C H A P T E R  6

Powering On and Configuring the Server

This chapter describes how to power on and configure the server to suit your application. It contains these sections:


Powering On the Server

To power on the server, you can use either the On/Standby button located behind the front bezel, or you can use the keyboard. If you power on from the keyboard, you can see system output as the server powers on.



caution icon

Caution - Never move the system when the system power is on. Movement can cause catastrophic hard drive failure. Always power off the system before moving it.



Setting the Rotary Switch

Before you begin powering on the server, make sure that the rotary switch is in the normal position. This position allows the On/Standby button to control the power state of the server. For more information on the operation of the rotary switch, refer to the Netra 440 Server Product Overview (817-3881-xx).

1. Open the front system door.

Press in on the door release latches and lower the system door.

  FIGURE 6-1 Opening the System Door

Figure showing the location of the door release latches on the sides of the front system door.

2. Ensure that the rotary switch is set to the normal position.

If the switch is not in the normal position (|), set it now.

  FIGURE 6-2 Rotary Switch Positions

Figure showing the rotary switch in the Normal position. Figure also shows the location of the On/Standby button.

3. Close the bezel.

Powering On From the Keyboard

1. Connect the server to the power supply.

The server automatically goes into Standby power mode when it is connected to a power source. See Chapter 4 for instructions on connecting the power cables.

2. Set up a connection to the SERIAL MGT port.

For details, see Chapter 4.

When you switch to the ALOM prompt after initial power-on, you will be logged in as the admin user and prompted to set a password. You must set this password in order to execute certain commands.

3. If you are prompted to do so, set a password for the admin user.

The password must contain:

Once the password is set, the admin user has full permissions and can execute all ALOM command-line interface (CLI) commands.

4. Turn on power to any peripherals and external storage devices you have connected to the server.

Read the documentation supplied with the devices for specific instructions.

5. At the console sc> prompt, type the following command to power on the server:

sc> poweron

Powering On Using the On/Standby Button

1. Connect the server to the power supply.

The server automatically goes into Standby power mode when it is connected to a power source. See Chapter 4 for instructions on connecting the power cables.

2. Turn on power to any peripherals and external storage devices you have connected to the server.

Read the documentation supplied with the devices for specific instructions.

3. Set the rotary switch on the front bezel to the Normal (|) position.

See FIGURE 6-2 for more information.

4. Press the On/Standby button.

5. Turn the rotary switch to the Locked position.

This prevents anyone from accidentally powering off the system.


Powering Off the System Using the On/Standby Button



caution icon

Caution - Applications running on the Solaris operating system can be adversely affected by a poorly executed system shutdown. Make sure you have gracefully shut down any applications before powering off the system.



1. Notify users that the system will be powered down.

2. Back up the system files and data, if necessary.

3. Ensure that the rotary switch is in the Normal or Diagnostics position.

See FIGURE 6-2 for more information.

4. Press and release the On/Standby button on the front bezel.

The system begins an orderly software system shutdown.



Note - Pressing and releasing the On/Standby button initiates an orderly software shutdown. Pressing and holding the switch for four seconds causes an immediate hardware shutdown. Whenever possible, you should initiate an orderly shutdown. Forcing an immediate hardware shutdown can corrupt the disk drive and cause loss of data.



5. Wait for the front panel green System Activity indicator to go out.

See Enclosure Status LEDs for a description of this indicator.


Configuring the Server

The Netra 440 server comes preinstalled with the Solaris 8 OS.



Note - Solaris 9 is also supported on the Netra 440 server; however, you must order Solaris 9 separately. See the www.sun.com website for more details. You may also have to install separate packages and patches after you've installed Solaris 9. Refer to the Netra 440 Server Release Notes (817-3885-xx) for more details.



When you power on the server for the first time, you are automatically taken through a configuration procedure. This procedure consists of a number of questions, and the answers you give determine how the server is configured.

