C H A P T E R 2 |
Installing SUSE Linux Enterprise Server |
This chapter provides information about installing:
This chapter includes the following topics:
Use TABLE 2-1 to preview the installation process defined as a series of tasks. The table identifies the required tasks, describes them, and provides pointers to the instructions for performing the task.
Verify that all applicable requirements are met for installing an operating system to your server. |
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Evaluate and select an installation method that meets the needs of your infrastructure. |
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Verify that the factory default settings in the BIOS are set prior to performing the operating system installation. |
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SLES OS CD/DVD media and documentation can be purchased from Sun or Novell. For a Sun Fire X4170, X4270, and X4275 Servers, use the media for x86 platforms. |
You can download or order the media for SLES at the following site: |
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The installation instructions in this chapter explain the initial steps for booting the installation media and partitioning the drive. For further information about installing SLES, refer to the SUSE Linux Enterprise Server documentation collection from Novell at: http://www.novell.com/documentation/suse |
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Register SLES and configure automatic updates (recommended). |
If the SLES installation media does not contain the most up-to-date version of the SLES OS, follow the instructions in this chapter to update the SLES operating system. |
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If the SLES operating system does not include the necessary device drivers to support the hardware on your system, you might need to install additional device drivers. |
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This feature enables you to power on the server from another location over the network. |
The following procedure describes how to boot the SLES 10 (SLES10) or SLES 11 (SLES11) operating system from local or remote media. It assumes that you are booting the SLES installation media from one of the following sources:
Note - If you are booting the installation media from a PXE environment, refer to Installing SLES10 or SLES11 Using a PXE Network Environment for boot instructions. |
Refer to the following procedures to install the SLES OS from local or remote media:
Prior to performing the installation, the following requirements must be met:
Note that the following procedure explains the initial steps for booting the installation media and launching the SLES installation program. For further details about installing SLES, see the SUSE Linux Enterprise Server documentation collection from Novell at: http://www.novell.com/documentation/suse.
After completing this procedure, you should review and perform the required post installation tasks described later in this chapter. For more details, see Post SLES Installation Tasks.
Install SLES10 Using Local or Remote Media |
1. Ensure that the installation media is available to boot.
Note - For the Sun Fire X4275 Server, which has neither a CD/DVD-ROM drive nor a USB connector on the front panel, use the ILOM Remote Console to redirect the boot media from a remote storage device. For instructions, see “Remote boot media” in TABLE 1-4 Boot Media Options for Performing the OS Installation. |
For additional information about how to set up the installation media, see TABLE 1-4 Boot Media Options for Performing the OS Installation.
2. Reset the power on the server.
Note - The next events occur very quickly; therefore, focused attention is needed for the following steps. Watch carefully for the messages as they appear on the screen for a brief time. |
3. In the BIOS power-on self-test screen, press F8 to specify a temporary boot device for the SLES installation.
The Please Select Boot Device menu appears.
4. In the Boot Device menu, select either the external or virtual CD/DVD device as the first boot device, then press Enter.
The device strings listed on the Boot Device menu are in the format of: device type, slot indicator, and product ID string.
After a few seconds the SUSE initial boot screen appears.
5. In the initial SUSE boot installation screen, use the tab key to select the second option Installation, then press Enter.
This option continues the normal user interactive installation process.
Note - The Language screen might take several minutes to appear. |
6. In the Language screen, select the appropriate language option, then click Next.
The License Agreement screen appears.
7. In the SUSE Linux Novell License Agreement screen, click Accept.
The SUSE YaST installation program initializes. The YaST graphical installation screen appears.
Depending on the AutoYaST file configuration, the YaST Language Selection screen might appear.
8. If the YaST Language Selection screen appears, specify which language to use.
Depending on the AutoYaST file configuration, the YaST Installation Mode screen might appear.
9. If the YaST Installation Mode screen appears, select New Installation, then click OK to continue.
The system’s hardware is detected. The YaST Installation Settings screen appears.
10. In the YaST Installation Settings screen, do the following:
a. Click the Partitioning option.
b. Select Create Custom Partition, then click OK.
c. Partition the disk as appropriate.
