Solaris Jumpstart Installation

Solaris Jumpstart Installation
 

      Kind of unattended installation used to install Solaris OS from network on multiple machines at a time.

Process
   
     Client                     Server

 1) Sends a RARP for its IP address
 2)                     The Boot Server responds via RARPD (in.rarpd) with the IP address in /etc/ethers
 3) sends tftp request for a bootimage   
 4)                    The Server starts in.tftp from inetd and sends the small net kernel image.
 5) requests bootparams and boot info
 6)                     The server responds with the clients entry from /etc/bootparams
 7) NFS mount root partition from install server
 8) Then mounts the configuration server (/jumpstart) and runs "sysidtool"
 9) run the install image and runs the suninstall to begin the install process
           
Files involved in Jumpstart

1) /etc/ethers
2) /etc/bootparams
3) /etc/inet/hosts
4) /etc/inetd.conf
5) /tftpboot
6) /etc/dfs/dfstab

Daemons used

 
1) in.rarpd
2) in.tftpd
3) nfsd
4) mountd
5) rpc.bootparamd

Services support the software instalation process

 1) Boot services
 2) Identification services
 3) Configuration services
 4) Installation services

Boot Services

    The server that provides services like in.rarpd, in.tftpd and rpc.bootparamd called a boot server. The following are the files in boot server is properly configured
  
     /etc/ethers and  /etc/inet/hosts  --> RARP requests
     /tftpboot  ( /etc/inetd.conf )    --> network bootstrap program
     /etc/bootparams           --> Provides access to bootimage ( (/) root file system )
     /etc/dfs/dfstab            --> To share the directories that they provide

   Can configure the boot services using ./add_install_client script

Identification services

  Automatically answers to system indentification questions that the client systems requests
  Files involved - /etc/inet/hosts , "sysidcfg" and any one of the Name services like NIS, NIS+ or LDAP.

Configuration Services

  Jumpstart client require support from a  server to obtain answers for system configuration questions that they issue.
   A configuration server provides information that specifies how the Solaris OS instalation proceeds on the Jumpstart client

    Installation types
    System type
    Disk partitioning and fs specifications
    Configuration cluster selection
    software packages additions or deletions

  Configuration server share the directory /export/config  having the following files

    i) rules (hostname,arch,domainname, memsize and model)
    ii) Profile (class) file
    iii) "check" scripts verify the rules and profie file syntaxes
    iv) rules.ok created by check script , jumpstart refer this file during installation
    v) optional begin and finish scripts perform post and pre installation tasks
 

Installation Services
A system that provides image of the Solaris OS is called an install server.

Sources of the OS image
     i) CD
    ii) DVD
    iii) spooled image of CD/DVD
    iv) A Flash installation image

Steps to configure JS in Solaris 10

Pre-requisites

•  Ensure bootserver/install server is configured 
•  NFS is running on JS server
•  TFTP servics are running. 
•  in.rarpd is running

1) Create the /export/install director and share

   #mkdir /export/install
   #echo "share -F nfs -o ro,anon=0 /export/install" >> /etc/dfs/dfsstab

2) Create Boot server, copy the contents of Solaris image
 

   #cd /media/Solaris_10/Tools
   #./setup_install_server /export/install

   #./setup_install_server -b /export/install

3) Copy the configuration files to Jumpstart directory

  #cp -r /media/Solaris_10/Misc/* /jumpstart

4) Create "sysidcfg" file in /jumpstart  -- automatic system config file
   system_locale=en_US
   install_locale=en_US  
   timezone=IST
   timeserver=localhost
   network_interface=primary {netmask=255.255.240.0 protocol_ipv6=no}
   terminal=vt100
   security_policy=NONE
   name_service=NONE

5) Create Profile file -- configuration information
   #cd /jumpstart
   #vi clientprofile
   install_type initial_install
   system_type standalone
   partitioning default
   filesys c0t0d0s0 4000 /
   filesys c0t0d0s1 1000 swap
   filesys c0t0d0s3 1000 /var
   cluster SUNWcall

7) Create the Rule file -- Allows jumpstart to select the profile
   #cd /jumpstart
   #vi rules
   hostname client1 - clientprofile -

where, - before and afer profile is post and pre installation scripts

8) Run the check script to validate the profile and rules file
   #./check it will generate rules.ok file

9) Edit the /etc/ethers file and add the client for which jumpstart need to be installed
    #vi /etc/ethers
    8:0:20:7a:22:7e  192.168.0.3

10) Now the add the client which using add_install_script in Solaris_10/Tools directory in the JS server to setup client

#./add_install_client -e 8:0:20:7a:22:7e  -i 192.168.0.3 -s Jumpserver:/export/install -c Jumpserver:/jumpstart -p Jumpserver:/jumpstart newclient sun4u

 where,
    -e --> ethernet hardware address of client
    -i --> IP of client
    -s --> boot server
    -p --> profile  "sysidcfg"
    -c --> configuration server (rules and profiles)
    newclient --> hostname of the client
    sun4u --> architecture

11) Start the client
     OK>boot net - install nowin