Sun Fire X4140, X4240, and X4440 Servers Linux, ESX, and Solaris OS Installation Guide

Use this chapter in conjunction with the referenced Solaris 10 documentation to install the Solaris OS on a Sun Fire X4140, X4240, or X4440 server. This chapter contains the following sections:

• Before You Begin
• Preparing to Install the Solaris OS
• Booting a Server in a GRUB-Based Environment
• Booting a Server Over the Network by Using PXE
• Installing the Solaris OS From Distribution Media
• Using a Serial Console to Install the Solaris OS
• Power Management

• If you are using an Adaptec-based Sun StorageTek SAS RAID Internal HBA (PCIe card), see Appendix A.
• If you are using an LSI-based Sun StorageTek PCI Express SAS 8-Channel HBA (SG-XPCIE8SAS-I-Z) that controls internal disks, see Appendix B.
• If you are using an LSI-based Sun StorageTek PCI Express SAS 8-Channel HBA (SG-XPCIE8SAS-E-Z) that controls external disks, RAID is not available.

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Before You Begin

Before you begin installing the Solaris 10 OS, review the information in this section.

Minimum System Requirements

TABLE 5-1 lists the minimum system requirements for installation of the Solaris 10 OS.

Additional Software Information

• The Tools and Drivers CD is available online. It contains updates and additional software. For updates on Solaris 10 versions and hardware compatibility, go to:

http://www.sunsolve.sun.com

• The Solaris 10 OS box contains the CD and DVD media and documentation that you will need to install the Solaris OS software for both the SPARC and x86 platforms. For a Sun Fire X4140, X4240, or X4440 server, use the media for x86 platforms.

Installation Methods

The server supports several methods for installing the Solaris OS. TABLE 5-2 lists the installation methods and points to the relevant section or document.

Where to Find Solaris 10 Information

The installation procedures in this chapter reference several Solaris OS documents. Solaris OS documentation is available from the web at

http://docs.sun.com

At the above URL, select Solaris 10 to display the list of documents in the Solaris 10 Documentation Collection.

• See the Solaris 10 installation guides at:

http://docs.sun.com/app/docs/coll/1236.5

• See the Solaris 10 administration guides at:

http://docs.sun.com/app/docs/coll/47.16

• See information about upgrading your system at:

http://docs.sun.com/app/docs/doc/817-5505

• See troubleshooting information in Appendix A at:

http://docs.sun.com/app/docs/doc/817-5504

Solaris 10 documentation is also available on the Solaris Documentation DVD included with your Solaris OS software.

Task Map for Initial Solaris OS Installation

A task map for initial Solaris OS installation is presented in TABLE 5-3. The table lists the task, a description of each task, and the section or document.

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Preparing to Install the Solaris OS

You need to gather information about your system before you install the Solaris OS. The amount of planning and initial set up that you need to perform varies depending on whether you are preparing for a local installation from DVD or CD, or you are preparing for a Preboot Execution Environment (PXE)-based network installation.

You also need to obtain the appropriate media for your installation.

Installation Prerequisites

You must complete the following tasks before you install the Solaris OS:

1. Verify that your system meets the minimum system requirements (see TABLE 5-1).

If you are using the Solaris Installation Program GUI or text installer, you need a local DVD-ROM or CD-ROM drive or network connection, keyboard, and monitor. For more information, see the Solaris 10 Installation Guide: Basic Installations, at http://docs.sun.com/app/docs/prod/solaris.10#hic. Refer to your platform supplement for hardware questions.

2. Gather the information you need to install the Solaris OS.

See the “Checklist for Installation” in Chapter 1 of the Solaris 10 8/07 Installation Guide: Basic Installations.

For a non-networked system, you need to know the host name of the system you are installing and the language and the locales that you intend to use on the system.

For a networked system, use the checklist to gather the following information:

• Host name of the system that you are installing
• Language and locales that you intend to use on the system
• IP address of the name server
• Subnet mask
• Type of name service (for example, DNS, NIS, or NIS+)
• IP address of the gateway
• Domain name
• Host name of the name server
• IP address of the name server
• Root password

3. If you are installing the Solaris OS over the network, you need to set up a PXE-based network installation before you install the Solaris OS.

For information about setting up a PXE-based network installation, see the Solaris 10 8/07 Installation Guide: Network-Based Installations at:

http://docs.sun.com/app/docs/prod/solaris.10#hic.

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Booting a Server in a GRUB-Based Environment

Starting with the Solaris 10 1/06 release, the open-source GNU Grand Unified Bootloader (GRUB) has been implemented on x86-based systems that are running the Solaris OS. GRUB is the boot loader that is responsible for loading a boot archive into a system's memory. The boot archive contains the kernel modules and configuration files that are required to boot the system. For more information about GRUB, you can see the grub(5) man page.

