SPARC: Installing With WAN Boot (Tasks)

This chapter describes how to perform a WAN boot installation on a SPARC based client. For information about how to prepare for a WAN boot installation, see Chapter 43, Preparing to Install With WAN Boot (Tasks).

This chapter describes the following tasks.

• Preparing the Client for a WAN Boot Installation

• Installing the Client

Task Map: Installing a Client With WAN Boot

The following table lists the tasks you need to perform to install a client over a WAN.

Table 44-1 Task Map: Performing a WAN Boot Installation

Preparing the Client for a WAN Boot Installation

Before you install the client system, prepare the client by performing the following tasks.

• Checking the Client OBP for WAN Boot Support

• Checking the net Device Alias in the Client OBP

• Installing Keys on the Client

Checking the Client OBP for WAN Boot Support

To perform a hands-off WAN boot installation, the client OpenBoot PROM (OBP) must support WAN boot. The following procedure describes how to determine if the client OBP supports WAN boot.

To Check the Client OBP for WAN Boot Support

1. Become superuser or assume an equivalent role.

   Roles contain authorizations and privileged commands. For more information about roles, see "Configuring RBAC (Task Map)" in System Administration Guide: Security Services.

2. Check the OBP configuration variables for WAN boot support.

   # eeprom | grep network-boot-arguments

   
   

   • If the variable network-boot-arguments is displayed, or if the previous command returns the output network-boot-arguments: data not available, the OBP supports WAN boot installations. You do not need to update the OBP before you perform your WAN boot installation.

   • If the previous command does not return any output, the OBP does not support WAN boot installations. You must perform one of the following tasks.

     • Update the client OBP. See your system documentation for information about how to update the OBP.

     • Perform the WAN boot installation from the Solaris 9 Software CD in a local CD-ROM drive. For instructions about how to boot the client from a local CD-ROM drive, see Installing With Local CD Media.

Example 44-1 Verifying OBP Support for WAN Boot on the Client

The following command shows how to check the client OBP for WAN boot support.

# eeprom | grep network-boot-arguments
network-boot-arguments: data not available

In this example, the output network-boot-arguments: data not available indicates that the client OBP supports WAN boot.

Checking the net Device Alias in the Client OBP

To boot the client from the WAN with the boot net, the net device alias must be set to the client's primary network device. On most systems, this alias is already set correctly. However, if the alias is not set to the network device you want to use, you must change the alias..

Follow these steps to check the net device alias on the client.

To Check the net Device Alias

1. Become superuser on the client.

2. Bring the system to run level 0.

   # init 0

   
   

   The ok prompt is displayed.

3. At the ok prompt, check device aliases that are set in the OBP.

   ok devalias

   
   

   The devalias command outputs information that is similar to the following example.

   screen /pci@1f,0/pci@1,1/SUNW,m64B@2 net /pci@1f,0/pci@1,1/network@c,1 net2 /pci@1f,0/pci@1,1/network@5,1 disk /pci@1f,0/pci@1/scsi@8/disk@0,0 cdrom /pci@1f,0/pci@1,1/ide@d/cdrom@0,0:f keyboard /pci@1f,0/pci@1,1/ebus@1/su@14,3083f8 mouse /pci@1f,0/pci@1,1/ebus@1/su@14,3062f8

   
   

   • If the net alias is set to the network device you wan to use during the installation, you do not need to reset the alias. Go to Installing Keys on the Client to continue your installation.

   • If the net alias is not set to the network device you want to use, you must reset the alias. Continue.

4. Set the net device alias.

   Choose one of the following commands to set the net device alias.

   • To set the net device alias for this installation only, use the devalias command.

     ok devalias net device-path

     
     

     net device-path

     Assigns the device device-path to the net alias

   • To permanently set the net device alias, use the nvalias command.

     ok nvalias net device-path

     
     

     net device-path

     Assigns the device device-path to the net alias

Example 44-2 Checking and Resetting the net Device Alias

The following commands show how to check and reset the net device alias.

Check the device aliases.

ok devalias
screen                   /pci@1f,0/pci@1,1/SUNW,m64B@2
net                      /pci@1f,0/pci@1,1/network@c,1
net2                     /pci@1f,0/pci@1,1/network@5,1
disk                     /pci@1f,0/pci@1/scsi@8/disk@0,0
cdrom                    /pci@1f,0/pci@1,1/ide@d/cdrom@0,0:f
keyboard                 /pci@1f,0/pci@1,1/ebus@1/su@14,3083f8
mouse                    /pci@1f,0/pci@1,1/ebus@1/su@14,3062f8