Installing a ZFS Root File System

Starting with the Solaris 10 10/08 release, you can install and boot a ZFS root file system.

The following installation programs perform an initial installation of a ZFS root pool.

• The Solaris text installer performs an initial installation for a ZFS root pool. During the installation, you can choose to install either a UFS file system or a ZFS root pool. You can set up a mirrored ZFS root pool by selecting two disks during the installation. Or, you can attach or add additional disks after the installation to create a mirrored ZFS root pool. Swap and dump devices on ZFS volumes are automatically created in the ZFS root pool.

  For step-by-step instructions, see Chapter 3, Installing With the Solaris Interactive Text Installer for ZFS Root Pools (Planning and Tasks), in Solaris 10 5/09 Installation Guide: Basic Installations.

• With custom JumpStart, you can create a profile to create a ZFS storage pool and designate a bootable ZFS file system. New ZFS profile keywords install a ZFS root pool for an initial installation. A ZFS profile contains a limited set of keywords.

  For more information about JumpStart and ZFS, see Chapter 9, Installing a ZFS Root Pool With JumpStart, in Solaris 10 5/09 Installation Guide: Custom JumpStart and Advanced Installations

You can use Solaris Live Upgrade to perform the following tasks:

• Migrate a UFS root (/) file system to a ZFS root pool

• Create a new boot environment in the following ways:

  • Within an existing ZFS root pool

  • Within another ZFS root pool

  • From a source other than the currently running system

  • On a system with non-global zones installed

After you have used the lucreate command to create a ZFS boot environment, you can use other Solaris Live Upgrade commands on the boot environment, such as the luupgrade and luactivate commands. For more information on using Solaris Live Upgrade for ZFS, see Chapter 11, Solaris Live Upgrade and ZFS (Overview), in Solaris 10 5/09 Installation Guide: Solaris Live Upgrade and Upgrade Planning.