For information about how to boot a server that is running Solaris 10 in a GRUB-based environment, refer to the Solaris 10 System Administration Guide: Basic Administration at:

http://docs.sun.com/app/docs/prod/solaris.10#hic

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Booting a Server Over the Network by Using PXE

Use this procedure along with the instructions in Solaris 10 Installation Guide: Networked-Based Installations.

The Sun Fire X4140, X4240, or X4440 server implements the Intel Preboot Execution Environment (PXE) specification required for a PXE network boot. PXE technology provides your server with the capability to boot the Solaris OS over the network using the Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP). Using a PXE-based network installation, you can install the Solaris OS onto a server from the network with remote CD or DVD images. You can also automate the installation process and install the Solaris OS on several servers using a JumpStart scenario.

A PXE network boot is a direct network boot. No boot medium is required on the Sun Fire X4140, X4240, or X4440 server client system.

Before You Begin

To boot over the network using PXE, you first need to do the following:

1. Set up an install server.

2. Add the Sun Fire X4140, X4240, or X4440 server clients to be installed.

3. Set up a DHCP server.

For instructions, see Step 1 in the following section.

1. Perform the tasks in “Guidelines for Booting with PXE,” in the Solaris 10 8/07 Installation Guide: Network-Based Installations, http://docs.sun.com/app/docs/prod/solaris.10#hic.

If you have already set up the systems you need for a PXE boot, review the Task Map (TABLE 5-3) to verify that you have performed all the steps.

2. Boot the server over the network by using PXE.

Complete the steps in Solaris 10 8/07 Installation Guide: Network-Based Installations at http://docs.sun.com/app/docs/prod/solaris.10#hic. Follow the on screen instructions.

When the BIOS screen appears, press F12 to tell the BIOS to perform a network boot from the PXE server.

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Installing the Solaris OS From Distribution Media

Use this procedure to install the Solaris OS on a the server from CD or DVD media. This procedure describes an interactive installation using the Solaris Installation Program.

The Solaris Installation Program on the Solaris 10 OS media can be run with a graphical user interface (GUI) or as a command-line installer in a console session. The GUI or command-line interface (CLI) uses wizard screens to guide you step-by-step through installing the OS.

Before You Begin

Perform the tasks described in Preparing to Install the Solaris OS.

1. Boot the system by powering the server off and on.

The server BIOS supports booting from a DVD or CD.

2. Insert the Solaris 10 OS CD/DVD into your server’s CD/DVD drive.

3. Continue the installation procedure by performing the steps in the procedure “x86: To Install or Upgrade with the Solaris Installation Program” in Chapter 2 at http://docs.sun.com/app/docs/prod/solaris.10#hic.

Start the procedure at Step 4. When prompted, answer the configuration questions to complete the installation.

You can accept the default values on the screens to format the entire hard disk, use auto layout file systems, and install a preselected set of software. Alternatively, you can customize the installation to modify the hard disk layout, modify a Solaris fdisk partition, and select the software that you want to install.

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Using a Serial Console to Install the Solaris OS

The Solaris OS text installer enables you to type information in a terminal or a console window to interact with the Solaris OS Installation Program. Use this procedure to use a serial console to install the Solaris 10 OS on your server with a PXE-based network installation.

Before You Begin

Before you set up the serial console, you need to set up the following systems for a PXE-based network installation:

• An install server
• A DHCP server

For information about how to set up these systems, see Solaris 10 Installation Guide: Network-Based Installations at http://docs.sun.com/app/docs/doc/817-5504/.

1. Connect a terminal to the serial port on the service processor.

A terminal can be a VT100, a PC running terminal emulation, or a terminal server.

2. Set the terminal to receive at 9600 baud.

3. Add an x86 install client to an install server and specify a boot device to use during the installation.

If you specify the boot device when you set up the install client, you are not prompted for this information by the Device Configuration Assistant during the installation.

4. Log in to the service processor using an account with Administrator privileges.

5. Type the following command to use the serial console:

start /SP/console

6. Boot the server.

Follow the instructions in Solaris 10 8/07 Installation Guide: Network-Based Installations at http://docs.sun.com/app/docs/prod/solaris.10#hic. When prompted, press F12 at the BIOS to boot via PXE.

After the system is installed, log in to the system and use the eeprom command to change bootenv.rc:

# eeprom console=ttya

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Power Management

The Solaris OS provides the ability to perform power management. It can be configured to automatically power off idle system components.

The file /etc/power.conf contains the configuration settings. It is initialized during boot-up, and can be initialized from the command line by entering the command pmconfig.

The autopm entry in /etc/power.conf is used to enable or disable power management on a system-wide basis. The format of the autopm entry is:

autopm behavior

where behavior can be default, enable, or disable. TABLE 5-4 describes the behavior for each of these three values.

For additional information, see the man pages for pmconfig and power.conf.

^{1 (TableFootnote) Replace version with the version of the Solaris OS you want to install.}

Sun Fire X4140, X4240, and X4440 Servers Linux, ESX, and Solaris OS Installation Guide

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Copyright © 2009 Sun Microsystems, Inc. All rights reserved.