Help Center/ Image Management Service/ FAQs/ Driver Installation/ How Do I Install Native Xen and KVM Drivers?
Updated on 2024-07-17 GMT+08:00

How Do I Install Native Xen and KVM Drivers?

Scenarios

When optimizing a Linux private image with Xen virtualization, you need to install native Xen and KVM drivers on the source ECS of the image.

This section describes how to install native Xen and KVM drivers.

If an ECS has no Xen drivers installed, the network performance of the ECS will be poor, and the security groups and firewall configured for the ECS will not take effect.

If an ECS has no KVM drivers installed, the NICs of the ECS may not be detected and the ECS will be unable to communicate with other resources.

Prerequisites

  • The virtualization type of the ECS is Xen. For details, see Viewing the Virtualization Type of a Linux ECS.
  • The kernel version must be later than 2.6.24.
  • Disable your antivirus and intrusion detection software. You can enable them after the driver installation is complete.

Procedure

Modify the configuration file depending on the OS.
  • CentOS, EulerOS

    Take CentOS 7.0 as an example. Modify the /etc/dracut.conf file. Add the Xen PV and VirtIO drivers to add_drivers. Xen PV drivers include xen-blkfront and xen-netfront. VirtIO drivers include virtio_blk, virtio_scsi, virtio_net, virtio_pci, virtio_ring, and virtio. Separate driver names with spaces. Save and exit the /etc/dracut.conf file. Run the dracut -f command to regenerate initrd.

    For details, see CentOS and EulerOS.

  • Ubuntu and Debian

    Modify the /etc/initramfs-tools/modules file. Add the Xen PV and VirtIO drivers. Xen PV drivers include xen-blkfront and xen-netfront. VirtIO drivers include virtio_blk, virtio_scsi, virtio_net, virtio_pci, virtio_ring, and virtio. Separate driver names with spaces. Save and exit the /etc/initramfs-tools/modules file. Run the update-initramfs -u command to regenerate initrd.

    For details, see Ubuntu and Debian.

  • SUSE and openSUSE
    • If the OS version is earlier than SUSE 12 SP1 or openSUSE 13, modify the /etc/sysconfig/kernel file and add Xen PV and VirtIO drivers to INITRD_MODULES="". Xen PV drivers include xen_vnif, xen_vbd, and xen_platform_pci. VirtIO drivers include virtio_blk, virtio_scsi, virtio_net, virtio_pci, virtio_ring, and virtio. Separate driver names with spaces. Run the mkinitrd command to regenerate initrd.
    • If the OS version is SUSE 12 SP1, modify the /etc/dracut.conf file and add Xen PV and VirtIO drivers to add_drivers. Xen PV drivers include xen_vnif, xen_vbd, and xen_platform_pci. VirtIO drivers include virtio_blk, virtio_scsi, virtio_net, virtio_pci, virtio_ring, and virtio. Separate driver names with spaces. Run the dracut -f command to regenerate initrd.
    • If the OS version is later than SUSE 12 SP1 or openSUSE 13, modify the /etc/dracut.conf file and add Xen PV and VirtIO drivers to add_drivers. Xen PV drivers include xen-blkfront and xen-netfront. VirtIO drivers include virtio_blk, virtio_scsi, virtio_net, virtio_pci, virtio_ring, and virtio. Separate driver names with spaces. Save and exit the /etc/dracut.conf file. Run the dracut -f command to regenerate initrd.
    For details, see SUSE and openSUSE.

    For SUSE, run the following command to check whether xen-kmp (driver package for Xen PV) is installed:

    rpm -qa |grep xen-kmp

    If information similar to the following is displayed, xen-kmp is installed in the OS:

    xen-kmp-default-4.2.2_04_3.0.76_0.11-0.7.5

    If xen-kmp is not installed, obtain it from the ISO file and install it.

    If you add built-in drivers to the initrd or initramfs file by mistake, the ECS will not be affected.

