Skip Navigation Links | |
Exit Print View | |
Oracle Solaris 10 1/13 Installation Guide: Network-Based Installations Oracle Solaris 10 1/13 Information Library |
Part I Planning to Install Over the Network
1. Where to Find Oracle Solaris Installation Planning Information
2. Preconfiguring System Configuration Information (Tasks)
3. Preconfiguring With a Naming Service or DHCP
Part II Installing Over a Local Area Network
4. Installing From the Network (Overview)
5. Installing From the Network With DVD Media (Tasks)
6. Installing From the Network With CD Media (Tasks)
7. Patching the Miniroot Image (Tasks)
8. Installing Over the Network (Examples)
9. Installing From the Network (Command Reference)
Part III Installing Over a Wide Area Network
Sequence of Events in a WAN Boot Installation
Protecting Data During a WAN Boot Installation
Checking the Integrity of Data With a Hashing Key
Encrypting Data With Encryption Keys
Protecting Data by Using HTTPS
Security Configurations Supported by WAN Boot (Overview)
Secure WAN Boot Installation Configuration
Insecure WAN Boot Installation Configuration
11. Preparing to Install With WAN Boot (Planning)
12. Installing With WAN Boot (Tasks)
13. SPARC: Installing With WAN Boot (Tasks)
14. SPARC: Installing With WAN Boot (Examples)
The WAN boot installation method enables you to boot and install software over a wide area network (WAN) by using HTTP. By using WAN boot, you can install the Oracle Solaris OS on SPARC based systems over a large public network where the network infrastructure might be untrustworthy. You can use WAN boot with security features to protect data confidentiality and installation image integrity.
The WAN boot installation method enables you to transmit an encrypted flash archive, a feature of Oracle Solaris, over a public network to a remote SPARC based client. The WAN boot programs then install the client system by performing a JumpStart installation. To protect the integrity of the installation, you can use private keys to authenticate and encrypt data. You can also transmit your installation data and files over a secure HTTP connection by configuring your systems to use digital certificates.
To perform a WAN boot installation, you install a SPARC based system by downloading the following information from a web server over a HTTP or secure HTTP connection:
wanboot program – The wanboot program is the second-level boot program that loads the WAN boot miniroot, client configuration files, and installation files. The wanboot program performs tasks similar to those that are performed by the ufsboot or inetboot second level boot programs.
WAN boot file system – WAN boot uses several different files to configure the client and retrieve data to install the client system. These files are located in the /etc/netboot directory of the web server. The wanboot-cgi program transmits these files to the client as a file system, called the WAN boot file system.
WAN boot miniroot – The WAN boot miniroot is a version of the Oracle Solaris miniroot that has been modified to perform a WAN boot installation. The WAN boot miniroot, like the Oracle Solaris miniroot, contains a kernel and just enough software to install the Oracle Solaris environment. The WAN boot miniroot contains a subset of the software in the Oracle Solaris miniroot.
JumpStart configuration files – To install the system, WAN boot transmits sysidcfg, rules.ok, and profile files to the client. WAN boot then uses these files to perform a JumpStart installation on the client system.
Flash Archive – A fash archive is a collection of files that you copy from a master system. You can then use this archive to install a client system. WAN boot uses the JumpStart installation method to install a flash archive on the client system. After you install an archive on a client system, the system contains the exact configuration of the master system.
Note - The flarcreate command no longer has size limitations on individual files. You can create a flash archive that contains individual files over 4 GB.
For more information, see Creating an Archive That Contains Large Files in Oracle Solaris 10 1/13 Installation Guide: Flash Archives (Creation and Installation).
You then install the archive on the client by using the JumpStart installation method.
You can protect the transfer of the installation information by using keys and digital certificates.
For a more detailed description of the sequence of events in a WAN boot installation, see How WAN Boot Works (Overview).