Virtual Cd Readers - Novell LINUX ENTERPRISE SERVER 11 - VIRTUALIZATION Manual

6.2 Virtual CD Readers

Virtual CD readers can be set up when a virtual machine is created or added to an ex-
isting virtual machine. A virtual CD reader can be based on a physical CD/DVD, or
based on an ISO image. Virtual CD readers work differently depending on whether
they are paravirtual or fully virtual.
NOTE
Only limited support for virtual machine removable media is available in the
original version of SUSE Linux Enterprise Server. Much of the following infor-
mation pertains to functionality available in maintenance updates.
When installing drivers from the SUSE Linux Enterprise Server Virtual Machine
Driver Pack, proceed by adding the ISO image as a virtual CD reader. Find a
detailed description about this procedure at
Readers" (page 50).
The most recent Virtual Machine Manager package is available through the
SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 11 update channel or at
.com/products/vmdriverpack/.
6.2.1 Virtual CD Readers on Paravirtual
Machines
A paravirtual machine can have up to 100 block devices comprised of virtual CD
readers and virtual disks. On paravirtual machines, virtual CD readers present the CD
as a virtual disk with read-only access. Unless you remove the virtual CD reader, the
virtual machine assumes that the originally-inserted CD is still in the CD reader, even
if you have ejected it. If it has been ejected, the virtual machine will not be able to access
the CD (or any other newly-inserted CD) and will receive I/O errors. Virtual CD readers
cannot be used to write data to a CD. They are configured as read-only devices.
After you have finished accessing a CD on a paravirtual machine, it is recommended
that you remove the virtual CD reader from the virtual machine.
Section 6.2.3, "Adding Virtual CD
http://www.novell
Virtualization: Configuration Options and Settings 49