CentOS and EulerOS

  1. Run the following command to open the /etc/dracut.conf file:

    vi /etc/dracut.conf

  2. Press i to enter editing mode and add Xen PV and VirtIO drivers to add_drivers (the format varies depending on the OS).
    [root@CTU10000xxxxx ~]# vi /etc/dracut.conf 
    # additional kernel modules to the default 
    add_drivers+="xen-blkfront xen-netfront virtio_blk virtio_scsi virtio_net virtio_pci virtio_ring virtio" 
    ......
  3. Press Esc, enter :wq, and press Enter. The system saves the change and exits the /etc/dracut.conf file.
  4. Run the following command to regenerate initrd:

    dracut -f /boot/initramfs-2.6.32-573.8.1.el6.x86_64.img

    If the virtual file system is not the default initramfs, run dracut -f Name of the initramfs or initrd file actually used. You can obtain the actual initramfs or initrd file name from the grub.cfg file, which can be /boot/grub/grub.cfg, /boot/grub2/grub.cfg, or /boot/grub/grub.conf depending on the OS.

  5. Check whether native Xen and KVM drivers have been installed. If the virtual file system is initramfs, run the following commands:

    lsinitrd /boot/initramfs-`uname -r`.img | grep xen

    lsinitrd /boot/initramfs-`uname -r`.img | grep virtio

    If the virtual file system is initrd, run the following commands:

    lsinitrd /boot/initrd-`uname -r` | grep xen

    lsinitrd /boot/initrd-`uname -r` | grep virtio

    Assume that the virtual file system is initramfs. The command output will be:

    [root@CTU10000xxxxx home]# lsinitrd /boot/initramfs-`uname -r`.img | grep xen 
    -rwxr--r--   1 root     root        54888 Jul 16 17:53 lib/modules/2.6.32-573.8.1.el6.x86_64/kernel/drivers/block/xen-blkfront.ko 
    -rwxr--r--   1 root     root        45664 Jul 16 17:53 lib/modules/2.6.32-573.8.1.el6.x86_64/kernel/drivers/net/xen-netfront.ko 
     
    [root@CTU10000xxxxx home]# lsinitrd /boot/initramfs-`uname -r`.img | grep virtio 
    -rwxr--r--   1 root     root        23448 Jul 16 17:53 lib/modules/2.6.32-573.8.1.el6.x86_64/kernel/drivers/block/virtio_blk.ko 
    -rwxr--r--   1 root     root        50704 Jul 16 17:53 lib/modules/2.6.32-573.8.1.el6.x86_64/kernel/drivers/net/virtio_net.ko 
    -rwxr--r--   1 root     root        28424 Jul 16 17:53 lib/modules/2.6.32-573.8.1.el6.x86_64/kernel/drivers/scsi/virtio_scsi.ko 
    drwxr-xr-x   2 root     root            0 Jul 16 17:53 lib/modules/2.6.32-573.8.1.el6.x86_64/kernel/drivers/virtio 
    -rwxr--r--   1 root     root        14544 Jul 16 17:53 lib/modules/2.6.32-573.8.1.el6.x86_64/kernel/drivers/virtio/virtio.ko 
    -rwxr--r--   1 root     root        21040 Jul 16 17:53 lib/modules/2.6.32-573.8.1.el6.x86_64/kernel/drivers/virtio/virtio_pci.ko 
    -rwxr--r--   1 root     root        18016 Jul 16 17:53 lib/modules/2.6.32-573.8.1.el6.x86_64/kernel/drivers/virtio/virtio_ring.ko

    If you add built-in drivers to the initrd or initramfs file by mistake, the ECS will not be affected. The drivers cannot be found by running the lsinitrd command. You can run the following commands to check whether built-in drivers are in the kernel:

    cat /boot/config-`uname -r` | grep CONFIG_VIRTIO | grep y

    cat /boot/config-`uname -r` | grep CONFIG_XEN | grep y

Ubuntu and Debian

  1. Run the following command to open the modules file:

    vi /etc/initramfs-tools/modules

  2. Press i to enter editing mode and add Xen PV and VirtIO drivers to the /etc/initramfs-tools/modules file (the format varies depending on the OS).
    [root@CTU10000xxxxx ~]#vi /etc/initramfs-tools/modules 
    ......
    # Examples: 
    # 
    # raid1 
    # sd_mOd 
    xen-blkfront
    xen-netfront
    virtio_blk
    virtio_scsi
    virtio_net
    virtio_pci
    virtio_ring
    virtio
  3. Press Esc, enter :wq, and press Enter. The system saves the change and exits the /etc/initramfs-tools/modules file.
  4. Run the following command to regenerate initrd:

