With Unified Archives, you can perform the following tasks:
Create an archive to be used for system recovery or system cloning.
Create bootable media from an archive to enable archive deployment.
Retrieve information related to an existing archive, such as archive creation time, architecture, and system content.
For detailed procedures, see Working With Unified Archives.
Three modes of archive deployment are available:
Non-interactive network deployment using the Automated Installer (AI)
You would need to modify the AI manifest to include the location of the archive and the name of the target systems the archive would be deployed. See How to Deploy a System From a Unified Archive by Using AI.
Zones deployment using the zones commands
After deployment, the new zone mimics the original system's configuration. For specific instructions, see How to Deploy a Zone From a Unified Archive.
Interactive deployment using bootable media containing either ISO or USB images
Use this method if the install client is not networked or if no AI services are available. The media images deploy the contents of the archive non-interactively when the install client is booted. See How to Deploy a System From a Unified Archive by Using Bootable Media.
Any installation method that uses AI profiles, including zone installations, can use Unified Archives.
A sysconfig profile overrides any system configuration information in an archive except some SMF configuration data. The SMF data is then implemented during the deployment together with the profile contents. See see Repository Layers in Managing System Services in Oracle Solaris 11.4.
Where no sysconfig profile is used, some archive deployments require input through an interactive system configuration screen. See Chapter 3, Working With System Configuration Profiles in Customizing Automated Installations With Manifests and Profiles.