The following is a summary of Oracle Solaris 11 system configuration changes:
/etc/default/init file is read-only – Locale and time zone configuration have migrated to the Service Management Facility (SMF). All changes to environment variables should be managed through the new svc:/system/environment:init SMF service. See Internationalization and Localization Changes.
/etc/dfs/dfstab configuration – Publishing and unpublishing a file system share is done with the zfs command. See Managing File Systems.
/etc/hostname.<if>, /etc/dhcp.<if>, and /etc/hostname.ip*.tun* configuration – These files are removed in Oracle Solaris 11. Therefore, you can no longer manage persistent network configuration by editing these files. Instead, use the dladm and ipadm commands to manage network configuration. See Configuring the Network in Oracle Solaris 11.
/etc/system.d implementation – This directory provides an easier way to package Oracle Solaris kernel configuration than the traditional method of editing the /etc/system file. Because you can use IPS to deliver fragments (one line or many) into files within the /etc/system.d/ directory, rather than editing the /etc/system file through first boot SMF services or other scripting, you can deliver any Oracle Solaris kernel customizations much more easily. See system(4).
Also, as part of this change, the cryptoadm and dtrace commands have been updated to write to files within the /etc/system.d/ directory rather than the /etc/system file as in previous releases. See cryptoadm(1M) and dtrace(1M).
Mapping a host name to a system's primary interface – A system's host name is mapped to the primary interface at installation time. The system/identity:node SMF service includes a property that enables an administrator to disable the feature.
Power management configuration – Power management is no longer configured by editing the /etc/power.conf file and by using the pmconfig command. Instead, the poweradm command is used. See Power Management Configuration Changes.
Setting a system's host name – Use the hostname command to permanently set a system's host name. Initially, the hostname value is stored in config/nodename, but this value is overridden if the system is configured by DHCP, in which case, DHCP provides the hostname value. If the hostname command is used, then the hostname value is whatever is specified in config/nodename. If you set a system's identity by using the hostname command, this setting cannot be overridden by DHCP until you execute the hostname command with the –D option. The corresponding SMF properties and the associated SMF service are also automatically updated when you use the hostname command. See hostname(1).
System console and terminal services configuration – The sac command and the Service Access Facility (SAF) program are no longer supported. The system console and locally connected terminal devices are represented as instances of the console-login SMF service. See System Console and Terminal Services Changes.
System crash dumps – This release supports the deferred dump process for managing system crash dumps. During a reboot, crash dump files are extracted from memory to the file system that is defined in the dump configuration. Once these files are written, the system automatically reboots to normal multiuser configuration. Deferred dumps enable systems to return to a running state more quickly after a system panic. Using the deferred dump process is beneficial for systems that ship without a local disk. For more information, see Chapter 1, Troubleshooting System Crashes in Troubleshooting System Administration Issues in Oracle Solaris 11.3.
System logging services – The rsyslog daemon is a reliable and extended syslog daemon with a modular design implementation that supports several features, for example, filtering, TCP, encryption, high-precision timestamps, as well as output control.
Display the status of the system-log services as follows:
# svcs system-log
Note that the rsyslog package is not installed by default. Run the following command to install the package:
# pkg install rsyslog
System recovery and cloning – The Oracle Unified Archives feature provides support for boot environments (BEs), IPS, and the various virtualization technologies that are available in Oracle Solaris 11. The Unified Archives feature is more robust and flexible than the flash archive installation method that is used in Oracle Solaris 10. See System Recovery and Cloning With the Oracle Solaris Unified Archives Feature.
Time zone configuration – In Oracle Solaris 10, the time zone is configured by editing the /etc/TIMEZONE (/etc/default/init) file. In Oracle Solaris 11, the svc:/system/timezone:default SMF service enables you set a system's time zone. See Locale, Timezone, and Console Keymap Configuration Changes.