    update-initramfs -u

  5. Run the following commands to check whether native Xen and KVM drivers have been installed:

    lsinitramfs /boot/initrd.img-`uname -r` |grep xen

    lsinitramfs /boot/initrd.img-`uname -r` |grep virtio

    [root@ CTU10000xxxxx home]# lsinitramfs /boot/initrd.img-`uname -r` |grep xen 
    lib/modules/3.5.0-23-generic/kernel/drivers/net/ethernet/qlogic/netxen 
    lib/modules/3.5.0-23-generic/kernel/drivers/net/ethernet/qlogic/netxen/netxen_nic.ko 
    lib/modules/3.5.0-23-generic/kernel/drivers/net/xen-netback 
    lib/modules/3.5.0-23-generic/kernel/drivers/net/xen-netback/xen-netback.ko 
    lib/modules/3.5.0-23-generic/kernel/drivers/block/xen-blkback 
    lib/modules/3.5.0-23-generic/kernel/drivers/block/xen-blkback/xen-blkback.ko 
     
    [root@ CTU10000xxxxx home]# lsinitramfs /boot/initrd.img-`uname -r` |grep virtio 
    lib/modules/3.5.0-23-generic/kernel/drivers/scsi/virtio_scsi.ko

    If you add built-in drivers to the initrd or initramfs file by mistake, the ECS will not be affected. The drivers cannot be found by running the lsinitrd command. You can run the following commands to check whether built-in drivers are in the kernel:

    [root@ CTU10000xxxxx home]# cat /boot/config-`uname -r` | grep CONFIG_VIRTIO | grep y
    CONFIG_VIRTIO_BLK=y
    CONFIG_VIRTIO_NET=y
    CONFIG_VIRTIO=y
    CONFIG_VIRTIO_RING=y
    CONFIG_VIRTIO_PCI=y
    CONFIG_VIRTIO_MMIO_CMDLINE_DEVICES=y
    [root@ CTU10000xxxxx home]# cat /boot/config-`uname -r` | grep CONFIG_XEN | grep y
    CONFIG_XEN_BLKDEV_FRONTEND=y
    CONFIG_XEN_NETDEV_FRONTEND=y

SUSE and openSUSE

If the OS version is earlier than SUSE 12 SP1 or openSUSE 13, modify the /etc/sysconfig/kernel file to install the drivers. For details, see scenario 1.

If the OS version is SUSE 12 SP1, modify the /etc/dracut.conf file to install the drivers. For details, see scenario 2.

If the OS version is later than SUSE 12 SP1 or openSUSE 13, modify the /etc/dracut.conf file to install the drivers. For details, see scenario 3.
  • Earlier than SUSE 12 SP1 or openSUSE 13:

    Before installing the drivers, run the following command to check whether xen-kmp (driver package for Xen PV) is installed:

    rpm -qa |grep xen-kmp

    If information similar to the following is displayed, xen-kmp is installed:

    xen-kmp-default-4.2.2_04_3.0.76_0.11-0.7.5

    If xen-kmp is not installed, obtain it from the ISO package and install it first.

    1. Run the following command to open the /etc/sysconfig/kernel file:

      vi /etc/sysconfig/kernel

    2. Add Xen PV and VirtIO drivers after INITRD_MODULES= (the format varies depending on the OS).
      SIA10000xxxxx:~ # vi /etc/sysconfig/kernel 
      # (like drivers for scsi-controllers, for lvm or reiserfs)
      #
      INITRD_MODULES="ata_piix ata_generic xen_vnif xen_vbd xen_platform_pci virtio_blk virtio_scsi virtio_net virtio_pci virtio_ring virtio"
    3. Run the dracut -f command to regenerate initrd.

      If the virtual file system is not the default initramfs or initrd, run dracut -f Name of the initramfs or initrd file actually used. The actual initramfs or initrd file name can be obtained from the menu.lst or grub.cfg file (/boot/grub/menu.lst, /boot/grub/grub.cfg, or /boot/grub2/grub.cfg).

