Solaris 10 5/08 Installation Guide: Network-Based Installations

Storing Configuration and Security Information in the /etc/netboot Hierarchy

The /etc/netboot directory contains the configuration information, private key, digital certificate, and certificate authority that are required for a WAN boot installation. This section describes the files and directories you can create in the /etc/netboot directory to customize your WAN boot installation.

Customizing the Scope of the WAN Boot Installation

During the installation, the wanboot-cgi program searches for the client information in the /etc/netboot directory on the WAN boot server. The wanboot-cgi program converts this information into the WAN boot file system, and then transmits the WAN boot file system to the client. You can create subdirectories within the /etc/netboot directory to customize the scope of the WAN installation. Use the following directory structures to define how configuration information is shared among the clients that you want to install.

Specifying Security and Configuration Information in the /etc/netboot Directory

You specify the security and configuration information by creating the following files and storing the files in the /etc/netboot directory.

For detailed instructions on how to create and store these files, see the following procedures.

Sharing Security and Configuration Information in the /etc/netboot Directory

To install clients on your network, you might want to share security and configuration files among several different clients, or across entire subnets. You can share these files by distributing your configuration information throughout the /etc/netboot/net-ip/client-ID, /etc/netboot/net-ip, and /etc/netboot directories. The wanboot-cgi program searches these directories for the configuration information that best fits the client, and uses that information during the installation.

The wanboot-cgi program searches for client information in the following order.

  1. /etc/netboot/net-ip/client-ID – The wanboot-cgi program first checks for configuration information that is specific to the client machine. If the /etc/netboot/net-ip/client-ID directory contains all the client configuration information, the wanboot-cgi program does not check for configuration information elsewhere in the /etc/netboot directory.

  2. /etc/netboot/net-ip – If all the required information is not located in the /etc/netboot/net-ip/client-ID directory, the wanboot-cgi program then checks for subnet configuration information in the /etc/netboot/net-ip directory.

  3. /etc/netboot – If the remaining information is not located in the /etc/netboot/net-ip directory, the wanboot-cgi program then checks for global configuration information in the /etc/netboot directory.

Figure 10–2 demonstrates how you can set up the /etc/netboot directory to customize your WAN boot installations.

Figure 10–2 Sample /etc/netboot Directory

The context describes the graphic.

The /etc/netboot directory layout in Figure 10–2 enables you to perform the following WAN boot installations.