Refer to the YaST Partitioning instructions for more information.
11. Continue the basic installation setup until all the SLES OS files are installed and the system reboots.
12. After completing the basic installation setup, refer to the YaST documentation to perform the following tasks:
a. Create a password for your account.
b. Configure and test the Internet access and network settings.
c. Register the OS, then download available updates to the operating system.
Alternatively, see Updating the SLES Operating System to manually update your SLES OS.
13. Review and, if necessary, perform the post installation tasks described later in this chapter.
Refer to Post SLES Installation Tasks.
Install SLES11 Using Local or Remote Media |
1. Ensure that the installation media is available to boot.
Note - For the Sun Fire X4275 Server, which has neither a CD/DVD-ROM drive nor a USB connector on the front panel, use the ILOM Remote Console to redirect the boot media from a remote storage device. For instructions, see “Remote Boot Media” in TABLE 1-4 Boot Media Options for Performing the OS Installation. |
For additional information about how to set up the installation media, see TABLE 1-4 Boot Media Options for Performing the OS Installation.
2. Reset the power on the server.
Note - The next events occur very quickly; therefore, focused attention is needed for the following steps. Watch carefully for the messages as they appear on the screen for a brief time. |
3. In the BIOS power-on self-test screen, press F8 to specify a temporary boot device for the SLES installation.
The Please Select Boot Device menu appears.
4. In the Boot Device menu, select either the external or virtual CD/DVD device as the first boot device, then press Enter.
The device strings listed on the Boot Device menu are in the format of: device type, slot indicator, and product ID string.
After a few seconds the SUSE initial boot screen appears.
5. In the initial SUSE boot installation screen, use the tab key to select the second option Installation, then press Enter.
This option continues the normal user interactive installation process.
Note - The Welcome screen might take several minutes to appear. |
6. In the Welcome screen, use the tab key to navigate to the Language drop-down menu.
a. Select the appropriate language option, then tab the Keyboard Layout.
b. In the Keyboard Layout menu, select the appropriate keyboard layout.
c. In the License Agreement, click I Agree to the License Terms, then tab to and click Next.
The Media Check screen appears.
7. In the Media Check screen, click Start Check to verify your installation media, or alternatively, click Next to continue with the installation.
The Installation Mode screen appears.
8. In the Installation Mode screen, select New Installation, then click Next to continue.
The Clock and Time Zone screen appears.
9. In the Clock and Time Zone screen, select the appropriate Region and Time Zone, then click Next to continue.
The Server Base Scenario screen appears.
10. In the Server Base Scenario screen, select Physical Machine (this is usually the correct option), Virtual Machine, or Xen Virtualization Host, then click Next to continue.
The Installation Settings screen appears.
11. In the Installation Settings screen, do the following:
a. Click the Partitioning option.
b. Select Create Custom Partition, then click OK.
c. Partition the disk as appropriate.
Refer to the YaST partitioning instructions for more information.
12. Continue the basic installation setup until all of the SLES OS files are installed and the system reboots.
13. After completing the basic installation setup, refer to the YaST documentation to perform the following tasks:
a. Create a password for your account.
b. Configure and test the Internet access and network settings.
c. Register the OS, then download available updates to the operating system.
Alternatively, see Updating the SLES Operating System to manually update your SLES OS.
14. Review and, if necessary, perform the post installation tasks described later in this chapter.
Refer to Post SLES Installation Tasks.
This section describes how to boot SLES10 or SLES11 from a PXE network environment. It assumes that you are booting the installation media from one of the following sources:
AutoYaST enables you to install the SLES operating system on multiple systems. For information about how to prepare an automated installation using AutoYaST, refer to the Novell SUSE documentation collection at:
http://www.novell.com/documentation/suse
The following requirements must be met prior to performing the SLES installation from a PXE network book environment:
Follow the AutoYaST installation instructions in the SUSE Linux Enterprise 10 or SUSE Linux Enterprise 11 documentation.
Follow the setup instructions for booting SUSE media over the network in the SUSE Linux Enterprise 10 or SUSE Linux Enterprise 11 documentation.