      The following is an example initrd file of SUSE 11 SP4:

      default 0
      timeout 10
      gfxmenu (hd0,0)/boot/message
      title sles11sp4_001_[_VMX_]
      root (hd0,0)
      kernel /boot/linux.vmx vga=0x314 splash=silent console=ttyS0,115200n8 console=tty0 net.ifnames=0 NON_PERSISTENT_DEVICE_NAMES=1 showopts
      initrd /boot/initrd.vmx
      title Failsafe_sles11sp4_001_[_VMX_]
      root (hd0,0)
      kernel /boot/linux.vmx vga=0x314 splash=silent ide=nodma apm=off noresume edd=off powersaved=off nohz=off highres=off processsor.max+cstate=1 nomodeset x11failsafe console=ttyS0,115200n8 console=tty0 net.ifnames=0 NON_PERSISTENT_DEVICE_NAMES=1 showopts
      initrd /boot/initrd.vmx

      /boot/initrd.vmx is the initrd file actually used. If /boot is missing in the initrd file path, you need to add it when you run the dracut -f command. In this case, the command should be dracut -f /boot/initramfs-xxx.

    4. Run the following commands to check whether Xen PVOPS and KVM VirtIO drivers have been installed:

      lsinitrd /boot/initrd-`uname -r` | grep xen

      lsinitrd /boot/initrd-`uname -r` | grep virtio
      SIA10000xxxxx:~ # lsinitrd /boot/initrd-`uname -r` | grep xen
      -rwxr--r-- 1 root root 42400 Jun 22 2012 lib/modules/2.6.32-279.el6.x86_64/kernel/drivers/block/xen-blkfront.ko
      -rwxr--r-- 1 root root 44200 Jun 22 2012 lib/modules/2.6.32-279.el6.x86_64/kernel/drivers/net/xen-netfront.ko
      
      SIA10000xxxxx:~ # lsinitrd /boot/initrd-`uname -r` | grep virtio
      -rwxr--r-- 1 root root 19248 Jun 22 2012 lib/modules/2.6.32-279.el6.x86_64/kernel/drivers/scsi/virtio_scsi.ko
      -rwxr--r-- 1 root root 23856 Jun 22 2012 lib/modules/2.6.32-279.el6.x86_64/kernel/drivers/block/virtio_blk.ko
      drwxr-xr-x 2 root root 0 Jul 12 14:53 lib/modules/2.6.32-279.el6.x86_64/kernel/drivers/virtio
      -rwxr--r-- 1 root root 15848 Jun 22 2012 lib/modules/2.6.32-279.el6.x86_64/kernel/drivers/virtio/virtio_ring.ko
      -rwxr--r-- 1 root root 20008 Jun 22 2012 lib/modules/2.6.32-279.el6.x86_64/kernel/drivers/virtio/virtio_pci.ko
      -rwxr--r-- 1 root root 12272 Jun 22 2012 lib/modules/2.6.32-279.el6.x86_64/kernel/drivers/virtio/virtio.ko
      -rwxr--r-- 1 root root 38208 Jun 22 2012 lib/modules/2.6.32-279.el6.x86_64/kernel/drivers/net/virtio_net.ko
    5. Restart the ECS.
    6. Modify the /boot/grub/menu.lst file to add xen_platform_pci.dev_unplug=all and change the root settings.

      Before the modification:

      ###Don't change this comment -YaST2 identifier: Original name: linux###
      title SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 11SP4 - 3.0.76-0.11 (default) 
      root (hd0,0) 
      kernel /boot/vmlinuz-3.0.76-0.11-default root=UUID=4eb40294-4c6f-4384-bbb6-b8795bbb1130 splash=silentcrashkernel=256M-:128M showopts vga=0x314
      initrd /boot/initrd-3.0.76-0.11-default

      After the modification:

