Solaris for the System Administrator

Solaris Notes

Boot Up/Shutdown

init 0 - power down
init S - single user, all file systems mounted
init s - single user, all file systems mounted
init 1 - administrative state, all file systems mounted, logins allowed
init 2 - multi user, all daemons running except nfs - exports not allowed
init 3 - multi user
init 4 - alternative multi user - unused
init 5 - power down - shutdown and automatically power off if supported
init 6 - reboot

PROM Prompt (ok)

If you abort the boot process you will get the PROM prompt

Abort key sequence depends on keyboard type (could be: Stop-A, L1-A or Break)

Type "n" at the ">" prompt to get to the "ok" prompt.
boot --> boots to multi user mode
boot cdrom --> boots from cdrom
boot -r --> reconfiguration boot
boot -a --> interactive boot

specify kernel or accept default
specify modules or accept default
specify system file or accept default
specify root filesystem or accept default
specify physical name of the root device or accept default

boot -s --> single user mode

Bootup Files

/etc/inittab
/sbin/rc*

/etc/rc0 - rc5 and rcS
These main scripts call the appropriate S and K scripts located in /etc/rc*.d

/etc/init.d --> linked to /etc/rc.etc
/etc/rc*.d

Individual start and kill scripts

Bootup Commands

telinit 1 --> changes to single user mode
telinit 2 --> changes to muli-user with no NFS
telinit 3 --> changes to multiuser
<ctrl> <d> --> changes from single user mode to multi user mode
Forcing a Crash Dump, then rebooting:

savecore must be enabled

type the stop key sequence

at the "ok" prompt type sync --> this synchronizes the disk and writes the crash dump, system will reboot when dump is complete

Booting with the Kernel debugger

type the stop key sequence
at the "ok" prompt type sync
when the message "syncing file systems . . . " appears, press the stop key sequence
at the "ok" prompt type boot kadb

Shutdown Commands

shutdown --> you will be prompted to confirm the shutdown, system will shutdown to single user state
shutdown -y --> you will not be prompted to confirm, system will shutdown to single user state
shutdown -g XXX --> system will wait XXX seconds to start shutdown
shutdown -i6 --> shutdown and reboot
uadmin 2 0 --> shutsdown the system to a powerdown state, PROM prompt is displayed
shutdown -s
init -s
telinit 0 or init 0 --> shutsdown the system from single user mode
telinit 6 or init 6 --> shutsdown and reboots a single user system
halt --> shutsdown immediately, not necessarily cleanly (no warning, no scripts run)
reboot --> shutsdown and reboots, but not necessarily cleanly (no warning, no scripts run)

SPARC Boot Process

Boot PROM --> self test
bootblk executes --> primary boot program which loads ufsboot program from UFS filesystem
ufsboot executes --> loads the kernel
kernel initialization
/sbin/init processes /etc/inittab entries
/sbin/rc* scripts are run

IA Boot Process

BIOS PROM --> self test, low level drivers
BIOS looks for mboot MBR
pboot is loaded from active paration
bootblk is loaded by pboot
If multiple bootable partions exist bootblk displays Primary Boot Subsystem Menu
boobblk starts either boot.bin or ufsboot --> this can be interrupted to run the Configuration Assistant
command interpreter starts which processes /etc//bootrc script --> this provides a menu of boot choices
kernel initiailization using either boot.bin or ufsboot to read the files
/sbin/init processes the inittab
/sbin/rc* scripts are run

IA Boot Menus

Primary Boot Subsystem Menu --> If boot disk has multiple partitions
Secondary Boot Subsystem Menu --> If boot process is interupted then the Solaris Device Configuration Assistant is run
Solaris Device Configuration Asistant Boot Diskette
Current Boot Parameters Menu

Console

Using tip (the serial port is connected to another Sun server)

tip hardwire
~. --> end's session and goes back to prompt
~# --> Stop A
/etc/remote is configuration file

Crontab

See unix.html for crontab basics.

