How to Configure Automated Installer on Solaris 11 ?

1. Solaris 11 Server (Physical or Zone) 
2. 1GB minimum physical memory and 1GB Disk Free space for the server.

2. It should be configured with Static IP and default router. 

root@UAAIS:~# pkg publisher
PUBLISHER                   TYPE     STATUS P LOCATION
solaris                     origin   online F file:///testrepo/
root@UAAIS:~#
root@UAAIS:~# pkg set-publisher -O http://192.168.2.31 solaris
Refreshing catalog 1/1 solaris 704.58 kB
Caching catalogs ...
root@UAAIS:~#  pkg publisher
PUBLISHER                   TYPE     STATUS P LOCATION
solaris                     origin   online F http://192.168.2.31/
root@UAAIS:~#

2.Enable the DNS multicast .

root@UAAIS:~# svcadm enable  dns/multicast
root@UAAIS:~# svcs dns/multicast
STATE          STIME    FMRI
online          2:56:00 svc:/network/dns/multicast:default
root@UAAIS:~#

3.Verify the IP configuration like below. DNS is not mandatory .if you are interested to configure the DNS, check out here.

root@UAAIS:~# ipadm
NAME              CLASS/TYPE STATE        UNDER      ADDR
lo0               loopback   ok           --         --
   lo0/v4         static     ok           --         127.0.0.1/8
   lo0/v6         static     ok           --         ::1/128
net0              ip         ok           --         --
   net0/v4        static     ok           --         192.168.2.31/24
   net0/v6        addrconf   ok           --         fe80::20c:29ff:fe64:74c4/10
root@UAAIS:~# getent netmasks 192.168.2.0
root@UAAIS:~# vi /etc/netmasks  -- > Add the netmask to this file.
root@UAAIS:~# getent netmasks 192.168.2.0
192.168.2.0          255.255.255.0
root@UAAIS:~#
root@UAAIS:~# netstat -rn
Routing Table: IPv4
  Destination           Gateway           Flags  Ref     Use     Interface
-------------------- -------------------- ----- ----- ---------- ---------
default              192.168.2.111        UG        1          0
127.0.0.1            127.0.0.1            UH        3        186 lo0
192.168.2.0          192.168.2.31         U         4      12233 net0
root@UAAIS:~#
root@UAAIS:~# nslookup UAAIS.arenadc
Server:         192.168.2.31
Address:        192.168.2.31#53

Name: UAAIS.arenadc
Address: 192.168.2.31
root@UAAIS:~#

1.Install the AI packages using IPS.

root@UAAIS:~# pkg install install/installadm
No updates necessary for this image.
root@UAAIS:~#

As per the above command output, the AI packages are already installed on the system.

2.Verify the installed AI packages.

root@UAAIS:~# pkg list |grep install/installadm
install/installadm                                0.5.11-0.175.1.0.0.24.1736 i--
root@UAAIS:~#

 

1.This IPS repo is configured with X86 packages .So the below command is going to create Automated Installer service for X86/SPARC architecture. This command automatically configures the local DHCP for PXE client installation. 

root@UAAIS:~# installadm create-service -n s11x86SOS -p solaris=http://192.168.2.31/ -i 192.168.2.51 -c 1
Creating service from: pkg:/install-image/solaris-auto-install
OK to use default image path: /export/auto_install/s11x86SOS? [y/N]: y
DOWNLOAD                                PKGS         FILES    XFER (MB)   SPEED
Completed                                1/1       514/514  292.3/292.3  6.2M/s
PHASE ITEMS
Installing new actions 661/661
Updating package state database Done
Updating image state Done
Creating fast lookup database Done
Reading search index Done
Updating search index 1/1

Creating i386 service: s11x86SOS
Image path: /export/auto_install/s11x86SOS
Starting DHCP server...
Adding IP range to local DHCP configuration
Refreshing install services
Creating default-i386 alias
Setting the default PXE bootfile(s) in the local DHCP configuration
to:
bios clients (arch 00:00): default-i386/boot/grub/pxegrub2
uefi clients (arch 00:07): default-i386/boot/grub/grub2netx64.efi

Refreshing install services
root@UAAIS:~#

-n  s11x86SOS  ————————> Service Name
-p  solaris=http://192.168.2.31/  —> IPS repo server. 
-i   192.168.2.51 ———————-> PXE client IP’s start from this range.
-c  1————————————-> Only one IP to be allocated to the clients. 

