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 metainformation 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 metainformation outside the file system, the archive must be created before configuration.