So I have an interesting install question. I have a single server and I would like to have ISPConfig setup on it with multi-server setup. I know I can use OpenVZ to do this and that is what I am planning, but I would like to allow ISPConfig to also use OpenVZ for other stuff. As far as I am aware, you can't run OpenVZ in OpenVZ. So the thought is to run two DNS and maybe Mail in OpenVZ with the Web and Database installed outside the OpenVZ (on the server OS itself). Not sure if I can control the Bind and Mail OpenVZ containers from within ISPConfig or if I should run those separate in a way (they don't show up in ISPConfig under virtualization). Anyone have any thoughts on this?
I don't know what you have in mind there, just using ispconfig's limited openvz management to fire up a container here and there? You have better security/separation if you put all your services in containters, not the hardware node. I'd guess you could get them added if you wanted to; I don't know how offhand (we no longer have any setup in ispconfig), but might try something like shutting down the old containers, add a new container in ispconfig with the same ip address, then either copy the old container's filesystem to the new container or just rename the container directories (ie. VE_ROOT and VE_PRIVATE, probably /var/lib/vz/root/{ctid} and /var/lib/vz/private/{ctid}), so that the old container dir is renamed to the new one (and delete or rename the new one first).
So you are suggesting it might be better to set everything up in OpenVZ compared to installing some services outside and using ISPConfig to manage the others? Basically the way I was thinking is to install Web Services, Database Services, OpenVZ, and ISPConfig (possibly mail as well). Once that is running, use ISPConfig to create containers to install Bind and ISPConfig on two separate containers, and if I decide to break mail out it will be in it's own container with ISPConfig. I wasn't sure if that might be like putting the cart before the horse or if I would have any issue with that type of configuration.
I would recommend that you review other options for virtualization as OpenVZ is not the best option anymore. Having said that it could be suitable for you.