Software Installation

C H A P T E R 3

This chapter contains the following sections:

Section 3.1, Operating Systems and Patches

Section 3.2, Configuring Payload OS NIU Driver for Multiplexing to Zones 2 and 3

Section 3.3, Installing as a Diskless Clients

Section 3.4, Firmware Updates

Section 3.5, Configuring for 1-GbE or 10-GbE Switches

Section 3.6, Downloading and Installing SunVTS Software

Section 3.7, Formatting the Optional Compact Flash Card

3.1 Operating Systems and Patches

The Sun Netra CP3260 blade server uses the Solaris 10 8/07 OS and subsequent compatible versions, with associated patches. Refer to the Netra CP3260 Blade Server Product Notes (820-0455) for the Solaris OS version and the patches and patch installation procedures. Theses notes are available online at:

http://docs.sun.com/app/docs/prod/netra.brds

The Solaris OS software and patches can be downloaded from SunSolveSM or the Sun Download Center (SDLC) at:

http://www.sun.com/download

Note - For information on versions of the Solaris OS, including installation, see the appropriate Solaris Documentation Collection at the Sun Documentation web site at http://docs.sun.com/app/docs/prod/solaris.

Depending the blade server’s hardware configuration, the Sun Netra CP3260 blade server can be used as a diskless client with the Solaris OS installed on a boot server (see Section 3.3, Installing as a Diskless Clients. The OS can also be downloaded to a boot device like the Netra CP32x0 SAS Storage ARTM, Dual HD, or an optional Compact Flash.

3.2 Configuring Payload OS NIU Driver for Multiplexing to Zones 2 and 3

The MUX configuration by system management software and payload driver configuration must be in sync for proper functioning of both 10Gbps Ethernet (nxge) interfaces. The payload driver relies on the driver configuration file (nxge.conf) to initialize interfaces to either Zone 2 (backplane) or Zone 3 (ARTM). The driver uses phy-type property to configure each interface. On the Netra CP3260 blade server, the phy-type can have the following values:

phy-type=gsd (for interface to operate at 1Gbps with Zone 2 connectivity)

phy-type=xgsd (for interface to operate at 10Gbps with Zone 2 connectivity)

phy-type=xgf (for interface to operate at 10Gbps with Zone 3 connectivity)

For default installations, the nxge driver is in the /platform/sun4v/kernel/drv directory.

The following examples show how to configure zone/link speed in the nxge driver file for Zone 2 and Zone 3 connectivity when using the Solaris OS.

CODE EXAMPLE 3-1 Zone 2 Connectivity (Both `nxge` Ports)
name = "SUNW,niusl" parent = "/niu@80" unit-address = "0" phy-type = "gsd"; name = "SUNW,niusl" parent = "/niu@80" unit-address = "1" phy-type = "xgsd";

Note - The phy-type=”gsd” sets the interface at 1Gbps and the phy-type=”xgsd” sets the interface at 10Gbps.

CODE EXAMPLE 3-2 Zone 3 Connectivity (Both `nxge` Ports)
name = "SUNW,niusl" parent = "/niu@80" unit-address = "0" phy-type = "xgf"; name = "SUNW,niusl" parent = "/niu@80" unit-address = "1" phy-type = "xgf";

CODE EXAMPLE 3-3 Zone 2 and Zone 3 Connectivity: First NIU Port ( `nxge0` ) to Zone 2 (at 10Gbps Speed) and the Second NIU Port ( `nxge1` ) to Zone3
name = "SUNW,niusl" parent = "/niu@80" unit-address = "0" phy-type = "xgsd"; name = "SUNW,niusl" parent = "/niu@80" unit-address = "1" phy-type = "xgf";

CODE EXAMPLE 3-4 Zone 2 and Zone 3 Connectivity: First NIU Port ( `nxge0` ) to Zone 3 (at 10Gbps Speed) and the Second NIU Port ( `nxge1` ) to Zone2
name = "SUNW,niusl" parent = "/niu@80" unit-address = "0" phy-type = "xgf"; name = "SUNW,niusl" parent = "/niu@80" unit-address = "1" phy-type = "xgsd";

3.3 Installing as a Diskless Clients

The following procedures describe how to create a boot server for diskless clients and how to add new diskless clients to the patched boot server. For additional instructions on installing diskless clients, refer to the appropriate Solaris Documentation Collection at the Sun Documentation web site at:

http://docs.sun.com/app/docs/prod/solaris

You must have a superuser password on your diskless server to perform the tasks in the following sections.

3.3.1 Creating a Boot Server for Diskless Clients

This procedure sets up a boot server by starting the operating environment services required for diskless clients. Once you have set up the boot server, see Section 3.3.2, Adding a Diskless Client for instructions on adding diskless clients to the boot server.

