Overview

C H A P T E R 1

Overview

This chapter provides instructions for installing an operating system (OS) on a Sun Blade X6250 server module.

The Sun Blade X6250 supports several operating systems, and for each OS there are several different installation methods. This document covers installation of supported Solaris, Linux, and VMware operating systems only.

To install the Windows Server 2003 Operating System onto the Sun Blade X6250 server module, see the Sun Blade X6250 Server Module Windows Operating System Installation Guide.

Your server module might be equipped with a factory-installed operating system. If so, no operating system installation is necessary. See the Sun Blade X6250 Server Module Installation Guide for details.

Installing an OS on a Sun Blade X6250 Server Module

Before installing an OS on your Sun Blade X6250 server module, review the following sections for an understanding of the prerequisites and the decision-making process.

Prerequisites

Complete the following tasks before you can begin the installation.

Install the server hardware.

(Optional) Configure the service processor.

Gather needed information, such as IP address and netmask.

(Linux only) Create a Driver CD or use the Sun Installation Assistant (recommended procedure). See the documentation for your particular Linux OS, or see Chapter 2 for information about the Sun Installation Assistant (SIA).

Things You Must Decide

In addition, you must decide the following:

Which operating system are you installing on your Sun Blade X6250 server module?

Operating System	Minimum required OS
Solaris Operating System	Solaris 10 5/08 (64-bit)
Red Hat Enterprise Linux Operating System (RHEL)	RHEL4.6 (32- and 64-bit) RHEL 5 (64-bit)
Windows 2008	Windows 2008 (32- and 64-bit)
Windows 2003	Windows 2003 SE and EE (32- and 64-bit)
SUSE Linux Enterprise Server (SLES)	SLES 10 sp1 (64-bit) SLES 9 sp4 (64-bit)
VMware ESX	ESX 3.0.2 u1 (max 64Gb RAM) ESX 3.5 or later

Are you configuring the server for diskless booting?

Operating System	Relevant Documentation on Diskless Configurations
Solaris 10	See Installing Solaris 10 or Solaris 10 Installation Guide: Network-Based Installations at `http://docs.sun.com/app/docs/doc/817-5504`
Red Hat Linux	See Red Hat Enterprise Linux System Administration Guide at `https://www.redhat.com/docs/manuals/enterprise/`

Which installation method will you use?

Method	Solaris	Red Hat	SLES	VMware
Preinstalled on disk	Yes	No	No	No
Install from distribution media (CD/DVD) on the server via USB-attached external CD/DVD drive	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Install from distribution media (CD/DVD) via keyboard, video and monitor switch (KVMS)	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Install from network using Preboot Execution Environment (PXE)	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes

Note - The Sun Blade X6250 server module supports industry-standard KVMS with devices connected to it through a USB port or the service processor. For information about setting up USB connections to your system, see Using a Remote Control Application (KVMS).

Will you need to update the operating system and drivers?

In general, you need to perform updates once the operating system has been installed. For an update, see the appropriate chapter that corresponds to the OS you will install.

What to Do Next

The chapters in this guide provide detailed installation information. For relevant procedures, see the appropriate chapter of this guide for your particular OS.

You should also gather the installation, administration, and configuration documentation distributed with the operating system. These documents generally accompany the distribution media as printed manuals or are included as PDF files on the medium itself. In many cases, the latest versions of such documents are also downloadable from the web site of the OS vendor.

Using a Remote Control Application (KVMS)

The Sun Blade X6250 server module supports industry-standard KVMS with devices connected to it through the service processor. This ability allows you to mount and boot from a remote CD/DVD, or an ISO file image.

Your server module might have one of two service processors:

Embedded Lights Out Manager (ELOM)

Integrated Lights Out Manager (ILOM)

The following sections describe how to configure KVMS on each.

To Mount a CD/DVD or Equivalent ISO Image File Using ELOM

1. Locate your installation CD/DVD or the equivalent ISO images.

2. Connect to the ELOM Service Processor web GUI.

3. Click the Remote Control tab.

4. Click the Redirection tab.

5. Click the Launch Redirection button to start the JavaRConsole application.

6. Start CD/DVD redirection.

From the JavaRConsole Storage/Mount Device menu, you can redirect the CD in two ways:

If you are installing a physical CD into the remote console CD-ROM drive, insert the CD into the drive and select CD-ROM.

If you are using an ISO image installed on the remote console, select ISO Image and provide the location of the ISO file.

The distribution media (or ISO file) is now mounted. When you power on the server module, it will appear in the BBS popup (boot list) menu as Virtual CD/DVD.

For more information about setting up a remote KVMS connection to your server with the ELOM Remote Console application, see the Sun Blade X6250 Embedded Lights Out Manager Administration Guide.

To Mount a CD/DVD or Equivalent ISO Image File Using ILOM

1. Locate your installation CD/DVD or the equivalent ISO images.

2. Connect to the ILOM.

The Versions screen appears.

3. Change the mouse mode from absolute to relative if you are installing one of the following operating systems.

RHEL 4.x, SLES, or VMware (with older Linux kernel).

a. Click the Remote Control tab.

b. Click the Mouse Mode Settings tab.

c. Select Relative Mouse Mode.

d. Select Save.

The ILOM displays a message, then reboots itself.

e. When the ILOM has rebooted, re-establish the remote session.

4. Click the Remote Control tab.

The Remote Control screen appears.

5. Click the Launch Redirection button.

The ILOM remote console appears.

6. In the Devices menu, select the following:

CD ROM if you are using a physical CD.

CD ROM Image if you are using an ISO file.

Depending on your selection, a dialog directs you to select either a CD/DVD drive, or a file.

7. Select the CD/DVD drive, or the ISO file.

The distribution media (or ISO file) is now mounted. When you power on the server module, it will appear in the BBS popup (boot list) menu as Virtual CD/DVD.

For more information about setting up a remote KVMS connection to your server with the ILOM Remote Console application, see the Sun Integrated Lights Out Manager 2.0 User Guide.

Dongle Cable Connections

If you choose to do a local installation, you must connect a dongle cable directly to the server module.

The dongle cable connection appears in FIGURE 1-1.

Note - The dongle cable has either three of four connectors. FIGURE 1-1 shows a dongle with four connectors.

1. Connect a USB hub to one of the USB connectors on the dongle.

2. Connect a keyboard, mouse, and CD drive to the USB hub or to the other USB connector.

3. Connect a monitor to the VGA port.

FIGURE 1-1 Dongle Cable Connections

Graphic showing the dongle cable connectionsGraphic showing the dongle cable connections

Figure Legend
1	DB9 serial console to server module ELOM. Note - This connector is not present on a three-connector dongle.
2	VGA video connector.
3	RJ-45 connector. On a three-connector dongle, this connector provides serial access to the ELOM. On a four-connector dongle, this connector is unused.
4	Dual USB connectors.