This section provides guidelines for planning Solaris software installation in a cluster configuration. For more information about Solaris software, see your Solaris installation documentation.
You can install Solaris software from a local CD-ROM or from a network installation server by using the JumpStartTM installation method. In addition, Sun Cluster software provides a custom method for installing both the Solaris OS and Sun Cluster software by using the JumpStart installation method. If you are installing several cluster nodes, consider a network installation.
See How to Install Solaris and Sun Cluster Software (JumpStart) for details about the scinstall JumpStart installation method. See your Solaris installation documentation for details about standard Solaris installation methods.
The following Solaris OS features are not supported in a Sun Cluster configuration:
Sun Cluster 3.1 8/05 software does not support non-global zones. All Sun Cluster software and software that is managed by the cluster must be installed only on the global zone of the node. Do not install cluster-related software on a non-global zone. In addition, all cluster-related software must be installed in a way that prevents propagation to a non-global zone that is later created on a cluster node. For more information, see Adding a Package to the Global Zone Only in System Administration Guide: Solaris Containers-Resource Management and Solaris Zones.
Solaris interface groups are not supported in a Sun Cluster configuration. The Solaris interface groups feature is disabled by default during Solaris software installation. Do not re-enable Solaris interface groups. See the ifconfig(1M) man page for more information about Solaris interface groups.
Automatic power-saving shutdown is not supported in Sun Cluster configurations and should not be enabled. See the pmconfig(1M) and power.conf(4) man pages for more information.
Sun Cluster software does not support Extensible Firmware Interface (EFI) disk labels.
Sun Cluster software does not support filtering with Solaris IP Filter. The use of the STREAMS autopush(1M) mechanism by Solaris IP Filter conflicts with Sun Cluster software's use of the mechanism.
Sun Cluster 3.1 8/05 software requires at least the End User Solaris Software Group. However, other components of your cluster configuration might have their own Solaris software requirements as well. Consider the following information when you decide which Solaris software group you are installing.
Check your server documentation for any Solaris software requirements. For example , Sun EnterpriseTM 10000 servers require the Entire Solaris Software Group Plus OEM Support.
If you intend to use SCI-PCI adapters, which are available for use in SPARC based clusters only, or the Remote Shared Memory Application Programming Interface (RSMAPI), ensure that you install the RSMAPI software packages (SUNWrsm and SUNWrsmo, and also SUNWrsmx and SUNWrsmox for the Solaris 8 or Solaris 9 OS). The RSMAPI software packages are included only in some Solaris software groups. For example, the Developer Solaris Software Group includes the RSMAPI software packages but the End User Solaris Software Group does not.
If the software group that you install does not include the RSMAPI software packages, install the RSMAPI software packages manually before you install Sun Cluster software. Use the pkgadd(1M) command to manually install the software packages. See the Solaris 8 Section (3RSM) man pages for information about using the RSMAPI.
You might need to install other Solaris software packages that are not part of the End User Solaris Software Group. The Apache HTTP server packages are one example. Third-party software, such as ORACLE®, might also require additional Solaris software packages. See your third-party documentation for any Solaris software requirements.
To avoid the need to manually install Solaris software packages, install the Entire Solaris Software Group Plus OEM Support.
Add this information to the appropriate Local File System Layout Worksheet.
When you install the Solaris OS, ensure that you create the required Sun Cluster partitions and that all partitions meet minimum space requirements.
swap – The combined amount of swap space that is allocated for Solaris and Sun Cluster software must be no less than 750 Mbytes. For best results, add at least 512 Mbytes for Sun Cluster software to the amount that is required by the Solaris OS. In addition, allocate any additional swap amount that is required by applications that are to run on the cluster node.
If you intend to create an additional swap file, do not create the swap file on a global device. Only use a local disk as a swap device for the node.
/globaldevices – Create a 512-Mbyte file system that is to be used by the scinstall(1M) utility for global devices.
Volume manager – Create a 20-Mbyte partition on a slice at the end of the disk (slice 7) for volume manager use. If your cluster uses VERITAS Volume Manager (VxVM) and you intend to encapsulate the root disk, you need to have two unused slices available for use by VxVM.
To meet these requirements, you must customize the partitioning if you are performing interactive installation of the Solaris OS.
