Migrating From Solaris JumpStart to OpenSolaris Automated Installations

THIS PAGE IS UNDER DEVELOPMENT FOR THE OPENSOLARIS 2010.03 RELEASE AND FOR THE NEXT SOLARIS RELEASE. BE SURE TO LABEL ANY INFORMATION THAT IS SPECIFIC TO THE NEXT SOLARIS RELEASE.

General Comparison: JumpStart and the Automated Installer

The Solaris Custom JumpStart installation method enables you to automatically install or upgrade multiple systems with a Solaris OS, based on profiles that you create. The profiles define specific software installation parameters. You can also incorporate shell scripts to include preinstallation and postinstallation tasks.  And, you can use a sysidcfg(4) file to specify configuration information, so that the custom JumpStart installation is completely hands-off.

The tools used to set up Solaris 10 net install servers and Custom Jumpstart configurations are included on the Solaris 10 media itself.  For example, when you insert a Solaris 10 DVD into your system, you go to the following directory on the mounted DVD to access the tools used to set up a net install image:
 
    /media/dvd0/Solaris_10/Tools
 
From this directory, you run the ./setup_install_server script to create a new net install image.  This directory also provides various other scripts, such as ./addclient, that are necessary to administer this net install image.

For complete Solaris JumpStart instructions, see the Solaris 10 5/09 Installation Guide: Custom JumpStart and Advanced Installations.

The OpenSolaris Automated Installer is used to automate the installation of the OpenSolaris OS on one or more SPARC and x86 systems over a network.  The minimal configuration necessary to use the automated installer is to have one system, installed with the OpenSolaris OS, act as the AI install server. On this install server, you set up an installation service, which is associated with manifests, or specifications, for specific x86 installations or SPARC installations. Manifests can include information such as target device, additional packages, partition information, and other parameters. When the client boots, the client initiates a search for a manifest that matches the client's machine specifications. When a matching manifest is found, the client is installed with the OpenSolaris OS according to the specifications in the manifest files. The automated installer does a package-based installation from one or more Image Packaging System repositories that are specified in the manifests.

TBD: AI Flow Graphic - see aiinstall.jpg attached to this page.

The tools used to set up an OpenSolaris Automated Install server are packaged as software on the operating system itself.  By default, this package is not installed when Opensolaris is installed, but you can easily install the package with the pkg(1) command:
 
    $ pfexec pkg install SUNWinstalladm-tools
 
Once this package is added on your system, use the installadm(1M) command to administer this system as an Automated Install server.

Also, starting with the OpenSolaris 2010.03 release, you can download a SPARC or x86 automated install image from opensolaris.com and burn it to media. Then, you can boot a SPARC or x86 client system and perform an automated installation off of the media, without setting up an install server. The installation can use a default manifest or a custom manifest. This media option is particularly useful for SPARC systems that do not have WANboot support.

TBD: AI from Media Flow Graphic - see bootable.jpg attached to this page.

TBD: Add Finish script replacement procedure

For complete Automated Installation information, including instructions for automated installations from media, see the OpenSolaris Automated Installer Guide.

As you transition from using Solaris JumpStart to using the OpenSolaris Automated Installer, review the following information as needed:

• Comparing Features
• Comparing Task Maps
• Comparing Keywords
  • Comparing Rules Keywords
  • Comparing Profile Keywords
• Conversion Examples

Comparing Features: Solaris JumpStart and Automated Installer

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Comparing Task Maps: Solaris JumpStart and Automated Installer

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Comparing Keywords: Solaris JumpStart Keywords and Automated Installer Fields

The following tables lists the examples of the Rules keywords and Profile keywords for JumpStart. For each keyword, an example of the most comparable field in Automated Installations is listed.

• Jumpstart rules keywords are compared against AI criteria fields.

• Jumpstart profile keywords are compared against fields in the AI manifest file.

Note: JumpStart uses text files. Automated Installer uses XML files.

