Booting over the Network With a SPARC Blade Server

Use the following procedure to boot over the network using the Virtualized M2 NEM with a SPARC blade server.

How to Boot Over the Network Using the OpenBoot on a SPARC System

1. Add a MAC address- IP-address pair to the /etc/ethers and /etc/hosts files on the boot server.

   This enables the boot server to answer RARP calls from the blade for resolving the IP address for the Virtualized M2 NEM local MAC address.

2. Add a client script on the boot server to specify which OS should be loaded to the SPARC blade.

   Refer to the installation documentation for the operating system you want to install for details.

3. After the boot server has been configured, do one of the following:
   • If the SPARC blade is not currently running Solaris: Logon to the console of the SPARC blade, power the blade on, and boot to the OpenBoot ok prompt.
   • If the blade is already running Solaris, type the following in a terminal window to go to the ok prompt:

     sync;sync;halt

4. Type show-nets to see all the network interfaces available for the blade to use. One of them should be the Virtualized M2 NEM. For example:

   {0} ok show-nets
   a) /pci@7c0/pci@0/pci@8/network@0
   b) /pci@780/pci@0/pci@1/network@0,1
   c) /pci@780/pci@0/pci@1/network@0
   q) NO SELECTION
   Enter Selection, q to quit:

   The path with a single network node should be the Virtualized M2 NEM.

5. Change directory to that path.

   cd /pci@7c0/pci@0/pci@8/network@0

6. Type command .properties to check its properties. If it is a Virtualized M2 NEM, you should see:

   {0} ok .properties
   assigned-addresses       82520010 00000000 11000000 00000000 01000000 
                            82520018 00000000 10400000 00000000 00008000 
                            82520020 00000000 00000000 00000000 00008000 
                            82520030 00000000 10600000 00000000 00200000 
   local-mac-address        00 14 4f 63 00 09 
   phy-type                 xgf
   reg                      00520000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 
                            03520010 00000000 00000000 00000000 01000000 
                            03520018 00000000 00000000 00000000 00008000 
                            03520020 00000000 00000000 00000000 00008000 
                            02520030 00000000 00000000 00000000 00100000 
   version                  Sun Blade 6000 Virtualized Multi-Fabric 10GbE NEM FCode 
   1.2 09/01/14
   board-model              501-7995-04
   model                    SUNW,pcie-hydra
   compatible               pciex108e,aaaa.108e.aaaa.1
                            pciex108e,aaaa.108e.aaaa
                            pciex108e,aaaa.1
                            pciex108e,aaaa
                            pciexclass,020000
                            pciexclass,0200
   address-bits             00000030 
   max-frame-size           00002400 
   network-interface-type   ethernet
   device_type              network
   name                     network
   fcode-rom-offset         00006200 
   interrupts               00000001 
   cache-line-size          00000010 
   class-code               00020000 
   subsystem-id             0000aaaa 
   subsystem-vendor-id      0000108e 
   revision-id              00000001 
   device-id                0000aaaa 
   vendor-id                0000108e 

7. Type device-end then do the netboot.

   {0} ok device-end
   {0} ok /pci@400/pci@0/pci@9/pci@0/pci@1/network@0:dhcp

   {0} ok  boot /pci@400/pci@0/pci@9/pci@0/pci@1/network@0:dhcp

   If successful, you should see something similar to the following on the blade’s console.

   Boot device: /pci@400/pci@0/pci@9/pci@0/pci@1/network@0:dhcp  File and args:
   SunOS Release 5.10 Version Generic_141444-09 64-bit
   Copyright 1983-2009 Sun Microsystems, Inc.  All rights reserved.
   Use is subject to license terms.
   NOTICE: hxge1: link up, 10000 Mbps, full duplex
   Configuring devices.
   Using DHCP for network configuration information.
   Reading ZFS config: done.
   Setting up Java. Please wait...
   Serial console, reverting to text install
   Beginning system identification...
   Searching for configuration file(s)...
   Using sysid configuration file /sysidcfg
   Search complete.
   Discovering additional network configuration...
   Completing system identification...
   Starting remote procedure call (RPC) services: done.
   NIS domain name is
   System identification complete.
   Starting Solaris installation program...
   Executing JumpStart preinstall phase...
   Searching for SolStart directory...
   Checking rules.ok file...
   Using begin script: install_begin
   Using finish script: patch_finish
   Executing SolStart preinstall phase...
   Executing begin script "install_begin"...
   Begin script install_begin execution compl 

   The net installation menu appears. The Solaris installation program is divided into a series of short sections where you'll be prompted to provide information for the installation. At the end of each section, you can change the selections you've made before continuing.