Note: Solaris defaults to ed when using crontab -e, unless the $EDITOR variable is set to something else, like vi.

ksh --> export EDITOR=vi

sh --> EDITOR=vi
export EDITOR

See UNIX notes for safely editing crontabs.

Devices

devfsadm --> manages special files in /dev and /devices (boot -r no longer required)

Process to add new hardware:

load the device driver
shutdown system
add new hardware
at the PROM ok prompt type "boot -r"

devinfo --> prints information about disk devices.

Mounting a cdrom:

check to see if volume mangement is running -

ps -ef|grep vold

If volume management is running then cd will auto mount
If volume management is not running then manually mount it

ls /dev/dsk/c0*

usually t=6 is the cdrom, start with slice =0
mount -o ro /dev/dsk/c0t6d0s0 /cdrom
share -F nfs -o ro /cdrom

Manually unmounting a cdrom:

check to see if volume mangement is running -

ps -ef|grep vold

If volume management is running then stop it

/etc/init.d/volmgt stop

umount -f /dev/dsk/c0t6d0s0

Log Files

Directory for log files: /var/adm, /var/log
messages --> system messages
syslog --> default is mail log

/usr/sbin/dmesg --> obsolete command, can still display boot messages

/etc/cron.d/logchecker --> rotates /var/cron/log to /var/cron/olog when $LIMIT is reached

/etc/default/cron --> configuration file for cron

CRONLOG=NO

Turns off cron logging for the server

Process to enable /var/adm/loginlog to monitor failed login attempts after minimum allowed (default = 5)

touch /var/adm/loginlog
chown root:sys /var/adm/loginlog
chmod 600 /var/adm/loginlog

Process to enable /var/log/authlog to monitor authentication related events

touch /var/log/authlog
chown root:sys /var/log/authlog
chmod 600 /var/log/authlog
edit /etc/syslog.conf and remove comments from authlog entries
Restart the syslog daemon

/etc/init.d/syslog stop

/etc/init.d/syslog start

Network Info

/etc/defaultrouter --> contains ip address of default router
/etc/inet/netmasks --> contains subnet masks for each subnet connected
/etc/nodename --> contains hostname of server
/etc/hostname.<interface> --> contains hostname of server for that interface

Configuring an interface from the command line:

Check the existing configuration

ifconfig -a

If the interface is not in the existing configuration, set it up

ifconfig <interface> plumb --> Sets up the interface for use, if the ifconfig -a does not show the interface already.

Bring the interface up with an ip address and subnet mask

ifconfig ge0 10.212.1.241 netmask 255.255.255.0 up

Configuring a second IP address for an existing interface

Identify the proper interface (ifconfig -a)
Verify the existence of a hostname file (ls /etc/hostname*)
Edit /etc/hosts
- w.x.y.z server.domain.com alias
Create a new instance of the hostname file with the host name in it
- vi hostname.interface:1
plumb the interface (ifconfig interface:1 plumb)
give the interface an ip address (ifconfig interface:1 10.0.18.59)
bring the interface up (ifconfig interface:1 up)
Test it

OSI Stack

Check to see if it is running:
ps -ef|grep osi

server:/> ps -ef|grep osi
    root 17495 17484 0 13:30:42 pts/3    0:00 grep osi
    root 5443 5442 0   Sep 03 ?        0:00 /usr/sbin/osilogd
    root 5442     1 0   Sep 03 ?        0:00 /usr/sbin/osinetd

Starting/Stopping
/etc/rc2.d/S90osinet stop
/etc/rc2.d/S90osinet start

Processes

ps -e
ps -el
kill
kill -9

/usr/proc/bin --> process analysis utilities are located here

pcred - credentials
pfiles - open files
pflags - tracing flags
pldd - dynamic libraries
pmap - address map
prun - restart the process
psig - signal actions
pstack - hex stack trace
pstop - stop the process
pstime - time the process
ptree - process trees
pwait - wait for termination of process
pwdx - working directory

priocntl --> priority control
nice --> sets the priority
renice --> changes the priority
pgrep --> shows active processes
pkill --> kills active processes
pkill -HUP --> kills and restarts the process
smpatch --> CLI for Solaris Patch Manager Tool

prstat --> lists processes and % cpu time, continuously like "top"
prstat -n 5 1 1 --> shows top 5 processes using the cpu and only prints out 1 set of statistics, not continuous.

truss <command> --> traces the execution of a command

Root Password - Lost

Get the machine to the boot prom (ok prompt)

init 0
halt
poweroff?

