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Solstice AutoClient 2.1 Administration Guide

Overview of System Types

System types are basically defined by how they access the root (/) and /usr file systems, including the swap area. For example, standalone and server systems mount these file systems from a local disk, while diskless and dataless clients mount the file systems remotely, relying on servers to provide these services. Table 1-1 lists these and other differences for each system type.

Table 1-1 System Type Overview

System Type 

Local File Systems 

Local Swap? 

Remote File Systems 

Server

root (/)

/usr

/home

/opt

/export 

/export/home

/export/root

Yes 

optional 

Standalone System

root (/)

/usr

/export/home

Yes 

optional 

Dataless Client

root (/)

Yes 

/usr

/home

 

Diskless Client

- none -

No 

root (/)

swap 

/usr

/home

 

AutoClient System 

cached root (/)

cached /usr

Yes 

root (/)

/usr

/home

Table 1-2 describes how the other clients compare to a standalone system.

Table 1-2 Comparison of Clients Relative to a Standalone System

System Type 

Centralized Administration 

Performance 

System Disk Usage 

Network Use 

AutoClient System 

better 

similar 

better 

similar 

Diskless Client 

better 

worse 

better 

worse 

Dataless Client 

similar 

worse 

better 

worse 

Server Characteristics

A server system has the following file systems:

Servers can also contain the following software to support other systems:

Standalone System Characteristics

A networked standalone system can share information with other systems in the network, but it can function autonomously because it has its own hard disk with enough space to contain the root (/), /usr, and /export/home file systems and swap space. The standalone system thus has local access to operating system software, executables, virtual memory space, and user-created files.

A non-networked standalone system is a standalone system with all the characteristics listed above except that is not connected to a network.

Dataless Clients

A dataless client has local storage for its root (/) file system and swap space. The dataless client cannot function if detached from the network, because its executables (/usr) and user files (/home) are located across the network on the disk of a server.

Note -

SunSoft plans to remove support for dataless clients after Solaris 2.5. You can add this system type now using Host Manager, but in future releases of the Solaris operating environment you will need to choose a different type. It is recommended that you use AutoClient systems instead of dataless clients.

A dataless client places far less demand on the server and the network than a diskless client does. Because dataless clients require less network access, a server can accommodate many more dataless clients than it can diskless clients. Also, since all the user files of all the dataless clients are stored centrally (on a server), they can be backed up and administered centrally.

Diskless Client Characteristics

A diskless client has no disk and depends on a server for all its software and storage area. A diskless client remotely mounts its root (/), /usr, and /home file systems from a server.

A diskless client generates significant network traffic due to its continual need to procure operating system software and virtual memory space from across the network. A diskless client cannot operate if it is detached from the network or if its server malfunctions.

AutoClient System Characteristics

An AutoClient system is nearly identical to a diskless client in terms of installation and administration. It has the following characteristics:

The following figure shows how a server and an AutoClient system work together.

Note -

You must obtain a license for each AutoClient system you want to add to your network. See the Solstice AutoClient 2.1 Installation and Product Notes for licensing information.

Figure 1-1 AutoClient System Characteristics

Graphic