Virtualization Management

Vapor provides comprehensive virtual machine management using KVM/Libvirt. You can create, manage, and monitor VMs with advanced features like PCI passthrough, snapshots, and live migration.

Prerequisites

• KVM kernel modules loaded
• Libvirt daemon running
• QEMU/KVM installed
• Appropriate permissions for VM management
• Sufficient CPU virtualization support (Intel VT-x or AMD-V)

Navigating to Virtualization

1. From the main menu, click on Virtualization
2. Three main sections are available:
   • Virtual Machines
   • Storage Pools
   • Networks

Virtual Machines

The VMs tab displays all virtual machines on the system.

VM List View

Each VM shows:

• Name and UUID
• State (Running, Paused, Shutoff, etc.)
• vCPUs and Memory allocation
• Operating System
• IP addresses (if guest agent installed)
• Uptime
• Actions menu

Creating a Virtual Machine

Quick Create

1. Click Create VM
2. Basic configuration:
   • Name: VM identifier
   • vCPUs: Number of virtual CPUs
   • Memory: RAM allocation (MB)
   • OS Type: Linux, Windows, etc.
   • OS Variant: Specific distribution/version
3. Storage configuration:
   • Storage Pool: Where to create the disk
   • Disk Size: Size in GB
   • Boot ISO: Installation media
4. Click Create

Advanced Create

For more control, use Advanced Create:

General Settings

• Architecture: x86_64, aarch64
• Firmware: BIOS or UEFI
• Secure Boot: Enable for Windows 11
• TPM: Add virtual TPM device
• Machine Type: Q35 (PCIe) or i440FX (PCI)

CPU Configuration

• CPU Model: Host passthrough or specific model
• Topology: Sockets, cores, threads
• Features: Enable/disable CPU features
• NUMA: Configure NUMA topology

Memory Settings

• Current Memory: Runtime allocation
• Maximum Memory: Upper limit for hotplug
• Huge Pages: Enable for better performance
• Memory Ballooning: Dynamic memory management

Storage Configuration

Multiple disk support:

1. System Disk:

   • Format: qcow2, raw, vmdk
   • Bus: virtio, SATA, IDE, SCSI
   • Cache mode: none, writeback, writethrough
   • I/O mode: native, threads

2. Additional Disks:

   • Add multiple data disks
   • Attach existing disks
   • Create from templates

3. CD/DVD:

   • Attach ISO images
   • Physical device passthrough

Network Configuration

1. Network Interfaces:

   • Model: virtio, e1000, rtl8139
   • Network: NAT, Bridge, Host-only
   • MAC address: Auto or manual
   • VLAN tagging

2. Multiple NICs:

   • Add up to 8 network interfaces
   • Configure each independently

Graphics and Display

• Display Type:

  • VNC: Remote access display
  • SPICE: Enhanced remote display
  • None: Headless operation

• Graphics Settings:

  • Listen address and port
  • Password protection
  • Auto-port allocation

PCI Device Passthrough

1. GPU Passthrough:

   • Select GPU device
   • VFIO configuration
   • ROM file (if needed)
   • Primary GPU option

2. Other PCI Devices:

   • Network cards
   • Storage controllers
   • USB controllers

Managing Virtual Machines

Power Operations

• Start: Boot the VM
• Shutdown: Graceful shutdown via ACPI
• Force Off: Immediate power off
• Reboot: Restart the VM
• Reset: Hard reset
• Pause: Suspend VM execution
• Resume: Continue from pause

Console Access

1. Click Console button
2. Choose connection type:
   • VNC Console: Web-based VNC viewer
   • SPICE Console: Enhanced features
   • Serial Console: Text-based access

Console features:

• Full keyboard and mouse support
• Clipboard sharing (SPICE)
• File transfer (SPICE)
• Multiple monitor support
• Full-screen mode
• Screenshot capture

Snapshots

Creating Snapshots

1. Click Snapshots in VM details
2. Click Create Snapshot
3. Enter:
   • Name: Snapshot identifier
   • Description: Optional notes
   • Memory State: Include RAM contents
4. Click Create

Managing Snapshots

• Revert: Restore VM to snapshot state
• Delete: Remove snapshot
• Clone: Create new VM from snapshot

Live Migration

Move running VMs between hosts:

1. Click Migrate in VM actions
2. Select:
   • Target Host: Destination server
   • Migration Type: Live or offline
   • Storage Migration: Move disks too
3. Configure options:
   • Bandwidth limit
   • Auto-converge
   • Post-copy mode
4. Click Migrate

VM Configuration

Edit VM Settings

1. Click Edit in VM details
2. Modify:
   • CPU and memory allocation
   • Boot order
   • Network interfaces
   • Storage devices
3. Changes requiring restart are marked
4. Click Apply

Hot-Plug Operations

While VM is running:

• Add/remove vCPUs
• Adjust memory (within limits)
• Attach/detach disks
• Add/remove network interfaces

Storage Pools

Manage storage locations for VM disks.