Rules Keywords

<ai_criteria name="ARCH">
     <value>sparc</value>
</ai_criteria>

<ai_criteria name="IPV4">
     <value>10.6.68.127</value>
</ai_criteria>

<ai_criteria name="MEM">
     <value>2048</value>
</ai_criteria>

<ai_criteria_name="Platform">
     <value>
        SUNW,Sun-Fire-880
     </value>
</ai_criteria>

<ai_criteria_name="IPV4">
     <range>
	10.6.68.0
	10.6.68.255
     </range>
</ai_criteria>

<ai_criteria_name="MAC">
     <value>0:3:ba:33:9d:b6</value>
</ai_criteria>

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Profile Keywords

<ai_target_device>
     <target_device_name>c0t0d0s0</target_device_name>
</ai_target_device>

<ai_install_packages>
     <pkg name="entire"/>
     <pkg name="SUNWcsd"/>
     <pkg name="SUNWcs"/>
     <pkg name="babel_install"/>
</ai_install_packages>

<ai_target_device>
     <target_device_name>c0t3d0</target_device_name>
</ai_target_device>

<ai_device_partitioning>
     <partition_type>SOLARIS2</partition_type>
     <partition_action>delete</partition_action>
</ai_device_partitioning>

<ai_pkg_repo_default_authority>
     <main url="http://pkg.opensolaris.org/release" authname="opensolaris.org"/>
     <mirror url=""/>
</ai_pkg_repo_default_authority>
...\\
<ai_install_packages> \\
     <pkg name="entire"/> \\
     <pkg name="SUNWcsd"/> \\
     <pkg name="SUNWcs"/> \\
     <pkg name="babel_install"/> \\
     ... \\
     ... \\
     <pkg name="SUNWnew"/> \\
</ai_install_packages>

<ai_uninstall_packages>
     <pkg name="SUNWfoo"/>
</ai_uninstall_packages>

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Examples: Converting Sample JumpStart Rules and Profile to AI Manifest Fields

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Sample JumpStart Profile

profile keywords       profile values
install_type           initial_install
system_type            standalone
fdisk                  c0t0d0 solaris maxfree
cluster                SUNWCall
cluster                SUNWCstaroffice
cluster                SUNWevo

The JS profile above states that:

• Systems will receive an initial installation.
• Systems will be set up as standalone systems.
• On each system, a Solaris fdisk partition is created on the largest contiguous free space on the c0t0d0 disk.
• The Entire Distribution software group, SUNWCall, is installed on the system.
• The StarOffice suite of tools is installed on the system.
• The Evolution email and calendar utilities are not to be installed on the system.

The following excerpts from Automated Installer manifests show how you could convert the JS profile above into a fields in AI manifests.

<!-- The OpenSolaris release will be installed on the c0t0d0 disk. A Solaris2 partition will be created on the biggest chunk of contiguous free space. -->

<ai_manifest name=manifest1>
     <ai_target_device>
          <target_device_name>c0t0d0</target_device_name>
     </ai_target_device>

     <!-- Specifies an IPS repository. Packages will be retrieved from this repository and
installed on the system. -->

     <ai_pkg_repo_default_authority>
          <main url="http://pkg.opensolaris.org/dev" authname="opensolaris.org"/>
     </ai_pkg_repo_default_authority>

     <!-- The following packages will be installed from the IPS repository.
This list of packages corresponds to a standard OpenSolaris OS installation.
Due to dependency issues, entire must be listed first in the package list,
followed by SUNWcsd, and then SUNWcs. Any additional packages must be listed after SUNWcs.
"babel_install" represents the group package for the standard OpenSolaris OS.
"redistributable" represents the group package for all redistributable software in OpenSolaris.
"openoffice" is the group package for the OpenOffice suite of tools.-->

     <ai_install_packages>
          <pkg name="entire"/>
          <pkg name="SUNWcsd"/>
          <pkg name="SUNWcs"/>
          <pkg name="babel_install"/>
          <pkg name="redistributable/>
          <pkg name="openoffice"/>
     </ai_install_packages>

     <!-- The following packages will be uninstalled from the system.
"babel_install", "slim_install", and "redistributable" are uninstalled because they represent
the group package definitions used to install the system, and so must removed so that
individual packages can be removed. The SUNWevolution will be removed from the system.-->

