Re: [Qemu-discuss] How to change default network address spacces?

[Tony Su]

Thx Jakob

Explains in part why I can't find any QEMU config files.
Yes, I've been exploring the idea of setting up a "normal" virtual
network as you describe, but am disappointed that I can't modify User
Mode Networking, I assume now that those settings are hard coded
during compilation

Am still unsure whether the command I originally posted was supposed
to work, if there is a bug for the code compiled for my distro or
something else.

Tony

On Fri, Jan 4, 2013 at 11:35 AM, Jakob Bohm <address@hidden> wrote:
> On 1/4/2013 4:10 PM, Tony Su wrote:
>>
>> Hello Jakob,
>>
>> Thx for responding.
>>
>> Clarifying before I ask elsewhere,
>>
>> It was my impression that libvirt is only a universal frontend (both gui
>> and cli) to the underlying virtualization technology. For that reason I
>> wouldn't expect that libvirt should support all underlying
>> functionality, and is only an option for managing.
>>
>> Also, it's my understanding that specific virtualization settings
>> including network settings are set at the lower virtualization
>> technology layer, not at the higher libvirt management layer. I don't
>> think (but could be corrected) that libvirt can make changes that
>> conflict with the lower virtualization layer, only modify.
>>
>
> Actually, libvirt really tries to override native settings, at least for
> qemu.  qemu itself doesn't have a configuration storage, it does what it
> is told on the command line and via its "monitor" interface, and forgets
> about it when exiting the virtual machine.  libvirtd takes full and mostly
> exclusive control of both the command line and the "monitor" interface, so
> there is very little that can be done directly to a qemu
> virtual machine while it is running under libvirt.
>
>
>> If my reasoning is correct, I really would have expected that modifying
>> default virtual network settings (including User Mode Networking which
>> is uniquely QEMU-KVM) should be done using QEMU-KVM commands, not
>> necessarily libvirt, and indeed I think the command I quoted probably
>> should be what I want but does not work.
>
>
> The command you tried didn't "modify default settings", because there are no
> modifiable defaults in qemu itself, every run of the virtual machine starts
> with a clean slate as far as qemu is concerned.
>
> libvirt uses its own configuration files to simulate the existence of
> persistent settings, but those exist only in libvirt itself and thus
> cannot be changed from the outside.
>
> If you really cannot find a libvirt feature to set up network the way
> you like, there is another way:
>
> 1. In the ordinary (non-virtualization) network setup of the host machine,
> use the ordinary config files of your Linux distribution
> (such as /etc/network/interfaces on Ubuntu and Debian) to create
> a "bridge" device with no real network cards as members (you may
> or may not need to add a dummy network card as a member).  Configure
> that bridge device (not any of its dummy members) with the desired
> network settings (IP address, routing on/off, NAT access to the
> outside real network, an installed DHCP server etc.)
>
> 2. In the libvirt general configuration, "define" that now existing
> bridge as a network which virtual PCs can connect to.
>
> 3. In virt-manager, configure the virtual machines to use that bridge
> network;
>
> 4. Now the Hosts Linux kernel will simulate a 10Gb Ethernet switch
> connected to the virtual machines and the Host computer.  The virtual
> machines can talk to each other and the host like on a normal network,
> and can see any servers (such as DHCP servers and NAT routing) on this
> network, including those on the Host that are configured to serve the
> virtual network.
>
> 5. This can easily expand to more bridges if you want to simulate a
> network with multiple subnets.
>
>
>>
>> If my assumptions or unerstandings are incorrect, welcome correction.
>>
>> Tsu
>>
>> On Jan 3, 2013 5:28 AM, "Jakob Bohm" <address@hidden
>> <mailto:address@hidden>> wrote:
>>
>>     On 1/3/2013 2:13 AM, Tony Su wrote:
>>>
>>>     Hello,
>>>
>>>     I need to change the default address spaces for virtual networks,
>>>     particularly for User Mode Networking since a network this laptop
>>>     frequently connects to recently changed its address space to the
>>> Class
>>>     A Private Network using the default subnet mask (which means that
>>> only
>>>     one networkID is supported so no other network also using the Class A
>>>     Private network address space can route.
>>>
>>>     System: x64 openSUSE 12.2
>>>     QEMU emulator version 1.1.1 (kvm-1.1.1-1.8.1
>>>
>>>     Believe the following command should have changed the address space
>>> to
>>>     a Class B Private Network, but the command tries to launch an empty
>>>     VM. Have tried running with the libvirtd service running then
>>>     restarting and also stopping the service before running the command,
>>>     and of course also with a reboot.
>>>
>>>     # qemu-kvm -net
>>> user,net=176.27.0.0/12,host=176.27.2.2,dhcpstart=176.27.0.20
>>> <http://176.27.0.0/12,host=176.27.2.2,dhcpstart=176.27.0.20>
>>
>>     All qemu-kvm (and qemu) options need to be on the same command line
>> that
>>     actually runs the virtual machine.
>>
>>     Since you are using libvirt, you should not (at your skill level) try
>> to
>>     change the command line directly, what youneed to do is change the
>>
>>     network
>>     definition used by libvirt using libvirt user interfaces, as a
>>     libvirt user,
>>     you canonly use the qemu(-kvm) command line option documentation to
>>
>>     double
>>     check what libvirt is passing to qemu.
>>>
>>>     Unable to determine my command simply contains a syntax error, or if
>>> I
>>>     should be running a different command.
>>
>>     You should be using a different command altogether.  Though I am not
>>     sure
>>     what the libvirt commandis to redefine the network parameters (I
>> cannot
>>
>>     find it in my own libvirt-manager GUI, but then I mostly use that for
>>     simpler tasks these days).  Also, I believe detailed discussion of the
>>     libvirt commandsand user interface belongs to a different forum/list
>>
>>     than
>>     qemu-discuss, so try asking there.
>>>
>>>     Note, I have some success creating new virtual networks using
>>>     virt-manager but only if not connected to this problem physical
>>>     network. It seems that if there is a conflict with the default
>>> address
>>>     spaces, QEMU-KVM networking is rendered inoperable so I need to make
>>> a
>>>     change to the default address spaces used and make the changes
>>>     persistent.
>>
>>
>
>
> Enjoy
>
> Jakob
> --
> Jakob Bohm, CIO, Partner, WiseMo A/S.  http://www.wisemo.com
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