Hi forks,
As I developing windows para-virtual drivers for Xen, I need to use some
approach to hide full-virtual device and use para-virtual device on
windows. Now I am using ‘startoption’ register key. That is add ‘/PV…’
in boot.ini on XP and srv 2003 or use ‘bcdedit /set loadoptions PV…’ on
Vista and srv 2008. When windows boot up, it will set properly string in
‘startoption’ register key. Then my driver can know user choose
‘para-virtual’ mode or ‘full-virtual’ mode for storage and network
device. The problem is that on windows server 2008 WHQL Dynamic
Partitioning test case, it will overwrite the ‘startoption’ register key
to ‘bootproc=1’. Just overwrite instead of append. That maybe a problem
of Microsoft but now I don’t think Microsoft will fix it as soon as
possible. So I want to know is there any other method I can use?
Thanks
wayne
> Hi forks,
As I developing windows para-virtual drivers for Xen, I need to use
some
approach to hide full-virtual device and use para-virtual device on
windows. Now I am using ‘startoption’ register key. That is add
‘/PV…’
in boot.ini on XP and srv 2003 or use ‘bcdedit /set loadoptions PV…’
on
Vista and srv 2008. When windows boot up, it will set properly string
in
‘startoption’ register key. Then my driver can know user choose
‘para-virtual’ mode or ‘full-virtual’ mode for storage and network
device. The problem is that on windows server 2008 WHQL Dynamic
Partitioning test case, it will overwrite the ‘startoption’ register
key
to ‘bootproc=1’. Just overwrite instead of append. That maybe a
problem
of Microsoft but now I don’t think Microsoft will fix it as soon as
possible. So I want to know is there any other method I can use?
Wayne,
To get around this problem I inverted the use of the boot.ini option. To
disable my drivers you must say /NOGPLPV.
Currently, booting in safe mode also disables my drivers and leaves the
qemu devices activated too, although I’m not yet convinced that that is
the best way to go…
James
I have get some feedback from Microsoft. They said I am not necessary to
use boot.ini file or use bcdedit to modify start options. At least they
won’t accept this method for DP hot add CPU test. So what I can do is
that always initialize pv driver when customer install my winpv drivers.
If he want to use QEMU mode after that, just uninstall winpv drivers. It
can work, but not comfortable.
thanks
wayne
The problem is not in Microsoft but in Xen. It’s like having a PC with a hard drive hooked up to the motherboard IDE, then buying a PCI card that does IDE, and expecting the hard drive to boot off of that without physically detaching it from the motherboard.
Xen needs to better be able to describe the hardware configuration of a physical machine before it’s booted.