Storage Pool Types

• Directory: Filesystem directory
• LVM: Logical Volume Manager
• NFS: Network File System
• iSCSI: Network block storage
• Ceph RBD: Distributed storage
• GlusterFS: Distributed filesystem

Creating Storage Pools

1. Click Create Pool
2. Select type and configure:
   • Directory: Path on filesystem
   • NFS: Server and export path
   • iSCSI: Target and initiator
3. Set permissions and ownership
4. Click Create

Managing Storage Pools

• Refresh: Scan for changes
• Start/Stop: Activate/deactivate pool
• Delete: Remove pool (preserves data)
• Browse: View pool contents

Storage Volumes

Within each pool:

• Create new volumes
• Upload ISO images
• Clone existing volumes
• Resize volumes
• Delete unused volumes

Virtual Networks

Configure networking for VMs.

Network Types

• NAT: Network address translation
• Bridge: Direct network bridge
• Isolated: No external connectivity
• Routed: Layer 3 routing
• Open vSwitch: SDN networking

Creating Networks

1. Click Create Network
2. Configure:
   • Name: Network identifier
   • Mode: NAT, Bridge, etc.
   • Bridge Name: Linux bridge name
   • IP Configuration: DHCP settings
   • DNS: Forwarder settings
3. Click Create

Network Features

• DHCP Server: Automatic IP assignment
• DNS Forwarder: Name resolution
• IPv6 Support: Dual-stack networking
• Bandwidth Control: QoS settings
• VLAN Tagging: 802.1Q support
• Port Isolation: Security feature

Templates

Create reusable VM configurations.

Creating Templates

1. Configure a VM as desired
2. Click Convert to Template
3. Template is saved for reuse

Using Templates

1. Click Create from Template
2. Select template
3. Customize as needed:
   • Change name
   • Adjust resources
   • Modify network settings
4. Click Create

Monitoring and Metrics

Real-time Monitoring

View live metrics:

• CPU usage per core
• Memory utilization
• Disk I/O rates
• Network throughput
• Block device statistics

Performance Graphs

Historical data:

• CPU usage over time
• Memory trends
• I/O patterns
• Network activity

Best Practices

1. Resource Planning: Don't overcommit CPU/memory
2. Storage Performance: Use virtio for best performance
3. Network Optimization: Use virtio-net when possible
4. Backup Strategy: Regular snapshots and backups
5. Security: Enable SELinux/AppArmor for VMs
6. Monitoring: Watch resource usage trends
7. Updates: Keep guest tools updated

Troubleshooting

VM Won't Start

• Check libvirt logs: /var/log/libvirt/qemu/
• Verify resources available
• Check storage pool is active
• Ensure network is started
• Verify permissions

Poor Performance

• Enable virtio drivers
• Check CPU pinning
• Verify huge pages configuration
• Monitor host resource usage
• Check disk cache settings

Network Issues

• Verify network is active
• Check firewall rules
• Ensure bridge configuration
• Test with different network types
• Check DHCP server status

Console Not Working

• Verify display settings
• Check VNC/SPICE ports
• Ensure graphics driver loaded
• Try different console type
• Check firewall for console ports

PCI Passthrough Problems

• Verify IOMMU enabled in BIOS
• Check VFIO modules loaded
• Ensure device not in use
• Verify device in same IOMMU group
• Check ROM file if GPU passthrough

Advanced Topics

Cloud-Init Integration

Configure VMs automatically:

• User data scripts
• Network configuration
• SSH key injection
• Package installation
• Custom commands

Nested Virtualization

Enable VMs within VMs:

• Intel: kvm_intel nested=1
• AMD: kvm_amd nested=1

SR-IOV

Single Root I/O Virtualization:

• Virtual functions for network cards
• Near-native network performance
• Reduced CPU overhead