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Sun N1 System Manager 1.1 Administration Guide

Managing OS Distributions

This section describes the following tasks:

Copying OS Distributions and Flash Archives

Before you can install an OS profile on a provisionable server, you must copy an OS image. This copied image is called an OS distribution. You can copy an OS image from files that are located on the management server or from a network mounted file system. OS distributions are copied to the directories on the management server as follows:

Supported file types are in the following list:

Note –

The N1 System Manager does not support the copying of Solaris OS CDs and CD ISO files. You must copy a Solaris DVD or DVD ISO file.

Refer to Supported Operating Systems on Provisionable Servers for a detailed list of supported distributions for each provisionable server type.

To copy an OS distribution, use the create command with the os keyword. Type help create os at the N1–ok command line for syntax and parameter details, or see create os in Sun N1 System Manager 1.1 Command Line Reference Manual.

After you have copied an OS distribution, you can copy a flash archive file to the management server for use with a customized OS profile. Copying flash archives involves several manual steps, but it provides the most efficient method for loading OS distributions with the N1 System Manager. See To Copy a Flash Archive to the Management Server.

ProcedureTo Copy an OS Distribution From ISO Files

This procedure describes how to copy an OS distribution to the management server from a set of ISO files by using the command line.

Note –

After a distribution is copied, an OS profile of the same name is created by default. This profile appears in the OS Profiles list in the Shortcuts pane of the browser interface or by typing show osprofile all at the N1–ok> prompt.

Before You Begin

Download the set of ISO files to a directory that is accessible or that can be network-mounted by the management server.

Note –

The N1 System Manager does not support the copying of Solaris OS CDs and CD ISO files. You must copy a Solaris DVD or DVD ISO file.

Steps

  1. Log in to the N1 System Manager.

    See To Access the N1 System Manager Command Line for details.

  2. Type the following command:


    N1-ok> create os os file file[,file...]

    Refer to the create os in Sun N1 System Manager 1.1 Command Line Reference Manual for details.

  3. Verify that the OS distribution was copied.


    N1-ok> show os all

    The OS distribution appears in the output.

Example 3–2 Creating an OS Distribution From a File

The following example shows how to create an OS distribution called solaris_ver9.


N1-ok> create os solaris_ver9 file /tmp/solaris_9.iso1,/tmp/solaris_9.iso2
Job "7" started.
See Also

To find out how to load the OS distribution, see To Load an OS Profile on a Server or a Server Group.

ProcedureTo Copy an OS Distribution From CDs or a DVD

This procedure describes how to copy an OS distribution to the management server from CDs or a DVD by using the command line.

Note –

The N1 System Manager does not support the copying of Solaris OS CDs. You must copy a Solaris DVD.

When copying an OS distribution from multiple installation CDs, you must run the create os command multiple times. For example, if you are copying an OS distribution that is provided on two CDs, you must insert the first CD, run the create os command, and wait for the job to complete. Once the first job completes, you must insert the second CD, run the create os command again, and wait for the job to complete. The OS distribution is successfully copied when the second job completes.

Note –

After a distribution is copied, an OS profile of the same name is created by default. This profile appears in the OS Profiles list in the Shortcuts pane of the browser interface or by typing show osprofile all at the N1–ok> prompt.

Steps

  1. Insert Disk 1 and type the following command:


    N1-ok> create os os cdrom cdrom

    A Create OS Distribution job is started. Note the job ID. When the job completes, insert the next disk. See create os in Sun N1 System Manager 1.1 Command Line Reference Manual for details.

    Note –

    You are not prompted to insert the next disk, so you must track the Create OS Distribution job completion and the disk number for your OS. When the job completes, an event is generated.

  2. Insert Disk 2 and type the following command:


    N1-ok> create os os cdrom cdrom

  3. Continue with additional disks if needed.

  4. When the final Create OS Distribution job completes, type the following command:


    N1-ok> show os os

    The new OS distribution appears in the output.

