High performance XEN setup on ubuntu 8.04 (amd64)

This tutorial provides step-by-step instructions on how to install XEN on an Ubuntu Hardy Heron (8.04)  Server System (amd64) without compromising on disk I/O and network throughput. You can find all the software used here in the Ubuntu repositories, so no external files or source compilation are required.

Xen is an open-source para-virtualizing virtual machine monitor (VMM), or 'hypervisor', for the x86 processor architecture. Xen can securely execute multiple virtual machines on a single physical system with close-to-native performance. Xen facilitates enterprise-grade functionality, including:

• Virtual machines with performance close to native hardware
• Live migration of running virtual machines between physical hosts
• Up to 32 virtual CPUs per guest virtual machine, with VCPU hotplug
• x86/32, x86/32 with PAE, and x86/64 platform support
• Intel Virtualization Technology (VT-x) for unmodified guest operating systems (including Microsoft Windows)
• AMD Virtualization Technology (SVM aka Pacifica) on AM2 and F stepping Opterons (2006H2)
• Excellent hardware support (supports almost all Linux device drivers)