Registering Clients With Install Services

In a simple AI setup, you would not need to create clients for install services. When you create an architecture-specific install service for the first time on the AI server, a corresponding default service is also created. See Creating and Configuring an Install Service. Through the default service, any client can have the operating system installed on it using AI, provided that the client system's has a matching architecture or platform.

However, in complex AI setups, you would need to specifically assign a system client to an install service in order for the client to be serviced. For example, suppose that one of an AI service's manifest has install instructions that you want to implement on a client system. You would register that client system with the install service. Additionally, you would also specify manifest criteria to ensure that the correct install service and the manifest are used when the client boots from the network. For more information about special install instructions in customized manifests, see Customizing Automated Installations With Manifests and Profiles.

You can register as many clients for a service as needed. These clients are identified by the install service through the clients' MAC addresses.

To create AI clients, use the create-client subcommand. For example:

aiserver$ installadm create-client -n x86service -e aa:bb:cc:dd:ee:ff

Display the results as follows:

aiserver$ installadm list -c
Service Name  Client Address     Arch  Secure  Custom Args  Custom Grub
x86service    aa:bb:cc:dd:ee:ff  i386  no      no           no