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Installing Oracle Solaris 11.1 Systems     Oracle Solaris 11.1 Information Library
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Document Information

Preface

Part I Oracle Solaris 11.1 Installation Options

1.  Overview of Installation Options

Part II Installing Using Installation Media

2.  Preparing for the Installation

3.  Using Live Media

4.  Using the Text Installer

5.  Automated Installations That Boot From Media

6.  Unconfiguring or Reconfiguring an Oracle Solaris instance

Part III Installing Using an Install Server

7.  Automated Installation of Multiple Clients

8.  Setting Up an Install Server

9.  Customizing Installations

10.  Provisioning the Client System

11.  Configuring the Client System

12.  Installing and Configuring Zones

13.  Running a Custom Script During First Boot

14.  Installing Client Systems

15.  Troubleshooting Automated Installations

Client Installation Fails

Check the Installation Logs and Instructions

Check DNS

Check Client Boot Errors

SPARC Network Booting Errors and Possible Causes

x86 Network Booting Errors and Possible Causes

SPARC and x86 Error Messages

Booting the Installation Environment Without Starting an Installation

Starting Installation After Booting Without Initiating an Installation

Part IV Performing Related Tasks

A.  Working With Oracle Configuration Manager

B.  Using the Device Driver Utility

Index

Client Installation Fails

This section suggests actions to take if a client installation fails.

Check the Installation Logs and Instructions

If an installation to a client system failed, you can find the log at /system/volatile/install_log.

The AI manifest that was used for this client is in /system/volatile/ai.xml. The system configuration profiles that were used for this client are in /system/volatile/profile/*.

Check DNS

Check whether DNS is configured on your client by verifying that a non-empty /etc/resolv.conf file exists.

If /etc/resolv.conf does not exist or is empty, check that your DHCP server is providing DNS server information to the client:

# /sbin/dhcpinfo DNSserv

If this command returns nothing, the DHCP server is not set up to provide DNS server information to the client. Contact your DHCP administrator to correct this problem.

If an /etc/resolv.conf file exists and is properly configured, check for the following possible problems and contact your system administrator for resolution:

Check Client Boot Errors

Review the following additional information about errors that occur when the client system is booting.

SPARC Network Booting Errors and Possible Causes

This section describes errors or problems you might see when booting a SPARC client over the network and possible causes:

Timed out Waiting for BOOTP/DHCP Reply

If a DHCP server is not responding to a SPARC client's request, the following messages display:

   ...
   OpenBoot 4.23.4, 8184 MB memory available, Serial #69329298.
   Ethernet address 0:14:4f:21:e1:92, Host ID: 8421e192.
   Rebooting with command: boot net:dhcp - install
   Boot device: /pci@7c0/pci@0/network@4:dhcp  File and args: 
   1000 Mbps FDX Link up
   Timed out waiting for BOOTP/DHCP reply
   Timed out waiting for BOOTP/DHCP reply
   Timed out waiting for BOOTP/DHCP reply
   Timed out waiting for BOOTP/DHCP reply

The timeout message indicates that the client is sending a DHCP request and no response has been made to that request. This error is probably caused by a DHCP configuration problem. Check whether your client is configured correctly in the DHCP server.

Boot Load Failed

If the AI client starts downloading the boot_archive, but then fails with the error, “Boot load failed,” that indicates that the client DHCP information is configured incorrectly.

Rebooting with command: boot net:dhcp - install
   Boot device: /pci@7c0/pci@0/network@4:dhcp  File and args: 
   1000 Mbps FDX Link up
   HTTP: Bad Response: 500 Internal Server Error
   Evaluating: 

   Boot load failed

This error could happen if another DHCP server is responding to the client. Check the DHCP configuration for this client. If the configuration appears to be correct, determine whether another DHCP server is in the subnet.

Internal Server Error or WAN Boot Alert

After the AI client has obtained the IP address and initial parameters to start downloading the boot archive, the client might be unable to find or download the boot_archive.

For both of these problems, fix the boot_archive file configured for this client. Check the path name and permissions of the boot_archive at $IMAGE/boot/boot_archive.