After completing this procedure, you may need to perform the tasks for Post SLES Installation Tasks.
Install SLES10 or SLES11 Using Network PXE Boot |
1. Ensure that the PXE network environment is properly set up and the SLES installation media is available for PXE boot.
2. Reset the power on the server.
Note - The next events occur very quickly; therefore, focused attention is needed for these steps. Watch carefully for the messages as they appear on the screen for a brief time. |
3. Press F8 to specify a temporary boot device.
The Please Select Boot Device menu appears listing the available boot device.
4. In the Boot Device menu, select the PXE installation boot device (physical port) that is configured to communicate with your network installation server.
The network bootloader loads and a boot prompt appears. Wait for the five second time-out and the installation kernel will begin to load.
The SUSE Linux Novell License Agreement screen appears.
5. In the SUSE Linux Novell License Agreement screen, click Accept.
The SUSE YaST installation program initializes. The YaST graphical installation screen appears.
Depending on the AutoYaST file configuration, the YaST Language Selection screen might appear.
6. If the YaST Language Selection screen appears, specify which language to use.
Depending on the AutoYaST file configuration, the YaST Installation Mode screen might appear.
7. If the YaST Installation Mode screen appears, select New Installation, then click OK to continue.
The system’s hardware is detected. The YaST Installation Settings screen appears.
8. In the YaST Installation Settings screen, do the following:
a. Click the Partitioning option.
b. Select Create Custom Partition, then click OK.
c. Partition the disk as appropriate.
Refer to the YaST Partitioning instructions for more information.
9. Continue the basic installation setup until all the SLES OS files are installed and the system reboots.
10. After completing the basic installation setup, refer to the YaST documentation to perform the following tasks:
a. Create a password for your account.
b. Configure and test the Internet access and network settings.
c. Register the OS, then download available updates to the operating system.
Alternatively, see Updating the SLES Operating System to manually update your SLES OS.
11. Review and, if necessary, perform the post installation tasks described later in this chapter.
Refer to Post SLES Installation Tasks.
After completing the SLES10 or SLES11 installation, review the following post installation tasks and, if necessary, perform the tasks that are applicable to your system.
The SLES OS installation media might not contain the most up-to-date versions of the SLES OS. The following procedure describes how to update the SLES OS on your server.
Update the SLES Operating System |
2. Type the following command to run the YaST Online Update:
Note that YaST can operate in both text and graphical modes. These directions apply to both.
3. If your server is behind a network firewall and need to use a proxy server to access the Internet, you must first configure YaST with the correct proxy information.
a. Select the Network Services tab on the left, then the Proxy screen on the right. Type the correct proxy URLs in both the HTTP and HTTPS fields.
Note - In order for the online update service to function correctly through a network HTTP proxy, the following additional configuration step must be performed. |
b. Exit the YaST utility and run the following command:
run set-prefs proxy-url <Proxy_URL>
Where Proxy_URL is the fully qualified URL of your proxy server (for example: http://proxy.yourdomain:3128/).
c. After successfully running the command, launch YaST again.
4. Register with the Novell Customer Center.
Note - You will need your Novell Customer Center user name and password, as well as an SLES OS product activation code. |
a. Select the Software tab on the left.
b. Select Novell Customer Center Configuration and follow the directions.
5. Once registered, select the Online Update tab to perform the software update.
TABLE 2-2 identifies the system device drivers that are available for you to install on your system. Review this table to determine which driver, if any, are currently required for installation on your system.
Sun Dual-Port 4X PCI-Express Infiniband Host Channel Adapter X1236A-Z (PCIe) |
Refer to the Readme file for installation instructions. The Readme file is available on the Mellanox driver download site. |
http://www.mellanox.com/content/pages.php?pg=products_dyn&product_family=26&menu_section=34 |
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After installing the operating system, you might want to consider enabling the Wake On LAN (WOL) option in the BIOS Setup utility. This feature enables you to power on the server from another location over the network. For details about the requirements for enabling WOL, see “Wake On LAN” in the Sun Fire X4170, X4275, and X4275 Servers Service Manual.
Copyright © 2009 Sun Microsystems, Inc. All rights reserved.