Installing and Upgrading When Using Non-global Zones

When the Solaris OS is installed, the software group installed in the global zone is the set of packages that is shared by all the non-global zones. For example, if you install the Entire software group, all zones contain these packages. By default, any additional packages installed in the global zone also populate the non-global zones. You can segregate into non-global zones any applications, namespaces, servers, and network connections such as NFS and DHCP as well as other software. Each non-global zone is unaware of other non-global zones and each can operate independently. For example, you might have installed the Entire software group on the global zone and have running on separate non-global zones the Java Enterprise System Messaging Server, a database, DHCP, and a web server. When installing non-global zones remember the performance requirements of the applications running in each non-global zone.

A Solaris Flash archive cannot be properly created when a non-global zone is installed. The Solaris Flash feature is not compatible with Solaris Zones partitioning technology. If you create a Solaris Flash archive, the resulting archive is not installed properly when the archive is deployed under these conditions:

• The archive is created In a non-global zone

• The archive is created in a global zone that has non-global zones installed

Upgrading When Non-Global Zones Are Installed

Starting with the Solaris 10 1/06 release, when you are upgrading the Solaris OS, you can upgrade a system that has non-global zones installed. The Solaris interactive installation program and custom JumpStart programs enable an upgrade.

• With the Solaris interactive installation program, you can upgrade a system with non-global zones by selecting the Upgrade Install on the Select Upgrade or Initial Install panel. The installation program then analyzes your system to determine if your system is upgradable, and provides you a summary of the analysis. The installation program then prompts you to continue the upgrade. You can use this program with the following limitations:

  • You cannot customize your upgrade. For example, you cannot install additional software products, install additional locale packages, or modify the disk layout.

  • You must use the Solaris Operating System DVD or a DVD-created network installation image. You cannot use the Solaris Software CDs to upgrade a system. For more information about installing with this program, see Chapter 2, Installing With the Solaris Installation Program (Tasks), in Solaris 10 Installation Guide: Basic Installations.

• With the custom JumpStart installation program, you can upgrade by using only the install_type and root_device keywords.

  Because some keywords affect non-global zones, some keywords cannot be included in a profile. For example, using keywords that add packages, reallocate disk space, or add locales would affect non-global zones. If you use these keywords, they are ignored or cause the JumpStart upgrade to fail. For a list of these keywords, see Limiting Profile Keywords When Upgrading With Non-Global Zones in Solaris 10 Installation Guide: Custom JumpStart and Advanced Installations.

You cannot use Solaris Live Upgrade to upgrade a system when non-global zones are installed. You can create a boot environment with the lucreate command, but if you use the luupgrade command, the upgrade fails. An error message is displayed.