First of all, I admit that I am not a Linux admin. I am an Oracle DBA. If I say or ask something silly below, that's why I am here seeking help.
I have a Dell PowerEdge R710 server with 6 x 2TB disks. It came with Dell RAID 5 pre-configured on those 6 disks. With the RAID 5 configuration, /dev/sda has about 100GB free disk space, /dev/sd[b-e] each has 2TB of free space, and /dev/sdf has about 1.2TB free space.
I intent to use this R710 box as a VM sandbox, on which I will first install OEL 6 on this VM host server, and then create many VirtualBox VM Guest servers (OEL 6) to be used for different releases of Oracle RAC databases. However, I tried in vein to make the Linux installation process to use a device other than /dev/sda as the storage device for the VM guest OS. No matter what I tried, i.e., removed the partition /dev/sda2, removed /dev/sda2 completely from the logical volume and volume group, or combined /dev/sda2 and /dev/sdf1 into the same volume group on the host server, the Linux installation process would stubbornly insist on using /dev/sda as the Storage Device to create logical volumes (lv_root, lv_home, lv_swap) for the guest OS. In fact, it simply could not see other devices. Since /dev/sda only has 100GB of free space, it is not enough for the number of Linux VM guest servers I intent to create. I will have to find a way to make Linux installation to use /dev/sdf as the Storage device for the VM guest servers.
How do I install a OEL 6 VM guest server using /dev/sdf, instead of the default /dev/sda, as the storage device?
Thanks.
Jim
How to install a VM guest OS on a device other than /dev/sda
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Re: How to install a VM guest OS on a device other than /dev
In File|Preferences|General|Default Machine Folder, select a different default folder for VMs.
Re: How to install a VM guest OS on a device other than /dev
Thanks for the response. My Default Machine Folder is /root/VirtualBox VMs, which is on logical volume lv_root on the Host server. lv_root is based on /dev/sdf, not /dev/sda. In fact, only the /boot file system of the Host server was created on /dev/sda. Anyway, I tried what you suggested. I created a filesytem /vbox based on /dev/sdf1, then changed the Default Machine Folder to point to filesystem /vbox. Then I tried to create a Guest Linux server. No difference. The Linux installation still insisted to use /dev/sda to create all the logical volumes, i.e., lv_home, lv_root, and lv_swap. It could only see disk device /dev/sda, not others. I guess it is an Linux issue, rather than an VirtualBox?mpack wrote:In File|Preferences|General|Default Machine Folder, select a different default folder for VMs.
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Re: How to install a VM guest OS on a device other than /dev
VirtualBox is only going to be able to use mounted volumes. If they are not already mounted you can't use it until it is.
That said I don't condone using root for anything so my assistance is going to be limited.
That said I don't condone using root for anything so my assistance is going to be limited.
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Re: How to install a VM guest OS on a device other than /dev
You are not confusing the virtual volumes inside the guest with the volumes of your host?jimhull wrote:I created a filesytem /vbox based on /dev/sdf1, then changed the Default Machine Folder to point to filesystem /vbox. Then I tried to create a Guest Linux server. No difference. The Linux installation still insisted to use /dev/sda to create all the logical volumes, i.e., lv_home, lv_root, and lv_swap. It could only see disk device /dev/sda, not others. I guess it is an Linux issue, rather than an VirtualBox?
If your guest has only a single disk then this virtual PC will of course see this as /dev/sda, because it only has one disk.
That this disk is in reality just a file on your host filesystem has nothing to do with what Linux inside the guest sees as its (virtual) hardware...
Re: How to install a VM guest OS on a device other than /dev
Hi Perryg, That device /dev/sdf and its partition /dev/sdf1 are present on the host server. The new filesystem /vbox, whicg was created out of /dev/sdf1, was also mounted on the host server. Thanks.Perryg wrote:VirtualBox is only going to be able to use mounted volumes. If they are not already mounted you can't use it until it is.
That said I don't condone using root for anything so my assistance is going to be limited.
Jim
Re: How to install a VM guest OS on a device other than /dev
Martin wrote:You are not confusing the virtual volumes inside the guest with the volumes of your host?jimhull wrote:I created a filesytem /vbox based on /dev/sdf1, then changed the Default Machine Folder to point to filesystem /vbox. Then I tried to create a Guest Linux server. No difference. The Linux installation still insisted to use /dev/sda to create all the logical volumes, i.e., lv_home, lv_root, and lv_swap. It could only see disk device /dev/sda, not others. I guess it is an Linux issue, rather than an VirtualBox?
If your guest has only a single disk then this virtual PC will of course see this as /dev/sda, because it only has one disk.
That this disk is in reality just a file on your host filesystem has nothing to do with what Linux inside the guest sees as its (virtual) hardware...
Hi Martin, Every volume and devices I referred to was on the host system. There was no virtual volume in the guest system yet. I was trying to install OEL6 onto a blank VM guest system. My Host system has six disk devices, /dev/sd[a-f]. Two of the devices, /dev/sda and /dev/sdf, have been used by the host OS. The rest of 4 disks are reserved for Oracle ASM disks. Thanks. - jim
Re: How to install a VM guest OS on a device other than /dev
Hi Martin, you were correct. The /dev/sda shown in the VM guest installation was a virtual device, not the physical device on the host. I was confused because I was not conceptually clear that a guest OS would never see any physical device residing on the host. The reason that led to my confusion was because this virtual device (/dev/sda), or the size of the VDI file, was sized 100GB, happen to be the same size of the physical device /dev/sda on the host. Thanks. - Jimjimhull wrote:Martin wrote:You are not confusing the virtual volumes inside the guest with the volumes of your host?jimhull wrote:I created a filesytem /vbox based on /dev/sdf1, then changed the Default Machine Folder to point to filesystem /vbox. Then I tried to create a Guest Linux server. No difference. The Linux installation still insisted to use /dev/sda to create all the logical volumes, i.e., lv_home, lv_root, and lv_swap. It could only see disk device /dev/sda, not others. I guess it is an Linux issue, rather than an VirtualBox?
If your guest has only a single disk then this virtual PC will of course see this as /dev/sda, because it only has one disk.
That this disk is in reality just a file on your host filesystem has nothing to do with what Linux inside the guest sees as its (virtual) hardware...
Hi Martin, Every volume and devices I referred to was on the host system. There was no virtual volume in the guest system yet. I was trying to install OEL6 onto a blank VM guest system. My Host system has six disk devices, /dev/sd[a-f]. Two of the devices, /dev/sda and /dev/sdf, have been used by the host OS. The rest of 4 disks are reserved for Oracle ASM disks. Thanks. - jim