Solaris Operating Environment Update Charts

With the boot command, you can specify the location of the Jumpstart profile and sysidcfg information to use to perform the installation. You can specify a path to an HTTP server, an NFS server, or a file that is available on local media.

Enables host systems to receive IP addresses and network configuration information at boot time from a network server. The DHCP service in the Solaris platform has been enhanced so that it can support larger numbers of clients:

• It now uses multithreading to serve multiple clients simultaneously.
• Data is now stored in binary files, which can support larger numbers of clients with faster access than the ASCII files and NIS+ data stores can.
• Access to files and NIS+ data stores has been redesigned to support server multithreading.
• Data access architecture has been changed so third parties can write code modules that enable the DHCP server to use any data service to store DHCP data.

In addition, the DHCP server now support dynamic DNS updates. The DHCP service can update the DNS service with the host names of DHCP clients that request a specific host name. The Solaris software DHCP client can now be configured to request a specific host name. For more information, refer to the DHCP Administration Guide.

Enables recovery from single-point failures through network adapters and increased traffic handling. This release introduces the IPMP Reboot Safe feature. When a failed NIC is removed from the system via dynamic reconfiguration, and a reboot occurs prior to reinsertion of a functioning NIC, the system attempts, but fails, to plumb an interface for the missing NIC. Rather than losing the IP address, the IPMP Reboot Safe feature transfers the IP address to another NIC in the IPMP interface group. For more information, see the IP Network Multipathing Administration Guide.

The boot command has new options for custom Solaris JumpStart installations. For example, you can specify the location of the configuration files to use to perform the installation as an URL, NFS server, or file that is available on local media. If you do not know the file path, set the installation program to prompt you with the path after the machine boots and connects to the network. Using the nowin option to enable or disable the X Server when it starts can shorten installation time. For detailed instructions about how to use these options, refer to "Performing a Custom JumpStart Installation" in the Solaris 8 software Advanced Installation Guide.

Updates include:

• Unused dependencies can be determined using ldd(1). (See the -u option.)
• Various ELF ABI extensions have been added and the associated documentation revised. Refer to: Initialization and Termination Sections, Initialization and Termination Routines, Table 6, 9, 16, 17, 19, 24, 45, 46, Section Groups, and Program Loading (Processor-Specific).
• _32 and _64 variants provide greater flexibility in the use of link-editor environment variables. Refer to the "Environment Variables" section in the Linker and Libraries Guide.

Provides a method of upgrading that substantially reduces the usual service outage associated with an operating system upgrade. Duplicate the current running boot environment, and while the original boot environment continues to run, upgrade the duplicate. Or, instead of upgrading, install a Solaris Web Start Flash archive on a boot environment. The original system configuration remains fully functional and unaffected by the upgrade or installation of a Solaris Web Start Flash archive. The duplicate boot environment then becomes the active boot environment when the system is rebooted. However, a simple reboot reverts the system to the original boot environment. In addition, a boot environment can have different file system types, sizes, and layouts, without affecting the configuration of the installation software. This feature is available only via Web download at www.sun.com/solaris/liveupgrade. Understanding basic system administration is necessary before using Solaris Live Upgrade. To learn more about system administration, refer to the System Administration Guide, Volume 1. For more information about installing and creating Web Start Flash archives, refer to "Web Start flash Installation Feature Topics" in the Advanced Installation Guide.

A combination of all previous Solaris 8 software installation guides:

• SPARC Platform Edition Installation Guide (806-0955)
• Intel Platform Edition Installation Guide (806-0956)
• Advanced Installation Guide (806-0957)
• Installation Supplement (806-7500)

The revision also includes new information about enhanced installation technologies. The focus is on task-based procedures, with reference material covered separately in the guide.

Sockets interface to NCA added through which any Web server can communicate with NCA with only configuration modifications. Web servers such as Apache, iPlanet Web Server, and Zeus can use NCA performance through standard socket library functions. For more information, refer to "Solaris Network Cache Accelerator (NCA)" in the System Administration Guide, Volume 3.

Enables a system in one location to communicate over telephone lines or leased communications media with a system at a remote location. This implementation is based on the widely used Australian National University (ANU) PPP, and is entirely new for the Solaris Operating Environment. PPP 4.0 is easily configured through a set of files, enabling customers to tailor it to fit their remote communication needs. It supports both asynchronous and synchronous communications, and offers password authentication protocol (PAP) and challenge handshake authentication protocol (CHAP) authentication. For further information, refer to the pppd(1m) man page. For information on licensing terms, refer to the incorporated material at the following locations:/var/sadm/pkg/SUNWpppd/install/copyright
/var/sadm/pkg/SUNWpppdu/install/copyright
/var/sadm/pkg/SUNWpppg/install/copyright

J2SE software, version 1.3.0, is an upgrade release for the Java 2 Platform SDK.

• Performance Improvements - Java HotSpot technology- and performance-tuned runtime libraries make this the fastest Java platform to date.
• Easier Web Deployment - New features such as applet caching and automatic installation of optional packages by the Java Plug-in component enhance the speed and flexibility with which programs can be displayed on the Web.
• Enterprise Interoperability - Addition of RMI/IIOP and Java Naming and Directory Interface enhances interoperability of the Java 2 platform.
• Security Advances - New support for RSA electronic signing, dynamic trust management, X.509 certificates, and verification of Netscape software-signed files provides more ways for developers to protect data.
• Java Sound - Includes a powerful new sound API. Previous releases limited audio support to basic playback of audio clips. This release defines a set of standard classes and interfaces for low-level audio support.
• Enhanced APIs and Improved Ease of Development - In response to requests from the developer community, new features were added that expand the platform's functionality, enable development of more powerful applications, and make the development process faster and more efficient.

Updated to describe a new parameter, logevent_max_q_sz (first available in the Solaris 8 1/01 release), and corrections to the tcp_slow_start_initial and tmpfs:tmpfs_minfree parameters.

Adds support for the Sun Gigaswift 1000 Base-T Ethernet driver, which gives exceptional performance of a 1 gigabit twisted-pair copper Ethernet link.

Sendfilev(), a vectored sendfile system call, enables better performance for sending out data from application buffers or files. For example, in Web performance, a Web server can construct an HTTP response in a single system call, which includes a header, data, trailer, and server side include (SSI). This feature provides optimal performance with NCA, because it enables the return of the multiple chunks that might come from various files for the response.