Solaris Jumpstart Automated Installation

COURTESY : http://amorin.org/professional/jumpstart.php

Abstract
This is an introduction to custom automated installation in a Solaris environment. It is an
overview of the necessary systems, services, and configurations needed for easy client integration
into existing corporate environments. General pre and post install modifications will also be
discussed.

What is Jumpstart
The Jumpstart feature is an automatic installation process available in the Solaris operating
environment. It allows system administrators to categorize machines on their network and
automatically install systems based on the category to which a system belongs.

Reasons to Automate
• Simplifies installations
• Speed - Faster then CD-ROM installation
• Allows unattended installation
• Replication - same systems across the enterprise

All Solaris base installations require some basic configuration. With Jumpstart, Sun has enabled the
system administrator to avoid repetitive tasks associated with bringing a sun system online.

Prerequisites
• A boot server on the same ethernet segment
• An install server with the Solaris OS
• A Jumpstart configuration server that defines rules and profiles.

Needed Services Use

NFS (mountd nfsd) Sharing Solaris OS Image Files
Rarp IP address discovery
Bootp Host and location of shared file systems
Rpld Serves X86 initial boot net kernel
Tftp Serves Solaris initial boot net kernel

Overview

IMAGE
1. Client sends a RARP for its IP address
2. The Boot Server responds via RARPD (in.rarpd) with the IP address
in /etc/ethers or the ethers NIS/NIS+ map depending on the
ethers setting in /etc/nsswitch.conf
3. The client sends a tftp request for a bootimage
4. The server starts in.tftp from inetd and sends the small net kernel
image
5. The client then sends out a bootp request
6. The server responds with the clients entry from /etc/bootparams
7. The client NFS mount it’s root partition from the install server
8. The client then mounts the configuration server (/jumpstart) and runs
“sysidtool”.
9. It then mounts the install image and runs Suninstall to begin the
install process.

Boot Server
The boot server is composed of rarpd (in.rarpd), bootp (in.bootparamd), and tftp (in.tftpd)
servers for solaris systems and rplboot for x86 architecture. The Boot server must be on the client’s
local network due to the fact that rarp packets will not be forwarded across a router.
Server Files:
/etc/ethers Contains entry for install clients ethernet address

8:0:20:ab:cd:ef client_name

/etc/bootparams Contains NFS share parameters for installation & configuration

client_name root=boot_svr:/export/install/Solaris_2.6/Tools/Boot \
 install=boot_svr:/export/install boottype=:in \
sysid_config=boot_svr:/jumpstart \
install_config=boot_svr:/jumpstart rootopts=:rsize=32768

/tftpboot Houses the small net kernel used for bootstrapping

C0A8000B

C0A8000B.SUN4U

inetboot.SUN4U.Solaris_8­1

rm.192.168.0.11

tftpboot

/rpldboot                      Used in x86 installs (tftp 
equivalent)

192.168.0.12.glue.com

192.168.0.12.hw.com
192.168.0.12.inetboot
gluecode.com
inetboot.I86PC.Solaris_2.7-1
rm.192.168.0.12
smc.com

Design

Install Server
The install server supplies the client with the Solaris OS. It is an NFS share with the Solaris
install image. Any OS able to export NFS shares is able to serve as a Jumpstart Install Server.

Configuration Server
The configuration Sever is comprised of the rules file, profiles, and sysidcfg. It allows the
administrator to have available different custom jumpstart configurations based on rule sets. This is
very helpful when different groups within an organization require different system configurations.
Below are examples of a profile. Profiles contain filesystem layout and package
information.
Example:
# profile keywords profile values

# ----------------- -----------------

# This profile keyword is required in every profile

install_type initial_install

system_type standalone

partitioning default

filesys any 60 swap

filesys s_ref:/usr/share/man - /usr/share/man ro

filesys s_ref:/usr/openwin/share/man -

/usr/openwin/share/man ro,quota

cluster SUNWCprog

package SUNWman delete

package SUNWolman delete

package SUNWxwman delete

package SUNWoldem add

package SUNWxwdem add

package SUNWoldim add

package SUNWxwdim add

Example:
profile keywords # profile values

install_type initial_install

system_type standalone
partitioning default

cluster SUNWCuser

cluster SUNWCxgl delete

package SUNWaudmo add

filesys any 40 swap

filesys any 50 /opt

Derived Profiles
A derived profile is a profile that is dynamically created by a begin script during a custom
JumpStart installation. Derived profiles are needed when you cannot set up the rules file to match
specific systems to a profile (when you need more flexibility than the rules file can provide).
Set the profile field to an equal sign (=) instead of a profile.

Note: If a begin script is used to create a derived profile, make sure there are no errors in it. A
derived profile is not verified by the check script because it is not created until the execution of the
begin script.

