Summary

In a default XenServer installation, the ISO directory at/var/opt/xen/iso_import/ is limited. If you want to store more than two ISOs there, you can put them in an NFS or SMB share directory on the network and mount it to the XenServer Host, or you can use LVM to add additional space to the ISO directory.

1. Open a text console on the XenServer Host Dom0.
   
   
2. Type the command lvm and you should get the prompt
   lvm>
   
   
3. Type the command vgdisplay and write down the vgname which shows after ---Volume group---. Also write down the Free PE / Size, which shows the space (free extents) available on the volume group.
   
   
4. Create an lvm volume as shown in the following example. In this example, we create a 12 GB space, where VG_XenStorage-xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx is the vgname you wrote down above.
   lvcreate –L 12GB –n iso_storage VG_XenStorage-xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
   
   
5. Now exit the lvm prompt by typing the command
   exit
   
   
6. Next, the lvm volume we created needs to be formatted by executing the command:
   mkfs.ext3 /dev/VG_XenStorage-xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx/iso_storage
   
   
7. Once done, make a directory where you can mount the volume:
   mkdir /mnt/iso_import
   
   
8. Now mount the volume on the mount point you made:
   mount /dev/VG_XenStorage-xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx/iso_storage /mnt/iso_import
   
   
9. Now remove the original iso_import directory:
   rmdir /var/opt/xen/iso_import
   
   
10. Next, create a symbolic link to the new mounted volume:
    ln –s /mnt/iso_import /var/opt/xen/
    
    
11. Finally, add the volume to your fstab as
    /dev/VG_XenStorage-xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx/iso_storage /mnt/iso_import ext3 defaults 0 0

You now have a new 12 GB space to load ISO images.

For more information on lvcreate options, please read the lvm manpage.