Linux Virtualization program OpenVZ takes a step forward

. . . keeping an eye on the penguin

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Sep. 12, 2007

Keeping in step with the Linux kernel development, the OpenVZ project has announced availability of its operating system server virtualization software for the most recent stable Linux kernel, July's 2.6.22.

OpenVZ for Linux 2.6.22 includes new PID (Process ID) namespace code that replaces the implementation that was previously in OpenVZ. The code is expected to be adopted in an upcoming release of the Linux kernel and was contributed to the Linux kernel by the OpenVZ project with additional contributions from IBM, plus requests, reviews and comments from other parties. Including the new PID code as part of this OpenVZ software release will provide better testing by broadening coverage. PID namespace ensures that a set of processes does not see any other processes that do not belong to the same set and is an essential prerequisite for live migration.

This represents a major step forward in OpenVZ integration into the mainstream Linux kernel. OpenVZ Project Manager Kir Kolyshkin told Montana Linux.org that the addition of the PID (process identification number) namespace patchset by (OpenVZ's) Pavel Emelyanov into -mm (Andrew Morton's) tree--it means the code will be in Linus' kernel in a few months. PID namespaces is a feature that makes it possible to have different sets
of PIDs in different containers.

Thus, like KVM (Kernel-based virtual machine for Linux) before it, OpenVZ eventually will be baked into the Linux kernel.

The new OpenVZ software also supports UID (User ID) namespaces, which is already included in the Linux kernel. UID, in turn, is used by user space programs--software that's not part of the core operating system.

"In this kernel, we already support new Linux 2.6.22 features like the tickless kernel that results in cooler-running processors and increased power savings, along with the HREF="http://lwn.net/Articles/229984">SLUB [an improved kernel memory management] allocator, which is the core of kernel memory management and promises better performance and scalability," said Kolyshkin in a statement.

The new OpenVZ kernel software is already available for download. Users can also find helpful installation instructions from the OpenVZ wiki.

The OpenVZ is an open-source community virtualization program. SWsoft, a commercial software company, supports it. The OpenVZ code is used as the basis for the SWsoft Virtuozo virtualization software product.

Steven J. Vaughan Nichols

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