In this article I will show how to install the Citrix XenServer tools inside a Windows guest virtual machine.
XenServer Tools provide high performance I/O services without the overhead of traditional device emulation. XenServer Tools consists of I/O drivers (also known as Paravirtualized drivers or PV drivers) and the Management Agent.
The I/O drivers contain storage and network drivers, and low-level management interfaces. These drivers replace the emulated devices and provide high-speed transport between Windows and the XenServer product family software. During the installation of a Windows operating system, XenServer uses traditional device emulation to present a standard IDE controller and a standard network card to the VM. This allows Windows to complete its installation using built-in drivers, but with reduced performance due to the overhead inherent in emulation of the controller drivers.
The Management Agent , also known as the Guest Agent, is responsible for high-level virtual machine management features and provides full functionality to XenCenter, including quiesced snapshots.
XenServer has a simple mechanism to install and update the I/O drivers and the Management Agent. The I/O drivers and the Management Agent are combined together and issued as ‘XenServer Tools’ for ease of installation.
The version of the XenServer VM Tools for Windows is updated independently of the version of XenServer. One should install XenServer Tools on each VM to be able to perform the following operations:
- Cleanly shut down, reboot, or suspend a VM
- View VM performance data in XenCenter
- Migrate a running VM (using XenMotion or Storage XenMotion)
- Create quiesced snapshots or snapshots with memory (checkpoints), or revert to snapshots
- Adjust the number of vCPUs on a running Linux VM (Windows VMs require a reboot for this to take effect)
- Enable Dynamic Memory Control (DMC) for Linux VMs
Important: Running a VM without installing the XenServer Tools is not a supported configuration. While a Windows VM can function without them, performance is significantly hampered when the I/O drivers (PV drivers) are not installed. Running Windows VMs without these drivers is not supported. Some features, such as live relocation across physical hosts, will only work with the I/O drivers installed and active.
Get the XenServer Tools or Management agents from the XenServer Downloads page. Copy the file to the Windows virtual machine WINVM01. Browse to the location where you copied the management agents file and run it.
Click Next to continue.
Accept the License Agreement and click Next.
Leave the destination folder to default and click Next.
Select Install I/O drivers now and Next.
Click on Install to begin the installation process.
Once the installation is done you will be asked for confirmation for reboot. Click on Yes to proceed with the reboot.
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