      ###Don't change this comment -YaST2 identifier: Original name: linux###
      title SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 11SP4 - 3.0.76-0.11 (default) 
      root (hd0,0) 
      kernel /boot/vmlinuz-3.0.76-0.11-default root=UUID=4eb40294-4c6f-4384-bbb6-b8795bbb1130 splash=silentcrashkernel=256M-:128M showopts vga=0x314 xen_platform_pci.dev_unplug=all 
      initrd /boot/initrd-3.0.76-0.11-default
      • Ensure that the root partition is in UUID format.
      • xen_platform_pci.dev_unplug=all is used to shield QEMU devices.
      • For SUSE 11 SP1 64bit to SUSE 11 SP4 64bit, add xen_platform_pci.dev_unplug=all to the menu.lst file. For SUSE 12 or later, QEMU device shield is enabled by default, and you do not need to configure it.
    7. Run the following commands to check whether Xen drivers exist in initrd:

      lsinitrd /boot/initrd-`uname -r` | grep xen

      lsinitrd /boot/initrd-`uname -r` | grep virtio

      SIA10000xxxxx:~ # lsinitrd /boot/initrd-`uname -r` | grep xen
      -rwxr--r-- 1 root root 42400 Jun 22 2012 lib/modules/2.6.32-279.el6.x86_64/kernel/drivers/block/xen-blkfront.ko
      -rwxr--r-- 1 root root 44200 Jun 22 2012 lib/modules/2.6.32-279.el6.x86_64/kernel/drivers/net/xen-netfront.ko
      
      SIA10000xxxxx:~ # lsinitrd /boot/initrd-`uname -r` | grep virtio
      -rwxr--r-- 1 root root 19248 Jun 22 2012 lib/modules/2.6.32-279.el6.x86_64/kernel/drivers/scsi/virtio_scsi.ko
      -rwxr--r-- 1 root root 23856 Jun 22 2012 lib/modules/2.6.32-279.el6.x86_64/kernel/drivers/block/virtio_blk.ko
      drwxr-xr-x 2 root root 0 Jul 12 14:53 lib/modules/2.6.32-279.el6.x86_64/kernel/drivers/virtio
      -rwxr--r-- 1 root root 15848 Jun 22 2012 lib/modules/2.6.32-279.el6.x86_64/kernel/drivers/virtio/virtio_ring.ko
      -rwxr--r-- 1 root root 20008 Jun 22 2012 lib/modules/2.6.32-279.el6.x86_64/kernel/drivers/virtio/virtio_pci.ko
      -rwxr--r-- 1 root root 12272 Jun 22 2012 lib/modules/2.6.32-279.el6.x86_64/kernel/drivers/virtio/virtio.ko
      -rwxr--r-- 1 root root 38208 Jun 22 2012 lib/modules/2.6.32-279.el6.x86_64/kernel/drivers/net/virtio_net.ko

      If you add built-in drivers to the initrd or initramfs file by mistake, the ECS will not be affected. The drivers cannot be found by running the lsinitrd command. You can run the following commands to check whether built-in drivers are in the kernel:

      cat /boot/config-`uname -r` | grep CONFIG_VIRTIO | grep y

      cat /boot/config-`uname -r` | grep CONFIG_XEN | grep y

  • SUSE 12 SP1:
    1. Run the following command to open the /etc/dracut.conf file:

      vi /etc/dracut.conf

    2. Press i to enter editing mode and add Xen PV and VirtIO drivers to add-drivers (the format varies depending on the OS).
      [root@CTU10000xxxxx ~]# vi /etc/dracut.conf 
      # additional kernel modules to the default
      add_drivers+="ata_piix ata_generic xen_vnif xen_vbd xen_platform_pci virtio_blk virtio_scsi virtio_net virtio_pci virtio_ring virtio"
    3. Press Esc, enter :wq, and press Enter. The system saves the change and exits the /etc/dracut.conf file.
    4. Run the following command to regenerate initrd:

      dracut -f /boot/initramfs-File name

      If the virtual file system is not the default initramfs, run the dracut -f Name of the initramfs or initrd file actually used command. The actual initramfs or initrd file name can be obtained from the grub.cfg file, which can be /boot/grub/grub.cfg, /boot/grub2/grub.cfg, or /boot/grub/grub.conf depending on the OS.

