Create an AI Install Service

An install server can have more than one install service. Create a separate install service for each client hardware architecture and each different version of the Oracle Solaris 11 OS that you want to install.

Use the installadm create-service command to create an AI install service. Give the service a meaningful name, and specify the path where you want the service created. Specify the source of the network boot image (net image) package or ISO file.

When an AI install service is created, the AI SMF service, system/install/server, is enabled if it was not already enabled. The install service image is mounted at /etc/netboot/svcname. For SPARC install services, the wanboot.conf file is at the root of the install service image. For x86 install services, the menu.lst GRUB menu is at the root of the install service image.

When the first install service for a particular architecture is created on an install server, an alias of that service, default-i386 or default-sparc, is automatically created. This default service is a complete service, with its own manifests and profiles. This default service is used for all installations on clients of that architecture that were not explicitly associated with a different install service with the create-client subcommand.

To change which service the default-arch service aliases, set the aliasof property using the set-service subcommand. Manifests and profiles that were added to either service remain the same after resetting an alias. The only change is which net image the service uses. See Modifying Install Service Properties for more information about setting the aliasof property.

If a default-arch alias is changed to a new install service and a local ISC DHCP configuration is found, this default alias boot file is set as the default DHCP server-wide boot file for that architecture.

If a local ISC DHCP server is already configured when a new default-arch alias is created, the default boot file for this architecture is set to the boot file of this new alias.

Each service, including the default-arch service, includes a default AI manifest in imagepath/auto_install/manifest. This manifest can be copied to another file which can be edited and then added to an install service with the create-manifest subcommand. See Customizing an XML AI Manifest File.

The installadm create-service command also provides a net image on a web server running on port 5555. For example, the web server address might be http://aiserver:5555/export/aiserver/s11-ai-x86/s11-x86.

For information about all options, see Create an Install Service or the installadm(1M) man page.

installadm create-service [-n svcname]
    [-s FMRI_or_ISO] [-d imagepath]

-n svcname

If you do not provide a name for the install service, a default name is assigned.

-s FMRI_or_ISO

The FMRI is the identifier of the IPS AI net image package, which is install-image/solaris-auto-install in the Oracle Solaris 11 release. The ISO is the path name of the AI net image ISO file.

If you do not specify FMRI_or_ISO, the newest version of the install-image/solaris-auto-install package is installed from the first publisher in the pkg publisher list that provides that package.

To install a different version of the package, or to install the package from a different publisher, specify the version or publisher in the FMRI. For example, specify pkg://publisher/install-image/solaris-auto-install or pkg://publisher/install-image/solaris-auto-install@version. Use the -p option to specify the particular package repository.

-d imagepath

The imagepath is the location of the new install service. The install-image/solaris-auto-install package is installed to this location, or the specified ISO file is expanded at this location.

If you do not specify imagepath, the service is created at /export/auto_install/svcname, and you are prompted to confirm that you want to use the automatically generated location. Specify the -y option to suppress this prompt.

The create-service command can set up DHCP on the AI install server as shown in Create an Install Service Including Local DHCP Setup. See Part II, DHCP, in Oracle Solaris Administration: IP Services if you want to set up a separate DHCP server or configure an existing DHCP server for use with AI. The DHCP server must be able to provide DNS information to the systems to be installed.

Create an Install Service Without DHCP Setup

In the examples in this section, DHCP is already set up on a different server or will be set up later. If the create-service command does not detect that ISC DHCP is running on this server, the output of the command displays instructions for configuring DHCP. In these examples, the create-service command provides the boot file required for DHCP configuration.

Create a SPARC Install Service Using an ISO File

This example creates an AI install service for SPARC clients using a net image from an ISO file.

# installadm create-service -n s11-sparc \
-s /var/tmp/images/sparc/sol-11-dev-170-ai-sparc.iso \
-d /install/images/s11-sparc

Creating service: s11-sparc

Setting up the target image at /install/images/s11-sparc ...
Service discovery fallback mechanism set up
Creating SPARC configuration file
Refreshing install services

Creating default-sparc alias.

No local DHCP configuration found. This service is the default alias
for all SPARC clients. If not already in place, the following should
be added to the DHCP configuration:
        Boot file            : http://10.80.238.5:5555/cgi-bin/wanboot-cgi

Service discovery fallback mechanism set up
Creating SPARC configuration file
Refreshing install services

The following operations are performed as a result of executing the above installadm create-service command.

1. The install service is named s11-sparc.

2. The install service target directory, /install/images/s11-sparc, is created.

3. The ISO file, /var/tmp/images/sparc/sol-11-dev-170-ai-sparc.iso, is unpacked into the net image location, /install/images/s11-sparc.

4. The wanboot.conf file for this service is generated at /install/images/s11-sparc/wanboot.conf.

5. The AI SMF service, system/install/server, is refreshed to mount /install/images/s11-sparc as /etc/netboot/s11-sparc.

6. Since this is the first SPARC install service created on this install server, the default-sparc service alias is automatically created. The image from s11-sparc is used by the alias, so /install/images/s11-sparc is also mounted as /etc/netboot/default-sparc.

7. The configuration file /etc/netboot/wanboot.conf is symbolically linked to /etc/netboot/default-sparc/wanboot.conf. The configuration file /etc/netboot/system.conf is symbolically linked to /etc/netboot/default-sparc/system.conf.