Troubleshooting

Troubleshooting OS Distributions

Next Steps

To find out how to load the OS distribution by using an profile, see To Load an OS Profile on a Server or a Server Group.

ProcedureTo Copy a Flash Archive to the Management Server

This procedure describes how to set up and deploy a flash archive on a server or a server group by using the command line.

Before You Begin
Steps

  1. Log in to the management server as root.

    See To Access the N1 System Manager Command Line for details.

  2. Perform one of the following actions:

    • If your management server is running the Solaris Operating System, modify the /etc/dfs/dfstab file to add share -F nfs -o ro,anon=0 -d "Flash Share" /jumpstart/Flash below the last comment in the file.

      For example:


      # Put custom additions below (Do not change/remove this line)
share -F nfs -o ro,anon=0 -d "Flash Share" /jumpstart/Flash

    • If your management server is running Linux, modify the /etc/exports file to add /jumpstart/Flash *(ro,no_root_squash) below the last comment in the file.

      For example:


      # Put custom additions below (Do not change/remove this line)
/jumpstart/Flash      *(ro,no_root_squash)

  3. Copy the flash archive file to the /jumpstart/Flash directory.

  4. Perform one of the following actions to restart NFS:

    • If your management server is running the Solaris Operating System, type the following commands:


      # /etc/init.d/nfs.server stop
# /etc/init.d/nfs.server start

    • If your management server is running Linux, type the following commands:


      # /etc/init.d/nfs restart

      OR


      # /etc/rc3.d/S60nfs restart

  5. Create an OS profile that specifies the location of the flash archive file that you copied in Step 3.


    N1-ok> create osprofile osprofile os os rootpassword rootpassword flar flar 
description description language language timezone timezone

    The flar attribute value is the path and flash archive file name, for example, /jumpstart/Flash/archive1.flar.

    The OS profile is created.

  6. To verify the OS profile settings, type the following command:


    N1-ok> show osprofile osprofile

    The OS profile details appear. Check that the partition settings are appropriate for your business needs. See To Create an OS Profile for partition settings and examples.

  7. Load the OS profile on a server or a server group.

    See To Load an OS Profile on a Server or a Server Group.

Example 3–3 Deploying a Solaris 9 OS Flash Archive

The following example shows how to create an OS profile that uses a flash archive file.


N1-ok> create osprofile solaris9_flar rootpassword admin description "solaris 
9 with flar" os solx86 flar /jumpstart/Flash/S9-u7-req-v20z.archive

The following examples show how to add root and swap partitions to the OS profile.


N1-ok> add osprofile solaris9_flar partition / sizeoption free device 
c1t1d0s0 type ufs

N1-ok> add osprofile solaris9_flar partition swap sizeoption fixed size 128 
device c1t1d0s1 type swap

The following example shows how to deploy the modified OS profile to a server.


N1-ok> load server 192.168.73.2 osprofile 
solaris9_flar networktype=static ip=192.168.73.244

The networktype attribute specifies that the installed host is assigned the 192.168.73.244 IP address.

ProcedureTo Delete an OS Distribution

Note –

An OS distribution cannot be deleted if it is associated with a deployed OS profile. A deployed OS profile is a profile that is currently being installed on a provisionable server.

Before You Begin

Delete all of the OS profiles that are associated with the OS distribution. This includes deleting the default OS profile that was created when the OS distribution was copied. An OS profile cannot be deleted while it is being deployed; it may be removed after the deployment is completed. See To Delete an OS Profile for instructions.

Steps

  1. Log in to the N1 System Manager.

    See To Access the N1 System Manager Command Line for details.

  2. Type the following command:


    N1-ok> delete os os

    The distribution is deleted. See delete os in Sun N1 System Manager 1.1 Command Line Reference Manual for details.

  3. View the available OS distributions.


    N1-ok> show os all

    The deleted OS distribution should not appear in the output.