Example:
#!/bin/sh

echo "install_type initial_install" > ${SI_PROFILE}

echo "system_type standalone" >> ${SI_PROFILE}

echo "partitioning default" >> ${SI_PROFILE}

echo "cluster SUNWCprog" >> ${SI_PROFILE}

echo "package SUNWman delete" >> ${SI_PROFILE}

echo "package SUNWolman delete" >> ${SI_PROFILE}

echo "package SUNWxwman delete" >> ${SI_PROFILE}

Verify Profile

After you create a profile, use the pfinstall command to test the profile before you actually use it to
install or upgrade a system. Testing a profile is especially useful when you are creating upgrade
profiles that reallocate disk space. Profiles should only be tested on systems with the same
architecture (i386 or sparc) as the Jumpstart clients to ensure accurate results.

# prtvtoc /dev/rdsk/device_name > disk_config

# /usr/sbin/install.d/pfinstall disk_configuration [-c path] profile

Rules File
The rules file is a text file used to create the rules.ok file. The rules file is a look-up
table consisting of one or more rules that define matches between system attributes and profiles. For
example, the rule
karch sun4c - basic_prof –
matches a system with a sun4c platform name to the basic_prof profile, which the Solaris
installation program would use to install the system.

During a custom Jumpstart installation, the Solaris installation program attempts to

match the rules in the rules.ok file in order: first rule through the last rule. A rule
match occurs when the system being installed matches any of the values in the rule
(as defined in Appendix A). As soon as a system matches a rule, the Solaris
installation program stops reading the rules.ok file and begins to install the system as
defined by the matched rule's profile. This allows a fine grain control over different
configuration clusters (Figure 3).

#### [!]keyword value [&& [!]keyword value] ... begin profile finish

any - - any_machine -

^ ^ ^ ^ ^

| | | | |

| | | | -------------- Finish script

| | | --------------- Profile

| | -------------- Begin script

| ----------- Rule Value (specific system attribute)

----- Rule keyword (general system attributes)

Example:
# The following rule matches one system:

hostname host1 - host1_class set_root_pw

# The following rule matches all x86:

arch i386 x86-begin x86-class -

# The following rule matches any system:

any - - any_machine -

karch i86pc - basic_prof -

Validating the rules file

Before the profile server is able to function the jumpstart share must have a rules.ok file.
The check script validates the rules file and creates the rules.ok file.

Usage: check [-r <rules filename>] [-p <Solaris 2.x CD image path>]

Sysidtool Suite

When you boot Solaris, a set of programs called sysidtool configures your system, prompting for
information needed such as the client’s host name and IP address, the local date and time, the time
zone and the netmask. NIS or NIS+ can provide this information, otherwise you have to enter it
manually before JumpStart can install the OS and packages. It is also possible to create a sysidcfg
file, which must be on either local media or a nfs exported filesystem.

The sysidcfg file is a file where, starting with Solaris 2.6, all the configuration information required
during an OS installation can be specified. A change needed to be made to the sysidcfg provided as
part of the Jumpstart package in order for the process to work on your local network.

Default values needed

• date & time
• time zone
• site netmask
 • language options

Sysidcfg Example:
System_locale=en_US

name_service=NONE

network_interface=primary {protocol_ipv6=no netmask=255.255.255.0}

security_policy=NONE

root_password=XXXXXXXXX

system_locale=C

timezone=US/Eastern

timeserver=localhost

terminal=sun-cmd

Note: To use "name_service=NONE" with Solaris 2.6 you will need to load patch
106193-03 or greater. Also to use network_interface=primary on Solaris 2.6, you
need patch 106193-0 or greater. Solaris 7 and Solaris 8 do not need any patches

Note: Solaris 8 will prompt for two new options, ipv6, and kerberos. To avoid user interaction you
must include answers to these options in the sysidcfg file.

security_policy=NONE (disable kerberos)

network_interface=le0{netmask=255.255.255.0 protocol_ipv6=no}

Pre Solaris 2.6 did not support sysifcfg option. NIS/NIS+ can be used to supply system
information

NIS/NIS+ name service

•/etc/hosts
•/etc/timezone
•/etc/netmasks
•/etc/locale
Jumpstart Diskettes
Profile floppy disks cannot be created on a platform with a different architecture than the Jumpstart
client. This is due to big/little endian differences that affect the creation of the ufs filesytem. The
jumpstart profile diskette may be PCFS or UFS.

The installation utility will look to the floppy drive for all configuration information.

Directory listing
drwxr-xr-x 4 root other 512 Jan 16 12:58 .

drwxr-xr-x 47 root root 1024 Jan 16 13:10 ..

-rw-r--r-- 1 root other 182 Jan 16 08:22 any_machine

-rwxr-xr-x 1 root other 30029 Jan 15 13:34 check

-rw-r--r-- 1 root other 4742 Jan 15 13:34 rules

-rw-r--r-- 1 root other 54 Jan 16 08:22 rules.ok

-rw-r--r-- 1 root other 188 Jan 15 13:36 sysidcfg

x86
The x86 Solaris installation cannot be totally automated. The default for installation media is local
CD-ROM, you must choose network install at the intro screen.

