After downloading and unpacking the XenoClient distribution, you can start using the XenoClient tool. The tool presents a graphical interface (GUI) and allows you to:

• Create, monitor, and manage purchase orders
• Define service configurations
• Start sessions on XenoServers and deploy services
• Access the started sessions' bidirectional consoles
• Manage, suspend, and destroy sessions

To deploy sessions on XenoServers using the XenoClient tool, please follow steps 1-6 as below. To manage, destroy, and suspend or resume sessions, look at steps 7 and 8.

Step 1 - Starting the tool

To start the XenoClient tool, cd to your XenoClient directory and execute the xenoclient script:

cd xenoclient-VERSION
./xenoclient

 

Step 2 - Registering

If you are starting the client for the first time, a dialog will come up asking you whether you want to register. It is necessary that you register with XenoCorp to use the platform, so please click "yes" when you see the following window:

This will start the registration process, bringing up a window similar to the one below.

Please select the XenoCorp you want to register with from the drop-down menu at the top of the page. Please type in the invite number you've been given in the corresponding text field; participation in the XenoServer platform is (at this stage) by invitation only. If you have not been given an invite number and would like to obtain one, or if your invite number does not work, please contact us.

At this stage you are asked to provide a password for the XenoClient's keys. This is important; make sure you remember your password as you will need it every time you start your client in the future. Also, please fill in the user details section with your personal details. Once you are finished, click "register".

IMPORTANT: Do not type in real credit card details, as the platform's security is still under monitoring and development. At this stage you will not need any real money to use the platform.

When registration is finished, you will see the following pop-up window.

Clicking "yes" will bring up the following window, requesting your keystore password (the one you typed in when registering). Please type in your password and click "ok".

After a few seconds XenoClient will be started.

Step 3- Creating a purchase order

As soon as XenoClient is started, you will be presented with the following screen:

Click on "Create order" and enter an arbitrary amount (anything in the tens of thousands would do). You should now be able to see your newly created purchase order, as below:

Step 4 - Creating a service configuration

Click on the "deploy & manage" tab. Notice that there are no service configurations or sessions created yet. Now select the menu File, New and click on Service, as shown below.

You are now able to define the deployment parameters of the session(s) you wish to deploy with the specific service configuration you are creating; you can create more service configurations in the future.

The fields you need to fill in are:

1. Service name: the name you want to use for referring to this service, e.g ."test-debian".
2. Kernel type: the type of the VM in which you will deploy your services (e.g. xenolinux, xenobsd). Currently only xenolinux is supported.
3. Kernel image: the operating system kernel for booting the VM. This can be either one of the common images that are persistently cached on all XenoServers (e.g. vmlinuz-2.6.10-xenU), or your own kernel. To use your own kernel put it somewhere on the web, select "Remote", and type in the HTTP location (URL) where your kernel can be found.
4. Root f/s: the root file-system for your new VM. This can be either a copy of the common template file-systems that are persistently cached on all XenoServers (e.g. debian-latest), or your own file-system. To use your own file-system put it somewhere on the web, select "Remote", and type in the HTTP location (URL) where your file-system can be found (your file-system needs to be in .tar.gz or .tgz form). You can also specify whether you want your root f/s to be mounted read/write or read/only.

Once you are done with filling in all required fields, please click on "create service". You should now be able to see the service you created in the list of available services on the left hand side.

Step 5 - Creating sessions

To create one or more sessions, select the menu File, New and click on Sessions, as shown below.

This will start the session creation wizard, as below. Click "next".

This brings you to the server selection screen, as shown below. XenoClient has automatically discovered the currently available XenoServers; you can choose one or more servers on which the new session(s) will be created. When you have selected the server(s) click "next".

You now have to select the purchae order that will be used to fund the new sessions. To do this, select one of the available orders from the combo box -- you can see a summary of each order's balance and other properties at the bottom of the page. When you have selected a purchase order, click "next".

You now have to select the service configuration that will be used for the session(s) you are about to create (specifying e.g. the kernel, root file-system, and type of VM to be used). To do this, select one of the available service configurations from the combo box -- you can see a summary of each service's parameters at the bottom of the page. When you have selected a service, click "next".

You now have to select the resources that will be used for the session(s) you are about to create (specifying e.g. how much CPU, memory, network bandwidth, and IP addresses or ports will be reserved for your VM). To buy some amount of an available resource you have to select it and click "change qty". You will then be prompted for the quantity you wish to purchase. Do this until you have selected all resources your VM will require. When you are done buying resources, click "finish".

NOTE: you have to buy at least some amount of memory and CPU for your VM to be functional. If you do not purchase any external network access to your VM (either an IP address or a port) then the VM will only be accessible by its link-local address.

At this point you have created one or more sessions, which are queued on the XenoClient, waiting for you to start them.

Step 6 - Starting sessions

The deployment & management pane should appear as below -- the session(s) you created just before appear and their status is queued. To start one or more sessions, select them and click "start". The "clone" facility allows you to spawn copies of the session configuration you just created for ease of multiple and parallel deployment.

You should now see a "deployment progress" window for every session start-up you have requested. A deployment progress window, like the one below, gives you feedback on the current stage of the session start-up progress and on the previous stages (if you click on "details").

Once your session is successfully started, or in the event an error has occured, you will receive a pop-up notification. If the session was started successfully, your new VM(s) should be up and available for use on the selected XenoServer(s).

Step 7 - Feedback and interaction with sessions

Bidirectional console

After you have started one or more sessions, you can use the XenoClient's bidirectional console to access the corresponding VMs and carry out fine-grained environment configuration or deploy your services. This can be done by clicking on the "VM consoles" tab, and then on the tab corresponding to the session you want to connect to. The console window of a session should appear as below.

Pinging sessions

Also, from the deployment & management tab, you can obtain information on the current status of your VMs, the resource usage incurred by each one, and the associated costs and charges. To do this, select one or more sessions, and click on "ping". The results of a ping are shown below.

If your VM is so configured - and if you have purchased external network access - you should be able to connect to it via ssh. We recommend using ssh over the XenoClient's console for long-term connections.

You can also attach a new purchase order to a running session by selecting the menu Sessions, Attach new order.

Step 8 - Destroying and suspending your sessions

Destroying sessions

You can stop or suspend a session whose status is "alive" at any time - destroying a "queued", "dead", or "suspended" session simply removes it from the XenoClient's state. To do this, select the session you intend to destroy and click on "destroy". The result of a successful session destruction is its removal from the deployment & management GUI, and a pop-up window like the one below informing you of the incurred charges.

Suspending and resuming sessions

A session that is "alive" can be suspended; this saves the VM's memory image to a file, and allows for very quick resumption of the VM's operation at a later stage. To suspend a VM, select the menu Sessions, Suspend to file. You will be prompted to select whether you would like to receive a copy of the VM's image, to store locally on your machine. We recommend that you do this, to ensure long-term image availability.

After you receive the image file, the session's status will change to "suspended". Selecting a suspended session and clicking on "start" will resume the session from the selected memory image file.