     <ai_uninstall_packages>
          <pkg name="babel_install"/>
          <pkg name="slim_install"/>
          <pkg name="redistributable"/>
          <pkg name="SUNWevolution"/>
     </ai_uninstall_packages>

</ai_manifest>

<!-- This SC manifest provides configuration settings for the installed system.-->

<sc_embedded_manifest name = "sc_manifest1">
     <service_bundle type="profile" name="name">
          <service name="ai_properties" version="1" type="service">
               <instance name="default" enabled="true">
                    <property_group name="ai" type="application">
                         <propval name="username" type="astring" value="jack"/>
                         <propval name="userpass" type="astring" value="9Nd/cwBcNWFZg"/>
                         <propval name="description" type="astring" value="default_user"/>
                         <propval name="rootpass" type="astring"
value="<propval name="timezone" type="astring" value="US/Pacific"/>
                         <propval name="hostname" type="astring" value="opensolaris"/>
                    </property_group>
               </instance>
          </service>
     </service_bundle>
</sc_embedded_manifest>

Sample JumpStart Rules File

rule keywords and rule values     begin script     profile     finish script
memsize 2048-4096 && model SUNW      -             lx_prof          -
arch i86pc                           -             prog_prof        -
any                                  -             generic_prof     -

The sample rules file above identifies 3 basic groups of systems, and each group is assigned a different profile.

This sample rules file states that:

• Any SPARC systems with a memory size between 2048 and 4096 MB will be installed using specifications in the "lx_prof" profile.
• Any x86 systems will be installed using specifications in the "prog_prof" profile.
• Any systems not covered in the above rules will be installed using specifications in the "generic_prof" profile.
  Note: No begin or finish scripts are specified for any of the 3 alternatives.

Below are sample AI Criteria manifests that are comparable to the three rules from the JS sample above. Each criteria manifest correlates to a specified converted profile. In this example, let's assume you've already converted the profiles, "lx_prof", "prog_prof", and "generic_prof" to AI manifests "ai_lx_manifest.xml", "ai_prog_manifest.xml", "ai_generic_manifest.xml" accordingly.

<!-- The following criteria manifest specifies that any Sparc system with Memory size
between 2048Mb and 4096Mb will use the AI manifest, "ai_lx_manifest.xml" which is a
file located in the same directory as this Criteria manifest. -->

<ai_criteria_manifest>
     <ai_criteria name="MEM">
          <range>
              2048
              4096
          </range>
     </ai_criteria>
     <ai_criteria name="ARCH">
          <value>Sparc</value>
     </ai_criteria>

<!-- The criteria manifest references a specific AI manifest and a specific SC manifest
to be used for the installations. The AI and SC manifests are included below, embedded
within the criteria manifest. -->

     <ai_manifest_file URI="./ai_lx_manifest.xml"/>
     <sc_manifest_file name="AI" URI="./sc_manifest1.xml"/>


</ai_criteria_manifest>

<!-- The following criteria manifest specifies that any x86 system will use the
AI manifest, "ai_prog_manifest.xml", which is a file located in the same directory
as this Criteria manifest. -->

<ai_criteria_manifest>
     <ai_criteria name="ARCH">
          <value>i86pc</value>
     </ai_criteria>

<!-- The criteria manifest references a specific AI manifest and a specific SC manifest
to be used for the installations. -->

     <ai_manifest_file URI="./ai_prog_manifest.xml"/>
     <sc_manifest_file name="AI" URI="./sc_manifest1.xml"/>


</ai_criteria_manifest>

<!-- Because the following criteria manifest has no actual criteria specified, it is
the default AI manifest that is given to systems to fail to match any of the above criteria.
The AI manifest file, "ai_generic_manifest.xml", is a file located in the same directory
as this Criteria manifest.
NOTE: for this manifest to be a valid default AI manifest, the "name" field in the
referenced AI manifest file must be named "default". -->


<ai_criteria_manifest>

<!-- The criteria manifest references a specific AI manifest and a specific SC manifest
to be used for the installations. -->

     <ai_manifest_file URI="./ai_generic_manifest.xml"/>
     <sc_manifest_file name="AI" URI="./sc_manifest1.xml"/>
</ai_criteria_manifest>

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