How to setup XenServer 6.x to auto-start Virtual Machines

In XenServer 6, the direct GUI ability to auto-start a Virtual Machine on the startup of XenServer was removed. This article describes how to set Virtual Machines to auto-start.

Requirements

  • XenServer 6.0
  • XenServer 6.0.2

Background

In XenServer 6, the auto-start functionality was removed because it interfered with High Availability (HA) and produced unexpected results during HA functions.

Procedure

Setting the XenServer to allow Auto-Start

  • Gather the UUID’s of the pools you wish to auto-start.
  • To get the list of the pool’s on your XenServer type “xe pool-list”
  • Copy the UUID of the pool. If you have just one server, it will still have a pool UUID as noted in the following screenshot:

  • Then type the following command to set the pool or server to allow auto-start:
xe pool-param-set uuid=UUID other-config:auto_poweron=true

Note: *Replacing UUID with the UUID of the XenServer or pool.*

Setting the Virtual Machines to Auto-Start

  • Gather the UUID’s of the Virtual Machine you want to auto-start by typing:
xe vm-list Note: This generates a list of Virtual Machines in your pool or server and their associated UUID’s.
  • Copy the UUID of the Virtual Machines you want to auto-start, and type the following command for each Virtual Machine to auto-start.
xe vm-param-set uuid=UUID other-config:auto_poweron=true

Note: *Replace UUID with the UUID of the Virtual Machine to auto-start.*

Read more here on the Citrix knowledgebase.

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