Xen 4.19 is released

Xen Project 4.19 has been officially out since July 31st, 2024, and it brings significant updates. With enhancements in performance, security, and versatility across various architectures like Arm, PPC, RISC-V, and x86, this release is an important milestone for the Xen community. It's a powerful open-source hypervisor that we use in our core (inside XCP-ng) and we are proud to be a part of it!

You can find the original announcement here:

We are stepping up in the Xen community

We're particularly excited about this release at Vates because it's not just another update: it's a reflection of our growing involvement and influence within the Xen community. The release manager for Xen 4.19 is part of our team, which is a testament to how we're stepping up our contributions. In this post, we wanted to take a moment to share what this release means for us and the broader community.

What's New in Xen 4.19

Let's dive into some of the standout features of Xen 4.19:

• Security Enhancements: The new release addresses 13 Xen Security Advisories (XSAs), which significantly improves the security posture of the hypervisor. The further adoption of MISRA-C rules ensures higher code quality and robustness.
• Architecture Improvements:
  • Arm: Dynamic node programming using overlay dtbo and FF-A notification support are among the key updates, enhancing Xen's flexibility and adaptability on Arm platforms.
  • x86: A new x2APIC driver has been introduced, which optimizes performance and efficiency in handling interrupts.
• PVH Updates: The status of PVH dom0 has moved to “supported with caveats,” and new capabilities like mapping foreign pages for PVH/HVM help streamline VM management processes.
• Other Enhancements: The release increases the maximum CPU count Xen can support, improves backend support, and introduces several other changes designed to enhance performance and extend Xen’s capabilities.

Looking ahead

At Vates, Xen 4.19 represents more than just a list of new features—it's about the future we are shaping. Our deepening engagement within the Xen community underscores our commitment to driving this technology forward. We're not just writing code, although our technical contributions are substantial. From leading the RISC-V port and advancing AMD SEV support to developing new Rust tools for Linux and BSD guests and enhancing IOMMU support, our efforts are broad and impactful.

But our role in the Xen Project isn't limited to technical work. What truly sets Xen apart for us is its scale and the opportunity to make a significant impact. Unlike the sprawling Linux Kernel, where making a visible difference is tough due to its sheer size, Xen offers a space where our efforts can genuinely stand out: and we thrive on that.

Our contributions also extend into project management. A few years back, we provided project management resources to the Xen Project, helping to streamline efforts and advocate for a gradual shift to GitLab. While the transition is still underway, it’s moving in the right direction, thanks to collaborative efforts.

We also support the project with critical infrastructure. I recently took the lead in setting up a Moonshot chassis at the data center, equipped with 40 cartridges—essentially 40 servers in just 4U of space. This powerhouse is set to run a multitude of GitLab runners, boosting the speed and volume of test executions in the Xen CI pipeline.

Our commitment isn't limited to x86 or RISC-V; we are also collaborating with a hardware partner to prepare for future developments on Arm architecture. Beyond technical and infrastructure support, we focus on building connections. This is why we joined the Xen Board—to bridge gaps, connect people and companies, and propel Xen's growth.

To further strengthen these connections, we are taking on the task of organizing the next Xen physical event: a Xen Meetup in Grenoble, our home city, this winter. Stay tuned for more details in a dedicated article:

As you can see, we're fully committed to the open-source ethos, and our work on Xen is a big part of how we're contributing to the broader community. We believe that by pushing boundaries and exploring new possibilities, we can help ensure Xen remains a leader in virtualization technology.