Thread: kvm running windows xp sp3: corrupts file system on shutdown?

i'm attempting set windows xp virtual machine using kvm running on 8.04 lts x64 or core 2 duo (6550). have updated installed packages latest available of week ago.

i'm creating 20 gb hard disk image qemu-img, (on file system managed lvm, , in turn backed md0 soft mirror) , starting vm follows:

#!/bin/sh
cd /var/kvm/wxp_build
kvm -m 1024m \
-hda wxp_build.img \
-usb -usbdevice tablet \
-vnc :1 \
-localtime \
-net nic,model=virtio -net user \
-redir tcp:5555::5555 \
-daemonize \
$*

when install, pass "-cdrom ../cdrom/wxp_sp3_installer.iso -boot d" boot windows install cd. reboot part of install not take down vm, , not cause problems.

can go through install fine. format 20 gb image ntfs, using slow format (not quick format).

can download , install other things fine, too. however, when shut down virtual machine (using windows shut down command), , wait vnc connection end, (virtual) hard disk seems corrupt. when boot again, 1 of 3 things happen:

1) boot fails, because necessary file has gotten corrupted.

2) boot succeeds, when attempt run installed worked fine before shutdown, doesn't work after shutdown, missing dll errors or similar.

3) boot kicks chkdsk, finds tons , tons of ntfs file system corruption on virtual hard disk image.

i've tried both qcow2 , raw disk images, same results.

mind, behaves if kvm process decides exit bios power-off signal comes, process keeps hard disk write buffer in user-mode ram, rather having passed on kernel. thus, when process exits, whatever buffered not committed disk, , badness ensues. i'm not sure @ happens, that's feels like. other kind of image corruption, too, it's related powering off virtual machine.

btw: same corruption happens if kill kvm while it's running (rather "clean" shut-down). it's more understandable under situation, not -- ntfs journaling file system, , never has corruption issues on "native" windows machines, during power fail.

so... have clue causing this, , can fix it?

i posted on kvm mailing list, , got following reply:

i warmly suggest updating later, newer, kvm version. qcow2 format had corruption bugs similar described below.
y.

given 8.04 supposed have long term support, there chance of getting newer kvm rolled in, or need go hand-crafting 1 system?

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