If you want to create a customized image for AI service, refer this article. (Last Part)

2.Verify the installer service

root@UAAIS:~# installadm list
Service Name Alias Of  Status  Arch   Image Path
------------ --------  ------  ----   ----------
default-i386 s11x86SOS on      i386   /export/auto_install/s11x86SOS
s11x86SOS    -         on      i386   /export/auto_install/s11x86SOS
root@UAAIS:~# installadm list -m
Service/Manifest Name Status Criteria
--------------------- ------ --------
default-i386
orig_default Default None
s11x86SOS
orig_default Default None
root@UAAIS:~#

3.Add the client MAC address of system which needs to be installed solaris 11 through network.

root@UAAIS:~# installadm list -c
There are no clients configured for local services.
root@UAAIS:~# 
root@UAAIS:~# installadm create-client -e 00:0C:29:C4:42:45 -n s11x86SOS
Adding host entry for 00:0C:29:C4:42:45 to local DHCP configuration.
root@UAAIS:~#
root@UAAIS:~# cat /etc/inet/dhcpd4.conf |tail -10
}

host 000C29C44245 {
hardware ethernet 00:0C:29:C4:42:45;
if option arch = 00:00 {
filename “01000C29C44245.bios”;
} else if option arch = 00:07 {
filename “01000C29C44245.uefi”;
}
}
root@UAAIS:~#

4.Verify the AI client information.

root@UAAIS:~# installadm list -c
Service Name Client Address     Arch   Image Path
------------ --------------     ----   ----------
s11x86SOS    00:0C:29:C4:42:45  i386   /export/auto_install/s11x86SOS
root@UAAIS:~#

5.Verify the below services are online or not.Please make it online.

root@UAAIS:~# svcs -a |egrep "dhcp/server:ipv4|install/server:default"
online         23:45:27 svc:/network/dhcp/server:ipv4
online          2:00:06 svc:/system/install/server:default
root@UAAIS:~#

Are we done it ? NO. We need to remove the oracle as publisher from the configuration.Otherwise the automated installation will fail with  below error.
Creating IPS image
Error occurred during execution of ‘generated-transfer-1341-1’ checkpoint.
Failed Checkpoints:
generated-transfer-1341-1
Checkpoint execution error:
Framework error: code: 6 reason: Couldn’t resolve host http://pkg.oracle.com/

Here is the Fix:
1.Get the manifest information.

root@UAAIS:~# installadm list -m
Service/Manifest Name  Status   Criteria
---------------------  ------   --------
default-i386
   orig_default        Default  None
s11x86SOS
   orig_default        Default  None
root@UAAIS:~#

2.Export the default manifest associated with SO11x86OS . 

root@UAAIS:~# installadm export -n s11x86SOS -m orig_default > /root/orig_default1.xml
root@UAAIS:~#

3.Edit the configuration file which you have exported like below.

root@UAAIS:~# cat /root/orig_default1.xml |grep origin
          origin name="http://pkg.oracle.com/solaris/release"
root@UAAIS:~#
root@UAAIS:~# cat /root/orig_default1.xml |grep origin
          origin name="http://192.168.2.31"
root@UAAIS:~#

4.Update the manifest.

root@UAAIS:~# installadm update-manifest -n s11x86SOS -m orig_default -f /root/orig_default1.xml
root@UAAIS:~#
root@UAAIS:~# installadm update-manifest -n default-i386 -m orig_default -f /root/orig_default1.xml
root@UAAIS:~# installadm list -m
Service/Manifest Name  Status   Criteria
---------------------  ------   --------
default-i386
   orig_default        Default  None
s11x86SOS
   orig_default        Default  None
root@UAAIS:~#

Open the client Machine console:
1.Power on the machine and boot from the network by setting the first boot device as network for X86 machines.For SPARC machines, from OK prompt , “boot net:dhcp – install “

2.You will get below screens when the machine get;s IP from DHCP server.

3.Here are the couple of client installation screens.

Reboot the node and configure the system for use.

The installed machine credentials will be 
user name:root
Password:solaris

Hope Now you are familiar  with Solaris11’s Automated Installer. In the next post , we will see how to install the pre-configured solaris 11 on the network.

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