How to Set Up Systems to be Installed Over the Network With add_install_client

If Host Manager is not available, you can use the add_install_client command to set up systems to be installed over the network. The add_install_client updates only the /etc files.

1. Become root on the install server (or the boot server if a system requires one).

2. Make sure the following information about the system to be installed has been added to the name service (/etc files, NIS, or NIS+).

   • Host name

   • IP address

   • Ethernet address

3. Change directory to the Tools directory on the install server's Solaris CD image or the boot server's boot directory.

   # cd Solaris_2.6/Tools

4. Set up a system to be installed over the network with the add_install_client command.

   # ./add_install_client [-c server:jumpstart_dir_path] [-s install_server:install_path] [-p server:path] host_name platform_group

   -c server:jumpstart_dir_path	Specifies a JumpStart directory for custom JumpStart installations. This option and its arguments are required only for custom JumpStart installations.  server is the host name of the server on which the JumpStart directory is located. jumpstart_dir_path is the absolute path to the JumpStart directory.
   -s install_server:install_dir_path	Specifies the install server. This option is required only when you are using add_install_client on a boot server.   install_server is the host name of the install server. install_dir_path is the absolute path to the Solaris CD image.
   -p server:path	Specifies the sysidcfg file for preconfiguring system information. server is either a valid host name or IP address for the server that contains the file and path is the absolute path to the sysidcfg file.
   host_name	Is the host name of system to be installed over the network. (This is not the host name of the install server). The host must be in the name service for this command to work.
   platform group	Is the platform group of the system to be installed. (For a detailed list of platform groups, see Appendix C, Platform Names and Groups.)

SPARC: Example-Adding Systems to Be Installed Over the Network With add_install_client

The following example adds a system named basil, which is a SPARCstation 10, to be installed over the network. The system requires a boot server, so the command is run on the boot server; the -s option is used to specify the install server named install_server1, which contains a Solaris CD image in /export/install.

# cd /export/boot/Solaris_2.6/Tools
# ./add_install_client -s install_server1:/export/install basil sun4m 

Where to Go Next

The system is now ready to be installed over the network. To install the system, see Chapter 3, Performing a Custom JumpStart Installation.