Task Map: Preparing Custom JumpStart Installations

Decide how to upgrade the system if a previous version of the Solaris software is installed on the system. 

If a previous release of Solaris is installed on the system, you need to determine how to upgrade the system. Ensure that you know what to do before and after you upgrade a system. Planning helps you to create your profiles, begin scripts, and finish scripts. 

Upgrade

Create a JumpStart directory. 

On a server

If you want to perform custom JumpStart installations on systems that are connected to a network, you must create a profile server. The profile server contains a JumpStart directory for the custom JumpStart files.  

Creating a Profile Server for Networked Systems

On a diskette

If you want to perform custom JumpStart installations on systems that are not connected to a network, you must create a profile diskette. A profile diskette contains the custom JumpStart files. 

Creating a Profile Diskette for Standalone Systems

Add rules to the rules file.

After you decide how you want each group of systems or single systems to be installed, create a rule for each group that you want to install. Each rule distinguishes a group, based on one or more system attributes. The rule links each group to a profile.  

Creating the rules File

Create a profile for every rule. 

A profile is a text file that defines how to install the Solaris software, for example, which software group to install on a system. Every rule specifies a profile to define how a system is to be installed with the Solaris software when the rule is matched. You usually create a different profile for every rule. However, the same profile can be used in more than one rule. 

Creating a Profile

(Optional) Test the profiles. 

After you create a profile, use the pfinstall(1M) command to test the profile before you use the profile to install or upgrade a system.

Testing a Profile

Validate the rules file.

The rules.ok file is a generated version of the rules file that the JumpStart program uses to match the system to be installed with a profile. You must use the check script to validate the rules file.

Validating the rules File