Error Message 403: Forbidden or 404 Not Found

The messages ERROR 403: Forbidden and ERROR 404: Not Found are displayed if the AI client successfully downloads the boot_archive and boots the Oracle Solaris kernel but fails to get one of the image archives. An error message is displayed indicating which file is causing the problem. For example, in the following output on a SPARC client, the solaris.zlib file does not exist or is not accessible at the specified location:

<time unavailable> wanboot info: Starting DHCP configuration
<time unavailable> wanboot info: DHCP configuration succeeded
<time unavailable> wanboot progress: wanbootfs: Read 368 of 368 kB (100%)
<time unavailable> wanboot info: wanbootfs: Download complete
Thu Jul  5 18:57:36 wanboot progress: miniroot: Read 235737 of 235737 kB (100%)
Thu Jul  5 18:57:36 wanboot info: miniroot: Download complete
SunOS Release 5.11 Version 11.1 64-bit
Copyright (c) 1983, 2012, Oracle and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved.
Remounting root read/write
Probing for device nodes ...
Preparing network image for use
Downloading solaris.zlib
--2012-07-05 18:52:30--  http://10.134.125.136:5555/export/auto_install/11_1_sparc/solaris.zlib
Connecting to 10.134.125.136:5555... connected.
HTTP request sent, awaiting response... 404 Not Found
2012-07-05 18:52:30 ERROR 404: Not Found.

Could not obtain http://10.134.125.136:5555/export/auto_install/11_1_sparc/solaris.zlib from install server
Please verify that the install server is correctly configured and reachable from the client

This problem can be caused by one of the following conditions:

Check your DHCP configuration or the contents of the net image you specified when you ran installadm create-service. Check your WAN boot configuration.

Automated Installer Disabled

When installing the Oracle Solaris OS on your client system, you need to include the install argument when you boot in order to initiate an installation:

ok boot net:dhcp - install

If you boot without the install boot argument, the SPARC client boots into the automated installer boot image but the installation does not start. See Starting Installation After Booting Without Initiating an Installation for instructions about how to start an automated installation from this point.

x86 Network Booting Errors and Possible Causes

This section describes errors or problems you might see when booting an x86 client over the network and possible causes:

No DHCP or ProxyDHCP Offers Were Received

If a DHCP server is not responding to an x86 client's request, you see the following messages:

Intel(R) Boot Agent PXE Base Code (PXE-2.1 build 0.86)
   Copyright(C) 1997-2007, Intel Corporation

   CLIENT MAC ADDR 00 14 4F 29 04 12 GUID FF2000008 FFFF FFFF FFFF 7BDA264F1400
   DHCP......... No DHCP or ProxyDHCP offers were received
   PXE-MOF: Exiting Intel Boot Agent

The timeout message indicates that the client is sending a DHCP request and not getting a response. This issue is probably due to an error in the DHCP configuration. Check whether your client is configured correctly in the DHCP server.

TFTP Error or System Hangs After GATEWAY Message

The DHCP server provides an IP address and a location of the initial boot program as part of the DHCP response.

System Hangs After GRUB Menu Entry is Selected

If the client is able to do the initial boot but the kernel cannot be booted, the system hangs after you select the entry from the GRUB menu.

On the install server, check whether the grub.cfg file or the menu.lst file for this client is pointing to a valid boot archive. The boot directory of the image on the server should be loopback-mounted under the /etc/netboot directory as shown in this sample excerpt from df -k for the image path shown by installadm list:

Filesystem      1K-blocks      Used Available Use% Mounted on
/export/auto_install/solaris11_1-i386
                 92052473  36629085  55423388  40% /etc/netboot/default-i386
/export/auto_install/solaris11_1-i386
                 92052473  36629085  55423388  40% /etc/netboot/solaris11_1-i386
HTTP Request Sent Results in 403 Forbidden or 404 Not Found

On the install server, if one of the install programs is inaccessible or does not exist in the location specified in the grub.cfg file or the menu.lst file under /etc/netboot, then the client is able to boot, but is not able to download that file. An error message is displayed indicating which file is causing the problem. For example, in the following output on an x86 client, the solaris.zlib file does not exist at the specified location:

SunOS Release 5.11 Version 11.1 64-bit
Copyright (c) 1983, 2012, Oracle and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved.
Remounting root read/write
Probing for device nodes ...
Preparing network image for use
Downloading solaris.zlib
--2012-07-18 20:02:26--  http://10.134.125.136:5555/export/auto_install/solaris11_1-i386/solaris.zlib
Connecting to 10.134.125.136:5555... connected.
HTTP request sent, awaiting response... 404 Not Found
2012-07-18 20:02:26 ERROR 404: Not Found.

Could not obtain http://10.134.125.136:5555/export/auto_install/solaris11_1-i386/solaris.zlib from install server
Please verify that the install server is correctly configured and reachable from the client

Requesting System Maintenance Mode
(See /lib/svc/share/README for more information.)
Console login service(s) cannot run

Check the contents of the target directory that you specified when you ran the installadm create-service command.

