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Server Configuration for Solaris JumpStart Software

Mohammad Shafiuddin Sharif, January 2006

The Solaris 9 Operating System offers an automatic installation process, Solaris JumpStart software. The Solaris JumpStart procedure enables you to install the Solaris OS automatically and configure it differently, depending on the characteristics of client systems. These identifying characteristics are used to select the correct configuration for each client system.

The following tasks are required to configure a single JumpStart server to provide basic software installation services using the JumpStart procedures:

1. Spool the operating system image.
2. Edit the sysidcfg file.
3. Edit the profile and rules.
4. Run the check script.
5. Run the add_install_client script.
6. Boot the client.

Step #1

To spool the Solaris 9 boot and installation images to a local disk, complete the following steps:

Create a directory with at least 800 Mbytes of space available to hold the Solaris OS image. Usually the /export/install directory is used.

# mkdir /export/install

Insert the Solaris 9 Software 1 of 2 CD-ROM in the CD-ROM drive or the Solaris 9 DVD in the DVD drive.

Change the directory to the location of the setup_install_server script.

# cd /cdrom/cdrom0/s0/Solaris_9/Tools

Run the setup_install_server script to copy the Solaris 9 OS installation images to the local disk.

#./setup_install_server /export/install

When the setup_install_server script finishes, change the directory to root (/), and eject the CD-ROM or DVD.

#cd /
#eject cdrom

If you use CD-ROM media, insert the Solaris 9 Software 2 of 2 CD-ROM in the CD-ROM drive.

Change the directory to the location of the add_to_install_server script.

# cd /cdrom/cdrom0/Solaris_9/Tools

Run the add_to_install_server script to copy the remainder of the installation image to the local disk.

#./add_to_install_server /export/install

When add_to_install_server finishes, change the directory to root (/), and eject the CD-ROM.

# cd /
# eject cdrom

Step #2

The sysidcfg file keeps the various types of system information such as locale, time_zone, and so on, and supplies the information to the client at the booting time.

Create a directory to hold the sysidcfg file. Typically the /export/config directory holds the sysidcfg file.

# mkdir /export/config

Change the directory to /export/config, and create a file called sysidcfg using a text editor.

# cd /export/config
# vi sysidcfg

In the sysidcfg file, add the following lines. Substitute values that are appropriate for your systems, location, and network.

network-interface=primary {protocol-ipv6=no
				netmask=255.255.255.0}

security_policy=none
name_service=none
time_zone=US/Mountain
system_locale=en_us

Save the sysidcfg file, and exit your edit session.

Step #3

a. Rules

Create a directory to hold the rules file if this directory does not already exist. Usually, the /export/config directory holds the rules file.

# mkdir /export/config

Change the directory to /export/config, and create a file called rules using a text editor.

# cd /export/config
# vi rules

In the rules file, add the following line:

hostname client_name - profile1 -

For client_name, substitute the name of your JumpStart client. For example:

hostname	sun1	- profile   -

Save the rules file, and exit your edit session.

b. Profiles

Usually, the /export/config directory holds the profile file.

Change the directory to /export/config, and create a file called profile using a text editor.

# cd /export/config

# vi profile1

Add the following lines to the profile1 file:

install_type	initial_install
system_type	standalone
partitioning	explicit
filesys		c0t0d0s0	 free	/
filesys		c0t0d0s1	128	swap
cluster		SUNWCXall

Save the profile1 file, and exit your edit session.

Step #4

Before a JumpStart client can use a configuration provided by a JumpStart server, you must run the check script to produce a file called rules.ok. The check script validates the syntax of the rules file and the profile files. If the validation completes successfully, the check script creates the rules.ok file.

Change the directory to the location of the check script.

# cd /export/install/Solaris_9/Misc/JumpStart_sample

Copy the check script to the /export/config directory.

# cp check /export/config

Change the directory to /export/config, and run the check script.

# cd /export/config
#./check
Validating rules...
Validating profile profile1...
The custom JumpStart configuration is ok.

Step #5

a. Add a host entry.

Edit the /etc/ethers file, and add an entry for the JumpStart client.

#vi /etc/ethers 

00-C0-26-84-34-A1		sun1

Save and exit from the ethers file.

Edit the /etc/inet/hosts file, and add an entry for the JumpStart client.

#vi /etc/inet/hosts

192.168.1.1	sun1

Save and exit from the hosts file.

b. Add a client.

Change the directory to the location of the add_install_client script on the server.

# cd /export/install/Solaris_9/Tools

Run the add_install_client script, and specify server and client information as follows. (Note: The following line of code should all be entered on one line.)

#./add_install_client -c server_name:/export/config \
    -p server_name:/export/config client_name platform_group

For example:

#./add-install-client -c sun:/export/config -p sun:/export/config sun1 sun4u

Edit the /etc/dfs/dfstab file to add the following line:

#vi /etc/dfs/dfstab

share -F nfs -o ro, anon=0 /export/install

share -F nfs -o ro, anon=0 /export/config

Save and exit from the dfstab file.

Run the shareall command to share the /export/config and /export/install directories.

#shareall

Verify that the /export/config and /export/install directories are currently shared.

#share

Step #6

Booting the JumpStart Client

After the JumpStart server has been configured to provide all of the required services, you can initiate the installation process on the JumpStart client. To boot the JumpStart client, perform the following steps:

a. Bring the JumpStart client to run state 0.

# init 0

b. Boot the client to initiate the software installation using the JumpStart procedure.

ok boot net - install

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