Sun Microsystems X4640 - Manual

Page 3 - Contents

Contents Preface ......................................................................................................................................................5 Related Books ........................................................................................................................

Page 4 - Index

How to Create the SIA Image and Prepare for PXE Boot ........................................................ 51 How to Boot SIA From a PXE Server and Perform an Unattended Installation .................. 52 Observing an SIA PXE-Based Unattended Installation ............................................

Page 5 - Preface; “Related Books” on page 5; Related Books; The following is a list of documents related to your Sun Fire; additional support documents are available on the web at:

Preface This preface describes related documentation, submitting feedback to Sun, and a documentchange history. ■ “Related Books” on page 5 ■ “About This Documentation (PDF and HTML)” on page 6 ■ “Related Third-Party Web Site References” on page 6 ■ “Sun Welcomes Your Comments” on page 7 ■ “Change H...

Page 6 - Related Third-Party Web Site References; Note –

Document Description Sun Fire X4640 Server ESX OS Installation Guide How to install supported versions of the ESX OS onyour server. Sun Fire X4640 Server Diagnostics Guide How to diagnose problems with your server. Sun Fire X4640 Server Service Manual How to service and maintain your server. Sun Fir...

Page 7 - The following changes have been made to the documentation set.

Sun Welcomes Your Comments Sun is interested in improving its documentation and welcomes your comments andsuggestions. To share your comments, go to http://docs.sun.com and click Feedback. Change History The following changes have been made to the documentation set. ■ October 2009, initial publicati...

Page 9 - Introduction to Sun Installation Assistant

Introduction to Sun Installation Assistant This section introduces the Sun Installation Assistant (SIA) version 2.2 and describes how to getstarted using SIA to perform deployment or recovery tasks on your Sun Fire X4640 server. Description Link Learn about requirements and tasks that can beperforme...

Page 11 - Sun Fire X4640 Server Windows; Sun Fire X4640 Server Linux Installation Guide

Getting Started With Sun Installation Assistant2.2 The Sun Installation Assistant (SIA) is a tool designed to be used with x64 Sun Fire and SunBlade servers to assist in the deployment of supported Linux operating systems (OS), as well assystem firmware upgrades. With SIA, your deployment tasks can ...

Page 12 - SIA version 2.2 provides the following features and benefits:; SIA Task List

SIA Version 2.2 Features and Benefits SIA version 2.2 provides the following features and benefits: ■ Multiple media options. SIA is available on a variety of bootable media. You can boot SIAfrom either a local drive attached to the server (CD/DVD or USB flash drive), a remoteredirected network driv...

Page 13 - Server Support and SIA Media Availability

Task Description HBA Firmware Upgrade Upgrades the firmware of the server’s integrated HBA (Host BusAdapter). Displays the installed version and what version is availablefor an upgrade. Requires a server reboot to use the new version. Server Support and SIA Media Availability The SIA CD/DVD is avail...

Page 15 - session with the latest server drivers and firmware from Sun.; Local and Remote Media Options; ) directly connected to one of the server’s USB ports.

Starting SIA and Preparing for Deployment orRecovery Tasks This section explains how to start the Sun Installation Assistant (SIA) and prepare it to performdeployment tasks, such as operating system installation or system firmware upgrades(BIOS/ILOM, HBA or disk expander), or a service processor rec...

Page 16 - How to Start SIA and Prepare for Tasks Using Local or Remote Media; Start SIA using one of the supported methods:; Insert the SIA CD/DVD into the server’s CD/DVD drive and; Locally using a USB flash drive:; Plug the USB flash drive prepared with SIA software

Mouse Settings When Using SIA with ILOM Remote Console The ILOM Remote Console feature allows an administrator to redirect a server’s keyboard,video, and mouse to their management system. This feature is very convenient when the serverand management system are not at the same location. The ILOM Remo...

Page 18 - The Remote Update dialog appears.

The Remote Update dialog appears. In the Remote Update dialog, select Yes or No to allow a remote update, and then click Next. Remote Update is used to download updates to the SIA program. These updates can includeserver device drivers and firmware from Sun. 4 Mouse Settings When Using SIA with ILOM...

Page 21 - The Identifying the System dialog appears.

The Identifying the System dialog appears. In the Identifying the System dialog, ensure that the appropriate hardware is installed and thatthere is sufficient memory for your operating system, then click Next. 6 Mouse Settings When Using SIA with ILOM Remote Console 21

Page 22 - The Supported Option Cards dialog then appears.

SIA then scans the systems for disk drives and displays a list at the Scanning for SCSI Devicesdialog. In the Scanning for Storage Devices dialog, you will see the disks identified by SIA. Click Next toproceed. The Supported Option Cards dialog then appears. In the Supported Option Cards dialog, if ...

