This chapter describes how to upgrade an existing Solaris system. Topics include:
When you install a new version of Solaris software on an existing Solaris system, the installation program lets you choose one of the following options to install the Solaris operating environment:
Upgrade - This option merges the new version of the Solaris operating environment with the existing files on the system's disks. It saves as many modifications as possible that you have made to the previous version of the Solaris operating environment.
Initial - This option overwrites the system's disk with the new version of the Solaris operating environment. You must back up any local modifications that you have made to the previous version of the Solaris operating environment before you begin the installation and restore the local modifications after the installation completes.
Will I be able to use the upgrade option on my system?
You can use the upgrade option if you are running Solaris 2.5, Solaris 2.5.1, or Solaris 2.6 software.
To see which version of the Solaris operating environment the system is running, type:
$ uname -a |
Do I have to back out patches before I use the upgrade option?
No.
What if the Solaris installation program doesn't provide the upgrade option, but the system should be upgradeable?
See Chapter 6, Troubleshooting for information.
What if the system's file systems don't have enough space for the upgrade?
The upgrade option in the Solaris Interactive Installation program lets you reallocate disk space if the current file systems don't have enough space for the upgrade. By default, an auto-layout feature tries to determine how to reallocate the disk space so the upgrade can succeed. If auto-layout can't determine how to reallocate disk space, you must specify which file systems can be moved or changed, and then run auto-layout again based on your input.
Can I automatically upgrade to another software group?
No. For example, if you previously installed the End User software group on your system, you cannot use the upgrade option to upgrade to the Developer software group. However, you can always add software to the system during the upgrade that is not part of the currently installed software group.
Where does the installation program indicate local modifications that the upgrade couldn't preserve?
Where does the installation program indicate what happened during the upgrade?
This section provides information on upgrading and backing up a system.
Consider the following information before you upgrade an existing system to a new version of the Solaris operating environment.
Check the section "Software Features No Longer Supported" in the Solaris Release Notes and your vendor release notes to see if there is any software that you use that is no longer provided in the new release.
See Chapter 2, What's New at a Glance and your vendor release notes to see if any of the changes or enhancements to the Solaris operating environment will affect anything that you currently do.
See the documentation that came with your system to make sure your system and devices are supported by the new release.
Check other software documentation.
To avoid loss of data during upgrade, check Table 5-1 for known problems. This list is not complete. Always check co-packaged, vendor, and third-party software documentation for upgrading instructions.
Software |
Problem Summary |
SolsticeTM DiskSuiteTM |
Metadevices cannot be upgraded automatically. For instructions, see Appendix B, "Upgrading to Other Solaris Versions," in the Solstice DiskSuite Reference Guide. |
Prestoserve |
If you start the upgrade process by shutting down the system using init 0, you can lose data. See the Prestoserve documentation for shutdown instructions. |
Back up your system.
Always back up existing file systems before using the upgrade option and installing a new version of the Solaris operating environment. Backing up file systems means copying them to removable media (such as tape) to safeguard data against loss, damage, or corruption. If you do not have a backup procedure in place, see "To Back Up a System" to find out how to perform a full backup of file systems. For information on setting up scheduled backups and using other backup commands, see the System Administration Guide, Volume I.
Insert the Solaris CD into the CD-ROM drive.
Boot the system from the Solaris CD.
Get your system to the ok prompt and type:
boot cdrom
For older SPARCTM-based systems, use the following boot command: boot sd(0,6,2)
If you experience any problems from this point on, see Chapter 6, Troubleshooting.
Wait for booting to complete.
After you type the boot command, the system will go through a booting phase where various hardware and system components are checked. This lasts for several minutes. While the system is rebooting, you may should see messages similar to the following:
ok boot cdrom Booting from: sd(0,6,2) SunOS Release x.x Version [UNIX(R) System V Release] Copyright (c), Sun Microsystems, Inc. Configuring devices Starting OpenWindows... |
Follow the on-screen instructions to install the Solaris operating environment.
The Solaris installation program is a menu-driven, interactive step-by-step guide to installing the Solaris operating environment. It also provides online help to answer your questions.
Wait while the Solaris operating environment is installed on the system.
A log of the installation (how the system was installed) is saved to the following files:
Before the system reboots: /a/var/sadm/system/logs/upgrade_log
After the system reboots: /var/sadm/system/logs/upgrade_log
Become superuser.
Shut down the system.
# init 0 |
Bring the system to run-level S (single-user mode).
ok boot -s |
(Optional) Check the file system for consistency with the fsck command.
Running the fsck command using the -m option checks for file system consistency. For example, power failure can leave files in an inconsistent state.
# fsck -m /dev/rdsk/device-name |
(Optional)If you will be backing up file systems onto a remote tape drive:
Identify the device name of the tape drive.
The default tape drive is /dev/rmt/0.
Insert a tape that is not write-protected into the tape drive.
Back up file systems using one of the ufsdump commands listed in Table 5-2.
Table 5-2 Full Backup Commands
To Do Full Backups To ... |
Use This Command ... |
---|---|
Local diskette |
ufsdump9ucf /vol/dev/ files_to_backup |
Local cartridge tape drive |
ufsdump9ucf /dev/rmt files_to_backup |
Remote cartridge tape drive |
ufsdump0ucf remote_host:/ files_to_backup |
When prompted, remove the tape and replace it with the next volume.
Label each tape with the volume number, level, date, system name, and file system.
Bring the system back to run-level 3 by pressing Control-D.
Verify the backup was successful by using the ufsrestore command to display the tape contents.
After the system finishes upgrading, the installation program leaves it at the superuser prompt in single-user mode.
Clean up the system if necessary.
When you use the upgrade option, the Solaris installation program merges local software modifications of the existing system with the new software; however, in some cases, the merge is not possible. See the following file to see if you need to fix any of the local modifications that the upgrade could not preserve:
/a/var/sadm/system/data/upgrade_cleanup
Make sure you look at all the information in the upgrade_cleanup file. Your system may not boot if you fail to fix the unpreserved local modifications.
Reboot the system.
# reboot |