Servers Required for Network Installation

Systems that install Solaris software over the network require:

• Install server - A networked system that provides Solaris 8 CD images from which you can install Solaris 8 on another system on the network. You can create an install server by copying the images on the Solaris 8 Software 1 of 2, Solaris 8 Software 2 of 2, and Solaris 8 Languages CDs to the server's hard disk.

  By copying these CD images to the server's hard disk, you enable a single install server to provide Solaris 8 CD images for multiple releases, including Solaris 8 CD images for different platforms.

  For example, a SPARC install server could provide the:

  • Solaris 7 CD image

  • Solaris 8 Software 1 of 2 SPARC Platform Edition CD image

  • Solaris 8 Software 2 of 2 SPARC Platform Edition CD image

  • Solaris 8 Languages SPARC Platform Edition CD image

  as well as the:

  • Solaris 8 Software 1 of 2 Intel Platform Edition CD image

  • Solaris 8 Software 2 of 2 Intel Platform Edition CD image

  • Solaris 8 Languages Intel Platform Edition CD image

• Name server - A system that manages a distributed network database (such as NIS or NIS+) that contains information about users and other systems on the network.

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  Note -

  The install server and name server can be the same or different systems.

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• Boot server - A system used to boot the system to be installed over the network. A boot server and install server are typically the same system. However, if the system on which Solaris 8 is to be installed is located in a different subnet than the install server, a boot server is required on that subnet.

  A single boot server can provide Solaris 8 boot software for multiple releases, including the Solaris 8 boot software for different platforms. For example, a SPARC boot server could provide the Solaris 7 and Solaris 8 boot software for SPARC based systems, and the same SPARC boot server could also provide the Solaris 8 boot software for IA based systems.

• OS server - A system that provides Solaris operating environment software including services, file systems, or both.

  An OS server can also provide several LAN interfaces, each servicing a separate subnet.

Figure 9-1 illustrates the servers required for network installation.

Figure 9-1 Network Installation Servers