8. The boot file required for DHCP configuration, http://10.80.238.5:5555/cgi-bin/wanboot-cgi, is provided.

9. If a local ISC DHCP server is already configured, the boot file of the new default-sparc alias is set as the default boot file for all SPARC clients. This is true regardless of whether the -i and -c options are used.

Create an x86 Install Service Using an IPS Package

This example creates an AI install service for x86 clients using a net image from an IPS package. This command also illustrates default behavior when options are not specified since this command only provides the install service name option. In addition to the boot file required for DHCP configuration, this command also provides the boot server IP required for DHCP configuration.

# installadm create-service -n s11-i386 -y

Creating service from: pkg:/install-image/solaris-auto-install
Download: install-image/solaris-auto-install ...  Done
Install Phase ...  Done
Package State Update Phase ...  Done
Image State Update Phase ...  Done
Reading Existing Index ...  Done
Indexing Packages ...  Done

Creating service: s11-i386

Image path: /export/auto_install/s11-i386

Refreshing install services

Creating default-i386 alias.

No local DHCP configuration found. This service is the default
alias for all PXE clients. If not already in place, the following should
be added to the DHCP configuration:
        Boot server IP       : 10.134.125.136
        Boot file            : default-i386/boot/grub/pxegrub

Refreshing install services

The following operations are performed as a result of executing the above installadm create-service command.

1. The install service is named s11-i386.

2. Because no net image source option is specified, the newest version of the install-image/solaris-auto-install package is obtained from the first publisher in the install server publisher list that provides this package.

3. Because no net image destination is specified with the -d option, the image is created in the default directory, /export/auto_install/s11-i386. Because the y option is specified, the prompt to confirm that this default destination is acceptable is suppressed.

4. The install-image/solaris-auto-install package is installed into the net image location, /export/auto_install/s11-i386.

   By default, the variant of the install-image/solaris-auto-install package that is installed matches the architecture of the AI install server. In this example, the install server is an x86 system. If you wanted to create a SPARC install service on this server, you would need to use the -a option. See Create an Install Service for information about the -a option.

5. The pxegrub menu is created at /export/auto_install/s11-i386/menu.lst.

6. The AI SMF service, system/install/server, is refreshed to mount /export/auto_install/s11-i386 as /etc/netboot/s11-i386.

7. Since this is the first x86 install service created on this install server, the default-i386 service alias is automatically created. The image from s11-i386 is used by the alias, so /export/auto_install/s11-i386 is also mounted as /etc/netboot/default-i386.

8. The boot server IP required for DHCP configuration provided. The boot file required for DHCP configuration, default-i386/boot/grub/pxegrub, is provided.

9. If a local ISC DHCP server is already configured, the boot file of the new default-i386 alias is set as the default boot file for all x86 clients. This is true regardless of whether the -i and -c options are used.

Create an Install Service Including Local DHCP Setup

You can use the installadm create-service command to set up a DHCP server on this AI install server. The following example creates an install service for x86 clients where the network consists of a single subnet and the install server also acts as the DHCP server for the network, using DNS to resolve host names. This install service serves twenty IP addresses (-c), starting from 10.80.239.150 (-i). If a DHCP server is not yet configured, an ISC DHCP server is configured. If an ISC DHCP server is already configured, that DHCP server is updated.

Note that when -i and -c arguments are provided and DHCP is configured, no binding exists between the install service being created and the IP range. When -i and -c are passed, the IP range is set up, a new DHCP server is created if needed, and that DHCP server remains up and running for all install services and all clients to use. The network information provided to the DHCP server has no specific bearing on the service being created.

If the IP range requested is not on a subnet that the install server has direct connectivity to and the install server is multihomed, the -B option is used to provide the address of the boot file server (usually an IP address on this system). This should only be necessary when multiple IP addresses are configured on the install server and DHCP relays are employed. In all other configurations, the software can determine this automatically.

# installadm create-service -n s11-x86 \
-s /var/tmp/images/i386/sol-11-dev-171-ai-x86.iso \
-d /install/images/s11-x86 \
-i 10.80.239.150 -c 20

Creating service from: /var/tmp/images/i386/sol-11-dev-171-ai-x86.iso
Setting up the image ...

Creating service: s11-x86

Image path: /install/images/s11-x86

Starting DHCP server...
Adding IP range to local DHCP configuration

Refreshing install services

Creating default-i386 alias.

Setting the default PXE bootfile in the local DHCP configuration to
'default-i386/boot/grub/pxegrub'

Refreshing install services

The following operations are performed as a result of executing the above installadm create-service command.

1. The install service is named s11-x86.

2. The install service target directory, /install/images/s11-x86, is created.

3. The ISO file, /var/tmp/images/i386/sol-11-dev-171-ai-x86.iso, is unpacked into the net image location, /install/images/s11-x86.

4. The pxegrub menu is created at /install/images/s11-x86/menu.lst.

5. The AI SMF service, system/install/server, is refreshed to mount /install/images/s11-x86 as /etc/netboot/s11-x86.

6. Since this is the first x86 install service created on this install server, the default-i386 service alias is automatically created. The image from s11-x86 is used by the alias, so /install/images/s11-x86 is also mounted as /etc/netboot/default-i386.

7. A DHCP service is created if necessary, and IP addresses 10.80.239.150 through 10.80.239.169 are provisioned. If DHCP service is already set up on this server, the -i and -c options update the DHCP server with new IP addresses for this service.

8. The default-i386/boot/grub/pxegrub boot file is added to the local DHCP configuration as the default boot file for PXE clients.