x86: Booting From the Network

The following procedures apply to x86 systems. Booting an x86 system uses these two subsystems:

• Solaris boot diskette (contains the program that provides booting from the network)

• Secondary boot subsystem

The Solaris boot diskette, also known as the MDB diskette, provides a menu of bootable devices such as disk, network, or CD-ROM. (The system probes currently connected devices and displays the devices in the MDB menu.) Diskless clients must boot from the network so you would always enter the code for the network device.

The second boot subsystem menu displays available boot options. The system automatically boots to run level 3 if you do not select an option within 60 seconds. The other options enable you to specify boot options or enter the boot interpreter (see boot(1M)).

x86: How to Manually Boot a System

This procedure describes how to manually boot your x86 system from the network. Screen displays will vary based on system configurations.

1. Make sure the diskless client has been set up as described in "How to Add Support for a Diskless Client".

2. Insert the Solaris boot diskette into the drive.

3. Press the reset button.

   The Primary Boot Subsystem menu is displayed after a short time.

   

   The Solaris boot diskette provides a menu of bootable devices such as disk, network, or CD-ROM. (The system probes currently-connected devices and displays the devices in the MDB menu.)

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   Note -

   The number 30 displayed in the bottom left corner counts down, indicating the number of seconds left to set the boot device code. If you do not specify the boot device code within 30 seconds, the system will attempt to boot from the C drive, which is the default device.

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4. Enter the boot device code to boot from the network.

   In this example the boot device code is 12.

   The Secondary Boot Subsystem menu is displayed after a short time.

   

5. Type b or boot to boot the system and press Return.

x86: How to Set Up a System to Automatically Boot From the Network

This procedure describes how to create an x86 multiple device boot (MDB) diskette so that your x86 diskless client will always boot from the network--so you do not have to be there to boot it. Otherwise, if the master MDB diskette is inserted into the drive, an x86 system will attempt to boot off the C drive after a power cycle (for more information see "x86: Booting From the Network").

Before following these steps to create an MDB boot diskette, obtain the master MDB diskette for the x86 system and a blank 1.44 Mbyte diskette. The blank diskette will be formatted, so do not use a diskette with data on it.

1. Become root on your server.

2. Change your working directory.

   # cd /opt/SUNWadm/2.3/floppy

3. ++

   Create the MDB boot diskette.

   # ./mk_floppy

   The script prompts you when to insert the MDB master diskette and the blank diskette, and provides additional status information.

   Please insert the master MDB floppy and press Return: Please insert a blank floppy and press Return: Formatting 1.44 MB in /dev/rdiskette ............................................................. ................... fdformat: using "./mdboot" for MS-DOS boot loader Successfully created the AutoClient floppy. #

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   Note -

   Even though the script says that it created an AutoClient floppy, you can also use this floppy on diskless x86 systems.

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4. Insert the MDB boot diskette into the diskette drive of the x86 system.

   You must leave this boot diskette in the diskette drive so that the system will automatically boot from the network if a power cycle occurs.