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Posted to user@vcl.apache.org by Clifton B Wood <Cl...@MORGAN.EDU> on 2010/07/09 23:30:52 UTC

Question about VCL Cacheing and Image Reloading

I've been testing our VCL setup and I've noticed something in 
the logs.

Recently I loaded an image from VCL and it loaded 
successfully. According to the logs, after I ended the 
reservation, the system proceeded to unregister and reload 
that same image to the same host.

I then tried requesting that exact same image. It selected the 
same host I used previously. However, rather than quickly 
provision the fresh image, it unregistered and reloaded that 
exact same image on the exact same VM.

What am I missing here? The image on the VM was just ready for 
a quick post setup. Why the full drop and reload routine?

Relevant log entries can be provided if necessary, but I have 
to edit them down, first.

Thanks.

- Cliff

Re: Question about VCL Cacheing and Image Reloading

Posted by Clifton B Wood <Cl...@MORGAN.EDU>.
Aaron,

Thanks for the explanation. That makes a world of sense. Since 
we are only dealing with VMware at the moment, I forgot that VCL  
did handle other provisioning sources.

- Cliff

Re: Question about VCL Cacheing and Image Reloading

Posted by Aaron Peeler <aa...@ncsu.edu>.
Currentimage.txt is a simple unique identifier used by vcld to determine 
what image is loaded on any node, outside of the hypervisor or 
provisioning module.  Since vcl can use more than one provisioning 
source, this identifier needs to exist.

Aaron

On 7/12/10 12:23 AM, Clifton B Wood wrote:
> Of course, now I am a little confused. Why rely on
> currentimage.txt, when VCL queries the hypervisor not much
> later and can get that same information?
>
>
> 2010-07-12 00:07:34|2568|154:157|new|esx.pm:load(208)|VM info
> command: /opt/vcl/bin/apps/vm/vminfo.pl --server 'vmware2' --
> vmname host14 --username vcl --password ##########
> 2010-07-12 00:07:36|2568|154:157|new|esx.pm:load(211)|VM info
> output:
> |2568|154:157|new| Information of Virtual Machine host14
> |2568|154:157|new| Name: host14
> |2568|154:157|new| No. of CPU(s): 1
> |2568|154:157|new| Memory Size: 1024
> |2568|154:157|new| Virtual Disks: 1
> |2568|154:157|new| Template: 0
> |2568|154:157|new| vmPathName: [VCL]
> inuse/host14/vmwareesxmath-base28-v0.vmx
> |2568|154:157|new| Guest OS: Microsoft Windows XP Professional
> (32-bit)
> |2568|154:157|new| guestId: winXPProGuest
> |2568|154:157|new| Host name: vcl-winxp-base.Engineering.soe
> |2568|154:157|new| IP Address: 10.24.60.213
> |2568|154:157|new| VMware Tools: VMware Tools is running and
> the version is current
> |2568|154:157|new| Cpu usage: 12 MHz
> |2568|154:157|new| Host memory usage: 459 MB
> |2568|154:157|new| Guest memory usage: 61 MB
> |2568|154:157|new| Overall Status: The entity is OK
>
> It would see to me that this could be a secondary validation
> as this step happens right before the power-off command is
> issued.
>
> Nevertheless, I will follow your advice and update our images
> to insure the right image name is in currentimage.txt
>
> Thanks.
>
> - Cliff
>    


-- 

Aaron Peeler
Program Manager
Virtual Computing Lab
NC State University
aaron_peeler@ncsu.edu
919-513-4571


Re: Question about VCL Cacheing and Image Reloading

Posted by Clifton B Wood <Cl...@MORGAN.EDU>.
Of course, now I am a little confused. Why rely on 
currentimage.txt, when VCL queries the hypervisor not much 
later and can get that same information?


2010-07-12 00:07:34|2568|154:157|new|esx.pm:load(208)|VM info 
command: /opt/vcl/bin/apps/vm/vminfo.pl --server 'vmware2' --
vmname host14 --username vcl --password ##########
2010-07-12 00:07:36|2568|154:157|new|esx.pm:load(211)|VM info 
output:
|2568|154:157|new| Information of Virtual Machine host14
|2568|154:157|new| Name: host14
|2568|154:157|new| No. of CPU(s): 1
|2568|154:157|new| Memory Size: 1024
|2568|154:157|new| Virtual Disks: 1
|2568|154:157|new| Template: 0
|2568|154:157|new| vmPathName: [VCL] 
inuse/host14/vmwareesxmath-base28-v0.vmx
|2568|154:157|new| Guest OS: Microsoft Windows XP Professional 
(32-bit)
|2568|154:157|new| guestId: winXPProGuest
|2568|154:157|new| Host name: vcl-winxp-base.Engineering.soe
|2568|154:157|new| IP Address: 10.24.60.213
|2568|154:157|new| VMware Tools: VMware Tools is running and 
the version is current
|2568|154:157|new| Cpu usage: 12 MHz
|2568|154:157|new| Host memory usage: 459 MB
|2568|154:157|new| Guest memory usage: 61 MB
|2568|154:157|new| Overall Status: The entity is OK

It would see to me that this could be a secondary validation 
as this step happens right before the power-off command is 
issued.

Nevertheless, I will follow your advice and update our images 
to insure the right image name is in currentimage.txt

Thanks.

- Cliff

Re: Question about VCL Cacheing and Image Reloading

Posted by Clifton B Wood <Cl...@MORGAN.EDU>.
Ah, that solves a big problem for me. Thank you very much. I 
forgot that little step in the derivative images I've made after 
provisioning my base.

- Cliff

Re: Question about VCL Cacheing and Image Reloading

Posted by Sean Dilda <se...@duke.edu>.
On 7/9/10 5:30 PM, Clifton B Wood wrote:
> I've been testing our VCL setup and I've noticed something in
> the logs.
>
> Recently I loaded an image from VCL and it loaded
> successfully. According to the logs, after I ended the
> reservation, the system proceeded to unregister and reload
> that same image to the same host.
>
> I then tried requesting that exact same image. It selected the
> same host I used previously. However, rather than quickly
> provision the fresh image, it unregistered and reloaded that
> exact same image on the exact same VM.
>
> What am I missing here? The image on the VM was just ready for
> a quick post setup. Why the full drop and reload routine?
>
> Relevant log entries can be provided if necessary, but I have
> to edit them down, first.
>

Is the currentimage.txt correct in your image?  I've noticed that if VCL 
loads an image for you, it will not verify the currentimage.txt. 
However, if there is an image preloaded (as with your second attempt), 
then it will ssh in and check the contents of the file.  If it doesn't 
match with the image name it expects, it will decide its the wrong image 
and reimage the host.  If this is the case you should see a log message 
indicating that VCL thinks the wrong image is loaded and that is going 
to do a reload.