Sun Solaris 10 Deployment Guide for HP ProLiant Servers Part number 455522-001 First edition August 2007
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Contents Introduction ........................................................................................................................................... 5 Applicable servers and OS versions ........................................................................................................... 5 Using this guide....................................................................................................................................... 6 Basic installations ...........................
DHCP/PXE preparation .......................................................................................................................... 25 Prerequisites for DHCP/PXE preparation .............................................................................................. 25 Preparing the DHCP/PXE server .......................................................................................................... 26 RDP server preparation .................................................................
Introduction This guide describes requirements for Solaris installation that are specific to ProLiant, how to apply Solaris deployment mechanisms to ProLiant servers, and how to use specific ProLiant technologies for Solaris installation. Applicable servers and OS versions Information in this guide applies to the following releases of Sun Solaris: • • • Solaris 10 1/06 Solaris 10 6/06 Solaris 10 11/06 Information in this guide applies to the ProLiant server models listed in Table 1.
Using this guide For effective use of this guide, follow these guidelines: • • For interactive installations using the Solaris media, see “Basic installations.” • • For common deployment setup procedures, see “Deployment tasks.” For an introduction to the processes and components used in advanced Solaris deployments, see “Architecture of an installation.” For deployment information specific to ProLiant, see “Deploying ProLiant servers.
Basic installations This chapter covers basic ProLiant deployments using the Solaris media. For more information on other types of deployments, see “Using this guide.” Prerequisites To perform a basic installation of Sun Solaris on HP ProLiant servers, the following prerequisites must be met: • HP ProLiant Server—Use the ProLiant server support matrix for Solaris to determine which releases of Solaris 10 are supported on your ProLiant.
Installing Solaris interactively The following procedure for installing Solaris on a ProLiant server might require adaptation to fit your target environment or as recommended by the ProLiant server support matrix at http://www.hp.com/wwsolutions/solaris, relevant HP advisories, or HP support personnel. To install Solaris on a ProLiant server: 1.
Architecture of an installation This chapter describes the components, processes, and general architecture of a Solaris installation. To successfully construct more complex Solaris deployments, review the following information. General process flow A Solaris deployment consists of the following phases: • Boot—The first phase of deployment is booting a miniroot on the target system. The miniroot contains the Solaris installation software.
Miniroot A Solaris miniroot is a compressed disk image of a Unix File System (UFS) root file system that is similar to a Linux initrd file. A miniroot is a small but functional Solaris system that contains a 32-bit kernel, device drivers, the Solaris installation program, and various tools and utilities. GRUB loads the miniroot into memory, along with the Solaris multiboot program.
DHCP server A Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) server is required to provide systems with network configuration parameters for use during network deployments. If deployments are booted through PXE, then the DHCP server can also provide boot information. If the Rapid Deployment Pack is used, a separate DHCP server for PXE boot is not required. TFTP server When PXE booting is used, a TFTP server must provide the booting systems with the files that are necessary to properly boot.
Additional drivers Every new ProLiant generation is enhanced with newer device technologies, and ProLiant servers often include some devices specific to HP. Frequently, drivers for one or more devices are not available on the Solaris media. The following section describes the current set of drivers not available on the Solaris media. The following drivers are available for download from http://www.hp.
JumpStart JumpStart configuration for ProLiant servers is similar to configuration of other vendor platforms, with the following requirements that are specific to ProLiant: • Drivers—Most ProLiant servers require certain drivers that are not included with Solaris. In addition to having these drivers in the miniroot, you must also install the drivers to the target disks during deployment. This installation is accomplished using JumpStart.
Flash archives Flash archives can be used in ProLiant deployment. The primary consideration when using flash archives with ProLiant servers is to ensure that all the required drivers are included in the archive. To ensure that all required drivers are included, before creating the archive on the master system, install all the drivers required by all the intended clone systems, even if the master system does not have any of those devices or otherwise does not need the drivers.
Deployment planning Solaris installations proceed through three phases: boot, configuration, and software installation. Each phase offers flexibility in implementation and can be customized for a variety of environments. This chapter describes several common methods of implementing each phase and provides guidance on selecting strategies that meet the requirements of most organizations. This section describes the planning of deployment strategies where none exist.
Configuration methods For Solaris deployments, use of JumpStart profiles and sysidcfg(4) files is the recommended method of supplying installation configuration for automated deployments. Software delivery methods • NFS—The traditional method of delivering the Solaris software packages to clients. The packages are provided in the same form as they appear on the Solaris media.
Implementing an RDP-initiated deployment RDP-initiated deployments require the following components: • • • • Install server JumpStart server Modified miniroot RDP deployment server Use the following procedure outline as a basis for implementing RDP-initiated deployments in the target environment: 1. Prepare the install server as described in “Install server preparation.” 2. Prepare the miniroot as described in “Miniroot preparation.” 3.
