virsh version
# virsh -v 0.8.3
the system
# cat /etc/issue /etc/debian_version;uname -r Debian GNU/Linux 6.0 \n \l 6.0.7 2.6.32-5-amd64
# egrep "vmx|svm" /proc/cpuinfo flags : fpu vme de pse tsc msr pae mce cx8 apic sep mtrr pge mca cmov pat pse36 clflush mmx fxsr sse sse2 ht syscall nx mmxext fxsr_opt pdpe1gb rdtscp lm 3dnowext 3dnow constant_tsc rep_good nonstop_tsc extd_apicid pni monitor cx16 popcnt lahf_lm cmp_legacy svm extapic cr8_legacy abm sse4a misalignsse 3dnowprefetch osvw ibs skinit wdt nodeid_msr flags : fpu vme de pse tsc msr pae mce cx8 apic sep mtrr pge mca cmov pat pse36 clflush mmx fxsr sse sse2 ht syscall nx mmxext fxsr_opt pdpe1gb rdtscp lm 3dnowext 3dnow constant_tsc rep_good nonstop_tsc extd_apicid pni monitor cx16 popcnt lahf_lm cmp_legacy svm extapic cr8_legacy abm sse4a misalignsse 3dnowprefetch osvw ibs skinit wdt nodeid_msr
the hypervisor
# virsh uri qemu:///system # lsmod |grep kvm kvm_amd 31878 4 kvm 215455 1 kvm_amd
for more try
# virsh capabilities
A good way to start the virsh exploration
# virsh
Welcome to virsh, the virtualization interactive terminal.
Type: 'help' for help with commands
'quit' to quit
virsh # help
Commands:
help print help
attach-device attach device from an XML file
attach-disk attach disk device
attach-interface attach network interface
autostart autostart a domain
capabilities capabilities
cd change the current directory
connect (re)connect to hypervisor
console connect to the guest console
cpu-baseline compute baseline CPU
cpu-compare compare host CPU with a CPU described by an XML file
create create a domain from an XML file
start start a (previously defined) inactive domain
destroy destroy a domain
detach-device detach device from an XML file
detach-disk detach disk device
detach-interface detach network interface
define define (but don't start) a domain from an XML file
domid convert a domain name or UUID to domain id
domuuid convert a domain name or id to domain UUID
dominfo domain information
domjobinfo domain job information
domjobabort abort active domain job
domname convert a domain id or UUID to domain name
domstate domain state
domblkstat get device block stats for a domain
domifstat get network interface stats for a domain
dommemstat get memory statistics for a domain
domblkinfo domain block device size information
domxml-from-native Convert native config to domain XML
domxml-to-native Convert domain XML to native config
dumpxml domain information in XML
edit edit XML configuration for a domain
find-storage-pool-sources discover potential storage pool sources
find-storage-pool-sources-as find potential storage pool sources
freecell NUMA free memory
hostname print the hypervisor hostname
list list domains
migrate migrate domain to another host
migrate-setmaxdowntime set maximum tolerable downtime
net-autostart autostart a network
net-create create a network from an XML file
net-define define (but don't start) a network from an XML file
net-destroy destroy a network
net-dumpxml network information in XML
net-edit edit XML configuration for a network
net-list list networks
net-name convert a network UUID to network name
net-start start a (previously defined) inactive network
net-undefine undefine an inactive network
net-uuid convert a network name to network UUID
iface-list list physical host interfaces
iface-name convert an interface MAC address to interface name
iface-mac convert an interface name to interface MAC address
iface-dumpxml interface information in XML
iface-define define (but don't start) a physical host interface from an XML file
iface-undefine undefine a physical host interface (remove it from configuration)
iface-edit edit XML configuration for a physical host interface
iface-start start a physical host interface (enable it / "if-up")
iface-destroy destroy a physical host interface (disable it / "if-down")
managedsave managed save of a domain state
managedsave-remove Remove managed save of a domain
nodeinfo node information
nodedev-list enumerate devices on this host
nodedev-dumpxml node device details in XML
nodedev-dettach dettach node device from its device driver
nodedev-reattach reattach node device to its device driver
nodedev-reset reset node device
nodedev-create create a device defined by an XML file on the node
nodedev-destroy destroy a device on the node
nwfilter-define define or update a network filter from an XML file
nwfilter-undefine undefine a network filter
nwfilter-dumpxml network filter information in XML
nwfilter-list list network filters
nwfilter-edit edit XML configuration for a network filter
pool-autostart autostart a pool
pool-build build a pool
