AI Overview

AI Overview

AI (Automatic Installation) is the method of installation in which all the parameters needed for installation is available and user intervention is not required. The parameters can be defined in a set of known files or installation can assume the default if it is not provided. There are some required parameters and optional parameters.

AI works in the same way as that of interactive installation(s). So there are certain parts of the system, AI cannot change. For example, all X86 network requests uses PXE (Preboot eXecution Environment) protocol and it is part of BIOS. So the install server should support TFTP to send the program to be booted by the client. This is called NBP (Network Boot Program). The server choose to support DHCP or BOOTP. The protocols used to download Solaris Kernel and other programs can be in an any protocols as long as it is supported. For example NFS is used the old installer to mount the image and HTTP is used by WAN boot.

Even though it is possible use local media (CD/DVD/flash drive) to install AI, most people use the network image when installing with AI. The image needed for AI should contain network support. It may not need support for running Solaris from the image (like livecd). We can create a jumbo image for all uses of install but it is not practical since liveCD images should fit in a CD. Also having unnecessary bits in the image will increase the memory consumption during installation.