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Solaris Advanced Installation Guide

Creating an Install Server and Boot Servers

You must create an install server, and possibly a boot server, to install the Solaris software on a system over the network. This section describes how to:

How to Create an Install Server

  1. On the system that is going to be the install server, log in and become root.

    This system must have a CD-ROM drive and be part of the site's network and name service. The system must also be in the NIS or NIS+ name service. (If your site doesn't use the NIS or NIS+ name service, you must distribute information about this system by following your site's policies.)

    Note -

    This procedure assumes that the system is running Volume Management. For detailed information about managing CDs without Volume Management, see the System Administration Guide, Volume I.

  2. Insert the Solaris CD into the CD-ROM drive.

    This is the Solaris CD that you want to provide to the systems over the network.

  3. Mount the Solaris CD (if needed).

    Volume management automatically mounts the Solaris CD on /cdrom/cdrom0/s0 or /cdrom/cdrom0/s2.

  4. Determine your next step based on whether or not you want to copy the Solaris CD to the install server's hard disk.

    If You ... 

    Then ... 

    Want to copy the Solaris CD 

    Go to Step 5.

    Do not want to copy the Solaris CD 

    Go to Step 7.

  5. Change directory to the Tools directory on the mounted Solaris CD. 


    # cd Solaris_2.7/Tools

  6. Copy the Solaris CD to the install server's hard disk by using the setup_install_server command.


    # ./setup_install_server install_dir_path

    install_dir_path

    Specifies the directory where the Solaris CD will be copied. The directory must be empty. 

    Note -

    The setup_install_server command indicates if you do not have enough disk space for the Solaris CD. Use the df -kl command to determine available disk space.

    Note -

    After copying the Solaris CD, you can use the patchadd -C command to patch the files located on the mini root (i.e. Solaris_2.7/Tools/Boot)on the net install image created by setup_install_server. This enables Solaris installation commands and other mini root commands to be patched.

  7. Determine your next step based on whether or not the install server is on the same subnet as the system to be installed.

    If Install Server Is ... 

    Then ... 

    On same subnet as the system to be installed 

    You don't need to create a boot server. Go to "Setting Up Systems to Be Installed Over the Network".

    Not on the same subnet as the system to be installed

    Follow the steps in "How to Create a Boot Server on a Subnet ". You must complete this procedure when the install server is not on the same subnet as the system to be installed.

Example-Creating an Install Server

The following example creates an install server by copying the Solaris CD to the install server's /export/install directory.


# cd /cdrom/cdrom0/s0/Solaris_2.7/Tools
# ./setup_install_server /export/install

Where to Go Next

The install server is now created. If the install server is not on the same subnet as the system to be installed, go to "How to Create a Boot Server on a Subnet ". To set up systems to be installed from the install server, go to "Setting Up Systems to Be Installed Over the Network".

How to Create a Boot Server on a Subnet

You can install Solaris software over the network from any install server on the network. However, a system that needs to use an install server on another subnet requires a separate boot server on its own subnet. A boot server contains enough of the boot software to boot systems over the network, and then the install server takes over to install the Solaris software.

  1. On the system that will be the boot server for the subnet, log in and become root.

    This system must have a local CD-ROM drive or have access to a remote Solaris CD image. The system must also be in the NIS or NIS+ name service. (If your site doesn't use the NIS or NIS+ name service, you must distribute information about this system by following your site's policies.)

    Note -

    This procedure assumes that the system is running Volume Management. For detailed information about managing CDs without Volume Management, see the System Administration Guide, Volume I.

  2. Determine your next step based on where you want to access the Solaris CD image from.

    You must use the Solaris CD image of the same release and platform type that is being used to install the systems.

    If You Want To... 

    Then ... 

    Mount the Solaris CD on the boot server's CD-ROM drive 

    1. Insert the Solaris CD into the CD-ROM drive.

    2. Mount the Solaris CD (if needed).

      Note -

      Volume management automatically mounts the Solaris CD on /cdrom/cdrom0/s0 or /cdrom/cdrom0/s2.

    NFS-mount a Solaris CD image from a remote install server 

    1. Mount the Solaris CD image.


      # mount -F nfs -o ro server_name:path /mnt

      where server_name:path is the host name and absolute path to the Solaris CD image.

    2. Change directory to the mounted Solaris CD image.


      # cd /mnt

  3. Change directory to the Tools directory on the Solaris CD image. 


    # cd Solaris_2.7/Tools

  4. Copy the boot software to the boot server by using the setup_install_server command. 


    # ./setup_install_server -b boot_dir_path

    -b

    Specifies that the system will be set up as a boot server. 

    boot_dir_path

    Specifies the directory where the boot software will be copied. The directory must be empty. 

    Note -

    The setup_install_server command indicates if you do not have enough disk space to copy the platform dependent information. Use the df -kl command to determine available disk space.

Example-Creating a Boot Server on a Subnet

The following example creates a boot server on a subnet by copying the boot software from the Solaris CD image to /export/install/boot on the system's local disk.


# cd /cdrom/cdrom0/s0/Solaris_2.7/Tools
# ./setup_install_server -b /export/install/boot

Where to Go Next

The boot server is now set up to boot supported systems on a subnet. To continue, go to "Setting Up Systems to Be Installed Over the Network".