Introduction

There are seven ways to install the Solaris software on a system: interactive installation, both GUI and command-line, JumpStart, WAN Boot (described in Chapter 2, "Installing the Solaris 10 Operating Environment"), custom JumpStart, Solaris Flash (described in this chapter), and installation over the network ( also described in Chapter 2). This chapter focuses on how to install the Solaris operating environment on clients using the custom JumpStart method. This method allows identical installations to be applied to many clients.

Another method of replicating installations is to use the Solaris Flash feature, which involves taking a complete snapshot of the Solaris operating environment, including patches and applications if you wish, and creating an archive that can be used to install other systems. This method effectively creates a clone.

This chapter looks at both the Custom JumpStart utility and the Solaris Flash feature of Solaris, showing how to use both to install the Solaris software.

Finally, this chapter introduces a new method of installing x86-based clients, namely the Preboot Execution Environment (PXE), which allows a full installation over the network using DHCP.

Caution

Terminology Warning You'll see the class file referred to as the profile in many Sun documents, scripts, and programs that relate to JumpStart. In the Sun System Administration training classes, however, it is referred to as a class file. That's how we refer to it throughout this chapter. On the exams, it is also referred to as a class file. The same is true for the configuration server. Sometimes Sun will refer to this server as a profile server.