Creating a local ISO repository in XenServer

Use a local ISO repository to install your XenServer VMs.

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.
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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!