Complete the software installation worksheet and choose the configuration that best suits your requirements from the list below. Then follow the instructions in the appropriate section to configure your server.

Software Configuration Worksheet

Use the following worksheet to gather the information that you need to configure software on the Netra 440 server. You do not need to gather all of the information that is requested on the worksheet. You only need to collect the information that applies to your system.

TABLE 6-1 Netra 440 Software Configuration Worksheet

Information Needed to Install

Description/Example

Your Answers

Network

Is the system connected to a network?

Yes/No

 

DHCP

Can the system use Dynamic Host configuration Protocol (DHCP) to configure its network interfaces?

Yes/No

 

Host Name

Host name that you choose for the system.

 

IP Address

If you are not using DHCP, supply the IP address for the system.

Example: 129.200.9.1

 

Subnet

If you are not using DHCP, is the system part of a subnet?

If yes, what is the netmask of the subnet?

Example: 255.255.0.0

Yes/No

 

IPv6

Do you want to enable IPv6 on this machine?

Yes/No

Kerberos

Do you want to configure Kerberos security on this machine?

If yes, gather this information:

Default Realm:

Administration Server:

First KDC:

(Optional) Additional KDCs:

Yes/No

 

Name Service

Which name service should this system use?

NIS+/NIS/DNS/LDAP/None

Domain Name

If the system uses a name service, supply the name of the domain in which the system resides.

 

NIS+ and NIS

Do you want to specify a name server or let the installation program find one?

If you want to specify a name server, provide the following information.

Server's host name:

Server's IP address:

Specify One/Find One

DNS

Provide IP addresses for the DNS server. You must enter at least one IP address, but you can enter up to three addresses.

Server's IP Address(es):

You can enter a list of domains to search when a DNS query is made.

Search Domain:

Search Domain:

Search Domain:

 

LDAP

Provide the following information about your LDAP profile.

Profile Name:

Profile Server:

IP Address:

 

Default Router

Do you want to specify a default IP router (gateway) or let the Solaris Web Start installation program find one?

If you want to specify a default router, provide the following information.

Router IP address:

Specify one/Find one

Time Zone

How do you want to specify your default time zone?

Geographic region

Offset from GMT

Time zone file

Locales

For which geographic regions do you want to install support?

 

Power Management

Do you want to use Power Management?

Yes/No

Proxy Server Configuration

(Only available in the Solaris Web Start program)

Do you have a direct connection to the Internet or do you need to use a proxy server to gain access to the Internet?

If you use a proxy server, provide the following information.

Host:

Port:

Direct Connection/Proxy Server

Automatic reboot or CD/DVD ejection

Reboot automatically after software installation?

Eject CD/DVD automatically after software installation?

Yes/No

Yes/No

Software Group

Which Solaris Group do you want to install?

Entire Plus OEM

Entire

Developer

End User

Core

Custom Package Selection

Do you want to add or remove software packages from the Solaris Software Group that you install?

Note - When you select which packages to add or remove, you need to know about software dependencies and how Solaris software is packaged.

 

64-bit

Do you want to install support for 64-bit applications?

Yes/No

Select Disks

On which disks do you want to install the Solaris software?

Example: c0t0d0

 

Preserver Data

Do you want to preserve any data that exists on the disks where you are installing the Solaris software?

Yes/No

Auto-layout File Systems

Do you want the installation program to lay out file systems on your disks automatically?

If yes, which file systems should be used for auto-layout?

Example:/,/opt,/var

If no, you must provide file system configuration information.

Yes/No

Mount Remote File Systems

(only available in the Solaris

suninstall program)

Does this system need to access software on another file system?

If yes, provide the following information about the remote file system.

Server:

IP Address:

Remote File System:

Local Mount Point:

Yes/No


Configuring With the Server Details Registered as a Name Server



Note - Follow the instructions in this section only if you have a name server installed on your network. For instructions on using a name server to automate the process of configuring the Solaris operating system on multiple servers, refer to the Solaris Advanced Installation Guide that comes with the Solaris software.