Deployment tasks This chapter describes common deployment tasks. For information about using one or more of these tasks to construct a complete deployment environment, see “Deployment planning.” In the examples and instructions that follow, file path references often end with .../subpath. Replace the ellipsis (...) with the correct path for the current environment. For example, in the following path: .../sol-10-u3-ga-x86-v1.iso replace the ellipsis (...
Preparing the install server In the following procedure, the installation media is assumed to be mounted at /mnt, and the installation media root directory is /export/home/install. Substitute the installation media as necessary to fit the target environment. 1. Ensure you have met all the requirements for installation and have all the necessary tools available for installation. For more information, see “Prerequisites for preparing an install server.” 2.
Miniroot preparation This section describes the procedure for customizing a miniroot and provides an example set of modifications that are typically required for ProLiant servers. Prerequisites for preparing a miniroot To prepare a miniroot for ProLiant server deployments, the following prerequisites must be met: • System must be running Solaris 10 1/06 or higher—An x86-based system running Solaris is required for use as the staging system.
Example: miniroot preparation The following procedure is an example of a miniroot preparation for ProLiant servers. 1. Unpack the stock Solaris miniroot: # /boot/solaris/bin/root_archive unpack .../boot/x86.miniroot \ > /var/tmp/mr The miniroot is expanded under /var/tmp/mr. 2. Install the Smart Array driver into the miniroot, as described in the HP Smart Array Controller Driver for Solaris 10 User Guide at ftp://ftp.compaq.
JumpStart preparation Solaris JumpStart is a complex topic that is beyond the scope of this guide. However, this section describes some prerequisites for installing JumpStart that are specific to ProLiant. For more information about Solaris JumpStart, see Solaris 10 11/06 Installation Guide: Custom JumpStart and Advanced Installations at http://docs.sun.com/app/docs/doc/819-6397.
Rapid Deployment Pack When deploying Solaris using Rapid Deployment Pack, a small, non-Solaris partition is created on the boot volume to facilitate booting the installation. By default, Solaris avoids disks with existing partitions, so this temporary partition must be deleted. This deletion can be accomplished using the fdisk profile keyword to delete all type 0x83 partitions. You must create a new Solaris partition to replace the 0x83 partitions.
○ Contents of the sysidcfg file: name_service=NONE security_policy=NONE network_interface=if {dhcp protocol_ipv6=no} root_password=9E417cFYuXjIY system_locale=en_US timezone=US/Central timeserver=localhost terminal=sun-cmd service_profile=limited_net nfs4_domain=dynamic where if is the network interface to configure, such as bnx0 or bge0. In this example, the password for user root is root. 2. Prepare additional packages using pkgtrans(1): # mkdir /jumpstart/pkg # pkgtrans .../CPQary3-1.
DHCP/PXE preparation DHCP administration is a complex subject, much of which is beyond the scope of this guide. However, PXE booting is an effective means of deploying Solaris. This section provides instructions for the quick setup of a Solaris DHCP server for use in PXE-booting network clients. For more information, see System Administration Guide: IP Services at http://docs.sun.com/app/docs/doc/816-4554 and add_install_client(1M).
Preparing the DHCP/PXE server 1. Configure the DHCP server as follows: a. Start the DHCP Manager: # /usr/sadm/admin/bin/dhcpmgr b. If starting with no configuration, dhcpmgr prompts you for the type of configuration, either DHCP server or BOOTP relay. Select DHCP server to start the DHCP Configuration Wizard. c. In the wizard, choose to store the DHCP configuration data as text files, and then click the right arrow. d. Specify a location to store the configuration data. e.
2. After adding the installation client, add_install_client prints the modifications that must be made to the DHCP server configuration to PXE boot the client. For the Solaris 10 1/06 release and later, only the BootFile and BootSrvA options are required.
Preparing the RDP deployment server To configure the RDP deployment server: 1. Copy the example script examples/rdp/sol.sh from the resource kit to ...\lib\bin32\linux\ on the deployment server. This script is called by the Create Boot Environment task script in the Solaris RDP job. 2. Create a new directory under ...\lib\osdist on the deployment server to store the Solaris multiboot program and miniroot, for example ...\lib\osdist\sol10_1106.
Booting Solaris from GRUB This section provides an overview of and describes the options for booting Solaris from GRUB. Synopsis kernel pathtomultiboot kerneltoboot [options] module pathtominiroot • pathtomultiboot—Path to the multiboot program. This path is relative to the boot media, either CD or network (TFTP). When booting from CD, this must be a full path. • pathtominiroot—Path to the miniroot.
Examples: booting Solaris from GRUB NOTE: In the following examples, the kernel line is shown broken into multiple lines. In practice, the parameters must all be on the same line, and there must not be any spaces in the comma-separated -B parameter list. • For a JumpStart installation when PXE booting: title Solaris 10 JumpStart Install (PXE boot) kernel multiboot kernel/unix - install -B install_media=10.10.10.10:/export/home/install, install_config=10.10.10.10:/jumpstart, sysid_config=10.10.10.
