The RF operation of the about 800 superconducting 1.3 GHz 9-cell cavities of the XFEL linac requires helium II bath cooling at 2 K, corresponding to a vapor pressure of 3100 Pa. After the first cool-down of the XFEL linac to 4 K in December, 27th 2016 the operation of the 2 K cryogenic system was started in January, 2nd 2017. The 2 K cryogenic system consist of a 4-stage set of cold compressors to compress helium vapor at a mass flow of up to 100 g/s from 2400 Pa to about 110 kPa and a full flow bypass with an arrangement of heat exchangers and control valves. This paper describes the XFEL refrigerating plant, especially the 2 K cryogenic system, the tuning of the cold compressor regulation to adapt to the XFEL linac static and dynamic heat loads and experience of about 6 months of operation.