Parallels Virtuozzo Containers for Windows FAQ

Parallels Virtuozzo Containers for Windows:

http://kb.parallels.com/en/112514

How do I update Parallels Virtuozzo Containers?

Use the interactive update wizard by running the following command:

"%vz_installdir%\bin\vzupdate.exe"

Which tool manages bridged networks?

To see available bridged networks:

C:\>vznetcfg net list

To create a new bridged network:

C:\> vznetcfg net new %NETWORK_NAME% %HOST_IFACE_MAC%

To add the host interface to a bridged network:

C:\> vzctl set %CTID% --save --ipadd %IPADDR%/%NETMASK% --network %NETWORK_NAME% --nettype bridged

Which log files are available on the Parallels Virtuozzo Containers server?

Container start, stop, migration, creation, deletion, and configuration changes are logged in the main vzlog: C:\vzlog\YYYY.MM.DD-vzlog.log

Template-related operations and package installation via vzpkg are logged in the vzpkg.log: C:\vzlog\vzpkg.log

Parallels Virtuozzo Containers and template update operations are logged in the vzupdate.log: C:\vzlog\vzupdate.log

XML API, SOAP API, backup, and other PVA Agent-related operations are logged in the vzagent.log: C:\vzlog\PVA\Agent\YYYY.MM.DD-vzagent.log

How do I manage Power Panel service?

To start, stop, or restart this service, use the "pvapp" tool:

C:\> net stop pvapp
C:\> net start pvapp

To troubleshoot Power Panel-related issues, check these logs:

Application log in Event Viewer
"%USERPROFILE%\PVA\Power Panel\log\YYYY.MM.DD-agent.log"
"%USERPROFILE%\PVA\Power Panel\log\YYYY.MM.DD-vzagent.log"
"%USERPROFILE%\PVA\Power Panel\log\YYYY.MM.DD-cpcon.log"
C:\vzlog\PVA\Agent\YYYY.MM.DD-vzagent.log

How do I manage PVA Agent service?

To start, stop, or restart the service, use the "pvaagent" tool:

C:\> net stop pvaagent
C:\> net start pvaagent

To troubleshoot PVA Agent-related issues, check these logs:

C:\vzlog\PVA\Agent\YYYY.MM.DD-vzagent.log

What is the service container needed for?

On Parallels Virtuozzo Containers for Windows with PVA Agent installed, there should not be a service container instance because offline management and SOAP API services are served by corresponding sites in IIS.

How do I manage Parallels Virtuozzo Containers service?

On a non-clustered Parallels Virtuozzo Containers installation, it is not advisable to start or stop Virtuozzo management service.

To start, stop, or restart the service, use the "net" tool:

C:\> net stop vzsrv
C:\> net start vzsrv

Containers will be restarted during this procedure.

What is the difference between vzbackup and vzabackup?

There is no difference between vzbackup and vzabackup on Parallels Virtuozzo Containers for Windows. These are two different command-line interfaces for the single backup engine. The vzbackup tool is kept for backward compatibility purposes.

How do I create, enlist, and restore backups stored on a remote Parallels Virtuozzo Containers node?

To create a backup for a container and place the backup in remote storage, run the "vzabackup" command:

C:\> vzabackup --storage %USERNAME%:"%PASSWORD%"@%REMOTE_SERVER_HOSTNAME% -F localhost -e %CTID%

To enlist a container backup available in remote storage, use the "vzarestore" command:

C:\> vzarestore --list --full -e %CTID% --storage %USERNAME%:"%PASSWORD%"@%REMOTE_SERVER_HOSTNAME%

To restore a backup of a container using remote backup storage, use the "vzarestore" command:

C:\> vzarestore -B -e %BACKUP_ID% --storage %USERNAME%:"%PASSWORD%"@%REMOTE_SERVER_HOSTNAME%

How do I migrate a container and protect the source container from deletion?

Use the "vzmigrate" command with appropriate options to keep the source and destination containers:

C:\> vzmigrate --remove-area no Administrator@%DESTINATION_NODE% %CTID%

How can I check the Parallels Virtuozzo Containers version?

Check the version of Parallels Virtuozzo Containers using the "vzctl" tool:

C:\> vzctl --version

How do I check the exact PVA Agent version?

Check the version of ProductBuild in the registry:

C:\>reg query HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Parallels\PVA /v ProductBuild

How do I check whether a node is registered in PVA Management Node?

Use the "vzagroup" tool:

C:\> vzagroup list

A node is not registered in PVA Management Node if the output contains this line:

host is a slave in vzgroup, which master node address is local

If a node is a member of a PVA group, the output will show the IP address of the PVA Management Node it is registered in:

host is a slave in vzgroup, which master node address is %PVA_MN_IP_ADDRESS%

 Where can I find the PVA Agent configuration file?

All PVA Agent configuration files are located in the etc_folder defined in pva.conf.

Check "C:\Program Files (x86)\Parallels\Parallels Virtual Automation\Agent\bin\pva.conf" and find the etc_folder section:


etc_folder
C:\vz\PVA\Agent\Data\etc


This output above means that the main configuration file vzagent.conf is located in C:\vz\PVA\Agent\Data\etc.

Where can I change PVA Agent timeouts and limits?

Locate the vzagent.conf file and adjust the required limits and timeouts there.

 

Is it safe to install Microsoft updates on the Hardware Node?

Due to the design of Parallels Virtuozzo Containers for Windows, only approved Microsoft Windows updates should be installed on the Node.
To assure that only approved updates are installed, verify that the WSUS server is set to "vzwinupdate.sw-soft.com":

C:\>reg query HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsUpdate /v WUServer

Never install Windows updates inside containers!

Is .NET Framework needed for Parallels Virtuozzo Containers?

Parallels Virtuozzo Containers for Windows does not need .NET Framework for proper functioning; thus, if some particular container software needs .NET Framework, it should be installed directly from inside the container.

	.NET Framework
OS	1.x	2.0.x	3.0.x	3.5.x	4.0.x
Windows 2003	REDIST	REDIST	REDIST	REDIST	REDIST
Windows 2008	REDIST	BUILTIN	FEATURE	REDIST	REDIST
Windows 2008 R2	REDIST	BUILTIN	BUILTIN	FEATURE	REDIST

REDIST - Install via .msi package (redistributable) downloaded from the Microsoft website or create the template from this package.
BUILTIN - Some versions of .NET are built-in to the current version of Windows and MUST NOT be re-installed via .msi/redistributable package installation.
FEATURE - Install via server roles and features (as of Windows 2008).