Setup Ideas:

                                    I've install Fedora 29 min as i don't need the desktop.

                                    No.

                                    Just download Fedora Server > Custom installation > Headless Virtualization

                                    1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                                    • DustinB3403D
                                      DustinB3403 @hobbit666
                                      last edited by

                                      @hobbit666 said in KVM Desktop Setup Ideas:

                                      So,
                                      I've install Fedora 29 min as i don't need the desktop.
                                      Updated
                                      Installed Cockpit-machines
                                      so when i log into http:server:9090 i can mange the server and create VM's

                                      That's as far as it goes today (been on a store visit today so this is all i've had time to do :))

                                      Also Cockpit is fine for the basic tasks you'll deal with on a VM. Like forced restarts.

                                      Virt-Manager is much more fleshed out and is the better option to use.

                                      hobbit666H 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                                      • hobbit666H
                                        hobbit666 @DustinB3403
                                        last edited by

                                        @DustinB3403 said in KVM Desktop Setup Ideas:

                                        Virt-Manager is much more fleshed out and is the better option to use.

                                        Can Virt-Manager be used remotely ? As when looking I thought this was a local gui thing not a web based management for example.

                                        Also yeah I installed server the 2nd time round with headless virt option

                                        DustinB3403D 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                                        • DustinB3403D
                                          DustinB3403 @hobbit666
                                          last edited by

                                          @hobbit666 said in KVM Desktop Setup Ideas:

                                          Can Virt-Manager be used remotely ?

                                          Yes

                                          1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                                          • DustinB3403D
                                            DustinB3403
                                            last edited by

                                            What you'll likely have to do is copy-ssh-id for your server to make administration easier. but Virt-Manager absolutely can remotely administer a KVM server or fleet of them.

                                            1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 1
                                            • 1
                                            • 2
                                            • 5
                                            • 6
                                            • 7
                                            • 8
                                            • 9
                                            • 10
                                            • 7 / 10
                                            • First post
                                              Last post