XCP-ng has announced the release of Xen Orchestra 5.90, marking the end of the year for the team and community. This release brings several new backup features, including the addition of tasks for NBD enabled backup. This new feature allows users to track the progress of NBD transfers and monitor the status of backups directly from XO Lite or the xe CLI. The release also includes optimizations for backup performance on high latency links, leveraging the ability to download multiple blocks in parallel to mitigate the impact of latency on backup speed.

Xen Orchestra 5.90 also introduces advancements in on-prem immutability, with work being done to provide a direct, on-premises solution for securing S3 backups. The immutability feature aims to establish a Backup Repository (BR) that Xen Orchestra can write to but cannot alter during the predefined immutability period, safeguarding backups against ransomware attacks. The release also includes enhancements to scoped tags, allowing for more nuanced categorization and clearer context-specific labeling.

Other improvements in Xen Orchestra 5.90 include the ability to fetch clients IP addresses from X-Forwarded-* headers for improved logging and security audits, enhancements to SAML integration for added security, a simplified method for changing memory in a running VM, better error messages on the XO CLI, and various changes to the REST API.

In addition, Xen Orchestra 5.90 introduces features tailored for the upcoming XCP-ng 8.3 release, including the ability to configure IPv6 settings on host’s physical interfaces and improved detection of ongoing coalesce tasks.

Lastly, Xen Orchestra 5.90 unveils the first “functional” iteration of XO Lite, with updates such as XOA quick deploy for easy deployment of Xen Orchestra virtual appliances, a number of running VMs indicator in the tree view for a clearer overview of the environment, and a better status panel component for improved readability and aesthetic appeal.

Overall, Xen Orchestra 5.90 brings a range of new features and improvements that enhance backup capabilities, immutability, tagging, and user experience. Users can expect faster backups, better monitoring, and increased security with this latest release.

Xen Orchestra has unveiled version 5.89, featuring over 20 new enhancements and functionalities. Noteworthy developments include Broadcom’s acquisition of VMware for over $60 billion, impacting the virtualization industry. Xen Orchestra’s team has expanded with new members, alongside the release of Xen 4.18, where one of their developers secured a Top 10 contributor spot. The landscape of virtualization is explored in light of industry shifts, emphasizing Vates’ innovative ‘Bundles’ amid these changes.

Xen Orchestra’s growth includes the addition of Bastien, focusing on XO’s backend, and a dedicated member for Project Pyrgos, concentrating on k8s cluster creation. Positive feedback surrounds the Rust Linux tools, with updates driven by community input. Backup functionality improvements introduce features like differential restore, API/CLI file-level restore, and enhanced XO Lite with a more compact interface, improved dashboard, and added functionalities.

The REST API sees updates for versatility, including user management, VDI content import, and XVA file management. Enhanced integration with Netbox facilitates optional synchronization between XO users and Netbox’s “tenant” entity, enhancing user activity tracking. Compatibility with XCP-ng 8.3 brings detailed task monitoring for coalesce, among other tailored features.

Additional improvements cover token management, VM booting with disk and ISO, console view disablement, and clearer messages for actions like forgetting a Storage Repository. Xen Orchestra 5.89 solidifies its position as a comprehensive solution for XCP-ng infrastructure management, demonstrating ongoing innovation and expansion within the Xen Orchestra team. The full changelog is available here.

XCP-ng has released Xen Orchestra 5.88, packed with new features and improvements. In the backup area, there have been code improvements and bug fixes, as well as an optimization for full backups using S3. The Terraform provider has also seen updates, including support for XenServer/XCP-ng bonded networks and improvements to the XO internal API. XO Lite now allows for cloning and snapshotting of VMs, and a “Ctrl Alt Del” button has been added to the console view. Xen Orchestra 6 is also in the works, with a focus on backup management and a revamped user interface. Mockups of the new UI have been shared, showcasing a more streamlined and efficient backup view. XOSTOR, the hyperconverged storage solution, now has a simple UI for creating new storage. XCP-ng 8.3 features have been added to Xen Orchestra, including vTPM management in the web UI and a new optional argument for the host.evacuate method. Overall, Xen Orchestra 5.88 brings a range of enhancements and improvements to the platform.

Xen Orchestra has released version 5.89. This update brings a range of enhancements and updates to various components, including XO Lite. Let’s dive in and explore the details.

XO Lite

XO Lite has received several enhancements in this release. XO Lite now comes as a standard RPM package within XCP-ng 8.3, making it easier to keep up with updates. Bulk actions for VM migration and snapshot have been introduced, allowing for multiple operations to be executed simultaneously. The pool dashboard now includes a summary of missing patches for XCP-ng hosts, providing better visibility of critical updates.

Backup

Bug fixes and improvements have been made to enhance system resilience and add failsafes for specific scenarios. To prevent unexpected results during VM backup, a lock is now placed on VMs to prevent migration operations. This ensures system integrity and avoids any unpredictable outcomes.

Other Changes

Several quality-of-life enhancements and useful features have been added in this release.

A new feature allows for the download of all host system logs with a simple button press. This comprehensive tarball of logs is valuable for deep investigations. Disk health monitoring has been improved, allowing for the monitoring of disk status via an API call and displaying the information in the Xen Orchestra UI.

Xen Orchestra can now restart the server directly from the UI, providing a handy tool for canceling blocked tasks or unlocking stuck processes. Thin-reclaim for block-based SRs is now supported, allowing for cleaning operations if the SAN supports it.

The task system now logs failed sign-in attempts, providing information about potential brute-force attempts on Xen Orchestra accounts. Host and pool details now include the product brand and version, providing additional information in the UI.

The Xen Orchestra GitHub repository has also undergone cleanup, with a significant reduction in open issues.