Boot from the cdrom into single user mode

boot cdrom -s

Mount the root disk

mount /dev/dsk/c0t0d0s0 /a

If unable to mount the disk

fsck /dev/dsk/c0t0d0s0

Change to the proper directory

cd /a/etc

Edit the shadow file

TERM=vt100;export TERM

vi shadow

Replace the root password encryped string with nothing:

root:3oWleAoGjh5ls:6445::::::

root::6445::::::

Software/Patches

Software Packages

Listing installed packages

pkginfo

Installing packages

pkgadd -d <package name>

Solaris Flash Technology

Image based snapshots of OS and Patched OS
Similar systems are cloned

patchadd -p --> lists patches on the system
showrev -p --> lists patches on the system

install_mu - script to install maintenance update using patchadd

Get patches from: http://www.sun.com/sunsolve/patches

Swap Space

/usr/sbin/swap -l --> lists swap space

swap -s --> shows swap space usage

How to add more swap space

Create the swap space

mkfile <size>[k|b|m] <filename>

Activate the swap space

swap -a <path><filename>

Add entry to /etc/vfstab

<path><swapfile> - - swap - no -
(mount dev, fsck dev, mount point, fstype, fsck pass, mount at boot, mount options)

System Information

cat /etc/release <-- shows version of Solaris and the type of hardware such as SPARC

eeprom --> displays and allows the administrator to alter the contents of the eeprom configuration variables

uname -X --> display os version, kernel id, number of processors and type of machine

prtconf   --> prints system configuration

prtconf -vp| grep banner-name: --> prints model of server

prtconf -vp| grep Memory --> prints amount of memory

dmesg --> collects system error messages

psrinfo --> prints information about processors
psrinfo -v | grep MHz   --> prints speed of each processor

sysdef --> prints current system definition in table form
sysdef -i

modinfo --> displays information about loaded kernel modules

/usr/platform/`uname -i`/sbin/prtdiag --> displays system diagnostic information

isainfo -v   --> displays whether the kernel supports 32 bit or 64/32 bit architecture (64 bit kernel is available on Solaris 7 and up)

Local Hard Disk Info
format:
       0. c0t10d0 <SUN9.0G cyl 4924 alt 2 hd 27 sec 133>
          /sbus@3,0/SUNW,fas@3,8800000/sd@a,0
       1. c0t11d0 <SUN9.0G cyl 4924 alt 2 hd 27 sec 133>
          /sbus@3,0/SUNW,fas@3,8800000/sd@b,0
       2. c3t5d1 <Symbios-StorEdgeA3500FCd-0301 cyl 8615 alt 2 hd 64 sec 64>    <-- NOT Local, but on an external A3500FC array
          /pseudo/rdnexus@3/rdriver@5,1
       3. c3t5d3 <Symbios-StorEdgeA3500FCd-0301 cyl 8615 alt 2 hd 64 sec 64>
          /pseudo/rdnexus@3/rdriver@5,3

cfgadm -alv

SunOS to Solaris Mapping:
SunOS	Solaris
	1.0
5.0	2.0
5.1	2.1
5.2	2.2
5.3	2.3
5.4	2.4
5.5	2.5
5.5.1	2.5.1
5.6	2.6
5.7	7
5.8	8
	9

Tuning/Kernel Parameters

/etc/system

Resources

http://www.wright.edu/~mike.corcoran/htmldocs/systems/solaris/-CIPCZQX01aa9e9de1=02002b0214a8858100000000