Page 23 - The Task Selection dialog appears.; installation. If it does not, SIA will proceed to OS installation.

The Task Selection dialog appears. Note – The Task Selection dialog will only appear if your server supports more SIA tasks than OS installation. If it does not, SIA will proceed to OS installation. In the Task Selection dialog, choose a deployment or recovery task to perform. Refer to theappropriat...

Page 24 - See Also

The dialog lists only task options supported for your server. For example, your list may includeoperating system installation, server BIOS/ILOM upgrade, or other tasks. ■ If you need to install a supported operating system for your server, proceed to “Installing Linux With SIA” on page 25 . ■ If you...

Page 25 - Installing Linux With SIA; file and the; How to Install Linux With SIA Using Local or Remote Media; Before You Begin

Installing Linux With SIA This section explains how to install a supported Linux operating system using the SunInstallation Assistant (SIA). SIA assists in the installation of supported operating systems andrequires a licensed retail version of the operating system distribution media to be available...

Page 27 - —This option allows you to install the OS source from:; distribution into the drive.; The Identifying Distribution dialog appears.

At this dialog, you need to specify the location of your OS installation media. Choose one of thefollowing: ■ CD/DVD —This option allows you to install the OS source from: - a local CD/DVD , or - a redirected CD/DVD or ISO CD-ROM image ■ Network (Linux) —This option allows you to install the OS sour...

Page 28 - remote console feature, do the following:; Lights Out Manager; ) Remote Console, redirect the operating system; option from the appropriate menu (see graphic below for an

d. Proceed to Step 6 . If you are installing from a redirected CD/DVD or ISO CD-ROM image using the server’s LOM( Lights Out Manager remote console feature, do the following: a. In the SIA Install Media Information dialog, click CD/DVD. b. Select the virtual CD-ROM from the CD Location drop-down lis...

Page 29 - image media. See table below for examples and restrictions.; extractedISOdirectory

If you are installing from a Network share, do the following in the Install Media Informationpage: a. Click Network. b. In the address bar, specify the nfs, ftp, or http accessible network address to the Linux ISO image media. See table below for examples and restrictions. For OSes requiring multipl...

Page 31 - Remove the SIA media and click the Reboot button.; After completing the OS installation, do the following:; Next Steps

After setting up the pre-installation environment, the SIA Installing Additional Software dialogappears. In the Installing Additional Software dialog, SIA installs additional platform-specific drivers, asneeded. Review the information presented. Remove the SIA media and click the Reboot button. The ...

Page 33 - Using SIA to Upgrade System Firmware; to the SIA CD/DVD README.html file and the; How to Upgrade the System BIOS and ILOM Firmware; “Starting SIA and; Select the System BIOS and ILOM Upgrade task, and then click Next.

Using SIA to Upgrade System Firmware This section explains how to upgrade system firmware (including system BIOS, ILOM serviceprocessor, disk controller HBA and disk expander) from local or remote SIA. SIA provides system BIOS and firmware certified by Sun for your Sun x64 server. Using SIAeliminate...

Page 35 - “How to Upgrade HBA Firmware” on page 35; How to Upgrade HBA Firmware; Caution –; Select the HBA Firmware Upgrade task, and then click Next.

Follow the on-screen instructions until the upgrade has completed. Upgraded code will not beused by the system until after a reboot. ■ “How to Upgrade HBA Firmware” on page 35 ▼ How to Upgrade HBA Firmware Host bus adapters control internal or external disks connected to the server. SIA has thecapab...

Page 36 - If you selected the Remote Update feature (described in

SIA displays the current version(s) and the available upgrade version for discovered HBAs. Note – If you selected the Remote Update feature (described in “How to Start SIA and Prepare for Tasks Using Local or Remote Media” on page 16 ), SIA will have obtained the latest code from the Sun software do...

Page 37 - “How to Upgrade the System BIOS and ILOM Firmware” on page 33

After selecting the HBA/controllers to upgrade, click the Upgrade Firmware button. Follow the on-screen instructions until the upgrade has completed. Upgraded code will not beused by the system until after a reboot. ■ “How to Upgrade the System BIOS and ILOM Firmware” on page 33 4 See Also Using SIA...

Page 39 - Sun Fire X4640 Server Windows Installation Guide; How to Create the SIA Image and Prepare for PXE Boot; suninstall

Performing an SIA PXE-Based AttendedInstallation This section explains how to boot the Sun Installation Assistant (SIA) from a Preboot ExecutionEnvironment (PXE) and run it in attended (interactive) mode. SIA is a Linux-based program that can be booted from a Linux-based PXE server. You cancreate an...

