Automated Installation Requirements Proposal-Initial

 V 0.4 02/06/2008

Definitions:

1. Profile: Refers to data file containing  pairs which is used to initiate and defined the automated installation. This term is intended to be generic, not specific or the final term used within the Automated Installation.

Interfaces:

• Will provide language specification for the minimal system configuration required at installation time along with configuration of, initiating, and conducting the automated installation. This language is contained within the Profile described above.
• Will provide an interface to produce an automated installation Profile that will result in an identical* system to that on which the tool is invoked.
  • Except for host specific configuration information such as network address, hostname, disk configuration, etc..
• Will provide a graphical user interface to allow users to create Profiles.
• Will provide a utility to convert existing Jumpstart profiles and rules files to new language and syntax.
• Will provide cli interface for creation of Profiles.
• Will provide test interface for testing automated installation specification prior to deployment.
• Will provide an interface to allow for pre and post installation/upgrade customization.
• Will provide interfaces for 3rd party software to use for installation of respective products.
• Will not provide a separate interface for use to specify system configuration parameters.
  • Will try to automatically configure system based on data gleaned from network
  • All configuration data that cannot be determined must be specified in SMF extended profile.
  • Minimal system configuration will be allowed via the language specification provided for automated installation.

Tools:

• Will provide the necessary tools to setup automated installation servers and add clients.
  • These tools will be backwards compatible and not tied to a specific release.
  • These tools will configure all services necessary to complete network installation.
• Will provide tools to view existing install servers, configurations of those servers and clients associated with each.
• Will provide a tool to verify language syntax.
• Will provide a tool to create a recovery image from the system.

Types:

• Will provide for partial or complete automation support.
• Will provide initial install support.
• Will provide support for creation of ZFS root pools.
  • Hot Spare support
  • Intent log support
• Will provide system upgrade via Snap Upgrade.
  • This is not a live upgrade style of upgrade, it is more like a standard upgrade using the Snap Upgrade utilities.
• Will provide software update via direct download from IPS repositories.
  • local and remote repositories supported
• Will provide support for zones upgrade.
• Will create system recovery image from installed system.
• Will provide the ability to send and receive ZFS snaphosts to populate a ZFS root pool.
• Will provide xVM DomU installation and upgrade support.
• Automated zone installation support will be provided.
• Will provide the ability to do software customization.

Client Platforms:

• Will support x86 and sparc
  • -Will provide equivalent functionality on both
• Virtualization platforms such as Parallels, VMware and xVM

Server Platforms:

• Will support non-Solaris installation servers.

Security:

• Will provide secure installation

Protocols:

• ==== Network support:
  • Will support DHCP, NFS, http, https client/ server protocols.
• ==== Local support:
  • CD/DVD/USB will be supported.
  • Will be able to boot local media and use automated installation Profile from network.

Misc Configurations supported:

• Will support transition from UFS to ZFS root.
• Will support creation of non-root datasets within ZFS root pool.

Device support:

• Will support GPT labeling.
• Will provide fdisk partitioning support only until full GPT boot support is available.
• Will provide ZFS dataset layout support. Explicit or default.
• ITU and driver detection support will be provided.

Distribution media:

• Will provide network distributions.
• Will provide cd/dvd and usb distributions.
• Will allow users to create customized distributions that can be used for automated installations.
• Different distribution media should not vary substantially from one another in terms of OpenSolaris product layout. Only to the extent that is required for specific booting requirements.
• Distributions should not vary significantly from the OpenSolaris architecture. For example, we should use SMF rather than setup scripts to initiate the install and setup mounts and ramdisk if at all possible.

3rd party software:

• Will provide 3rd party software installation and configuration support.

Performance:

• Will provide reasonable performance for local and network installations.