Re: [Xen-users] an attempt to explain xen networking

["Dirk H. Schulz" <dirk.schulz@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Hi Patrick,

does this concern Xen 3 only or is it wrong? :-)

I do have a standard xen-bridged setup (xen 2.0.7), but in my case eth0 
is not connected to a vif0.0 which in turn is connected to the bridge.
My eth0 is directly connected to the bridge, there is no peth.0 
connected to the bridge.
Dirk

Patrick Wolfe schrieb:

> There is a lot of confusion understanding Xen networking.  I've attached
> two diagrams that may help explain it better for some Xen beginners.  I
> think I would have benefited from this information when I was just
> getting started.
>
> The first diagram shows basic xen networking when you use network-bridge
> and vif-bridge scripts.  The second diagram shows xen networking when
> using network-route and vif-route.  For beginners, I recommand starting
> with bridge.  I won't even try to explain the -nat scripts here.
>
> I hope someone finds this information useful.  Feel free to send me any
> constructive comments, corrections or improvements.
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> When using network-bridge/vif-bridge:
>
> when xend starts up, it runs the network-bridge script, which:
> - creates a new bridge named "xenbr0"
> - "real" ethernet interface eth0 is brought down
> - the IP and MAC addresses of eth0 are copied to
>  virtual network interface veth0
> - real interface eth0 is renamed "peth0"
> - virtual interface veth0 is renamed "eth0"
> - peth0 and vif0.0 are attached to bridge xenbr0
> - the bridge, peth0, eth0 and vif0.0 are brought up
>
> when a domU starts up, xend (running in dom0) runs the vif-bridge
> script, which:
> - attaches vif<id#>.0 to xenbr0
> - vif<id#>.0 is brought up
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> when using network-route/vif-route:
>
> when xend starts up, it runs network-route which:
> - enabled ip forwarding within dom0
>
> when domU starts up, xend runs (within dom0) vif-route which:
> - copies the ip address from eth0 to vif<id#>.0
> - brings up vif<id#>.0
> - adds host static route for domU's ip address specified in
>  domU.sxp config file, pointing at interface vif<id#>.0
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> xen creates, by default, seven pair of "connected virtual ethernet
> interfaces" for use by dom0.  Think of them as two ethernet interfaces
> connected by an internal crossover ethernet cable.  veth0 is connected
> to vif0.0,  veth1 is connected to vif0.1, etc, up to veth7 -> vif0.7.
> You can use them by configuring IP and MAC addresses on the veth# end,
> then attaching the vif0.# end to a bridge.
>
> Every time you create a running domU instance, it is assigned a new
> domain id number. You don't get to pick the number, sorry.  The first
> domU will be id #1.  The second one started will be #2, even if #1 isn't
> running anymore. 
>
> For each new domu, xen creates new "connected virtual ethernet
> interfaces", with one end of each pair is within the domU and the other
> end exists within dom0. For linux domU's, the device name it sees is
> named "eth0".  The other end of that virtual ethernet interface pair
> exists within dom0 as interface "vif<id#>.0".  For example, domU #5's
> eth0 is attached to vif5.0.  If you create multiple network interfaces
> for a domU, it's ends will be eth0, eth1, etc, whereas the dom0 end will
> be vif<id#>.0, vif<id#>.1, etc.
>
> When a domU is shutdown, the virtual ethernet interfaces for it are
> deleted.
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Additional Notes:
>
> - you can change the bridge name from xenbr0 using:
>         (network-script 'network-bridge bridge=mybridge')
>  in xend-config.sxp and rebooting or restarting xend
> - remember to configure the bridge to attach to in the
>  domU's config file (domu.sxp) using:
>         set vif=[ 'bridge=mybridge' ]
>  or perhaps something like:
>         set vif=[ 'mac=00:16:3e:01:01:01,bridge=mybridge' ]
>
> - you can create multiple network interfaces, and attach them
>  to different bridges using:
>         set vif=[ 'mac=00:16:3e:70:01:01,bridge=br0',
>                   'mac=00:16:3e:70:02:01,bridge=br1' ]
>
> - if you want to use multiple bridges, you must create them
>  yourself, either manually, or via your own startup script,
>  or via a custom script to replace network-bridge.  For example:
>         $ cd /etc/xen/scripts
>         $ cp network-bridge network-custom
>         $ cp vif-bridge vif-custom
>         $ vi /etc/xen/xend-config.sxp
>                 (network-script network-custom)
>                 (vif-script vif-custom)
>         $ vi network-custom
>                 # whatever you want
>
> - before you connect a physical interface to a bridge,
>  remember to reset it's mac and turn arp off.  For example:
>
>         # ip link set eth1 down
>         # ip link set eth1 mac fe:ff:ff:ff:ff:ff arp off
>         # brctl addif br1 eth1
>         # ip link set eth1 up
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Good Luck!
>
>
>  
>
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>
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