System Administration Guide, Volume I

Overview of System Types

System types are basically defined by how they access the root (/) and /usr file systems, including the swap area. For example, standalone and server systems mount these file systems from a local disk, while other clients mount the file systems remotely, relying on servers to provide these services. Table 3-1 lists these and other differences for each system type.

Table 3-1 System Type Overview


System Type	Local File Systems	Local Swap?	Remote File Systems	Network Use	Relative Performance
Server	root (`/`) `/usr` `/home` `/opt` `/export/home` `/export/root`	Yes	- none -	high	high
Standalone System	root (`/`) `/usr` `/export/home`	Yes	- none -	low	high
Diskless Client	- none -	No	root (`/`) swap `/usr` `/home`	high	low
JavaStation	- none -	No	`/home`	low	high
AutoClient System	cached root (`/`) cached `/usr`	Yes	`/var`	low	high

Servers

A server system has the following file systems:

The root (/) and /usr file systems, plus swap space
The /export, /export/swap, and /export/home file systems, which support client systems and provide home directories for users
The /opt directory or file system for storing application software

Servers can also contain the following software to support other systems:

Operating system (OS) services for diskless, JavaStation, or AutoClient systems that are running a different release or are a different platform than the server
Solaris CD image and boot software for networked systems to perform remote installations
JumpStart^TM directory for networked systems to perform custom JumpStart installations

Standalone Systems

A networked standalone system can share information with other systems in the network, but it could continue to function if detached from the network.

A standalone system can function autonomously because it has its own hard disk containing the root (/), /usr, and /export/home file systems and swap space. The standalone system thus has local access to operating system software, executables, virtual memory space, and user-created files.

Note -

A standalone system requires sufficient disk space to hold the four necessary file systems.

A non-networked standalone system is a standalone system with all the characteristics listed above except it is not connected to a network.

Diskless Clients

A diskless client has no disk and depends on a server for all its software and storage area. A diskless client remotely mounts its root (/), /usr, and /home file systems from a server.

A diskless client generates significant network traffic due to its continual need to procure operating system software and virtual memory space from across the network. A diskless client cannot operate if it is detached from the network or if its server malfunctions.

JavaStation Client

The JavaStation^TM is a client designed for zero administration. This client optimizes Java^TM; the JavaStation client takes full advantage of the network to deliver everything from Java applications and services to complete, integrated system and network management. The JavaStation has no local administration; booting, administration, and data storage are handled by servers.

AutoClient Systems

An AutoClient system is nearly identical to a diskless client in terms of installation and administration. It has the following characteristics:

Requires a minimum of a 100-Mbyte local disk for swapping and for caching its individual root (/) file system and the /usr file system from a server
Can be set up so that it can continue to access its cache when the server is unavailable
Relies on a server to access other file systems and software applications
Contains no permanent data, making it a field replaceable unit (FRU)

Note -

You must obtain a license for each AutoClient system you want to add to your network. See the Solstice AdminSuite 2.3 Installation and Release Notes for licensing information.