Creating a local ISO repository in XenServer

Use a local ISO repository to install your XenServer VMs.

Olivier Lambert

• 2 min read
Creating a local ISO repository in XenServer
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If you are using XCP-ng, go check this far more recent blog post with all the details needed to create your local ISO repository.
ℹ️
ISOs can now be uploaded directly via Xen Orchestra on recent versions. Please see this blog post to learn how to do it. It applies both on XenServer/Citrix Hypervisor and XCP-ng.

It happens sometimes you need to install VMs with ISO, without having a shared Storage Repository (e.g NFS). Citrix XenServer allows to do this, and you can have multiples cases for that:

  • you have a single host, without access of any ISO share
  • you don't want to create a shared storage
  • you want a simple way to start to use ISO files

Warning: you only have 4GB of space in the root file system. So, prefer an external HDD or a large USB key, to avoid filling the Dom0 at 100%.

First this first, you need to use a folder somewhere. You can use /tmp if you like, but the content will be lost after a reboot.

You can also create a dedicated folder on your host:

$ mkdir -p /var/opt/xen/ISO_Store

Before Xen Orchestra, you'll have to do this:

$ xe sr-create name-label=LocalISO type=iso device-config:location=/var/opt/xen/ISO_Store device-config:legacy_mode=true content-type=iso

But now with Xen Orchestra, it's easier! (see the original blog post about creating any Storage Repository in XenServer) You just have to create a Storage Repository:

Choose local ISO, use any path on your filesystem:

Click on "Create SR" and you're done!

Now, each ISO you add in this folder, will be visible in the ISO list when creating a VM!