x86: Booting From a ZFS Root File System

The following entries are added to the /pool-name/boot/grub/menu.lst file during the Solaris OS installation process or Oracle Solaris Live Upgrade operation to boot ZFS automatically:

title Solaris 10 9/10  X86
findroot (rootfs0,0,a)
kernel$ /platform/i86pc/multiboot -B $ZFS-BOOTFS
module /platform/i86pc/boot_archive
title Solaris failsafe
findroot (rootfs0,0,a)
kernel /boot/multiboot kernel/unix -s -B console=ttya
module /boot/x86.miniroot-safe

If the device identified by GRUB as the boot device contains a ZFS storage pool, the menu.lst file is used to create the GRUB menu.

On an x86 based system with multiple ZFS BEs, you can select a BE from the GRUB menu. If the root file system corresponding to this menu entry is a ZFS dataset, the following option is added:

-B $ZFS-BOOTFS

Example 5–10 x86: Booting a ZFS File System

When a system boots from a ZFS file system, the root device is specified by the boot -B $ZFS-BOOTFS parameter on either the kernel or module line in the GRUB menu entry. This parameter value, similar to all parameters specified by the -B option, is passed by GRUB to the kernel. For example:

title Solaris 10 9/10  X86
findroot (rootfs0,0,a)
kernel$ /platform/i86pc/multiboot -B $ZFS-BOOTFS
module /platform/i86pc/boot_archive
title Solaris failsafe
findroot (rootfs0,0,a)
kernel /boot/multiboot kernel/unix -s -B console=ttya
module /boot/x86.miniroot-safe

Example 5–11 x86: Booting a ZFS File System in Failsafe Mode

The x86 failsafe archive is /boot/x86.miniroot-safe and can be booted by selecting the Solaris failsafe entry from the GRUB menu. For example:

title Solaris failsafe
findroot (rootfs0,0,a)
kernel /boot/multiboot kernel/unix -s -B console=ttya
module /boot/x86.miniroot-safe