    5. Check whether native Xen and KVM drivers have been installed. If the virtual file system is initramfs, run the following commands:

      lsinitrd /boot/initramfs-`uname -r`.img | grep xen

      lsinitrd /boot/initramfs-`uname -r`.img | grep virtio

      If the virtual file system is initrd, run the following commands:

      lsinitrd /boot/initrd-`uname -r` | grep xen

      lsinitrd /boot/initrd-`uname -r` | grep virtio

  • Later than SUSE 12 SP1 or openSUSE 13:
    Take SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 12 SP2 (x86_64) as an example.
    1. Run the following command to open the /etc/dracut.conf file:

      vi /etc/dracut.conf

    2. Press i to enter editing mode and add Xen PV and VirtIO drivers to add_drivers (the format varies depending on the OS).
      [root@CTU10000xxxxx ~]# vi /etc/dracut.conf 
      # additional kernel modules to the default
      add_drivers+="ata_piix ata_generic xen-blkfront xen-netfront virtio_blk virtio_scsi virtio_net virtio_pci virtio_ring virtio"
    3. Press Esc, enter :wq, and press Enter. The system saves the change and exits the /etc/dracut.conf file.
    4. Run the following command to regenerate initrd:

      dracut -f /boot/initramfs-File name

      If the virtual file system is not the default initramfs, run the dracut -f Name of the initramfs or initrd file actually used command. The actual initramfs or initrd file name can be obtained from the grub.cfg file, which can be /boot/grub/grub.cfg, /boot/grub2/grub.cfg, or /boot/grub/grub.conf depending on the OS.

    5. Check whether native Xen and KVM drivers have been installed. If the virtual file system is initramfs, run the following commands:

      lsinitrd /boot/initramfs-`uname -r`.img | grep xen

      lsinitrd /boot/initramfs-`uname -r`.img | grep virtio

      If the virtual file system is initrd, run the following commands:

      lsinitrd /boot/initrd-`uname -r` | grep xen

      lsinitrd /boot/initrd-`uname -r` | grep virtio

      Assume that the virtual file system is initrd. The command output will be:

      sluo-ecs-30dc:~ # lsinitrd /boot/initrd-`uname -r` | grep xen
      -rw-r--r-- 1 root root 69575 Oct 26 2016 lib/modules/4.4.21-69-default/kernel/drivers/block/xen-blkfront.ko
      -rw-r--r-- 1 root root 53415 Oct 26 2016 lib/modules/4.4.21-69-default/kernel/drivers/net/xen-netfront.ko
      drwxr-xr-x 2 root root 0 Sep 28 10:21 lib/modules/4.4.21-69-default/updates/pvdriver/xen-hcall
      -rwxr-xr-x 1 root root 8320 Sep 28 10:21 lib/modules/4.4.21-69-default/updates/pvdriver/xen-hcall/xen-hcall.ko
      
      sluo-ecs-30dc:~ # lsinitrd /boot/initrd-`uname -r` | grep virtio
      -rw-r--r-- 1 root root 29335 Oct 26 2016 lib/modules/4.4.21-69-default/kernel/drivers/block/virtio_blk.ko
      -rw-r--r-- 1 root root 57007 Oct 26 2016 lib/modules/4.4.21-69-default/kernel/drivers/net/virtio_net.ko
      -rw-r--r-- 1 root root 32415 Oct 26 2016 lib/modules/4.4.21-69-default/kernel/drivers/scsi/virtio_scsi.ko
      drwxr-xr-x 2 root root 0 Sep 28 10:21 lib/modules/4.4.21-69-default/kernel/drivers/virtio
      -rw-r--r-- 1 root root 19623 Oct 26 2016 lib/modules/4.4.21-69-default/kernel/drivers/virtio/virtio.ko
      -rw-r--r-- 1 root root 38943 Oct 26 2016 lib/modules/4.4.21-69-default/kernel/drivers/virtio/virtio_pci.ko
      -rw-r--r-- 1 root root 24431 Oct 26 2016 lib/modules/4.4.21-69-default/kernel/drivers/virtio/virtio_ring.ko

      If you add built-in drivers to the initrd or initramfs file by mistake, the ECS will not be affected. The drivers cannot be found by running the lsinitrd command. You can run the following commands to check whether built-in drivers are in the kernel:

      cat /boot/config-`uname -r` | grep CONFIG_VIRTIO | grep y

      cat /boot/config-`uname -r` | grep CONFIG_XEN | grep y