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h1.AI Goals

* Easy to setup
* Install from network or local
* Play fair with other Operating Systems
* Support X86 and SPARC
* Support LAN and WAN

h1.AI Design Philosophy

* Simplification
* Decentralization.
* Use Standards
* Split Install and Configuration
* Common for X86 and SPARC
* Use same boot process as that of live system (Miniroot vs Microroot)

h1.Terminology (AI & Jumpstart)

||Automated Installer||Jumpstart||
|AI manifest|Jumpstart Profile|
|SC manifest|sysidcfg|
|boot_archive|Miniroot|
|Install Service(s)|Replaces rules.ok|
|installadm create-service|setup_install_server|
|installadm create-client|add_install_client|

Note: No begin/finish scripts support in Automated Installer

h1.Design Choices

* Use SMF for configuration
* Use XML for AI Manifest (profile)
* Use DNS and mDNS for finding AI manifest and System Configuration manifests
* Use SMF services to initiate installation
* Use IPS to install packages/clusters
* Default for all parameters of AI and SC manifests
* create-service is only thing required for simple AI configuration

h1. How AI works?

* Client boots and gets IP address and bootfile (pxegrub) from DHCP
* The pxegrub is loaded and reads menu.lst (TFTP)
* Pxegrub gets microroot and Solaris is booted (TFTP)
* Our modification in file system SMF service will load the rest of the netimage (TFTP)
** Solaris.zlib and Solarismisc.zlib
* AI SMF service will do the client discovery and gets the service (using mDNS).
* The client contact the server (http server) using the information in the service and gets AI manifest.
* The AI install program will be invoked with AI manifest to complete the installation.

h1. Components of Automated Installer

* installadm - Install setup tool(s) run on the server
* AI web server - Serves AI manifests (runs on the server)
* auto_install - AI Engine (runs on the client that perform the install)
* ai_sd - AI service discovery engine (runs on the client to discover install services)
* ai_get_manifest - AI service choosing engine (runs on the client to get the AI manifest from the HTTP server)
* auto-installer - SMF service that initiate the installation
* live-fs-root - common SMF service used by LiveCD and AI to setup install image
* libtd - Target discovery Module
* libti - Target Instantiation Module
* libtransfer - Transfer Module
* liborchestrator - Orchestrator Module
* libict - Install Completion Task Module

h1. Setting up install server

* Install OpenSolaris 2008.11 on your system
* Install SUNWinstalladm-tools from the IPS repository opensolaris.org
* AI client installs packages from IPS and it requires the AI clients to get DNS information and router information from the DHCP server.
** Make sure that /etc/resolv.conf is populated with correct DNS information on the server
** Make sure that your name service is DNS by checking /etc/nsswitch.conf. It should have dns for hosts and IP nodes.
** Make sure that the DNS client SMF service /network/dns/client:default is enabled
** Make sure that default router is set in the install server.
* Run 'installadm create-service' to create a service
* Setup the DHCP entries (if necessary)
* Setup custom AI manifests (if needed)
** Read about manifest at http://www.opensolaris.org/os/project/caiman/auto_install/AI_manifest_setup.html
* The instructions are at http://www.opensolaris.org/os/project/caiman/auto_install/AI_install_server_setup.html

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