JUMPSTART
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• State the purpose of the JumpStart server.

1. It frees system administrators from the lengthy question and answer session that is part of the interactive installation process

 2. It enables system administrators to install different types of systems simultaneously

 3. It installs the Solaris Operating Environment and unbundled software automatically

 4. It simplifies administration tasks when widely-used applications must be updated frequently

 5.JumpStart provides networked computing environments with considerable time savings when multiple or ongoing installations are required.

• Identify the main components of a jumpstart server.

There are three main components to JumpStart:
l Boot and client identification services – These are provided by a networked boot server.
2 Installation services – These are provided by a networked install server.
3 Configuration services – These are provided by a networked configuration server.

• List the parameters possible when using the add_install_client script syntax.

Options and arguments for add_install_client include the following:
add_install_client -i IP_address -e Ethernet_address -s server:path -c server:path -p server:path client_name platform_group 

Options
The client_nameargument specifies the name of the client as recorded in /etc/inet/hosts and /etc/ethers.
-i Specifies the IP address of the client.. This option is not required if an entry for the client exists in a naming service in use on the boot server or in the /etc/inet/hosts file.
-e Specifies the Ethernet (MAC) address off the client. This option is not required if an entry for the client exists in a naming service in use on the boot server or in the /etc/ethers file.
-s server:path specifies the server and abbsolute path of the Solaris installation image used for this installation. This option is not required if the boot server also acts as the install server. This
option is only required when running add_install_client from a boot server.
-c server:path specifies the server and abbsolute path of the directory that holds configuration information (rules and class files).
-p server:path specifies the server and abbsolute path of the directory that holds the sysidcfg file.

• State the purpose of the boot service function on a subnet.

The boot server contains info that the clients need to boot and contact other installation and config servers that exist on the n/w.

Boot servers must be on the same subnet as the clients because of the ARP nature of the clients requests.

• Identify the events that occur during the JumpStart Client boot sequence.

The following steps describe how the JumpStart process works:
1. When a network workstation boots, the boot PROM (programmable read-only memory) issues a Reverse Address Resolution Protocol (RARP) broadcast to the network. On
receiving the RARP request, the boot server translates the Ethernet address to an Internet address. The boot server running the RARP daemon, /usr/sbin/in.rarpd, looks up the Ethernet address in the /etc/ethers file, checks for a corresponding name in the/etc/hosts file, and passes the Internet address back to the client.
2. The client’s boot PROM sends a Trivial File Transfer Protocol (TFTP) request for its boot program. 

3. The server searches for a symbolic link named for the client’s Internet Protocol (IP) address expressed in hexadecimal format. This link points to a boot program for a particular Solaris release and client architecture. For SPARC™ systems, the file name is hex-IP-address.architecture. C009C864.SUN4U -> inetboot.sun4u.Solaris_8-1
4. The server uses the in.tftpd daemon to transfer the boot program to the client. The client then runs the boot program. 

5. The boot program tries to mount the root file system. To do so, it issues a whoami request to discover the client’s host name. A server running the boot parameter daemon, rpc.bootparamd,
looks up the host name, and responds to the client. Then, the boot program issues a getfile request to obtain the location of the client’s root and swap space.
6. The server responds with the information obtained from the /etc/bootparams file.
7. Once the client has its boot parameters, the boot program on the client mounts the / (root) file system from the boot server. The client loads its kernel and starts the init program. When the boot server is finished bootstrapping the client, it redirects the client to the configuration server.

8. The client searches for the configuration server using bootparams information. The client mounts the configuration directory and runs sysidtool. The client then uses bootparams information to locate and mount the installation directory where the Solaris image resides. The client then runs the SunInstall program and installs the operating environment.

• List the files necessary to support the JumpStart boot operation.

There are several files associated with the boot server.

/etc/ethers contains the MAC addr of each client on the n/w.

/etc/hosts contains the IP addr to be assciated with client computer

/tftpboot is the dir that contains the bin files that contain the boot pgm for a specific arch of client. It is created when the add_install_client

script is run. For ex. sun4u would look for a file called inetboot.SUN4x.Solaris_8-1. If the files in /tftpboot do not exist, the clients will

fail to boot and no error will be displayed.

/etc/bootparams contains client specific info for e.client that is going to boot off the server.

snarg

root=bserver:/export/install/Solaris_8/Tools/Boot

install=bserver:/export/install

boottype=:in

sysid_config=bserver:/export/config

install_config=server1:/export/config

rootopts=:rsize=32768

/etc/dfs/dfstab is a listing of the local file systems that are going to share the install files with clients. It is also populated using

options from the add_install_client script.

• State the purpose of the sysidcfg file with and without name service support.

Once the Jumpstart installation has begun there must be a way to answer the questions posed during the config identification setup.

This is handled through the use of a sysidcfg file on the server specific to the client. If a name service does exist on a network, info

like locale can be provided by the name server. If there is no name service the sysidconfig file will provide this info to the client.

A sysidcfg looks like

system_locale=en_us

timezone=US/Pacific

terminal=vt100

timeserver=10.10.15.20

name_service=NONE

root_password=xyz

network_interface=hme0 (protocol_ipv6=no netmask-255.255.255.0)

The file location may be specified by the -p arg of the add_install_client script.

• Select the statements that describe the steps necessary to set up a JumpStart install server system to provide the Solaris 8 release software necessary to install a new system.

1. Log in as root

2. Mount Solaris CD - CDROM/NFS

3. cd Solaris_8/Tools

4. excute setup_install_server -b

#./setup_install_server -b /export/install/

• State the purpose of the add_to_install_server, modify_install_server and add_install_client scripts.

Solaris 8 requires 2 CDs for full installation, 2nd script called add_to_install_server must be run to copy 2nd CD into the install dir.

1. cd Solaris_8/Tools on 2nd CD

#./add_to_install_server /export/install/

2. To install clients, cd to the client dir and run add_install_client script

If the add_to _install_server is not run only core and end user clusters will be available

modify_install_server will enable Webstart style of installation.

Run add_install_client

#./add_install_client -s bserver:/export/install -c bserver:/expport/config -p bserver:/export/config snarg sun4u

• Given the appropriate software source, explain how to create a configuration server with a customized rules file and class files.

The custom JumpStart files are accessed on the config servers via NFS/DFS.

Preparing a custom JumpStart dir and files consists of:

1. Designating the JumpStart dir

2. Cr a rule for each group of systems in the rules file using the appropriate keywords and syntax.

Ex rules file enteries:

network 101.10.16.0 && ! model 'SUNW, Sun 4_50' - class_net16 -

memsize 16-32          &&   arch  sparc    - class_admin_support     -

The rules classify m/c on the n/w.

3. Cr class files to categorize all the m/cs on the n/w and specify how each sys will be installed using the appropriate keywords and syntax.

4. Cr check scripts to verify that the rules and class files are valid. A rules.ok file is created when check scripts finish. The rules.ok file is

what is actually read during  a live install.

5. Cr optional begin and finish scripts to allow for adv. config  options like disabling the 'power-save' feature of new systems.

• Given an NIS name service network environment, explain how to configure NIS name service support for JumpStart.

If NIS exists on the n/w, certain files required for Jumpstart installation can be built and distributed in the form of maps.

These files include:

/etc/ethers

/etc/hosts

/etc/bootparams

JumpStart is an automatic installation (auto-install) process available in the Solaris 8 Operating Environment. JumpStart allows you to install Solaris automatically and configure it differently depending on characteristics of client systems. JumpStart implementations use these identifying characteristics to select the correct configuration for each client system.