HP Integrity Virtual Machines 4.2: Installation, Configuration, and Administration

eject command. Once ejected, the Virtual DVD turns into a Virtual NullDVD and the VM Host
CD/DVD drive unlocks. After you place physical media in the VM Host's CD/DVD drive, use
the virtual console's insert command to turn a Virtual NullDVD back to a Virtual DVD,
relocking the VM Host CD/DVD drive.
Most physical VM Host CD/DVD devices on HP Integrity servers have only one path to them.
As such, no multipath software is available on the VM Host for them.
7.2.2.3.5 Virtual FileDVDs
A Virtual FileDVD is an emulated SCSI DVD with virtual media that comes from a VM Host
ISO file. The VM Host ISO file is specified using the absolute pathname to the ISO file. The file
can be on a VxFS file systems locally mounted on the VM Host. NFS file systems are not supported
for Virtual FileDVDs.
The Virtual FileDVD resource statement takes the following form:
dvd:scsi::file:/pathname/file.ISO
where the /pathname/file.ISO specifies the VM Host ISO file to use as virtual media.
A VM Host ISO file can be created using the mkisofs utility or by using the dd command to
copy CD/DVD media to a file. The VxFS file system should be enabled to support largefiles,
because ISO files tend to be over 2 GB in size. All the ISO files that are useful to a guest OS should
be placed in the same directory to take advantage of dynamic changes using the virtual console
(see Section 7.3.2.3 (page 122)). The ISO files should be marked with proper permissions; they
must not be world writable. For example:
# ls -l /var/opt/hpvm/ISO-images/hpux
total 26409104
-rw-r--r-- 1 root sys 3774611456 Jul 11 16:59 0505-FOE-OE.iso
-rw-r--r-- 1 root sys 4285267968 Jul 11 17:05 0512-FOE.iso
-rw-r--r-- 1 root sys 3149987840 Jul 11 18:42 0603-FOE-D1.iso
-rw-r--r-- 1 root sys 1629978624 Jul 11 18:51 0603-FOE-D2.iso
In this example, the Virtual FileDVD Resource Statement is:
dvd:scsi::file:/var/opt/hpvm/ISOimages/hpux/0603-FOE-D1.iso.
Virtual FileDVDs, like all files, can take advantage of the multipath options with which the file
system is created. See Section 7.2.1.3 (page 105) for details.
Virtual FileDVDs are read-only and are shareable across active virtual machines. Use the
hpvmdevmgmt command to mark them sharable.
To prevent media conflicts, you must manage Virtual FileDVDs carefully (see Section 7.2.1.4
(page 106)). You can see where the file system directory where the ISO file resides using the guest's
virtual console. To simplify accounting, allocate file directories from complete logical volumes
or whole disks.
7.2.2.3.6 Virtual NullDVDs
A Virtual NullDVD is an emulated SCSI DVD-ROM with no virtual media currently present.
The next media selection may come from a VM Host CD/DVD drive or VM Host ISO file,
depending on how the Virtual NullDVD is configured. Once the next media is selected, the
Virtual NullDVD turns into either a Virtual DVD (see Section 7.2.2.3.4 (page 114)) or a Virtual
FileDVD (see Section 7.2.2.3.5 (page 115)) device. As such, a Virtual NullDVD is a transitory state
of an empty virtual DVD type.
The choice of how to configure a Virtual NullDVD depends on the access that the VM Host
administrator gives to the guest administrator. Virtual DVD changes can be initiated from the
virtual console (see Section 7.3.1.2 (page 119)). All virtual DVD changes by the guest administrator
are constrainted by the actions of the VM Host administrator.
7.2 Configuring Integrity VM Storage 115