Installing Using AI Media

You can boot an AI image from a CD, DVD, or USB device to initiate a hands-free installation of only that system. An AI manifest provides installation and configuration instructions. The system to be installed must have network access. To complete the installation, software packages are retrieved from an IPS repository on the Internet or on the local network. Review the default AI manifest as described in Creating a Custom AI Manifest.

Figure 8-1 AI Install Using Media

System Requirements for Installing Using AI Media

Both SPARC and x86 systems must meet the following requirements.

Table 8-1 System Requirements for Installation Using AI Media

How To Install Using AI Media

To install by booting from an AI image on media, perform the following steps:

1. Download the AI boot image.

   To download the AI boot image, go to the following Internet location:http://www.oracle.com/technetwork/server-storage/solaris11/downloads/index.html

   • SPARC systems

     For SPARC systems, download the SPARC AI .iso file.

   • x86 systems

     For x86 systems, download the x86 AI .iso file or the x86 AI .usb file.

2. Review the default AI manifest.

   You can use the default manifest that is provided in the AI image, or you can create a custom manifest and provide the location of this custom manifest when the client boots. See Creating a Custom AI Manifest.

3. Create bootable media.

   • SPARC and x86 ISO images

     Burn the .iso file to a CD or DVD.

   • x86 USB images

     Use usbcopy(1) or a similar utility to create bootable media using the .usb file.

4. Boot from the media.

   Boot the system from the device that contains the boot image. See Booting a SPARC System From AI Media and Booting an x86 System From AI Media for instructions about how to specify the default AI manifest or a custom AI manifest and continue the hands-free installation.

Creating a Custom AI Manifest

You can install the system using the installation specifications in the AI manifest provided in the AI boot image, or you can create custom installation specifications. If you create a custom AI manifest, store the manifest on an HTTP server, and provide the location of the manifest when you boot the system to be installed.

If you download the .iso AI image, you can use the following commands to inspect the AI manifest in that image. In this example, /tmp is the directory where you downloaded the AI image, and /home/username is the directory where you want to copy and edit the AI manifest. The AI manifest is in auto-install/default.xml in the image.

# lofi_dev=$(/usr/sbin/lofiadm -a /tmp/sol-11-ai-sparc.iso)
# /usr/sbin/mount -o ro -F hsfs ${lofi_dev} /mnt
# cp /mnt/auto_install/default.xml /home/username/custom.xml
# /usr/sbin/umount /mnt
# /usr/sbin/lofiadm -d ${lofi_dev}

Review your copy of the default manifest file (/home/username/custom.xml in this example), and decide whether these specifications are satisfactory for this installation.

Alternatively, you can use the manifest shown in Default AI Manifest as the base to create a custom manifest.

To change installation specifications such as target disk or additional packages to install, see Chapter 4, Specifying Installation Instructions. To change configuration specifications such as user account or root password, see Chapter 5, Configuring the Client System.

When you are finished modifying the AI manifest, copy the custom manifest to an HTTP server. Note the URL to the custom AI manifest so that you can provide that URL when you boot the system to be installed. For example, the URL might be http://example.com/custom.xml.

Booting a SPARC System From AI Media

You can specify the default AI manifest or a custom AI manifest when you boot the system from the AI media.

Use the Default AI Manifest

To use the default AI manifest that is in the AI boot image, enter the following command at the OBP prompt:

ok> boot cdrom - install

The automated installation proceeds, using the specifications in the default manifest.

Use a Custom AI Manifest

To use a custom AI manifest, enter the following command at the OBP prompt:

ok> boot cdrom - install prompt

The following prompt displays:

Enter the URL for the AI manifest [HTTP, default]:

Type the URL to your custom manifest. For example, type http://example.com/custom.xml.

The automated installation proceeds, using the specifications in the custom manifest.

Boot a SPARC Image Without Installing

You might want to boot from media but not install. For example, you might want to troubleshoot or examine the system.

To boot the AI image but not start an automated installation, use the following command:

ok> boot cdrom

The system boots and a login screen displays, but the installation does not begin.

Booting an x86 System From AI Media

On an x86 system, choose an automated installation option from the GRUB menu. The GRUB menu selection or boot command that you use specifies whether the installation will use the default manifest on the media or a custom manifest that you have stored on an HTTP server.

Your GRUB menu selections should look similar to the following example:

GNU GRUB version 0.97 (639K lower / 2078660K upper memory)

Oracle Solaris 11 Express Automated Install custom
Oracle Solaris 11 Express Automated Install
Oracle Solaris 11 Express Automated Install custom ttya
Oracle Solaris 11 Express Automated Install custom ttyb
Oracle Solaris 11 Express Automated Install ttya
Oracle Solaris 11 Express Automated Install ttyb
Boot from Hard Disk

Use the arrow keys to select which entry is highlighted.
Press enter to boot the selected OS, 'e' to edit the
commands before booting, or 'c' for a command-line.

Use the Default AI Manifest

To use the default AI manifest that is in the AI boot image, use the arrow keys to choose one of the following options:

Oracle Solaris 11 Express Automated Install
Oracle Solaris 11 Express Automated Install ttya
Oracle Solaris 11 Express Automated Install ttyb

The ttya option sends the screen output during the installation to serial console ttya (COM1). The ttyb option sends the screen output during the installation to serial console ttyb (COM2).

The automated installation proceeds, using the specifications in the default manifest.

Use a Custom AI Manifest

To use a custom AI manifest, choose one of the following options:

Oracle Solaris 11 Express Automated Install custom
Oracle Solaris 11 Express Automated Install custom ttya
Oracle Solaris 11 Express Automated Install custom ttyb

When you select one of these custom options, the following prompt displays:

Enter the URL for the AI manifest [HTTP, default]:

Type the URL to your custom manifest. For example, type http://example.com/custom.xml.

The automated installation proceeds, using the specifications in the custom manifest.

Boot an x86 Image Without Installing

You might want to boot from media but not install. For example, you might want to troubleshoot or examine the system.

In general, if install=true is specified in the kernel line for the GRUB entry that you use, the installation automatically begins. If you want to boot the x86 system without immediately starting an automated installation, check the GRUB menu entry that you plan to choose. If install=true is specified in the kernel line for that GRUB entry, edit the line to remove install=true. Then when you choose that option, the system boots and a login screen displays, but the installation does not begin.

Viewing the Installation Log Files

When the automated installation is complete, the output states whether the installation succeeded or failed.

• If the installation failed, you can review the installation log at /tmp/install_log.

• If the installation succeeded, you can find the log at /tmp/install_log before you reboot the system or at /var/sadm/system/logs/install_log after you reboot.