E10K: Installing the OS on a domain

Standard disclaimer: Use the information that follows at your own risk. If you screw up a system, don't blame it on me...

Installing a fresh operating system on a new domain is basically a six step process:

  1. Configuring the SSP as a boot server
  2. Preparing the domain
  3. Installing the operating system
  4. Booting the domain for the first time.
  5. Installing additional packages.
  6. Finishing the installation

Configuring the SSP as a boot server

On the SSP:

  1. Login as root
  2. Add the new domain information to the /etc/hosts and to the /etc/ethers
  3. Insert the CD
  4. Change to the appropriate directory and run add_install_client
    1. Solaris 2.5

      cd /cdrom/solaris_2_5_1_hw497_sparc/s0
      ./add_install_client
    2. Solaris 2.6

      cd /cdrom/sol_2_6_598_sparc_smcc_server/s0/Solaris_2.6/Tools ./add_install_client
    3. Later versions; hopefully it's documented...
  5. Ensure the cd is shared with ro and anon=0 options otherwise, the domain boot will hang.

Preparing the domain

  1. Login to the SSP as ssp; domain_switch, if necessary, to the domain that you're going to install.
  2. Boot the domain to the OK prompt via bringup -A off
  3. Start a netcon session and wait patiently for the ok prompt to show up.
  4. Check for duplicate aliases in the devalias list. The boot will hand if the aliases are defined multiple times. Remove duplicates via nvunalias command.
  5. Create an alias for the network device from which you'll install the OS. Use show-nets command to display the adapters. Then, nvalias net -Y
  6. Finally, boot net

Installing the operating system

For the most part, pretty much a vanilla OS install from here. A couple of key points in the notes:

  1. Ensure you install the Entire distribution plus OEM support.
  2. Ensure you make the filesystem slices big enough; particularly swap
  3. Use eeprom, if necessary, to update the boot-device OBP parm.

Booting the domain for the first time.

Nothing special about this; just ensure you get all the sys_config information correctly. Update the /etc/ssphostname if needed.

Installing additional packages.

The specific packages to add are going to be OS dependent. NFS mount the CD on the domain from the SSP then use normal pkgadd commands to install them.

Here's the list through 2.6

  1. Any patches for the h/w or os.
  2. Solaris 2.5
    1. SUNWabdr - Dynamic Reconfiguration answer book
    2. SUNWehea - Header file extensions
    3. SUNWprtnu - Processor partition utilities
    4. SUNWxntp - Network time protocol
    5. SUNWabhdw - SMCC hardware answer book
    6. SUNWeman - Enterprise man pages.
  3. Solaris 2.6
    1. SUNWabhdw - Hardware answer book
    2. SUNWehea - Enterprise header files
    3. SUNWeman - Enterprise man pages

Finishing the installation.

Just a few things left; only one of which is really important

  1. Configure the network time protocol using the ssp as the time server. This is important because, without it, DR operations will have problems.
  2. Configure the alternate pathing software if you're going to use it.
  3. Reboot