| Sun Fire X4140, X4240, and X4440 Servers Linux, ESX, and Solaris OS Installation Guide |    
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| C H A P T E R 1 |
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Overview |
There are several supported operating system (OS) distributions and several ways to install each. This document is intended only as a general guide that refers you to detailed procedures. For instructions on installing the Windows Server 2003 and 2008 OS onto a Sun Fire X4140, X4240, or X4440 server, see the Sun Fire X4140, X4240, and X4440 Windows Operating System Installation Guide (820-2399).
| Note - If you use the Sun StorageTek SAS RAID HBA, your server’s BIOS will not see any disks until you configure them with an Adaptec utility. See How to Make Your Server’s BIOS See Your Disks If You Use the Sun StorageTek SAS RAID HBA |
Solaris 10 10/08 is pre-installed on your Sun Fire X4140, X4240, or X4440 server. You may also install the following 64-bit Linux or VMware operating systems:
You must complete the following prerequisite steps before you can begin installing an OS.
1. Install the server hardware.
2. Configure the service processor.
3. Gather needed information, such as IP address and netmask.
4. (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).
| Note - If you install a Linux OS by using the SIA (see Chapter 2), which is the recommended procedure, you do not need to create a driver CD. |
Chapter 4 (RHEL), Chapter 3 (SLES), Chapter 7 (VMware), and Chapter 5 (Solaris) provide all the information you need to manually install these operating systems.
For all supported Linux operating systems, you can use SIA described in Chapter 2. The SIA simplifies installation and handles the acquisition and installation of the appropriate drivers automatically. If you choose to install a Linux OS manually (see Chapters 4 and 3), you must obtain and install the drivers yourself.
If you use SIA to install Linux, you do not need to refer to Chapter 4 (RHEL) or Chapter 3 (SLES).
Before installing an OS on the server, review the following sections for an understanding of the decision-making process.
You must decide the following:
1. Which of the supported operating systems will you install?
2. Will the server will be configured for diskless booting?
3. Which installation method will you use?
4. 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 information about updates, see the appropriate chapter that corresponds to the OS you will install.
Available installation methods and their compatible operating systems are listed below.
You should also gather the installation, administration, and configuration documentation distributed with the OS. 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 available from the web site of the OS vendor.
The chapters in this guide provide detailed installation information. For relevant procedures, see the appropriate chapter of this guide for your particular OS:
For Windows installation, refer to the Sun Fire X4140, X4240, and X4440 Windows Operating System Installation Guide (820-2399).
| Sun Fire X4140, X4240, and X4440 Servers Linux, ESX, and Solaris OS Installation Guide | 820-2397-15 |
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