How the Network Is Configured in Oracle Solaris 11

Oracle Solaris 11 uses profile-based network configuration, which is comprised of two network configuration modes: manual (fixed) and automatic (reactive). Depending on which network configuration mode you choose during an installation, either the DefaultFixed network configuration profile (NCP) or the Automatic NCP is activated on the system. If the DefaultFixed NCP is active, the network is manually configured by using the dladm and ipadm commands . If the Automatic NCP or a user-defined NCP that you previously created is active, the netcfg and netadm commands (formerly nwamcfg and nwamadm) are used to create and manage network configuration.

In Oracle Solaris 11 Express, automatic network configuration was introduced in the Network Auto-Magic (NWAM) feature. For information about how this feature has changed, see Network Configuration Changes.

Note the following additional information about automatic network configuration in Oracle Solaris 11:

• There are two main profile types: the network configuration profile (NCP) and the Location profile. An NCP specifies the configuration of network links and interfaces, for example IP addresses. A Location profile manages system-wide network configuration, for example naming services and IPfilter settings. At least one NCP and one Location profile must be active on the system at all times when you are using automatic network configuration.

• The Automatic NCP is a system-defined profile that cannot be modified or deleted. System-defined Locations include the Automatic and NoNet Locations. Unlike system-defined NCPS, system-defined Locations can be modified after the profile has been activated on a system for the first time.

For more information, see Overview of NWAM Configuration in Oracle Solaris Administration: Network Interfaces and Network Virtualization and Managing Network Configuration When in Automatic Mode.

How the Network Is Configured During an Installation

During a fresh installation, the network is configured as follows:

• For a GUI installation, the Automatic NCP is activated, and the network is automatically configured, based on current network conditions.

• For a text installation, you must choose Automatic, Manual, or None.

  • If you choose Automatic, the Automatic NCP is activated, and the network is automatically configured upon reboot.

  • If you choose Manual , the DefaultFixed NCP is activated, and you are presented with a series of installation screens that enable you to manually configure your network settings.

  • If you choose None, the DefaultFixed NCP is activated, but you do not provide network parameters during the installation. Thus, after a reboot, no network interface is plumbed or configured. Only the loopback IPv4 and IPv6 interfaces (lo0) are activated. You must manually configure your network by using dladm and ipadm in this case. See Managing Network Configuration When in Manual Mode.

• For an installation with AI, the network is configured according to the profile that you set up before the installation. By default, the interactive sysconfig tool runs during the installation, enabling you to set network parameters for the system. See Installing Oracle Solaris 11 by Using AI.

For information about how the network is configured after an upgrade from Oracle Solaris 11 Express, see Network Configuration Changes.

Example 7-1 Verifying the Active NCP on a System

The following example shows the output of the netadm list command when the Automatic NCP is active on a system:

$ netadm list
TYPE        PROFILE        STATE
ncp         Automatic      online
ncu:phys    net0           online
ncu:ip      net0           online
ncu:phys    net1           offline
ncu:ip      net1           offline
ncu:phys    net2           offline
ncu:ip      net2           offline
ncu:phys    net3           offline
ncu:ip      net3           offline
loc         Automatic      offline
loc         NoNet          offline
loc         myloc          online
loc         User           disabled

Note that in this example, a user-defined Location profile called myloc is also online. When using automatic network configuration, at least one NCP and one location must be active on the system at all times.

If the DefaultFixed NCP is active, and you run the netadm list command, the following output is displayed:

# netadm list
netadm: DefaultFixed NCP is enabled; automatic network management is not available.
'netadm list' is only supported when automatic network management is active. 

When the DefaultFixed NCP is active, the network must be manually configured by using the dladm and ipadm commands.

Example 7-2 Switching the Default NCP

Switching network configuration modes requires you to enable the appropriate NCP for that configuration mode. The following example shows how to switch from automatic network configuration mode to manual network configuration mode by enabling the DefaultFixed NCP.

$ netadm enable -p ncp DefaultFixed

Switch to the Automatic NCP as follows:

$ netadm enable -p ncp Automatic

Note that the process of switching network configuration modes can sometimes take a few minutes. During this time, messages about various network services might be displayed on the screen. These messages can be ignored.

To create user-defined NCPs when in automatic network configuration mode, see Managing Network Configuration When in Automatic Mode.