LightVM – A new virtualization solution based on Xen • Hacker News Board

Re: LightVM – A new virtualization solution based on Xen

#11

Post by grabcocque » Wed, Nov 01, 2017, 2:22 PM UTC

So, unikernels?

Re: LightVM – A new virtualization solution based on Xen

#12

Post by lbotos » Wed, Nov 01, 2017, 2:23 PM UTC

mapsnapps wrote: post #4

If I'm reading this right, that's pretty major. The isolation benefits of a VM with a bootspeed faster than docker?

I haven't been on the server side in a while, but 1) isn't Xen falling out of favor and 2) is docker boot speed a big problem?

Re: LightVM – A new virtualization solution based on Xen

#13

Post by detaro » Wed, Nov 01, 2017, 2:25 PM UTC

grabcocque wrote: post #11

So, unikernels?

No, not unikernels. They use unikernels and small linux builds for examples to show their improvement of Xen itself.

Re: LightVM – A new virtualization solution based on Xen

#14

Post by wkz » Wed, Nov 01, 2017, 2:26 PM UTC

mapsnapps wrote: post #4

If I'm reading this right, that's pretty major. The isolation benefits of a VM with a bootspeed faster than docker?

With the debugging benefits of a brick.

Re: LightVM – A new virtualization solution based on Xen

#15

Post by sctb » Wed, Nov 01, 2017, 2:33 PM UTC

detaro wrote: post #2

In case the ACM link isn't available to everyone, here is a copy hosted by NEC: http://cnp.neclab.eu/projects/lightvm/lightvm.pdf

Thanks, we've updated the link from https://dl.acm.org/citation.cfm?id=3132763&CFID=824760366&CF.... I'm not sure I've seen the ACM block traffic like that before.

Re: LightVM – A new virtualization solution based on Xen

#16

Post by weberc2 » Wed, Nov 01, 2017, 2:33 PM UTC

lbotos wrote: post #12

mapsnapps wrote: post #4

If I'm reading this right, that's pretty major. The isolation benefits of a VM with a bootspeed faster than docker?

I haven't been on the server side in a while, but 1) isn't Xen falling out of favor and 2) is docker boot speed a big problem?

Boot speed is a big selling point for Docker, but Docker's isolation story is poorer than a VM. If you can make a VM boot as quickly as Docker while preserving isolation, then Docker loses a big selling point.

Re: LightVM – A new virtualization solution based on Xen

#17

Post by citrin_ru » Wed, Nov 01, 2017, 2:33 PM UTC

> We achieve lightweight VMs by using unikernels

One problems with unikernels is a lack of debugging/tracing tools (like Dtrace/eBPF): https://www.joyent.com/blog/unikernels-are-unfit-for-product...

Re: LightVM – A new virtualization solution based on Xen

#18

Post by weberc2 » Wed, Nov 01, 2017, 2:36 PM UTC

wkz wrote: post #14

mapsnapps wrote: post #4

If I'm reading this right, that's pretty major. The isolation benefits of a VM with a bootspeed faster than docker?

With the debugging benefits of a brick.

As long as debugging isn't fundamentally incompatible with a unikernel approach, it's just a matter of maturity. And it's pretty silly to criticize a new, prospective technology for immaturity.

Re: LightVM – A new virtualization solution based on Xen

#19

Post by weberc2 » Wed, Nov 01, 2017, 2:37 PM UTC

detaro wrote: post #13

grabcocque wrote: post #11

So, unikernels?

No, not unikernels. They use unikernels and small linux builds for examples to show their improvement of Xen itself.

> We achieve lightweight VMs by using unikernels for specialized applications

Unikernels appear to be part of the solution...

Re: LightVM – A new virtualization solution based on Xen

#20

Post by detaro » Wed, Nov 01, 2017, 2:40 PM UTC

sctb wrote: post #15

detaro wrote: post #2

In case the ACM link isn't available to everyone, here is a copy hosted by NEC: http://cnp.neclab.eu/projects/lightvm/lightvm.pdf

Thanks, we've updated the link from https://dl.acm.org/citation.cfm?id=3132763&CFID=824760366&CF... . I'm not sure I've seen the ACM block traffic like that before.

I believe the CFID in the URL is a user-specific token, and user-specific URLs shouldn't be fetched from all over the world, triggering the block.