See the following guidelines for additional partition planning information:
As with any other system running the Solaris OS, you can configure the root (/), /var, /usr, and /opt directories as separate file systems. Or, you can include all the directories in the root (/) file system. The following describes the software contents of the root (/), /var, /usr, and /opt directories in a Sun Cluster configuration. Consider this information when you plan your partitioning scheme.
root (/) – The Sun Cluster software itself occupies less than 40 Mbytes of space in the root (/) file system. Solstice DiskSuite or Solaris Volume Manager software requires less than 5 Mbytes, and VxVM software requires less than 15 Mbytes. To configure ample additional space and inode capacity, add at least 100 Mbytes to the amount of space you would normally allocate for your root ( /) file system. This space is used for the creation of both block special devices and character special devices used by the volume management software. You especially need to allocate this extra space if a large number of shared disks are in the cluster.
/var – The Sun Cluster software occupies a negligible amount of space in the /var file system at installation time. However, you need to set aside ample space for log files. Also, more messages might be logged on a clustered node than would be found on a typical standalone server. Therefore, allow at least 100 Mbytes for the /var file system.
/usr – Sun Cluster software occupies less than 25 Mbytes of space in the /usr file system. Solstice DiskSuite or Solaris Volume Manager and VxVM software each require less than 15 Mbytes.
/opt – Sun Cluster framework software uses less than 2 Mbytes in the /opt file system. However, each Sun Cluster data service might use between 1 Mbyte and 5 Mbytes. Solstice DiskSuite or Solaris Volume Manager software does not use any space in the /opt file system. VxVM software can use over 40 Mbytes if all of its packages and tools are installed.
In addition, most database and applications software is installed in the /opt file system.
SPARC: If you use Sun Management Center software to monitor the cluster, you need an additional 25 Mbytes of space on each node to support the Sun Management Center agent and Sun Cluster module packages.
Sun Cluster software requires you to set aside a special file system on one of the local disks for use in managing global devices. This file system is later mounted as a cluster file system. Name this file system /globaldevices, which is the default name that is recognized by the scinstall(1M) command.
The scinstall command later renames the file system /global/.devices/node@nodeid, where nodeid represents the number that is assigned to a node when it becomes a cluster member. The original /globaldevices mount point is removed.
The /globaldevices file system must have ample space and ample inode capacity for creating both block special devices and character special devices. This guideline is especially important if a large number of disks are in the cluster. A file system size of 512 Mbytes should suffice for most cluster configurations.
If you use Solstice DiskSuite or Solaris Volume Manager software, you must set aside a slice on the root disk for use in creating the state database replica. Specifically, set aside a slice for this purpose on each local disk. But, if you only have one local disk on a node, you might need to create three state database replicas in the same slice for Solstice DiskSuite or Solaris Volume Manager software to function properly. See your Solstice DiskSuite or Solaris Volume Manager documentation for more information.
SPARC: If you use VERITAS Volume Manager (VxVM) and you intend to encapsulate the root disk, you need to have two unused slices that are available for use by VxVM. Additionally, you need to have some additional unassigned free space at either the beginning or the end of the disk. See your VxVM documentation for more information about root disk encapsulation.
Table 1–2 shows a partitioning scheme for a cluster node that has less than 750 Mbytes of physical memory. This scheme is to be installed with the End User Solaris Software Group, Sun Cluster software, and the Sun Cluster HA for NFS data service. The last slice on the disk, slice 7, is allocated with a small amount of space for volume-manager use.
This layout allows for the use of either Solstice DiskSuite or Solaris Volume Manager software or VxVM software. If you use Solstice DiskSuite or Solaris Volume Manager software, you use slice 7 for the state database replica. If you use VxVM, you later free slice 7 by assigning the slice a zero length. This layout provides the necessary two free slices, 4 and 7, as well as provides for unused space at the end of the disk.
Table 1–2 Example File-System Allocation
Slice |
Contents |
Size Allocation |
Description |
---|---|---|---|
0 |
/ |
6.75GB |
Remaining free space on the disk after allocating space to slices 1 through 7. Used for the Solaris OS, Sun Cluster software, data-services software, volume-manager software, Sun Management Center agent and Sun Cluster module agent packages, root file systems, and database and application software. |
1 |
swap |
1GB |
512 Mbytes for the Solaris OS. 512 Mbytes for Sun Cluster software. |
2 |
overlap |
8.43GB |
The entire disk. |
3 |
/globaldevices |
512MB |
The Sun Cluster software later assigns this slice a different mount point and mounts the slice as a cluster file system. |
4 |
unused |
- |
Available as a free slice for encapsulating the root disk under VxVM. |
5 |
unused |
- |
- |
6 |
unused |
- |
- |
7 |
volume manager |
20MB |
Used by Solstice DiskSuite or Solaris Volume Manager software for the state database replica, or used by VxVM for installation after you free the slice. |