pool-create create a pool from an XML file
pool-create-as create a pool from a set of args
pool-define define (but don't start) a pool from an XML file
pool-define-as define a pool from a set of args
pool-destroy destroy a pool
pool-delete delete a pool
pool-dumpxml pool information in XML
pool-edit edit XML configuration for a storage pool
pool-info storage pool information
pool-list list pools
pool-name convert a pool UUID to pool name
pool-refresh refresh a pool
pool-start start a (previously defined) inactive pool
pool-undefine undefine an inactive pool
pool-uuid convert a pool name to pool UUID
secret-define define or modify a secret from an XML file
secret-dumpxml secret attributes in XML
secret-set-value set a secret value
secret-get-value Output a secret value
secret-undefine undefine a secret
secret-list list secrets
pwd print the current directory
quit quit this interactive terminal
exit quit this interactive terminal
reboot reboot a domain
restore restore a domain from a saved state in a file
resume resume a domain
save save a domain state to a file
schedinfo show/set scheduler parameters
dump dump the core of a domain to a file for analysis
shutdown gracefully shutdown a domain
setmem change memory allocation
setmaxmem change maximum memory limit
setvcpus change number of virtual CPUs
suspend suspend a domain
ttyconsole tty console
undefine undefine an inactive domain
update-device update device from an XML file
uri print the hypervisor canonical URI
vol-create create a vol from an XML file
vol-create-from create a vol, using another volume as input
vol-create-as create a volume from a set of args
vol-clone clone a volume.
vol-delete delete a vol
vol-wipe wipe a vol
vol-dumpxml vol information in XML
vol-info storage vol information
vol-list list vols
vol-pool returns the storage pool for a given volume key or path
vol-path returns the volume path for a given volume name or key
vol-name returns the volume name for a given volume key or path
vol-key returns the volume key for a given volume name or path
vcpuinfo domain vcpu information
vcpupin control domain vcpu affinity
version show version
vncdisplay vnc display
snapshot-create Create a snapshot
snapshot-current Get the current snapshot
snapshot-delete Delete a domain snapshot
snapshot-dumpxml Dump XML for a domain snapshot
snapshot-list List snapshots for a domain
snapshot-revert Revert a domain to a snapshot
virsh #
set a domain --guest host-- to autostart by the libvirt daemon
# virsh autostart 2 Domain 2 marked as autostartedverify-check if a guest is set to Autostart
# virsh dominfo 2 |grep -i auto Autostart: enableand
# ls /etc/libvirt/qemu/autostart/before taking the time to read carefully and look around a bit more, I used to set autostart with `virsh start domain` cronjobs.
view domain information and create xml configuration files
# virsh dumpxml vm0it prints the xml configuration to stdout
The kvm-qemu guest hosts xml configuration files are in /etc/libvirt/qemu/ on Debian systems.
# virsh dominfo vm0 Id: - Name: vm0 UUID: 7337798a-ae00-efb4-7790-259c168f764b OS Type: hvm State: shut off CPU(s): 2 Max memory: 524288 kB Used memory: 524288 kB Persistent: yes Autostart: disable
Display the guest hosts list
# virsh list --all Id Name State ---------------------------------- 2 vm2 running - vm0 shut off - vm1 shut off
Display Virtual CPU information
# virsh vcpuinfo 2 VCPU: 0 CPU: 0 State: running CPU time: 1219.9s CPU Affinity: yy VCPU: 1 CPU: 1 State: running CPU time: 1040.8s CPU Affinity: yy
# virsh vcpuinfo vm0 error: Domain shut off, virtual CPUs not present. error: Requested operation is not valid: cannot list vcpu pinning for an inactive domain
Create a guest from an xml configuration file
# virsh create vm0.xmlto create an xml configuration file from an existing guest
# virsh dumpxml vm0 > vm0.xml
Start a guest host
# virsh start vm0 Domain vm0 started
Reboot a guest host
# virsh reboot vm0 error: Failed to reboot domain vm0 error: this function is not supported by the connection driver: virDomainRebootnot supported for kvm on version 0.8.3
Shutdown a guest host
# virsh shutdown vm0 Domain vm0 is being shutdownCheck
# virsh list --all Id Name State ---------------------------------- 2 vm2 running 3 vm0 running - vm1 shut offvm0 is still running, it does not work always
Terminate a guest host
# virsh destroy vm0 Domain vm0 destroyedAn immediate ungraceful shutdown.
Check
# virsh list --all Id Name State ---------------------------------- 2 vm2 running - vm0 shut off - vm1 shut off
Useful URLs:
Virsh Command Reference
centos manual virsh
Debian on Debian KVM
virsh basics
