Legacy Apps

Karen Perkins, last updated on 2009-10-21

Solaris Containers enable you to upgrade to the Solaris 10 OS from the Solaris 8 or Solaris 9 OS even if you are running applications that cannot be ported to the Solaris 10 OS. The software allows you to run most Solaris 8 and Solaris 9 applications, unchanged, on the latest SPARC systems and the Solaris 10 OS. An existing Solaris 8 system can be directly upgraded into a Solaris 8 container. An existing Solaris 9 system can be directly upgraded into a Solaris 9 container. The original host is not modified during this process.

For more details on Solaris Containers, see:

• Using Solaris Containers to Host Solaris 8 and 9 Environments on the Solaris 10 OS article on BigAdmin
• Solaris Containers Resources section on this page
• Solaris 8 Containers Resources section on this page
• Solaris 9 Containers Resources section on this page
• Solaris Containers for Linux Applications Resources section on this page

In addition, the article Application Scaling on CMT and Multicore Systems might be of interest. This Sun Developer Network article discusses the challenges in enabling legacy applications to scale on CMT architectures, in particular, and on multicore architectures, in general.

Solaris Containers Resources

• The Solaris Containers web site describes how you can use Solaris Containers to consolidate multiple applications onto one system and increase utilization rates, save on power, space, cooling, administrative, and support costs. It also provides links to other resources, such as the FAQs for the Solaris 8 Containers and Solaris 9 Containers.

• The Solaris Containers Learning Center provides links to resources, such as How To Move a Solaris Container and Online Solaris Containers Demonstration.

• The BigAdmin Containers (Zones) resource page provides links to Container and Zones resources, such as the OpenSolaris Zones Community*, the Solaris Zones forum, articles, how-to information, white papers, and more.

• The Virtualization FAQ on Solaris Containers and Zones answers common questions, such as "What is the difference between Solaris Containers and Solaris Zones?"

• In the XPerts session on Solaris 8 and 9 Containers, Running Solaris 8 and 9 Applications on Solaris 10 with Solaris Containers, Sun engineer Jeff Victor answers questions about how to move Solaris 8 and 9 applications to systems running the Solaris 10 OS.

• The How to Consolidate Servers and Applications Using Solaris Containers (registration required) provides an overview of Solaris Containers and an example of using Solaris Containers to consolidate two Web server applications and an email server application onto a single server.

• The Step 1 to Solaris Containers - Creating Containers (Oct. 2007) blog provides an example of the steps for creating a zone.

• The Sun BluePrints paper Running MySQL Database in Solaris Containers (registration required) describes the process of deploying the MySQL database in virtualized environments using Solaris Zones partitioning technology.

• Datasheet: Run Solaris 8 and Solaris 9 applications on the Solaris 10 OS (pdf)

• Three-minute flash video: Run Most Solaris 8 or Solaris 9 Applications in a container running on a Solaris 10 OS without modifications

Solaris 8 Containers Resources

Jeff Victor's blog Effortless Upgrade: Solaris 8 System to Solaris 8 Container (April 2008) explains what Solaris 8 Containers offer and provides a demo of using Solaris 8 Containers. Although almost all Solaris 8 applications run unmodified in Solaris 10 Containers, sometimes it's better to just move an entire Solaris 8 system--all its directories and files, configuration information, and so on--into a Solaris 10 Container. For those situations, Sun offers Solaris 8 Containers, which provide an isolated environment in which Solaris 8 binaries (applications and libraries) can run without modification.

Note: In order to get support for a Solaris 8 Containers or Solaris 9 Containers deployment, you must purchase an appropriate software subscription. The subscription bundles the software and premium support, and is sold on a per-socket, per-system basis. The subscription enables you to get updates, upgrades, and 24x7 support. For more information, see the Solaris Containers Support and Services web site.

Here are additional resources for Solaris 8 Containers:

• How It Works: Solaris 8 Container Software video (approx. 7 minutes), which describes why Sun engineers developed Solaris 8 Containers and how you can use Solaris 8 Containers to move your unmodified Solaris 8 applications and environment to a Container on the Solaris 10 OS

• Demo: Solaris 8 Containers video (approx. 8 minutes), which demonstrates how to move a Solaris 8 environment to a Container on Solaris 10

• The Solaris 8 Container & Solaris 9 Container: A Brief Introduction*, in which Dennis Clarke explains how Blastwave used Solaris 8 Containers to successfully move Solaris 8 applications to Solaris Containers on the Solaris 10 OS

• Solaris 8 Containers 1.0.1 Documentation Collection, which includes the System Administration Guide: Solaris 8 Containers and the System Administration Guide: Solaris Containers-Resource Management and Solaris Zones

• Download site for Solaris 8 Containers

Solaris 9 Containers Resources

Jeff Victor's blog Effortless Upgrade: Solaris 9 System to Solaris 9 Container (May 2008) explains how Solaris 9 Containers, a set of software packages, enables you to move an existing Solaris 9 system into a Solaris Container on a Solaris 10 system. This software also allows you to create new Solaris 9 Containers on Solaris 10 systems.

Note: In order to get support for a Solaris 8 Containers or Solaris 9 Containers deployment, you must purchase an appropriate software subscription. The subscription bundles the software and premium support, and is sold on a per-socket, per-system basis. The subscription enables you to get updates, upgrades, and 24x7 support. For more information, see the Solaris Containers Support and Services web site.

Here are some resources for Solaris 9 Containers:

• Solaris 9 Containers 1.0.1 Documentation Collection, which includes the System Administration Guide: Solaris 9 Containers and the System Administration Guide: Solaris Containers-Resource Management and Solaris Zones

• Download site for Solaris 9 Containers

Solaris Containers for Linux Applications Resources

Solaris Containers for Linux Applications enable Linux applications to run unmodified on the Solaris 10 OS. See the Solaris Containers for Linux Applications web site for more information.