Solaris Jumpstart Cheat Sheet




Solaris Jumpstart Cheat Sheet

For more details please refer to the sun documentation regarding on how to install, configure
and implement Solaris Jumpstart

Create the directory structure	mkdir -p /export/jumpstart/Solaris_8 mkdir /export/jumpstart/Solaris_10 mkdir /export/jumpstart/config mkdir /export/jumpstart/boot
Share out directories	# edit the /etc/dfs/dfstab file share -F nfs -o ro,anon=0 /export/jumpstart/
Create Install server	# Obtain the Solaris 8 CD's setup-install-server /export/jumpstart/Solaris_8 # Obtain the Solaris 10 CD's or DVD setup-install-server /export/jumpstart/Solaris_10
Add additional software	# Solaris normally comes on multiple CD's add-to-install-server /export/jumpstart/Solaris_8 # Solaris normally comes on multiple CD's add-to-install-server /export/jumpstart/Solaris_10
Copy the configuration and example scripts	The samples can be find in and should be copied to /export/jumpstart/config /Misc/jumpstart_sample
Create boot Servers	# If additonal boot servers are required setup-install-server -b /export/jumpstart/boot
Setup automatic system config	create the sysidcfg information in the /export/jumpstart/config directory (can use sysidconfig from other servers) Example sysidcfg file --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- timezone=GB timeserver=localhost network_interface=primary {netmask=255.255.240.0 protocol_ipv6=no} terminal=vt100 security_policy=NONE name_service=NONE
Create profiles	# There are various examples on the CD's (directory) # profile keywords profile values # ----------------- -----------------   install_type initial_install   system_type standalone   partitioning default   filesys c0t0d0s0 4000 /   filesys c0t0d0s1 1000 swap   filesys c0t0d0s3 1000 /var   cluster SUNWcuser   cluster SUNWCacc   package SUNWman delete see link for more profile exmaples, you have used the SUNWcall cluster package for everything
Create Begin & Finish scripts	The scripts can be shell, perl, etc
Create rules file	The rules are based on keywords with values, begin script, profile, finish script hostname vclus1   -   cluster_profile  -
Check rules file	# Run the check script within the config directory, a file will be created called "rules.ok" check
Setup clients	# add_install_client is in Solaris_10/Tools directory ./add_install_client -e 8:0:20:7a:22:7e  -i 192.168.0.1 -t jump1:/export/jumpstart/Solaris_10/Tools/Boot -p jump1:/export/jumpstart/config -c jump1:/export/jumpstart/config -s jump1:/export/jumpstart/Solaris_10 newserver1 sun4u -e client ethernet address -i IP address of client -t install boot image path -p Profile Server: -c Configuration Server: -s Install Server: you could have obmitted the -e and -i options if you add them to /etc/ethers and /etc/hosts files Other useful options --------------------------------------------------------------------- -d specify as a DHCP client
check boot server	## to make sure that a boot server is on the network, yo can use the command rpcinfo -b bootparam 1

Jumpstart Process

Jumpstart Server/Client Process

Client sends a RARP for its IP address  The Boot Server responds via RARPD (in.rarpd) with the IP address in /etc/ethers or the ethers NIS/NIS+ map depending on the ethers setting in /etc/nsswitch.conf The client sends a tftp request for a bootimage The server starts in.tftp from inetd and sends the small net kernel image The client then starts bootparams client and requests boot info The server responds with the clients entry from /etc/bootparams The client NFS mount it’s root partition from the install server The client then mounts the configuration server (/jumpstart) and runs “sysidtool”.  It then mounts the install image and runs Suninstall to begin the install process.

Daemons used

Daemons Used

mountd nfsd rpc.bootparamd in.rarpd in.tftpd rpld (x86)

Files Used

Files Used

/tftpboot /rplboot /etc/inetd.conf /etc/ethers /etc/hosts /etc/bootparams

SVM - Fast Resync mirror volume

RAID 1 volumes (mirroring) can benefit from increased sync buffer size to 1M (2048 512 blocks). To experiment use metasync -r 2048 command. For permanent changes:

• On the Solaris 10 systems added the following line to /etc/system. set md_mirror:md_resync_bufsz = 2048
   
• For Solaris 9 edit the S95svm.sync file to include the "2048" buffer size.

• Tips and Tricks:

  By default the system will not boot without one more than half the total metadb replicas. I suggest you put extra copies of the metadb on some of your non-system disks. If you only have two disks (IE: the system disks) I suggest you add this entry to your /etc/system file:

  set md:mirrored_root_flag=1
  

  This will allow you to boot with only one metadb, if one of you disk drives fails.
  Also, you might want to add:

  set md_mirror:md_resync_bufsz = 2048
  

  to /etc/system as well. This greatly speeds up resyncs of failed mirror components by using 2 meg buffers instead of the default 128k. On one of our SunFire V215 machines, this increased the resync speed from 8-9 MB/second to 36-37 MB/second.
  The default maximum number of devices is 128. IE: creating a metadevice named "d129" will fail with an error. You can increase this by changing:

  nmd=128 
  

  to

  nmd=400
  

  in /kernel/drv/md.conf. This required a "boot -r" to take effect.