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ohara
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ROS virtualization on x86

Wed May 16, 2012 12:12 am

Hi,

I read about Metarouter on the forum and I want to create a virtual machine in a x86 instance of ROS. The following things are unclear to me and I'd appreciate if I could get some basic explanation about the following:

1) What is the advantage of metarouter in x86 platform over RB+mipsbe platform other than pure hardware related, like CPU+RAM?
2) When installing Openwrt image is it possible to install and use LUCI gui interface instead of just command line Openwrt?
3) What format of OS images can be used in metarouter (iso/img/etc)?
4) Is it possible to install Centos+Cacti in metarouter while using standard image from centos.org or does one need to create customized kernels?
5) Is it possible to VNC or RDP to a graphical linux user interface VM?
6) Is it possible to RDP to a graphical Windows user interface VM?

All questions are in relation to virtual machines on RouterOS x86. Many thanks, the answers will help me plan further development of my MT network.
 
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NathanA
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Re: ROS virtualization on x86

Wed May 16, 2012 4:11 am

MetaROUTER is for MIPSBE and PPC hosts *only*. For x86, MikroTik has chosen to include KVM (http://www.linux-kvm.org/) within the x86 version of RouterOS. KVM is x86-only, and there was no equivalent widely-available virtualization hypervisor for the MIPS and PowerPC architectures that power much of the RouterBOARD family, so MikroTik had to write their own, and the result of that effort is MetaROUTER.

So anything written about MetaROUTER absolutely does not apply to x86 RouterOS. For instructions on using KVM with RouterOS, you should read the manual page on the Wiki: http://wiki.mikrotik.com/wiki/Manual:KVM

-- Nathan
 
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janisk
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Re: ROS virtualization on x86

Wed May 16, 2012 8:49 am

will try to answer questions that are not in manual:
1) What is the advantage of metarouter in x86 platform over RB+mipsbe platform other than pure hardware related, like CPU+RAM?
if resources allow, you can provide some additional features you like without extra cost of adding another device into your network.
2) When installing Openwrt image is it possible to install and use LUCI gui interface instead of just command line Openwrt?
is you ask about KVM, then you can use VNC port and graphical interface, if you connect on VNC port.

3) What format of OS images can be used in metarouter (iso/img/etc)?
IMG
4) Is it possible to install Centos+Cacti in metarouter while using standard image from centos.org or does one need to create customized kernels?
most probably no, you can check OpenWRT on how they prepare basic system and additional apps and recompile CentOS in a similar way.
5) Is it possible to VNC or RDP to a graphical linux user interface VM?
for KVM it is possible to use VNC
6) Is it possible to RDP to a graphical Windows user interface VM?
if you manage to install windows as KVM guest, as that is only possible place it could be attempted, then VNC is the option, hence that is a way to connect to virtual screen that is visible to Guest OS.
 
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ohara
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Re: ROS virtualization on x86

Wed May 16, 2012 9:02 pm

That makes things much more clear. Thanks to both of you!!!

What if the only internet connection in ROS goes through a 3G USB modem and PPP interface? Are the KVM machines supposed to have internet access as well?
 
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janisk
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Re: ROS virtualization on x86

Thu May 17, 2012 8:51 am

KVM can have only ethernet interfaces, if want to have 3G, then you have to configure that on host, and then bridge it with virtual ethernet going to guest.
 
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ohara
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Re: ROS virtualization on x86

Thu May 17, 2012 9:17 am

KVM can have only ethernet interfaces, if want to have 3G, then you have to configure that on host, and then bridge it with virtual ethernet going to guest.
Great, that's what I thought, just I wasn't sure how to do it because ppp-out1 interface can't be added as bridge port. Anyway, I'll give it a try.

Btw. do we know if ROS will support a LAN adapter over Mini PCI-e like this, especially x86. I don't expect that anyone has tried it before, but I thought why not ask. Thanks.
 
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janisk
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Re: ROS virtualization on x86

Thu May 17, 2012 9:35 am

small correction, ppp interface cannot be bridged in a direct way. It is possible to set that tunnel interface is going to be part of bridge, but then BCP takes over and __both__ ends should be bridged. However using polcy routing it is possible to route traffic in a manner, that only traffic form guestOS is passes through that connection.

And it seems your card uses standart e1000 intel driver, so it should work in RouterOS.

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