Flash Installation:
Flash installtion is nothing but the creating an clone machine setup.
Note: Don’t perform any activity after firing the flarcreate command.

Steps:
1. #mkdir /flash
2. #flarcreate -n flash_root_archive -R / -m server1 -a root_operator -e “flash_image” -c /flash/flash_archive

-n –> name of the archive for information
-R –> routed filesystem where to start the archive
-m –> master system name
-e –> description
-c –> compress the with compress utility
-a –> Author name
(Dont perform any action on the server during this operation)
3. To get the information.
#flar -i /flash/flash_archive

The above activity only creates the dump of the servers O/S along with the installed s/w to install the new os there are two methods:
1. Using the NFS option from the CD
2. Using the Custome Jumpstart installtion

Method 1 Using the NFS option from the CDrom:
1. At server side
# vi /etc/dfs/dfstab
share -F nfs /flash
:wq!
2. Verify it by dfsshares

3. At client Side
Insert the CD no 1
Boot from the CD
OK boot cdrom

4. Select Solaris Interactive Installation options

Solaris Interactive Installation
On the following screens, you can accept the defaults or you can
customize how Solaris software will be installed by:
– Selecting the type of Solaris software to install
– Selecting disks to hold software you’ve selected
– Selecting unbundled products to be installed with Solaris
– Specifying how file systems are laid out on the disks
After completing these tasks, a summary of your selections (called a
profile) will be displayed.
There are two ways to install your Solaris software:
– “Standard” installs your system from a standard Solaris Distribution.
Selecting “Standard” allows you to choose between initial install
and upgrade, if your system is upgradable.
– “Flash” installs your system from one or more Flash Archives.
F2_Standard F4_Flash F5_Exit F6_Help
You can select either a standard installation or a Flash installation.
3. Press F4 to select a Flash installation.
Follow the prompts that follow and answer the relevant questions
until you come to the Flash Archive Retrieval Method window.
Flash Archive Retrieval Method
On this screen you must select a method to retrieve the Flash archive.
The retrieval method depends on where the archive is stored. For
example, if the archive is stored on a tape, select “Local Tape”.
Available Retrieval Methods
========================================
[ ] HTTP[S]
[ ] FTP
[X] NFS
[ ] Local File
[ ] Local Tape
[ ] Local Device
F2_Continue F5_Cancel F6_Help
When performing Flash archive installations, you can select any one
of six retrieval methods. One commonly used version is to retrieve
the archive from the master as NFS-shared files.
Using a Flash Archive for Installation
17-14 Advanced System Administration for the Solaris™ 10 Operating System
Copyright 2005 Sun Microsystems, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Sun Services, Revision A.1
4. Select NFS, and press F2 to continue.
When you select a retrieval method, you must select a specific
location. In the NFS retrieval method, the next screen prompts you
for the server and location. Remember to use the IP address of the
server instead of the server name.
Flash Archive Addition
Please specify the path to the network file system where the Flash
archive is located. For example:
NFS Location: syrinx:/export/archive.flar
=========================================================================
NFS Location: 192.168.0.1:/flash/flash_archive
F2_Continue F5_Cancel F6_Help
5. Press F2 to continue.
Next, you add a Flash archive. If the NFS file system is mounted and
shared, and if you can locate the Flash archive within the file system,
you are prompted for additional Flash archive names. A Solaris OS
image must exist on a clone system before you can install additional
Flash archives. The first Flash archive you install must also contain a
bootable Solaris OS image.
Flash Archive Selection
You selected the following Flash archives to use to install this system.
If you want to add another archive to install select “New”.
Retrieval Method Name
====================================================================
NFS build74L1
F2_Continue F3_Go Back F4_Edit F5_New F6_Help

& continue the process….
2nd Method:

Using the Custom Jumpstart
AT server 192.168.0.1

–> Make the below changes in the /export/jumpstart/host_class file
#vi /export/jumpstart/host_class_path
install_type flash_install
partitioning explicit
archive_location nfs://192.168.0.1/flash/flash_archive
filesys c0t0d0s0 15000 /
filesys c0t0d0s1 1024 swap
filesys c0t0d0s7 1000 /export/home
:wq!

–> Make the below changes in the host configuaration area as below in the /export/jumpstart/rules file
#vi /export/jumpstart/rules
#hostname sample_host – host_class set_root_pw
hostname station1 – host_class –
hostname station2 – host_class_path –
:wq!

(Note make sure that all the lines below of host configuaration are commented with ‘#’)

–> cd /export/Jumpstart
#./check

1. #vi /etc/ethers
8:0:20:cf:71:d2 station2
(To get the MAC id execute banner command at Ok prompt @ station2 )

2. #vi /etc/hosts
127.0.0.1 localhost
192.168.0.1 server1 loghost
192.168.0.10 station1
192.168.0.20 station2
(Note: This step will assign the IP 192.168.0.20 to the station2 client)

3. #vi /export/jumpstart/sysidcfg
system_locale=en_US
timezone=EST
timeserver=localhost
terminal=vt100
name_service=NONE
security_policy=none
root_password=El2UPcUnIueS6
nfs4_domain=dynamic
network_interface=hme0 {primary protocol_ipv6=no netmask=255.255.255.0 default_route=none}

(Note: Make sure that the N/W interface is properly given as per n/w of client m/c such as pcn0,hme0 & so on Also root_password
is known password from /etc/shadow file )

4. #cd /export/Jumpstart/Solaris_10/Tools
5. #./add_install_client -s server1:/export/jumpstart -c server1:/export/jumpstart -p server1:/export/jumpstart station2 sun4u

In the commmand
-s indicates the name & location of the Boot Sever
-c Indicaes the name & location of the Configuration server
-p indicates the name & location of the server that contains sysidcfg file

Above steps does the below things:
1. It will add the entry of station2 in boot paramter
2. TFTP service will get enabled.
3. /export/jumpstart directory will be get shared via NFS.
Final Step starting the boot at the client @ station2:
1. come to OK prompt by pressing STOP+A command
2. OK boot net – install nowin (text based installation ) or
Ok boot net – install (GUI based installation)
[Get the coffe from coffe machine & relaxed till the installation completes 🙂 ]

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Solaris Topics