System Requirements and Recommendations
The following tables list basic system requirements to install the Oracle Solaris OS.
Table 1-1 Memory, Swap, and Processor Recommendations
|
|
|---|
Memory
to install or upgrade |
- For UFS file systems, the memory requirements are as follows.
For SPARC systems:
For x86 systems:
Note - Some optional installation features are enabled only when sufficient memory is present. For example, if you install from a DVD with insufficient memory, you install through the Oracle Solaris installation program's text installer, not through the GUI. For more information about these memory requirements, see Table 1-2.
In previous Oracle Solaris releases, you could not install and boot the Oracle Solaris OS from a disk that was greater than 1 TB in size. Starting with the Oracle Solaris 10 10/09 release, you can install and boot the Oracle Solaris OS from a disk that is up to 2 TB in size. Starting with the Oracle Solaris 10 10/09 release, you can use the VTOC label on a disk of any size, but the addressable space by the VTOC is limited to 2 TB. This feature allows disks that are larger than 2 TB to be used as boot drives, but the usable space from the label is limited to 2 TB.
Note - This feature is only available on systems that run a 64-bit kernel. A minimum of 1.5 GB of memory is required for x86 based systems.
For detailed information, see Two-Terabyte Disk Support for Installing and Booting the Oracle Solaris OS in System Administration Guide: Devices and File Systems. For ZFS root pools in SPARC and x86 systems:
1.5 GB is the minimum memory. 1.5 GB of memory is recommended for overall ZFS performance. At least 16 GB of disk space is recommended.
|
Swap area |
Note - You might need to customize the swap space.
Swap space is based on the size of the system's hard disk.
|
Processor requirements |
|
|
Oracle Solaris Installation Program GUI or Text Installer Requirements
The Oracle Solaris installation program on the Oracle Solaris Operating System DVD
or Oracle Solaris Software - 1 CD can be run with a
graphical user interface (GUI) or as an interactive text installer in a desktop
or console session. For x86 based systems, the Solaris Device Configuration Assistant is
included in the Oracle Solaris installation program.
-
GUI – The Oracle Solaris installation GUI provides windows, pull-down menus, buttons, scrollbars, and iconic images to enable you to interact with the installation program. The GUI requires a local or remote DVD-ROM or CD-ROM drive or network connection, video adapter, keyboard, monitor, and enough memory. For more information about these memory requirements, see Table 1-2.
-
Text installer – The Oracle Solaris interactive text installer enables you to type information in a terminal or console window to interact with the installation program. You can run the text installer in a desktop session with a windowing environment, or in a console session. The text installer requires a local or remote DVD-ROM or CD-ROM drive or network connection, keyboard, and monitor. You can run the Oracle Solaris installation text installer with the tip command. For more information, see the man page, tip(1).
You can choose to install the software with a GUI or with or
without a windowing environment. If there is sufficient memory, the GUI is displayed
by default. Other environments are displayed by default if memory is insufficient for
the GUI. You can override defaults with the nowin or text boot options. But,
you are limited by the amount of memory in your system or
by installing remotely. Also if the Oracle Solaris installation program does not detect a
video adapter, it automatically displays in a console-based environment. Table 1-2 describes these
environments and list memory requirements for displaying them.
Table 1-2 Memory Requirements for Display Options
|
|
|
|---|
1.5 GB
or greater |
Text-based |
Contains no graphics, but provides a window and the ability to
open other windows. If you install by using the text boot option and the
system has enough memory, you are installing in a windowing environment. If you
are installing remotely through a tip line or using the nowin boot option,
you are limited to the console-based installation. |
1.5 GB or greater |
GUI-based |
Provides windows, pull-down menus,
buttons, scrollbars, and iconic images. |
|
You can also specify the installer you want to use during the
installation by entering a selection or special command at a prompt. For instructions, see
the procedures in Chapter 2, Installing With the Oracle Solaris Installation Program For UFS File Systems (Tasks).
General Disk Space Planning and Recommendations
Planning disk space is different for everyone. Consider allocating space for the following
conditions, depending on your needs.
Table 1-3 General Disk Space and Swap Space Planning
|
|
|---|
For UFS file systems |
For each
file system that you create, allocate an additional 30 percent more disk space
than you need to enable you to upgrade to future Oracle Solaris
versions. By default, the Oracle Solaris installation methods create only root (/) and
/swap. When space is allocated for OS services, the /export directory is
also created. If you are upgrading to a major Oracle Solaris release,
you might need to reslice your system or allocate double the space that
you need at installation time. If you are upgrading to an update, you
could prevent having to reslice your system by allocating extra disk space for
future upgrades. An Oracle Solaris update release needs approximately 10 percent more disk space
than the previous release. You can allocate an additional 30 percent of disk
space for each file system to allow space for several Oracle Solaris updates.
