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Chapter 3. Creating a Pool of XenServer
Hosts
A resource pool is composed of multiple XenServer host installations, bound together as a single managed entity.
Resource pools let you view multiple servers and their connected shared storage as a single unified resource,
enabling flexible deployment of virtual machines based on their resource needs and business priorities. A pool
may contain up to 16 servers running the same version of XenServer software, at the same patch level, and with
broadly compatible hardware.
One server in the pool is designated as the pool master, and provides a single point of contact for all of the servers
in the pool, routing communication to other members of the pool as necessary. Every member of a resource pool
contains all the information necessary to take over the role of master if required. The pool master is the first host
listed for the pool in the XenCenter resource pane. You can find the pool master's IP address by selecting the
pool master and clicking the Search tab.
When combined with shared storage, a pool enables VMs to be started on any XenServer host in the pool that has
sufficient memory, and then dynamically moved between hosts while running (XenMotion), and with minimal
downtime. If an individual XenServer host suffers a hardware failure, you can restart the failed VM(s) on another
host in the same pool.
If the High Availability (HA) feature is enabled, protected VMs are automatically moved in the event of a host
failure. On an HA-enabled pool, a new pool master is automatically nominated if the master is shut down.
Note:
For a description of heterogeneous pool technology, see Section A.2, “Pool Requirements”.
After you create a pool, this chapter then steps you through setting up shared storage. While XenServer
accommodates many storage solutions, this chapter focuses on two common types — NFS and iSCSI — to get
you up and running quickly.
In this chapter, you will:
• Create a pool of hosts
• Set up shared storage for the pool
• Copy VMs to shared storage
3.1. Creating a Pool
To create a pool, you first need to install XenServer on a second host, typically with similar processor type,
and then connect XenCenter to the new host. For information about installing XenServer and XenCenter, see
Chapter 2, Installing XenServer and XenCenter. To get you started quickly, this section focuses on creating
homogeneous pools. Within a homogeneous pool, all hosts must have compatible processors and be running the
same version of XenServer, under the same type of XenServer product license. For a full list of homogeneous pool
requirements, see Section A.2, “Pool Requirements”.
To create a pool
1. On the toolbar, click the New Pool button.
2. Enter a name for and optional description of the new pool.
3. Nominate the pool master by selecting a host from the Master list.