Has anyone had any success getting WinXP 32bit to use 4 CPU's under Centos 5.5 KVM?
I have tried everything and the best I can get is 2 CPU's. I tried everything listed here http://www.linux-kvm.com/content/running-windows-smp-guests I am using the VIRTIO drivers.
Is this known limitation of KVM-83-164 (Centos5 release) with WinXP 32bit? I think there are reports of it working with 32bit Windows 2003 (or was it Windows 2008?).
I know KVM is granting the 4 CPU's since Linux VM can use 4 CPU's on the same computer.
Thanks,
Marcelino
Marcelino Mata Engineering Technology Specialist Multimatic Technical Centre 85 Valleywood Drive Markham, ON Canada L3R 5E5 Tel. +1 905 470 0025
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Has anyone had any success getting WinXP 32bit to use 4 CPU's under Centos 5.5 KVM?
I have tried everything and the best I can get is 2 CPU's. I tried everything listed here http://www.linux-kvm.com/content/running-windows-smp-guests I am using the VIRTIO drivers.
Is this known limitation of KVM-83-164 (Centos5 release) with WinXP 32bit? I think there are reports of it working with 32bit Windows 2003 (or was it Windows 2008?).
I know KVM is granting the 4 CPU's since Linux VM can use 4 CPU's on the same computer.
Thanks,
Marcelino
Marcelino,
TTBOMK winxp is only going to support 2 physical cpus unless you have a special winxp license that we have not experienced
we have never seen more than a 1 or 2 physical cpu version of winxp
eh ?
- rh
2010/5/28 Marcelino Mata mmata@multimatic.com:
Has anyone had any success getting WinXP 32bit to use 4 CPU's under Centos 5.5 KVM?
I have tried everything and the best I can get is 2 CPU's. I tried everything listed here http://www.linux-kvm.com/content/running-windows-smp-guests I am using the VIRTIO drivers.
As it is discussed in the comments on the page you have linked above, XP only supports 2 CPUs but more cores.
AFAIK KVM will always emulate CPUs not cores.
Best Regards Kenni
Kenni Lund wrote:
2010/5/28 Marcelino Mata mmata@multimatic.com:
Has anyone had any success getting WinXP 32bit to use 4 CPU's under Centos 5.5 KVM?
I have tried everything and the best I can get is 2 CPU's. I tried everything listed here http://www.linux-kvm.com/content/running-windows-smp-guests I am using the VIRTIO drivers.
As it is discussed in the comments on the page you have linked above, XP only supports 2 CPUs but more cores.
AFAIK KVM will always emulate CPUs not cores.
In fact, newer qemu/kvm supports "cores" parameter when used with smp: https://patchwork.kernel.org/patch/33961/
RHEL6 beta has new kvm and qemu - it is possible to use multi-core CPU within virtualized winXP there.
Regards,
Nenad
AFAIK KVM will always emulate CPUs not cores.
In fact, newer qemu/kvm supports "cores" parameter when used with smp: https://patchwork.kernel.org/patch/33961/
RHEL6 beta has new kvm and qemu - it is possible to use multi-core CPU within virtualized winXP there.
Regards,
Nenad
I did mean cores not CPU's. I am using Xeon W3520 (4 Core 2.67Ghz).
Under Virtualbox, WinXP guest has no problem using all four cores with same Xeon W3520 computer.
So far this appears to be limitation of KVM/Virtio drives with XP guests. It does not appear to be KVM limitation since liveCD boot instead of XP.img boot shows 4 cores.
I'm really only wanted confirmation that limitation can NOT be worked around.
While Virtualbox did not have this issue, it had other problems which made KVM a better solution.
Running this under Windows 2003 server is also an option if it eliminates the 4 core problem.
Marcelino Mata Engineering Technology Specialist Multimatic Technical Centre 85 Valleywood Drive Markham, ON Canada L3R 5E5 Tel. +1 905 470 0025
CONFIDENTIALITY NOTE: This email (and attachments, if any) contain(s) information that is PRIVATE and CONFIDENTIAL, and may be LEGALLY PRIVILEGED or otherwise exempt from disclosure under applicable law. All copyright is reserved, and no right or license is granted to duplicate or publish the content of this email or to forward it to third parties, without, in each case, specific permission. If you have received this email in error, you must not copy, distribute, retain or use this email or the information contained in it for any purpose (other than to notify the sender). If you believe that you are not the intended recipient of this email, please contact the sender immediately and delete this email from your computer system (including any archive or other storage facilities). Thank you.
2010/5/28, Marcelino Mata mmata@multimatic.com:
AFAIK KVM will always emulate CPUs not cores.
In fact, newer qemu/kvm supports "cores" parameter when used with smp: https://patchwork.kernel.org/patch/33961/
RHEL6 beta has new kvm and qemu - it is possible to use multi-core CPU within virtualized winXP there.
Regards,
NenadI did mean cores not CPU's. I am using Xeon W3520 (4 Core 2.67Ghz).
To avoid confusion, what you have on your hostside of CPUs and cores are really not relevant here.
Under Virtualbox, WinXP guest has no problem using all four cores with same Xeon W3520 computer.
In that case you now know that Virtualbox present your cores as cores to XP, and not as CPUs.
So far this appears to be limitation of KVM/Virtio drives with XP guests. It does not appear to be KVM limitation since liveCD boot instead of XP.img boot shows 4 cores.
Again, if you do nothing, KVM will present your cores/CPUs as CPUs to your XP guest. As XP only supports two CPUs, you'll only see two CPUs in the guest. When you boot some Linux live image, you'll not hit that limitation, as Linux supports way more than 2 CPUs.
It has nothing to do with VirtIO.
I'm really only wanted confirmation that limitation can NOT be worked around.
Nenad wrote that RHEL 6 beta had a newer version of KVM, which supports to present host CPUs/cores as cores to the guest. Eg. this will solve your problem, but it sounds like you'll have to wait for CentOS 6 or you can of course just install qemu-kvm yourself onto your CentOS 5.5 installation.
Running this under Windows 2003 server is also an option if it eliminates the 4 core problem.
Yes, running a Windows server edition supports more than two CPUs, so this could also be a solution.
Best regards Kenni
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