Where Does Xen Store Domain Configs?
Xen keeps domain configs as files in /etc/xen, with xl.conf for toolstack defaults and guest disk images wherever the configs point.
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Xen domain configuration is refreshingly file-based: one text file per guest in /etc/xen, conventionally named after the domain with a .cfg extension. Each file declares the kernel or bootloader, memory, vCPUs, virtual disks, and network interfaces. Creating a guest is writing a file; starting it is xl create.
The toolstack has its own small config in xl.conf for daemon behavior (ballooning, hotplug scripts, autoboot domains). Guest disk images live wherever the domain configs point, commonly under /var/lib/xen/images or an LVM layout. Follow the disk= lines to find them.
Where Xen stores this, by platform
/etc/xen
One .cfg per guest domain plus xl.conf for toolstack defaults. Guest images sit wherever disk= lines point, often /var/lib/xen/images or LVM volumes. xl create consumes these files directly.
/etc/xen/auto
Autoboot domains are symlinks here pointing at configs in /etc/xen. A guest that starts on boot but is missing from /etc/xen lives in this directory instead.
Frequently asked questions
Which config belongs to a running domain?
List /etc/xen for .cfg files; each names one domain. xl list shows running domains, and xl create takes the config path, so the file list and the hypervisor stay in sync by filename.
xl fails to start a domain. Where do I look?
Read the domain cfg in /etc/xen first: kernel paths, disk lines, and vif definitions cause most failures. xl.conf only tunes the toolstack itself, so check it second.
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