Collax V-Cube

Collax V-Cube is a free and simple virtualization server based on the Linux operating system and KVM (Kernel-based Virtual Machine), supporting the 64-bit computer architecture.

Collax V-Cube is designed in such a way that it is distributed as a Live CD ISO image and provides solutions for single virtualization hosts or high availability management on two or more nodes.

It features live snapshots, incremental backups, and automatic live migration. In order to set up a virtual DMZ, Collax V-Cube uses the GVRP, RSTP and LLDP protocols, as well as virtual network switches.

What is new in this release:

• V-Cube+ Storage Volumes
• With the storage volumes logical disk space and hardware disks are linked together. This works with both cluster nodes. In each cluster is always at least one storage volume available. This volume is linked to the primary storage and is called "default". Because virtual disks exist in the logical storage volumes, it is possible to arrange the data areas of virtual machines on different hardware disk space. Storage volumes can be used to assign specific virtual machine instance certain fast hard disk (SSD) when required by the applications.
• V-Cube+ Download software packages
• In order to check for updates and download software packages from the update server, you had to start Maintenance mode on the V-Cube+ node. This restriction will be removed with this release. Downloading the latest software packages from the update server is possible in Online mode.
• V-Cube+ Active monitoring of Interconnect link
• The ethernet connection between the V-Cube+ nodes is going to be monitored within this update. If an Interconnectlink is broken, because the cable of the device is not connected, a notification will be sent.
• Misc: Linux Kernel 3.10.75
• This update installs Linux kernel 3.10.75.

What is new in version 6.1.4:

• New in Version 6.1.4:
• Virtualization: Virtualization I/O-Driver for Windows:
• From this update on new virtio driver for Windows guest VMs are available. The virtio drivers for virtual Disks need to be updated on running machines to prevent data loss or system crashes.
• Virtualization: Start Delay for Auto Start VMs (V-Cube):
• If virtual machines shall start automatically when the virtualization host boots it can be useful that a domain controller starts before other member servers will be booted. From this update on a start delay in minutes can be set for virtual machines with the option Autostart enabled.
• Inter-V: Edit MAC Addresses:
• From this update on MAC addresses can be set for network interfaces of virtual machines. The setting can be found within the hardware settings of a virtual machines.
• Inter-V: Stopping VM Resource executes Mangaged Save:
• From this update on a virtual machine can be stopped by the cluster manager with the method "Managed save" . The option can be enabled within the setup of an virtual machine. That process is similar to the "suspend to disk" mechanism of operating systems, i.e. the memory state is written to hard disk before the virtual machine is going to be paused. If using this method the shutdown of a virtual machine is accelerated considerably.
• Inter-V: Manual Tests for E-Mail-Server and Fencing Device:
• The setup of the fencing device or the email relay can be tested manually before activating the settings. The tests are available within the dialogs Fencing Device, Infrastructure and within the wizard Cluster init.
• Inter-V: Aggregation Mode Using two 10GbE Network Interfaces:
• The bond aggregation mode for 10GbE network interfaces used by the cluster interconnect network will be set automatically to active backup within the wizard for the cluster network.
• Backup/Restore: Recovery Token contains Metadata about Logical Volumes:
• From this software version on information about the virtual disk (logical volume) of a virtual machine is going to be stored within the recovery token. This token is going to be used if a bare metal restore of the whole system needs to be executed.
• System Management: Monitoring while joining a Cluster and setting a Node stand-by:
• The system monitoring is improved if a cluster node is joining a cluster or a cluster node is set to stand-by mode. Since these actions are manual the state of related services and resources are not considered as critical.
• System Management: Monitoring of the Cluster Share Filesystem:
• The system monitoring is improved to check the file system OCFS2 that is used to create the cluster share. The file system is checked if it is mounted and has read and write access.
• System Management: Show Progress while setting Cluster Node Active:
• From this update on a progress is shown if a cluster node is set to an active cluster node. The progress is shown within the job notify window an within the dialog.
• Hardware: Support of UPS Online Zinto (USB) with nut 2.6.5:
• This update installs the Network UPS Tool (nut) 2.6.5. This extends the support for UPS with USB-Connection, e.g. Zinto UPS by Online AG. A list of supported devices can be found in the Collax HWCL or on the site www.networkupstools.org.
• Problems Fixed in Version 6.1.4:
• Virtualization: Network Connection is Interrupted Shortly during a VM Start:
• If a virtual machine was started the network connection could be disrupted shortly. This happend if the vendor ID number within the MAC address of local network interface was higher than the virtual interface MAC address which depended on the vendor of the physical network interface. From this update on this issue is corrected.
• Inter-V: Progress Bar when Migrating VMs between Nodes:
• Up to now a migration of a virtual machine could be reported as concluded immediately after the migration had been started even though data was still transferred. This is going to be corrected with this update.
• Inter-V: System Lock was not deleted when VM was migrated:
• The system lock could remain after a migration of a virtual machine in certain circumstances. An activation of configuration settings was not possible anymore. From this update on background locks are going to be used instead of Semaphores.
• Inter-V: Virtual Machine May Run on a Certain Cluster Node only:
• Preferring a virtual machine to run only on one specific cluster node did not work if the cluster node was set to standby. This is going to be corrected with this update.
• V-SAN: Split Brain when eSAN disk had not been in use:
• If eSAN disk had not been in use of startet virtual machines for some time, about one week, the administraton of a Cluster, e.g. setting a cluster node to stand-by, could lead to a fencing event. In that case one cluster node was shut off. From this update on the idle status of eSAN disks is avoided and deactivating of a cluster node because of normal GUI administration is prevented.
• Backup/Restore: V-Recovery, Removing Temporary Data:
• Temporary restored data of a virtual machine could not be deleted completely from the host server. With this update all files of the temporarily restored VM can be deleted.
• GUI: Virtual Machines, GUI Refresh: could not query memory balloon:
• If the dialog Virtual Machines was refreshed while a virtual machine was shutting down the GUI showed an error could not query memory balloon. From this update on displaying the list of virtual machines is improved when the dialog is refreshed often.
• System Management: Information BBU Charge State:
• The charge state of a battery backup unit of LSI RAID controllers will be checked and a warning is sent if the charge is less than 85%. The state will be considered as critical if the charge is less than 50%. Additional the maximum capacity is going to be checked and reported as critical if falls below 20% capacity. Also a warning will be sent if the BBU is calibrating.
• Hardware: Proportion of RAM and I/O Performance:
• Special system parameters define from which percentaged system memory the buffer cache memory needs to be written to the hard disk device. In that case every other I/O operations are blocked until the whole buffer cache is written. Problems occurred if the system memory was big and the I/O performance bad. From this update on these system parameters are set to a lower value so the amount of buffer cache can be written without blocking other I/O operations.

Limitations:

• The license is valid for a period of 1 month
• Support only via Collax forums (no telephone or email support)