Page 40 - How to Boot SIA From a PXE Server for an Attended Installation

Copy the vmlinuz (the bootable Linux kernel) and initrd (initial ram disk) files from the SIA CD/DVD to the suninstall subdirectory that you created. Use the correct path to the mounted CD image. This example uses /mnt/cdrom : # cp /mnt/cdrom/boot/isolinux/vmlinuz /home/pxeboot/suninstall # cp /mnt/...

Page 41 - As the system boots, do one of the following to start a network boot:; Tip –; matching the

Tip – The next events occur very quickly; therefore, focused attention is needed for the following steps. Watch carefully for these messages, as they appear on the screen for a brieftime. You might want to enlarge the size of your screen to eliminate scroll bars. As the system boots, do one of the f...

Page 42 - At the PXE boot prompt, press Enter or type:; “How to Start SIA and Prepare

At the PXE boot prompt, press Enter or type: suninstall The SIA installation image downloads to the server and the dialog for “Launching the SunInstallation Assistant” appears. For further instructions about how to continue an attended installation after booting SIA from aPXE server, follow the step...

Page 44 - To access the command prompt from SIA, do the following:

Contents of the SIA State File The SIA state file provides the scripting variables required for carrying out an unattendedsession of SIA and performing the specified SIA tasks automatically without user intervention.A copy of the state file with all of the possible parameters can be found at the roo...

Page 48 - Product Notes; Creating the SIA Unattended State File for Linux; “ How to Create the SIA Image and Prepare for PXE Boot” on page 51; Sample SIA State File for Linux; Table 1; taskList

Preparing for an Unattended SIA Installation of Linux The procedures presented in this section assumes the following: ■ You are familiar with RHEL or SLES Linux unattended installations. ■ You have created a RHEL Kickstart file or SLES AutoYaST file. ■ You have configured the RHEL Kickstart or SLES ...

Page 50 - version; Creating the SIA Unattended State File for Firmware Upgrade; “ How to Create the; Sample SIA State File for Firmware Upgrade

Note – Your server must support firmware upgrades through SIA to use the firmware upgrade option. If you enable an unattended firmware upgrade and an upgrade is not required on the target server (because the upgrade firmware image is either the same or earlier than what’s onthe server being upgraded...

Page 51 - sample target in the

apit.firmware.spIP= n.n.n.n apit.firmware.spPasswd= password_for_sp [STATE_DONE noname apit] ▼ How to Create the SIA Image and Prepare for PXE Boot After you have prepared for an unattended installation as described in the previous sections,follow the steps below to set up a PXE image to boot SIA an...

Page 52 - append; From the service processor (; ) Remote Console web interface, click Remote; Reset; to reset the host server.; —Or—

Note – Type the append command line from append initrd= to siaurl= as one continuous string with no returns. initrd= must point to the location of the initrd.img on your PXE server that you copied from the SIA CD/DVD and siaurl= must point to the URL for the state file. You can also boot the install...

Page 55 - Set Up Passwords for Root and Virtual Access

Observing an SIA PXE-Based UnattendedInstallation Observing an unattended network installation enables you to view the progress of theinstallation, as well as any diagnostic messages that might appear if problems are encounteredduring the installation. The four ways of observing an unattended networ...

Page 56 - “Set Up Passwords for Root and Virtual Access” on page 55

■ rootpw= des-crypted-password The rootpw= des-crypted-password argument enables SSH remote access on a PXE boot without passing a plain text password across the network. Create des-crypted-password using the following perl script: # perl -e ’ print crypt( " password " , " 42 " ). &#...

Page 57 - Using a VNC Viewer; To Establish Connection Using a VNC Viewer; Follow these steps to establish a connection using a VNC viewer.; Set a password as shown in; “To Establish a Connection Using a Serial Console” on page 57; To Establish a Connection Using a Serial Console; Use the boot argument

Using a VNC Viewer When you perform an unattended network installation, virtual network computing (VNC) isenabled by default. If you perform an unattended network installation, you can enable VNC byadding display=vnc as a boot argument. ▼ To Establish Connection Using a VNC Viewer Follow these steps...

Page 58 - Set up the serial console through the serial port.; Lights Out; Select the Network Boot option.; “Debugging Unattended Installation Problems” on page 60

Set up the serial console through the serial port. For more information about using a serial console, see the service processor ( Lights Out Manager ) documentation . The default setup is for the service processor to be available through the serial port. Log in to the service processor and enter the...

Page 59 - Troubleshooting SIA; Topics in this section include:; SIA Error Messages; Assistant to install this product and associated software.

Troubleshooting SIA This section provides information about Sun Installation Assistant (SIA) error messages, theSIA installation log file, as well as procedures for debugging an unattended PXE-based networkinstallation. Topics in this section include: ■ “SIA Error Messages” on page 59 ■ “SIA Install...