Custom bootable ISO image creation This section describes a procedure for creating a custom bootable ISO image with a modified miniroot for use in booting a ProLiant server to a network-based, possibly automated Solaris installation.
Troubleshooting This chapter describes common problems and probable causes, known issues, and provides general troubleshooting advice. To begin troubleshooting deployment problems, review the list of Known Issues below first to see if any issues match the environment and symptoms. If none of the known issues apply, see “Common problems” for issue diagnosis. For general troubleshooting advice, see “Basic troubleshooting techniques.
iLO boot hang Solaris becomes unresponsive intermittently, but frequently at boot, just after the Solaris copyright banner appears. If the console is viewed from iLO, the virtual console goes blank. A power cycle or reset is required to restore the system. • • • OS releases affected—Solaris 10 6/06 Servers affected—All supported ProLiant servers Description—A change to the Solaris device enumeration during boot that conflicts with iLO was introduced in the 6/06 release.
• Workaround—Manually stop the 64-bit master agent and start the 32-bit version as follows: # /etc/init.d/init.sma stop # /usr/sfw/sbin/i86/snmpd Then, restart the agents. The agents’ status might have to be cleared with SMF if they have entered the maintenance state: # svcadm disable agent # svcadm clear agent # svcadm enable agent Basic troubleshooting techniques The following basic tools and techniques are useful for investigating issues with Solaris deployment.
To enable the Solaris debugger, add -k to the GRUB kernel line. When the debugger has assumed control following the occurrence of a significant error, the ::msgbuf command displays the kernel message buffer, the end of which contains the panic string, if any. The ::quit command reboots the system. Common problems This section describes some symptoms encountered frequently during implementation of a deployment environment, along with the possible causes of each.
System becomes unresponsive using remote console Check for applicability of known issue iLO Boot Hang. For more information, see “iLO boot hang.” If using a serial console (physical or virtual) and GRUB is not seen, verify that a splashimage is not specified in menu.lst. If using the browser-based iLO remote console, do not specify a tty console. The iLO remote console is the server’s embedded video adapter.
JumpStart reverts to interactive configuration If a JumpStart profile and a sysidcfg(4) file are provided, but the Solaris installation begins prompting you for information, then it either cannot find one of the files, one of the files has a syntax error, or the configuration is incomplete. To resolve this issue: 1. Verify network connectivity to the JumpStart server. 2.
Additional documentation This section provides technical support information. Where to go for additional help While this guide provides guidance about Solaris installation on ProLiant servers, it is not a replacement for the appropriate documentation from HP and others. The following sections list this documentation. HP documentation • • ProLiant server support matrix, at http://www.hp.com/wwsolutions/solaris • HP ROM-Based Setup Utility User Guide, at http://h20000.www2.hp.
Glossary Deployment server The component of an RDP environment that provides the foundation for deploying and managing servers using Rapid Deployment Pack (RDP). Flash archive From flar(1M), A flash archive is an easily transportable version of a reference configuration of the Solaris operating environment, plus other optional software. GRand Unified Bootloader (GRUB) The bootloader used by Solaris 10 1/06 and later.
Sysidcfg(4) A file that provides the system identification information such as root password, networking parameters, time zone, and so on, during an automated installation. For more information, see sysidcfg(4). Trivial File Transfer Protocol (TFTP) A protocol used during a PXE-based boot to transfer the network boot program from the server to the boot system.
Index configuration information, 10 A about this guide, 5 additional drivers, 12 configuration methods, 16 custom bootable ISO image creation prerequisites, 31 AMD memory scrubber, 33 procedure, 31 applicable OS versions, 5 applicable servers, 5 D B deploying ProLiant servers, 11 additional drivers, 12 basic installation deployment resource kit, 14 interactive, 8 flash archives, 14 overview, 7 iLO virtual media, 13 prerequisites, 7 JumpStart, 13 basic troubleshooting techniques miniroot, 1
flash archives, 14 K G kernel debugger, 34 GRUB, 9 known issues GRUB cannot boot Solaris, 35 AMD memory scrubber, 33 GRUB command line, 34 disabled PCI devices, 32 iLO boot hang, 33 GRUB does not display a menu, 35 network configuration fails during interactive installation, 32 GRUB preparation booting Solaris from GRUB, 29 SNMP master agent, 33 examples, 30 overview, 28 M miniroot, 10, 12 H help resources miniroot preparation example, 21 Free Software Foundation documentation, 38 prerequ
software delivery methods, 16 TFTP server, 11 Solaris installation troubleshooting components, 9 basic techniques, 34 deploying ProLiant servers, 11 common problems, 35 general process flow, 9 known issues, 32 network deployment infrastructure, 10 overview, 32 overview, 9 Solaris media packages, 10 system becomes unresponsive using remote console, 36 system does not boot to GRUB, 35 T U using this guide, 6 V virtual media, 13 technical support, 38 Index 43
