Base Infrastructure for Automated Installations

While it is possible to run automated installations on non-networked clients, it is often more useful to provide a networked environment in which all systems can install from a central location. Sun's Solaris Jumpstart framework and RedHat Linux's Kickstart system are discussed in this document. Both these systems depend on a simple network and four networked services: DCHP, TFTP, NFS and DNS.

In this document we will decribe how to set up, configure and use Linux as a platform for automated installation of other Linux clients and Solaris clients.

Introduction to networked services

DHCP

DHCP, the Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol, is used to allow hosts on a TCP/IP network to request and be assigned IP addresses, and also discover information about the network to which they are attached.

It is a common mistake to think that DHCP can only be used to provide dynamic addresses. Fixed IPs can also be assigned to clients by using their Ethernet hardware MAC address to identify them to the DHCP server.

Within the DHCP server configuration, clients are collected into groups, depending on the information they require.

For example, Linux installation clients require only a fixed IP address and information regarding the location of the TFTP server and a filename to download and execute. However, Solaris clients expect a wealth of information, including the location of the kernel to boot, a mini-root to mount, and where to find various installation configuration files.

This difference is due to the difference between the boot methods of Linux clients, which are predomenantly x86 or x86_64 based and Solaris clients which are SPARC based.

TFTP ->