During the boot process, you are prompted for certain information. The information you provide determines the configuration of the server.

1. Specify the type of terminal you are using to communicate with the server.

2. Specify whether you need IPv6 enabled, and then follow the instructions on the screen.

3. Specify whether you want to enable the Kerberos Security mechanism, and then follow the instructions on the screen.

4. When prompted, give a password (if any) for users logging in as superuser.

Configuring Without the Server Details Registered as a Name Server

Follow the instructions in this section if you do not have a name server configured on your network.



Tip - Read these instructions through before you follow them, to see what information the system prompts you for when you start it for the first time.



During booting you are prompted for certain information. The information you provide determines the configuration of the server.

1. Specify the type of terminal you are using to communicate with the server.

2. When asked if you want the server to be networked, answer Yes.

3. Specify whether the IP address is to be configured by DHCP.

If you plan to configure the IP address manually, specify an IP address when prompted.

4. Specify which of the Ethernet ports you intend to use as the primary Ethernet connection.

5. Specify a host name for the server.

6. If prompted, specify the IP address for the system.

The system prompts you for this address if you declined to use DHCP in Step 3. It also asks you whether the server is to be part of a subnet. If you answer yes, the system prompts you to provide the netmask of the subnet.

7. Specify whether you need IPv6 enabled, and then follow the instructions on the screen.

8. Specify whether you want to enable the Kerberos Security mechanism, and then follow the instructions on the screen.

9. Specify the name service you want the server to use.

10. Specify the name of the domain of which the server will be a part.

11. Specify whether you want the system to search the network for a name server or whether you want it to use a particular name server.

12. If you chose to use a particular name server, specify the host name and IP address of the name server.

13. At the name server prompt, create entries in the network administration files for the system you are setting up.

14. At the system you are setting up, follow the prompts to provide time and date information.

15. When prompted, give a password (if any) for users logging in as superuser.

Configuring a Standalone Server for the First Time

1. Specify the type of terminal you are using to communicate with the server.

2. When prompted to indicate whether you want the server to be networked, specify No.

3. Specify a host name for the server.

4. Confirm the information you have given.

5. Specify the date and time information.

6. When prompted, give a password (if any) for users logging in as superuser.

Clearing Your Configuration and Starting Again

If you want to start the power on process again, as if from a previously unused server, you must clear the configuration of the server.

1. At the Solaris prompt, type:

# sys-unconfig

2. When prompted to confirm that you want to create a "blank" server, type y.

3. When the OpenBoot prompt appears, type:

ok> boot

4. Follow the instructions in one of the following sections:


Accessing Advanced Lights Out Manager (ALOM) Software

For detailed ALOM instructions and configuration information, refer to the Sun Advanced Lights Out Manager User Guide For the Netra 440 Server (817-5481-xx).

The ALOM software is preinstalled on the server and is ready to run as soon as power is supplied to the server. However, you need to perform some basic configuration steps to customize the ALOM software to suit your application.

Displaying the ALOM Prompt

1. At the command prompt, type the default keystroke sequence (#.) to display the ALOM prompt:

# #.



Note - When you switch to the ALOM prompt after initial power-on, you are logged in as the admin user and prompted to set a password. You must set this password in order to execute certain commands.



2. If you are prompted to do so, set a password for the admin user.

The password must contain:

Once the password is set, the user has full permissions and can execute all ALOM command-line interface (CLI) commands.

Displaying the Console Prompt

single-step bulletAt the ALOM prompt, type:

sc> console

More than one ALOM user can be connected to the server console stream at a time, but only one user is permitted to type input characters to the console.

If another user is logged on and has write capability, you will see the message below after issuing the console command:

sc> Console session already in use. [view mode]

Taking Console Write Capability Away From Another User

single-step bulletAt the ALOM prompt, type:

sc> console -f