Automated Installer Disabled

When installing the Oracle Solaris OS on x86 client systems for installations that boot over the network, you must select the second entry in the GRUB boot menu to initiate an automated installation. Typically, the menu entries display as follows:

Oracle Solaris 11.1 Text Installer and command line
Oracle Solaris 11.1 Automated Install

If you selected the first GRUB menu entry or allowed the prompt to time out, the system boots into the automated install boot image but the installation does not start. See Starting Installation After Booting Without Initiating an Installation for instructions about how to start an automated installation from this point.

SPARC and x86 Error Messages

The following errors are common to both SPARC and x86 installations:

Automated Installation Failed Message

If a failure occurs during installation, then the following message is displayed:

21:43:34    Automated Installation Failed.  See install log at /system/volatile/install_log
Automated Installation failed
Please refer to the /system/volatile/install_log file for details
Jul  6 21:43:34 solaris svc.startd[9]: application/auto-installer:default failed fatally:
transitioned to maintenance (see 'svcs -xv' for details)
Unable To Contact Valid Package Server

The installation client needs to reach the IPS package repository defined in the AI manifest in order to install the Oracle Solaris OS. If the client cannot access the package repository, the installation fails and the application/auto-installer service transitions to maintenance. The following output is an example of what is displayed on the console:

15:54:46    Creating IPS image
15:54:46    Error occurred during execution of 'generated-transfer-1341-1' checkpoint.
15:54:47    Failed Checkpoints:
15:54:47
15:54:47        generated-transfer-1341-1
15:54:47
15:54:47    Checkpoint execution error:
15:54:47
15:54:47        Framework error: code: 6 reason: Couldn't resolve host 'pkg.example.com'
15:54:47        URL: 'http://pkg.example.com/solaris/release/versions/0/'.
15:54:47
15:54:47    Automated Installation Failed.  See install log at /system/volatile/install_log
Automated Installation failed
Please refer to the /system/volatile/install_log file for details
Aug 31 15:54:47 line2-v445 svc.startd[8]: application/auto-installer:default failed fatally:
transitioned to maintenance (see 'svcs -xv' for details)
...
SUNW-MSG-ID: SMF-8000-YX, TYPE: defect, VER: 1, SEVERITY: major
EVENT-TIME: Wed Aug 31 15:54:47 UTC 2011
PLATFORM: SUNW,Sun-Fire-V445, CSN: -, HOSTNAME: line2-v445
SOURCE: software-diagnosis, REV: 0.1
EVENT-ID: c8a5b809-ece4-4399-9646-d8c64d78aac7
DESC: A service failed - a start, stop or refresh method failed.
AUTO-RESPONSE: The service has been placed into the maintenance state.
IMPACT: svc:/application/auto-installer:default is unavailable.
REC-ACTION: Run 'svcs -xv svc:/application/auto-installer:default' to determine the generic reason
why the service failed, the location of any logfiles, and a list of other services impacted. Please
refer to the associated reference document at http://support.oracle.com/msg/SMF-8000-YX for the latest service
procedures and policies regarding this diagnosis.

Check the /system/volatile/install_log file for messages similar to the following:

TransportFailures: Framework error: code: 6 reason: Couldn't resolve host
'pkg.example.com'
URL: 'http://pkg.example.com/solaris/versions/0/'
TransportFailures: Framework error: code: 7 reason: Failed connect to
pkg.example.com:80; Connection refused
URL: 'http://pkg.example.com/solaris/versions/0/'
TransportFailures: http protocol error: code: 404 reason: Not Found
URL: 'http://pkg.oracle.com/mysolaris/versions/0/'

Depending on which messages you see, try the following possible remedies:

Package Not Found

If one of the packages specified in the AI manifest cannot be located in the IPS repositories, then the installer fails before installing any packages on the disk. In the following example, the installer could not find the package mypkg in the IPS repository. The following output is an example of what is displayed on the console:

14:04:02    Failed Checkpoints:
14:04:02
14:04:02        generated-transfer-1230-1
14:04:02
14:04:02    Checkpoint execution error:
14:04:02
14:04:02        The following pattern(s) did not match any allowable packages.  Try
14:04:02        using a different matching pattern, or refreshing publisher information:
14:04:02
14:04:02                pkg:/mypkg
14:04:02
14:04:02    Automated Installation Failed.  See install log at /system/volatile/install_log

The following output is an example of a portion of the /system/volatile/install_log log file:

PlanCreationException: The following pattern(s) did not match any allowable packages.
Try using a different matching pattern, or refreshing publisher information:

pkg:/mypkg

Check whether the package in question is a valid package. If this package is available from a different IPS repository, add that IPS repository in the AI manifest by adding another publisher element to the source element.