This topic describes how to install the Solaris 10 Operating System from an established PXE-based network environment using remote media.
When you install the Solaris 10 OS via a PXE-based network, you can choose to use any of the following media: Solaris 10 6/06 or later Distribution CD/DVD, customer-provided ISO image, or customer-provided JumpStart image.
JumpStart can help you eliminate some or most of the manual tasks of setting up the Solaris Operating System for the first time on multiple servers. For more information about using JumpStart, see Solaris 10 Installation Guide: Custom JumpStart and Advanced Installations (Sun part number: 817-5506-12) (http://docs.sun.com).
The following procedure documents the initial steps you must perform to install Solaris over the network. Specifically, this procedure explains the steps of selecting the PXE network interface card that has been configured to communicate over the same network as the network installation server.
The following procedure to install the Solaris 10 OS via a PXE-based network environment requires:
Your PXE network install server to be configured on the same subnet as the Sun Blade Server Module.
The Sun Blade Server Module (blade) configured as a client on the PXE server by specifying the MAC address of the network port.
A record of port MAC addresses for the NEMs or EMs installed in the Sun Blade 8000 Chassis. These MAC addresses should have been recorded for future reference prior to installing the EM or NEM into the system chassis. For more information about how to obtain the MAC address of a NEM or EM, see Add Network Express Module (NEM) or Add PCIe ExpressModule (EM).
If you are installing Solaris 10 to a Fibre Channel (FC) Storage Area Network (SAN) device, you must properly configure the FC Host Bus Adapter . For more information, see Guidelines to Install an Operating System to FC SAN Device.
If you are using an ISO DVD-image to perform the installation, the ISO DVD-image must be available on disk or on a shared network location.
If using a JumpStart installation image, the image must be properly prepared and ready for installation. Information concerning how to properly setup and deploy a JumpStart installation is outside the scope of this topic. For details, see the Solaris 10 Installation Guide: Custom JumpStart and Advanced Installations (Sun part number: 817-5506-12).
Established console access. For more information, see Console Options.
Power on or reset the Sun Blade Server Module, for example:
From the ILOM web interface, select
Reset
on the Remote Power Control tab.
From the local server, press the Power button (momentary, 1 second) on the front panel of the blade to turn off, then press the Power button (momentary, 1 second) to turn on.
From ILOM CLI on blade SP, type: reset /SYS
From ILOM CLI on CMM, type: reset /CH/BL#/SYS
where # = slot number of the blade in the chassis
The BIOS Screen appears.
In the BIOS power-on self-test screen (POST), press F8 to specify a temporary boot device.
The Please Select Boot Device menu appears.
In the menu, select the appropriate PXE boot port.
The PXE boot port is the physical network port configured to communicate with your network install server.
You can determine the PXE interface boot device by (1) matching the
PXE:Slot#
(listed on the Please Select Boot Device menu) with the physical labeled NEM or EM slot number on the chassis, and (2) matching the
F#
(listed on the Please Select Boot Device menu) with the physical labeled NIC port number on the NEM (0.0 to 9.1) or EM (1 or 0). For more
information about chassis slot locations and connections, see About External I/O Ports and Power Inlets
The screen shown below depicts a sample configuration with NEMs installed in chassis slots NEM2 and NEM3 (Slot2 and Slot3). This configuration is shown only as an example and it may not match the configuration listed on your screen.
The GRUB menu appears.
In the GRUB menu select Solaris 10 OS and press Enter.
The mini root message appears.
The install boot message appears.
The Install Type menu appears.
In the Install Type menu appears, do one of the following:
Select Option (1) Solaris Interactive (default) and press Enter.
This option continues the normal user interactive install process. It assumes that if the system is to be attached to a networked, you are aware of which Solaris named network interfaces to select for configuration. Note that the Solaris-named network interfaces are logical names and are different from the physical names assigned to NEM and EM ports. If you are uncertain how to match the Solaris named interfaces to physical networked ports, then you should choose Option 6, and see the details below for more information.
or
Select Option (6) Single User Shell and press Enter.
This option launches a single user shell. In this shell, you will use the ifconfig -a command to identify the network interfaces by their logical and physical names
For detailed information about launching the single user shell and using the ifconfig -a command to list network interfaces by their logical and physical names, see Launching User Shell to Identify Network Interfaces by Physical and Logic Names.
The Solaris Interactive program initializes and the Proposed System Configuration screen appears.
In the Proposed System Configuration screen, press Enter to accept the proposed configuration.
The Select a Language menu appears.
In the language selection menu, type the selected language ID number (0-9), then press Enter.
The Solaris Welcome screen appears.
During the Solaris OS configuration, you will be presented with a list of network interfaces to configure.
To help you enter the correct system and network information, use the information previously gathered from:
The Solaris OS Installation and Network Configuration Worksheet
Step 5 - (“In the Install Type Menu, do one of the following:” ) and Identify Network Names by Logical and Physical Names.
After you have entered the Solaris OS system-configuration information, the server completes the boot process and displays the Solaris login prompt.