Openwindows
X86 Solaris install will prompt during the install for openwindows parameters. To be able
to automate these values you must pass them to the client through rplboot system.

#kdmconfig -c -s
Take the additions to the /etc/bootparms file and append them to your bootparms entry on the boot
server

These values can also be found in

/etc/openwin/server/etc/owconfig
/etc/defaultkb
Post Install
- /etc/defaultrouter
- /etc/resolv.conf

Begin/Finish Scripts
A begin/finish script is a user-defined Bourne shell script, specified within the rules file, which
performs tasks after the Solaris software is installed on the system.

variables

Variable Description

ROOT The rootdisk's mountpoint (/a).

Directory where our tools are found. The mountpoint for:

TOOLSDIR
/export/jumpstart/Tools

Directory to store all files and other information that need to

BACKUPDIR
be backed up for the particular machine.

The root disk device specified as an argument to

ROOTDEV
migrate.begin.

PKGDIR Where packages are installed on the server (migrate.end only).

JUMPSTARTDIR The JumpStart directory on the server.

Begin/Finish details
• The Solaris installation program mounts the system's file systems onto /a. The file
systems remain mounted on /a until the system reboots. Therefore, you can use the finish
script to add, change, or remove files from the newly installed file system hierarchy by
modifying the file systems respective to /a.
• Output from the finish script goes to /var/sadm/finish.log.
• Finish scripts should be owned by root and have permissions equal to 644.
Configuration
Steps

Server
1. Create install server(s).
2. Create a profile server
3. Create profiles
4. Create begin and finish scripts
5. Create and check rules file
Client
6. Add Client(s)
7. Boot Client(s)

Server Setup

1. The first step copies the Solaris CD to the disk. You will need around 450Mb of free space in
this directory.

# cd /cdrom/cdrom0/s0/Solaris_2.6/Tools
# ./setup_install_server /export/Solaris_2.6
Verifying target directory...
Calculating the required disk space for the Solaris_2.6 product
Copying the CD image to disk...
Install Server setup complete
#

Note: for Solaris 8 if you would like to include CD 2 (Supplemental), insert CD 2 and run
# cd /cdrom/cdrom0/s0/Solaris_8/Tools
#./add_to_install_server /export/Solaris_2.6

2. Creating a Profile server

#cp -r /cdrom/cdrom0/s2/Solaris_2.6/Misc/jumpstart_sample/* /jumpstart
#share -F nfs -o ro,anon=0 /jumpstart

#shareall
3. Create profiles (Reference Profiles)
Copy profile into /jumpstart directory

4. Create begin and finish scripts (Reference begin/finish scripts)

Copy scripts into /jumpstart directory

5. Create and check rules file (Reference Rules)

#cd /jumpstart
#./check

# cd /jumpstart
# ./check
Validating rules...
Validating profile any_machine...
The custom JumpStart configuration is ok.

# cat rules.ok
any - - any_machine -

6. Adding the Install Client

#vi /etc/hosts
127.0.0.1 localhost
127.0.0.2 129.151.29.1 boot_svr loghost
127.0.0.3 129.151.29.10 client_name

#./add_install_client –e <CLIENT_ETHERNET_ADDRESS>

-s <INSTALL_SERVER>:<OS_IMAGE_DIRECTORY

-c <CONFIG_SERVER>:<CONFIGURATION_DIRECTORY>

-p <CONFIG_SERVER>:<PATH_TO_SYSIDCFG_FILE>

-n [SERVER]:name_service[netmask]

(The brackets "[]" are needed!!!)

 CLIENT_NAME ARCHITECTURE

Add the client information to the server

# cd /jumpstart/Solaris_2.6/Tools
# ./add_install_client \
-e 8:0:20:7a:22:7e \
-t /jumpstart/Solaris_2.6/Tools/Boot \
-p server.rainmonkey.org:/jumpstart \
-c server.rainmonkey.org:/jumpstart \
-s server.rainmonkey.org:/export/Solaris_2.6 \
client.rainmonkey.org \
sun4u

Note: There must be an entry in the /etc/hosts for client.rainmonkey.org and server.rainmonkey.org
Client

Booting the Jumpstart Client

At the OpenBoot prompt enter

Upgrade:
#reboot "net - install"

ok> boot net - install

Resetting ...
SPARCstation 20 MP (2 X SuperSPARC-II), No Keyboard
ROM Rev. 2.25, 64 MB memory installed, Serial #8004222.
Ethernet address 8:0:20:7a:22:7e, Host ID: 727a227e.
Initializing Memory |
Boot device: /iommu/sbus/ledma@f,400010/le@f,c00000 File and args: -
hostname: client.rainmonkey.org
domainname: rainmonkey.org
root server: server
root directory: /solaris_2.6/export/exec/kvm/sparc.sun
|
Copyright (c) 1983-1994, Sun Microsystems, Inc.
|
/
-
The system is coming up. Please wait.
Note: New machines will net boot at power on