how to build a oracle solaris jumpstart server
DESCRIPTION
How to Build a Oracle Solaris Jumpstart ServerTRANSCRIPT
How I built an Oracle Solaris Jumpstart
Server using Oracle JET
(Jumpstart Enterprise toolkit)
Author: Siddhartha Sankar Sinha
Rev: 1.0
Date: 12/04/2011
First I will load the Server from a Oracle Solaris 10 DVD or from an existing Jumpstart Server. Procedures
are pretty straightforward if you use Oracle DVD. Just follow the instruction and load the base operating
system. Here is a screenshot how it looks like when I was installing it from an existing Jumpstart Server.
I am installing it from another Jumpstart Server to save time to install OS and latest available patches.
But it could be done separately if loaded from CD/DVD.
Next few screens will be something like this when loaded from a Jumpstart Server.
And after a few minutes
It will take a while. Probably 25‐30 minutes to complete OS load and Patch installation. Patch cluster
loading doesn’t take longer with latest Solaris 10.
Now I will login to the newly built server. These are the disks available in this server. Out of that we used
c1t0d0 & c1t1d0 for Operating Systems. We will start planning how we will set it ip.
We will copy all the ISO Images of Solaris Operating Systems we are planning to support. Plus we need
all the patches available for Jumpstart Server. And we need Solaris Jumpstart Enterprise Toolkit. I
already downloaded that from http://wikis.sun.com/display/JET/Home website.
I will now run pkgadd –d jet.pkg and install all the packages
Solaris Jet package is installed. Now I will create a RAID5 volume with all the other local attached SCSI
disks for the images and softwares I will use for all the Solaris Servers.
metadb successfully created. I can check that now. Next step I will create a RAID 5 Volume with all these
disks
Now I will create the RAID5 volume
RAID5 volume is now setting up. Now I will create a filesystem in it once completed. I can check the
status.
Checking again and now it is completed.
Now I will create an UFS filesystem in this volume
Now I will add the entry as below and then will run mountall
Here is df –h output
Now I will copy create /jumpstart/iso_images directory and will copy all available ISO images I already
downloaded or created from CDs. This is what I got.
Now I will create a mount point for /export/ flasharchives in the last disk which is SAN attached to save
all the flash archives under /export/flasharchives directory. If I wouldn’t have this disk I could simply use
/jumpstart directory ( Filesystem) to create flasharchives directory. Also I have to create mount points
for the Solaris images in /export/home directory. Now it is up to you how you will plan for your
requirement.
Now I will create mount point for the ISO images I have. I normally don’t use all the images. Only 3
images I always use those highlighted above in RED. But I keep the other images in case I need for any
Customer.
Anyway now I will cd /opt/SUNWjet/etc directory and edit solaris_iso_locations file to add the entries I
need and it looks like below.
Now I will run this command to mount all the ISO images
The above screen is partial view. Once the command completed df –h output is like this
Next step I will run add_solaris_locations like below for all the images
After running that command for all the images I need I will check that with list_solaris_locations
command. And output below
Now I will run showmount –e command to check whether the above filesystems are exported or not.
Everything is looking good so far. Now I will make sure that these filesystems are mounted automatically
after I reboot the server for any reason. I will create a file in /etc/rc2.d and I will name is as
S86share_isos.
The file will be like this
Now I will edit /etc/hosts file to include all the hosts and their IP address of the Sun Servers I will install
from this Jumpstart Server.
After that I will create the following directories under /export directory for extra packages, patches etc.
Please the this website for more details explanation http://wikis.sun.com/display/JET/Home
Now I will edit /etc/dsf/dfstab file and add /export/install/patches & /export/install/pkgs
The file will look like
And then I will run shareall and check the status
All the patches I will put in /export/install/patches directory. In my jumpstart server it looks like below. I
saved the zip files in case I can copy them easily to another server to build another Jumpstart Server.
Now to support PXE boot for x86 servers like X4200/x4600/v20z/v40z there are several procedures
available in the internet. If there is a DHCP server available you can use that server to define your X86
Servers as well otherwise create a DHCP Server and specify the MAC address to server only those
servers.
As I don’t have a dhcp server I will create one two install two x4600 Server
Here is a good procedure to setup dhcp in Solaris http://kalali.me/configuring‐dhcp‐server‐in‐solaris/ .
Path for the dhcpmgr is /usr/sadm/admin/bin/dhcpmgr and I will show you how you can do using
dhcpmgr.
And it will bring an window like this
I will leave “Configure as DHCP server” checked and click on OK. Next screen I will select Text files and
click on Next.
I will leave /var/dhcp ( default value ) as path. You may select whatever you need. Next
Here I will select /etc/hosts as I don’t have any DNS Server to manage the hosts
And I will click on Next
I will select highest possible value you can select whatever length of lease suitable for your
environment. And I will leave the box checked for “Clients can renew their leases”
As I don’t have any DNS Server so I will leave these entries alone and will click next
Now from the “Network Address” drop down menu I will select the IP Scheme I am going to support
and then I will click “next”.
I have nothing to change here so I will click on next here
Next screen I have no NIS so I will just click on Next
No NIS+ either so Next
Final screen and I will click on finish
Next screen I will click on yes
Here I will select Number of IP address to 2 as I will test two x86 Server only
And I will click next and starting IP address I will change to 192.168.224.16 and I will click next.
The reason I selected .16 because those are two servers at .16 & .17
I will clink on next.
I will select lease type as permanent.
I will review next screen and will click on finish.
Next screen is like this.
Now dhcp server is ready is up. Now I will cd /opt/SUNWjet/Products/base_config/solaris/base_config
and I will edit base_config.conf file and change few stuffs. Marked in Red
This is another setting we need for our infrastructure. You need to be very careful when you select these
options. If you have existing data in another disks use at your risk.
There is few more setting we do to support Customers.
I am almost ready to test my newly built jumpstart Server. I will test one Sparc and another X86 Server.
I will cd to /opt/SUNWjet/bin and then I will run make_template –f m4000a and then I will edit the
template /opt/SUNWjet/Templates/m4000a file. And change the entries these entries.
Now I will open the console of m4000a and start booting from network
Few minutes later
Now I will test this jumpstart server for x86 servers too . I will run the same command for a x4600
server.
Now I will change few entries so that I can load this x86 architecture. So things different. Client
Architecture and Client OS
And I need to change the following parameter to dhcp for PXE boot. This is the reason I enabled DHCP
Server .
Another change as I am not using GUI for this server instead I want to use the Serial Console
These are the most basic stuffs I need for Jumpstart Server. Lot of customization can be done editng
that file. Also make_template with several option will add other modules. I just covered the most basic
stuffs for now.
If I get a chance later I will add the flash image installation, zfs filesystems, sds and few other stuffs.