To create a boot server for diskless clients:

1. Verify that the IP addresses for all other network interfaces on the boot server have corresponding host names in the hosts database.

2. Log in to the network server as superuser and change to the /usr/sadm/bin directory.

# cd /usr/sadm/bin

3. Use the smosservice command to add boot services to the installation server.

Note - The \ (backslash) in the following code boxes is a line-continuation character indicating that the command is continued on the next line.

# ./smosservice add -u root -p root_password -- -x mediapath=image_directory \-x platform=sparc.sun4v.Solaris_n -x cluster=SUNWCXall -x locale=locale

Where:

root_password is the root password for the installation server

image_directory is the path to the directory where the Solaris install image is stored

n is the Solaris OS version you are using.

locale is the locale that you want to use

\ (backslash) is a line-continuation character indicating that the command is continued on the next line.

Refer to the smosservice(1M) man page for more information and options.

For example:

# ./smosservice add -u root -p root_password -- -x mediapath=/export/install \-x platform=sparc.sun4v.Solaris_10 -x cluster=SUNWCXall -x locale=en_US

Where:

root_password = root_password

image_directory = /export/install

locale = en_US

n = 10 (for Solaris 10)

\ (backslash) is a line-continuation character indicating that the command is continued on the next line.

4. Download and install additional patches.

Refer to the Netra CP3260 Blade Server Product Notes (820-0455) for the latest information on the patches available for the Sun Netra CP3260 blade server. The document can be downloaded from the following web site:

http://docs.sun.com/app/docs/prod/netra.brds

Follow the instructions in the Netra CP3260 Blade Server Product Notes (820-0455) for downloading and applying patches to a diskless clients boot server.

5. After the patches are installed, follow the procedure in Section 3.3.2, Adding a Diskless Client.

3.3.2 Adding a Diskless Client

1. Prepare a patched boot server for the diskless clients.

Follow the steps in Section 3.3.1, Creating a Boot Server for Diskless Clients to create a boot server for the diskless clients.

2. Log in to the patched boot server as superuser.

3. Collect the following information for the diskless client you are adding:

Client’s IP address

Client’s Ethernet address

Client’s host name

4. Change directories to the /usr/sadm/bin directory.

# cd /usr/sadm/bin

5. Set up the diskless clients.

For each diskless client, type the following command as superuser:

# ./smdiskless add -- -i ip_address -e ethernet_address -n host_name \
-x os=sparc.sun4v.Solaris_n -x root=/export/root/host_name \
-x swap=/export/swap/host_name -x swapsize=swap_size -x tz=time_zone \
-x locale=locale -x ns=name_service -x nameserver=name_server

Where:

ip_address is the client’s IP address

ethernet_address is the client’s Ethernet address

host_name is the client’s host name

n is the Solaris OS version you are using

swap_size is the size of the swap space that you will be using. The default is 24, however your swap space should be the same amount as your memory

time_zone is the client’s time zone

locale is the client’s locale

name_service is the client’s nameservice

name_server is the nameserver’s hostname

\ (backslash) is a line-continuation character indicating that the command is continued on the next line.

Refer to the smdiskless(1M) man page for more information and options.

For example:

# ./smdiskless add -- -i 129.144.214.99 -e 8:0:20:22:b3:aa -n client_host \-x os=sparc.sun4v.Solaris_10 -x root=/export/root/client_host \-x swap=/export/swap/client_host -x swapsize=999 -x tz=US/Pacific \-x locale=en_US -x ns=NIS -x nameserver=nameserver_host

Where:

ip_address = 129.144.214.99

ethernet_address = 8:0:20:22:b3:aa

host_name = client_host

n = 10 (for Solaris 10)

swap_size = 128

time_zone = US/Pacific

locale = en_US

name_service = NIS

name_server = nameserver_host

\ (backslash) is a line continuation character indicating that the command is continued on the next line.

You must type your superuser password again after typing this command. The installation process should take roughly 5 minutes per client and about 15-30 minutes for the operating environment service to install; however, no progress is displayed on screen while the process is running. Do not cancel or kill the process until the process has successfully completed.

You should see messages similar to the following after a few minutes, confirming that the command went through successfully the second time:

Login to client_host as user root was successful.
Download of com.sun.admin.osservermgr.cli.OsServerMgrCli from client_host was 
successful.

6. Boot the diskless client.

3.3.3 Determining Local Network IP Addresses and Host Names

Collect the following information to connect hosts to the local area network (LAN). Ask your network administrator for help, if necessary. You can use TABLE 3-1 to record this information. This information is not needed for a standalone installation.

