Changes between Version 119 and Version 120 of VboxApps

Timestamp:

Feb 18, 2022, 6:25:25 AM (4 years ago)

Author:

computezrmle

Comment:

Added the description how to use multiattach_vdi_file

VboxApps

@@ -97 +97 @@
 Typically you can use the same VM image for multiple applications.
 This reduces network traffic and client disk usage.
+
+=== Multiattach mode disk images ===
+
+{{{
+#!comment
+The vboxwrapper version number needs to be added once the new version is available.
+}}}
+As of version xxxxx '''vboxwrapper''' can deal with multiattach-mode/differencing disk images as described in the ​[https://www.virtualbox.org/manual/ch05.html#diffimages VirtualBox manual]. This avoids the need to copy a huge "vm_image.vdi" file to the worker slot each time a fresh WU starts. Instead the vdi image remains in the project directory, is opened read-only and used for all WUs referring to it. !VirtualBox transparently ensures that all disk '''writes''' go to a separate vdi file within the slot directory of a WU. That "differencing image" is usually much smaller than the parent vdi image.
+
+To enable this mode add '''<multiattach_vdi_file>filename_version.vdi</multiattach_vdi_file>''' to vbox_job.xml with filename_version.vdi being the name of the parent vdi image in the project directory.
+Compared to the setup above the app version needs to be configured slightly different:
+
+ * The VM image, in !VirtualBox format.
+  * The logical name "vm_image.vdi" should not be set.
+  * The copy_file attribute should '''not''' be set to avoid copying the vdi file to the slot directory.
+  * Should have the sticky attribute set. 
+ * During contextualization/creation of the vdi image this mode must not be used 
 
 === The Vbox job description file ===
@@ -134 +151 @@
    [ <vm_disk_controller_model>LSILogic|LSILogicSAS|BusLogic|IntelAHCI|PIIX3|PIIX4|ICH6|I82078</vm_disk_controller_model> ]
    [ <vm_disk_controller_type>ide|sata|scsi|floppy|sas</vm_disk_controller_type> ]
+   [ <multiattach_vdi_file>filename_version.vdi</multiattach_vdi_file> ]
 </vbox_job>
 }}}
@@ -208 +226 @@
  '''vm_disk_controller_model''':: Which disk controller model to emulate.
  '''vm_disk_controller_type''':: Which disk controller type to emulate.
+ '''multiattach_vdi_file''':: Enables multiattach-mode/differencing vdi images to be used.
+   The filename given here becomes the parent image. It is expected to be in the projects directory.
+   The filename should have a version number to avoid conflicts when an app version gets updated.
 
 == Vboxwrapper command-line options ==