When to Create the Archive for an Initial Installation

Create the archive when the system is in as static a state as possible.

Create the archive after software is installed on the master system and before software is configured. For example, Solaris Volume Manager stores meta-information outside the file system. If you have an encapsulated and mirrored boot disk, the creation of the archive is not possible. Because archive creation does not access the meta-information outside the file system, the archive must be created before configuration.