How To Easily Install Xen Orchestra For XCP-NG

Michael

Overview

Xen Orchestra (XO) is a comprehensive management solution for XCP-ng and Citrix Hypervisor (formerly XenServer) environments. It provides a web-based interface, a command-line interface (CLI), and a REST API, allowing users to manage their virtual infrastructure efficiently and effectively ¹ ².

One of the standout features of Xen Orchestra is its agentless architecture, meaning it does not require any additional software to be installed on the managed servers. You do have the option to install XCP-NG tools on each VM for additional analytics and features. This simplifies deployment and reduces overhead. XO offers a wide range of functionalities, including visualization, management, backup, and delegation of virtual machines (VMs)¹ ².

The platform supports advanced features such as hot migration, which allows VMs to be moved between hosts without downtime, and continuous replication, ensuring data integrity and availability ³. Additionally, XO integrates with various tools and platforms, including Terraform, enhancing its flexibility and automation capabilities ¹.

Xen Orchestra is available in two main forms: the open-source version, which can be installed manually from the source code, and the Xen Orchestra Appliance (XOA), a turnkey solution that comes pre-installed and includes commercial support ². The open-source version offers more customization options, while XOA provides ease of use and official support, making it suitable for production environments ².

Overall, Xen Orchestra is a powerful and versatile tool that simplifies the management of virtualized environments, making it an excellent choice for both small and large-scale deployments.

¹: XO documentation – Xen-Orchestra ²: GitHub – vatesfr/xen-orchestra ³: Xen Orchestra

Overview Of XenTools

Xen Tools are a set of utilities and drivers designed to enhance the performance and manageability of virtual machines (VMs) running on XCP-ng and Citrix Hypervisor. These tools are crucial for ensuring optimal VM performance and seamless integration with the hypervisor.

Key Features of Xen Tools:

Enhanced Performance: Xen Tools include paravirtualized drivers that improve the efficiency of network and disk I/O operations, leading to better overall VM performance.
Time Synchronization: They ensure that the VM’s clock is synchronized with the host, which is essential for time-sensitive applications and logging.
Shutdown and Reboot: Xen Tools enable clean shutdown and reboot operations from the hypervisor, ensuring that VMs can be managed more effectively.
Memory Ballooning: This feature allows dynamic adjustment of the VM’s memory allocation based on current needs, optimizing resource usage.
Monitoring and Metrics: Xen Tools provide detailed performance metrics and monitoring capabilities, helping administrators keep track of VM health and performance.

Integration with Xen Orchestra:

When Xen Tools are installed on VMs, Xen Orchestra can leverage these tools to provide more accurate and detailed information about the VMs. This includes better performance metrics, more reliable operations (like live migration), and enhanced management capabilities.

Overall, Xen Tools play a vital role in maximizing the efficiency and manageability of VMs within a Xen-based virtualized environment, complementing the capabilities of Xen Orchestra.

Prerequisites

To install Xen Orchestra (XO), you’ll need to meet the following system requirements:

Minimum Requirements:

CPU: 1 vCPU
RAM: 3 GiB
Disk Space: 10 GiB

Recommended Requirements (for optimal performance):

CPU: 2 vCPUs
RAM: 3 GiB (increase if managing 500+ VMs)
Disk Space: 20 GiB (to accommodate system updates)

Additional Considerations:

Operating System: Xen Orchestra can be installed on a minimal installation of Ubuntu or Debian (Server).
Network: Ensure your network configuration allows for proper communication between the Xen Orchestra server and the managed XCP-ng or Citrix Hypervisor hosts ¹ ².

These requirements ensure that Xen Orchestra runs smoothly and can handle the management tasks for your virtual infrastructure effectively.

Also, you can of course use more resources if desired, this is simply the base recommendations.

¹: Xen-Orchestra (Community Edition) Installer ²: GitHub – Xen-Orchestra Installer

Install Script

VM Prep:

If you plan on installing Xen Orchestra on a virtual machine running on XCP-NG you can use the following scripts to complete your installation.

If you have not already configured your VM (XCP-NG tools, net-tools, cocokpit, htop and updates) you should run option 1 first, otherwise select option 2 to automatically install Xen Orchestra

				
					git clone https://github.com/Narehood/VM-Setup
cd VM-Setup

				
					bash install.sh

Note: Depending on when you are installing everything the script may look slightly different.

Once the installation is complete you can now login using the domain or IP address of the server on port 80. The default login is [email protected] and a password of admin. The first thing you should do is create a new admin account with your own credentials. Login to the account you just created and delete the default admin account.

More Articles on Xen Orchestra coming soon.