Note - In
previous Oracle Solaris releases, you could not install and boot the Oracle
Solaris OS from a disk that was greater than 1 TB in size. Starting with the Oracle Solaris 10 10/09 release,
you can install and boot the Oracle Solaris OS from a disk that
is up to 2 TB in size. Starting with the Oracle Solaris 10 10/09 release, you can use the VTOC
label on a disk of any size, but the addressable space by the
VTOC is limited to 2 TB. This feature allows disks that are larger
than 2 TB to be used as boot drives, but the usable space
from the label is limited to 2 TB. This feature is only available on
systems that run a 64-bit kernel. A minimum of 1.5 GB of memory
is required for x86 based systems. For detailed information, see Two-Terabyte Disk Support for Installing and Booting the Oracle Solaris OS in System Administration Guide: Devices and File Systems.
|
The /var file system
for UFS file systems |
If you intend to use the crash dump feature
savecore(1M), allocate double the amount of your physical memory in the /var file
system. |
Swap |
For a
UFS file system, the Oracle Solaris installation program allocates a default swap area
of 512 MB under the following conditions:
By default, the Oracle Solaris installation programs
allocate swap space by placing swap so that it starts at the first
available disk cylinder (typically cylinder 0 on SPARC based systems). This placement provides
maximum space for the root (/) file system during the default disk
layout and enables the growth of the root (/) file system during
an upgrade.
If you think you might need to expand the swap
area in the future, you can place the swap slice so that it
starts at another disk cylinder by using one of the following methods.
For
an overview of the swap space, see Chapter 19, Configuring Additional Swap Space (Tasks), in System Administration Guide: Devices and File Systems. |
A server that is providing
home directory file systems |
By default, home directories are usually located in the
/export file system. |
The Oracle Solaris software group you are installing |
A software group is a
grouping of software packages. When you are planning disk space, remember that you
can add or remove individual software packages from the software group that you
select. For information about software groups, see Disk Space Recommendations for Software Groups. |
Upgrade |
|
Language support |
For example, Chinese, Japanese,
or Korean. If you plan to install a single language, allocate approximately 0.7
GB of additional disk space for the language. If you plan to
install all language supports, you need to allocate up to approximately 2.5
GB of additional disk space for the language supports, depending on the
software group you install. |
Printing or mail support |
Allocate additional space. |
Additional software or third-party software |
Allocate
additional space. |
|
Disk Space Recommendations for Software Groups
The Oracle Solaris software groups are collections of Oracle Solaris packages. Each software
group includes support for different functions and hardware drivers.
-
For an initial installation, you select the software group to install, based on the functions that you want to perform on the system.
-
For an upgrade, you must upgrade to a software group that is installed on the system. For example, if you previously installed the End User Oracle Solaris Software Group on your system, you cannot use the upgrade option to upgrade to the Developer Oracle Solaris Software Group. However, during the upgrade you can add software to the system that is not part of the currently installed software group.
When you are installing the Oracle Solaris software, you can choose to add
or remove packages from the Oracle Solaris software group that you selected.
When you are selecting which packages to add or remove, you need to
know about software dependencies and how the Oracle Solaris software is packaged.
The following figure shows the grouping of software packages. Reduced Network Support contains
the minimal number of packages and Entire Oracle Solaris Software Group Plus OEM
Support contains all the packages.
Figure 1-1 Oracle Solaris Software Groups
Table 1-4 lists the Oracle Solaris software groups and the recommended amount of disk
space that you need to install each group.
Table 1-4 Disk Space Recommendations for Software Groups
|
|
|
|---|
Entire Oracle Solaris Software Group Plus OEM Support |
Contains the packages for
the Entire Oracle Solaris Software Group plus additional hardware drivers, including drivers for
hardware that is not on the system at the time of installation. |
8575 MB |
Entire
Oracle Solaris Software Group |
Contains the packages for the Developer Oracle Solaris Software
Group and additional software that is needed for servers. |
8529 MB |
Developer Oracle Solaris Software
Group |
Contains the packages for the End User Oracle Solaris Software Group
plus additional support for software development. The additional software development support includes libraries, include
files, man pages, and programming tools. Compilers are not included. |
8336 MB |
End User Oracle
Solaris Software Group |
Contains the packages that provide the minimum code that is
required to boot and run a networked Oracle Solaris system and the Common
Desktop Environment. |
7074 MB |
Core System Support Software Group |
Contains the packages that provide the
minimum code that is required to boot and run a networked Oracle Solaris
system. |
3093 MB |
Reduced Network Support Software Group |
Contains the packages that provide the minimum
code that is required to boot and run a Oracle Solaris system with
limited network service support. The Reduced Network Support Software Group provides a multiuser
text-based console and system administration utilities. This software group also enables the
system to recognize network interfaces, but does not activate network services. |
3035 MB |
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