To use AI to AI client systems over the network, you must first set up an AI install service on an AI server. For the complete procedure, see Chapter 8, Setting Up an AI Server. Part of the procedure shows how to create a static network address for the AI server because the IP address for the server is included in the files created for each client. If the IP address of the server changes, then the configuration files for all clients have to be re-created.
Each install server can include one or more install services. You must create an install service for each version of the OS and for each client architecture you need to support. For example you could have an install service for SPARC clients booting Oracle Solaris 11.1, another for SPARC clients booting Oracle Solaris 11.2, and then two more to provide the same services for x86 clients. Each install service includes a SPARC or x86 boot image, one or more installation instruction files (AI manifests), and optional system configuration profiles. Creating an Install Service provides instructions for creating and maintaining install services.
The boot image provided by the AI server is not a complete installation. The boot image creates a configuration on the client in which the installation can run. Client machines must access an IPS package repository or an archive to complete their installations.
An AI manifest includes client provisioning or installation instructions. Each client uses only one AI manifest, although many clients can share one manifest. The AI manifest specifies one or more IPS package repositories where the client retrieves the packages needed to complete the installation. You can use an archive can be used in place of the IPS packages. The AI manifest also can include the names of additional packages to install, and information such as the target installation device and partition information. If you need to install two client machines with the same version of the Oracle Solaris 11 OS but they need to be installed differently in other ways, then create two AI manifests associated with one AI install service. The different AI manifests can specify different packages to install or a different slice as the install target, for example. See Chapter 10, Provisioning the Client System for information about creating and customizing AI manifests, either prior to booting the client or dynamically at client installation time.
If client systems need to have different configurations applied, then create multiple system configuration profiles for the install service. The different system configuration profiles can specify a different network or locale setup or a unique host name and IP address, for example. A profile that sets up the time zone may be used by several AI clients. See Chapter 11, Configuring the Client System for information about profiles.
If no profiles are configured for a client, an interactive tool will prompt for system configuration information after the client boots once the installation is done. See Reconfiguring a System for information about the interactive configuration tool.
To include configuration that cannot be expressed in an AI manifest or system configuration profile, you can include a script that runs at first boot. See Chapter 13, Running a Custom Script During First Boot for detailed information.