Xen on intel DG965RY motherboard

[Mayuresh]

On Intel DG965RY machine running NetBSD 6.1 i386, xentools 4.1 DOM0
kernel, DOM0 boots fine, though when trying to create an instance, get an
error that the hardware does not support virtualization.

Following is the processor information.

vendor_id : GenuineIntel
cpu family : 15
model : 6
model name : Intel(R) Pentium(R) D CPU 3.00GHz
stepping : 5
cpu MHz : 2997.18
fdiv_bug : no
fpu : yes
fpu_exception : yes
cpuid level : 6
wp : yes
flags : fpu vme de pse tsc msr pae mce cx8 apic sep mtrr pge mca
cmov pat pse36 clflush dts acpi mmx fxsr sse sse2 ss ht tm


Searching around tells, the option needs to be enabled in the BIOS. But
the BIOS does not seem to have a relevant option.

The BIOS version is of 2007 and there seems to be newer version of 2009
available for download. While I am not sure whether upgrading the BIOS
would help enable virtualization, I can take my chances - of course,
unless someone readily knows it won't work.

Now the question is, how to upgrade the BIOS. Intel provides DOS/Windows
executables for bios upgrade.

Trying to run the DOS executable using pkgsrc's emulators/dosbox gives
"port mapper table signature not found" error.

So in short:

- Is there any way to get a ready answer to whether Intel DG965RY
motherboard would support xen - after upgrading BIOS?

- Would appreciate any help in flashing the BIOS using NetBSD.

Mayuresh

[Mayuresh]

Post by Mayuresh
On Intel DG965RY machine running NetBSD 6.1 i386, xentools 4.1 DOM0
kernel, DOM0 boots fine, though when trying to create an instance, get an
error that the hardware does not support virtualization.
Following is the processor information.
vendor_id : GenuineIntel
cpu family : 15
model : 6
model name : Intel(R) Pentium(R) D CPU 3.00GHz
stepping : 5
cpu MHz : 2997.18
fdiv_bug : no
fpu : yes
fpu_exception : yes
cpuid level : 6
wp : yes
flags : fpu vme de pse tsc msr pae mce cx8 apic sep mtrr pge mca
cmov pat pse36 clflush dts acpi mmx fxsr sse sse2 ss ht tm
- Would appreciate any help in flashing the BIOS using NetBSD.

Intel also provided a bootable ISO for BIOS upgrade, using which I
upgraded the firmware. No new option appeared in the BIOS. Xen continues
to say the following:

Error: HVM guest support is unavailable: is VT/AMD-V supported by your CPU
and enabled in your BIOS?


Mayuresh

[Greg Troxel]

Post by Mayuresh
Error: HVM guest support is unavailable: is VT/AMD-V supported by your CPU
and enabled in your BIOS?

Do PV guests work? Your original mail sort of implied that you can't
have any domUs, but I now think you meant that you can't make a HVM
guest.

[Mayuresh]

Post by Greg Troxel

Post by Mayuresh
Error: HVM guest support is unavailable: is VT/AMD-V supported by your CPU
and enabled in your BIOS?

Do PV guests work? Your original mail sort of implied that you can't
have any domUs, but I now think you meant that you can't make a HVM
guest.

You are right. I was under that impression. Tried to get Linux work now.
Haven't actually got it work though that is perhaps because I do not have
the right kernel. Point is, I am not getting above error for Linux.

Mayuresh.

[Manuel Bouyer]

Post by Mayuresh

Post by Mayuresh
Following is the processor information.
vendor_id : GenuineIntel
cpu family : 15
model : 6
model name : Intel(R) Pentium(R) D CPU 3.00GHz
stepping : 5
cpu MHz : 2997.18
fdiv_bug : no
fpu : yes
fpu_exception : yes
cpuid level : 6
wp : yes
flags : fpu vme de pse tsc msr pae mce cx8 apic sep mtrr pge mca
cmov pat pse36 clflush dts acpi mmx fxsr sse sse2 ss ht tm
- Would appreciate any help in flashing the BIOS using NetBSD.

Intel also provided a bootable ISO for BIOS upgrade, using which I
upgraded the firmware. No new option appeared in the BIOS. Xen continues
Error: HVM guest support is unavailable: is VT/AMD-V supported by your CPU
and enabled in your BIOS?

Not all pentium D support Intel VT. It looks like your doens't support it.
Because of this you can only run PV guests, not HVM guests.