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Linux Integration Services v2.1 Beta for Hyper-V Now Available
Microsoft just announced the availability of the beta version of Linux Integration Services for Hyper-V (version 2.1). In addition to the existing features (networking, storage, and fastpath boot), the 2.1 release adds the following:
- SMP support for Linux workloads
- Linux virtual machines running on Hyper-V will be able to use up to 4 virtual CPU’s
- Timesync
- Linux VM’s running on Hyper-V will be able to synchronize their time with the parent partition.
- Integrated Shutdown
- You will be able to shut down a Linux virtual machine gracefully from the Hyper-V manager.
This version of the integration services for Hyper-V can be downloaded from this link, and supports Novell SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 10 SP3, SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 11, and Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5.2 / 5.3 / 5.4.
To offer our customers the most flexibility when interacting with Hyper-V, the part of the code which communicates with Hyper-V is licensed under a dual license (BSD and GPLv2), while the part that communicates and interacts directly with the Linux kernel is under GPLv2.
These new capabilities will be submitted shortly to the Linux kernel as well. In fact, the SMP patch has already been submitted by Greg Kroah-Hartman, the maintainer of the branch where our code is currently located.
Where can I get it?
Users can obtain the Linux IC’s via access to the Microsoft Connect program: https://connect.microsoft.com/InvitationUse.aspx?ProgramID=1863&InvitationID=LNIS-T47Q-B7MP&SiteID=495
Where can I provide feedback?
Please email all feedback to linuxic (linuxic@microsoft.com).
FAQ
Q: Do the Linux Integration Services enable mouse support?
A: Mouse support is not included in the Linux integration services. However, see the read me for information on where to obtain the InputVSC driver that provides mouse support when used over a RDP connection.
Q: Can a customer run this code in production?
A: No. This is a prerelease version of the software, and no production support is provided.
Q: Did Citrix develop these drivers?
A: No. The Linux IC’s were developed by a team in the Microsoft Open Source Technology Center.
Many thanks to Hank Janssen and his team, including Haiyang Zhang and Hashir Abdi. Their work has resulted in a tremendous boost to the performance of the IC’s!
Q: Do I need to run the Xen kernel with the hypercall shim??
A: No, the Xen kernel is no longer used.
Q: How does this relate to the announcement of Microsoft contributing the Linux IC code under GPLv2 to the Linux kernel?
A: This package provides integration components for the distributions that we support (SLES and Red Hat). Once the IC’s that have been merged into the kernel are available in distributions, we will gradually phase out the separate IC package.
Related
By Ilija Brajkovic | March 31, 2010
Tags: hyper-v, integration components, linux, virtualization
Category: hyper-v | View Comments
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http://www.brajkovic.info/virtualization/hyper-v-virtualization/linux-integration-services-3-1-for-hyper-v/ Linux Integration Services 3.1 for Hyper-V | Windows Server 2008 and Microsoft virtualization blog