TABLE 3-1 Local Network Information
Information Needed	Your Information
IP address ^[1] and host name for each Sun Netra CP3260 client
Domain name
Type of name service and corresponding name server names and IP addresses--for example, DNS and NIS (or NIS+)
Subnet mask
Gateway router IP address
NFS server names and IP addresses
Web server URL

You might need the MAC (Ethernet) addresses of the local hosts to make nameserver database entries. The MAC address can be seen in the console output while booting to the ok prompt. It can also be derived from the host ID seen on the barcode label (see Section 1.7.1, Part Number, Serial Number, and Revision Number Identification).

3.4 Firmware Updates

For information on firmware updates, refer to the Netra CP3260 Blade Server Product Notes (820-0455) which is available online at:

http://docs.sun.com/app/docs/prod/netra.brds

All Sun Netra CP3260 firmware updates can be downloaded from the Sun Download Center (SDLC) at:

http://www.sun.com/download

3.5 Configuring for 1-GbE or 10-GbE Switches

The Fabric interface on the Sun Netra CP3260 blade server is capable of operating at either 1 Gbps or 10 Gbps. The Sun Netra CP3260 can be used in the Netra CT 900 server with either the Sun Netra CP3240 10-GbE switch board or the Sun Netra CP3140 1-GbE switch board. Therefore it is important that the Solaris driver configuration file be configured accordingly on the Netra CP3260 blade server.

The NIU (Network Interface Unit) driver configuration file, nxge.conf, might need to be modified to employ the proper port configurations. The nxge.conf file is located in the /platform/sun4v/kernel/drv directory. The following examples show the proper entries for each switch configuration. These entries are additional to any other configuration parameters set in the nxge.conf file.

Example 1: If Sun Netra CP3240 10-GbE switches are used in Slot 7 and Slot 8, the nxge.conf file should have the following entries:

name = "SUNW,niusl" parent = "/niu@80" unit-address = "0" phy-type = "xgsd"; 
name = "SUNW,niusl" parent = "/niu@80" unit-address = "1" phy-type = "xgsd";

Example 2: If Sun Netra CP3140 1-GbE switches are used in Slot 7 and Slot 8, the nxge.conf file should have the following entries:

name = "SUNW,niusl" parent = "/niu@80" unit-address = "0" phy-type = "gsd"; 
name = "SUNW,niusl" parent = "/niu@80" unit-address = "1" phy-type = "gsd";

Example 3: If a Sun Netra CP3140 1-GbE switch is used in Slot 7 and a Sun Netra CP3240 10-GbE switch in Slot 8, the nxge.conf file should have the following entries:

name = "SUNW,niusl" parent = "/niu@80" unit-address = "0" phy-type = "gsd"; 
name = "SUNW,niusl" parent = "/niu@80" unit-address = "1" phy-type = "xgsd";

Example 4: If a Sun Netra CP3240 10-GbE switch is used in Slot 7 and a Sun Netra CP3140 1-GbE switch is used in Slot 8, the nxge.conf file should have the following entries:

name = "SUNW,niusl" parent = "/niu@80" unit-address = "0" phy-type = "xgsd"; 
name = "SUNW,niusl" parent = "/niu@80" unit-address = "1" phy-type = "gsd";

3.6 Downloading and Installing SunVTS Software

Sun Validation Test Suite (SunVTS trademark ) software is a comprehensive suite that tests and validates the Sun Netra CP3260 blade server by verifying the configuration and function of most hardware controllers and devices on the blade server.

SunVTS software is used to validate a system during development, production, inspection, troubleshooting, periodic maintenance, and system or subsystem stressing. SunVTS software can be tailored to run on machines ranging from desktops to servers with modifiable test instances and processor affinity features.

You can perform high-level system testing by using the appropriate version of SunVTS software. For detailed information on SunVTS support, documentation, and downloads, refer to the following web site:

http://www.sun.com/oem/products/vts/

You will be prompted for your Sun Online Account name and password.

For the Sun Netra CP3260 blade server, use the SunVTS6.4ps2 SPARC (or newer), Toolkit and Documentation.

Ensure that the SunVTS software version is compatible with the Solaris OS being used. You can find information about the SunVTS software version installed on your system by viewing the content of the .version file:

# cat /opt/SUNWvts/bin/.version

Note - For security reasons, only a superuser is permitted to run SunVTS software. Installation and starting instructions are included with the software when it is downloaded.

3.7 Formatting the Optional Compact Flash Card

The Compact Flash card is an USB removable media device on the Sun Netra CP3260 blade server. Therefore, the Solaris OS rmformat utility must be used to format the device. The Solaris OS also provides a removable media framework for use with this type of device.

Refer to the rmformat(1) man page for more information.

^{1 (TableFootnote) Local IP addresses are not needed if they are assigned by a network DHCP server.}