Page 60 - To review this log file, refer to the file; ILOM Remote Console Mouse Issue With SIA; “Mouse Settings When Using SIA with ILOM Remote Console” on page 16; Debugging Unattended Installation Problems; “How to Debug a PXE Image That Does Not Boot” on page 60; How to Debug a PXE Image That Does Not Boot; Check the DHCP and TFTP server areas and the integrity of the; vmlinuz; a. Test the URL with the command; wget

SIA Installation Log File An SIA log file is written to the root directory of the newly installed system. To review this log file, refer to the file SunInstallationAssistant.log (located at /root for Linux. ILOM Remote Console Mouse Issue With SIA The ILOM Remote Console has a mouse mode setting tha...

Page 61 - SIA Boot Starts, Then Stops; The; VNC Password Does Not Get Set

Problem What you will see The state file URL ( siaurl ) is incorrect. If the state file URL ( siaurl ) is incorrect, the installation appears to hang. Check the console for the following error messagethat appears after the VNC information: Unable to fetch unattended statefile: URL The InstallLoc in ...

Page 63 - Creating a Bootable SIA USB Flash Drive; “Requirements” on page 63; Requirements; Syslinux utility version 3.52 or later; Getting the Software; “How to Get the Syslinux and SIA Software” on page 64

Creating a Bootable SIA USB Flash Drive This section describes how to prepare a USB flash drive (also known as USB thumb drive, USBkey drive, etc.) for booting SIA and how to boot the SIA USB flash drive to perform SIAdeployment and recovery tasks. Preparing and booting an SIA USB flash drive is des...

Page 64 - How to Get the Syslinux and SIA Software; Go to the SIA main page on the Sun web site:; “How to Prepare the USB Flash Drive on a Windows XP System” on page 64; How to Prepare the USB Flash Drive on a Windows XP System; Extract (unzip) the contents of the downloaded; Where; Insert the USB flash drive into a USB 2.0 port.

▼ How to Get the Syslinux and SIA Software Note – Support for creating a USB flash drive version of SIA was introduced with SIA version 2.0.144 and is provided as a downloadable package from the Sun download site. Earlier versionsof SIA will not support running SIA from USB flash drive media. Go to ...

Page 65 - The format dialog box will be displayed.

Caution – Be sure to confirm and make a note of the device name of the USB flash drive (A:, B:, etc.). The instructions listed here require you to delete existing partition(s) on the USB flashdisk. Making a mistake in identifying the device might cause you to erase a hard disk. Right-click on the fl...

Page 66 - “Setting BIOS Parameters and Booting Off the SIA USB Flash Drive” on; How to Prepare the USB Flash Drive on a Linux (Red Hat/SUSE) System; Do not use earlier

Where path is the folder to which you extracted syslinux and X is the drive letter for your USB flash drive (for example, A:, B:, etc.) This creates a file ldlinux.sys onto the drive and make it bootable. Extract (unzip) the contents of the downloaded SIA- version .zip archive file to the USB flash ...

Page 67 - bootable primary partition:; yes; mkpartfs; primary; set 1 boot on

Note – This procedure requires the use of parted utility version 1.8.6 or later. Do not use earlier versions of parted . Note – These steps require superuser ( su - root ) access. a. If Linux has automounted the device, unmount it first. # umount /dev/sd X 1 Where X is the drive letter for the USB f...

Page 68 - cd; path

■ (parted): print Displays the current settings for the new partition. Example output is shown below: Model: Lexar, Inc. USBdisk (scsi) Disk /dev/sdb: 1031MB Sector size (logical/physical): 512B/512B Partition Table: msdos Minor Start End Size Type Filesystem Flags 1 16.4kB 931MB 1031MB primary fat3...

Page 69 - autofs; Mount the drive to a mount point by entering the command:; archive file to the USB flash drive by entering the; Unmount the USB flash drive:

Note – In the next step you will need to specify the mount point. If autofs is running, it might have auto–mounted the drive partition to some other mount point. If this happens, unmount itby entering the command: umount /dev/sd X 1 Mount the drive to a mount point by entering the command: # mount -...

Page 70 - How to Set the BIOS Parameters and Boot Off the SIA USB Flash Drive; Check the; Insert the SIA USB flash drive into an available USB 2.0 port.; The BIOS Setup screen appears.; To save your changes and boot SIA, select Save and Exit.; Proceed to

▼ How to Set the BIOS Parameters and Boot Off the SIA USB Flash Drive Check the Sun Fire X4640 Server Product Notes for any issues related to USB support. Note any restrictions before attempting this procedure. Insert the SIA USB flash drive into an available USB 2.0 port. Note – Some servers might ...

Sun Microsystems X4640 - Manual

Table of Contents:

Summary

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