Solaris 11 REPO - Configuration of Multiple Repositories Using Multiple Depot Server Instances

As part of the exercise to install some virtualized highly available infrastructures using Oracle Solaris Technologies (Solaris Cluster, Solaris Zones, Solaris LDOMs…), I started by configuring and installing a Solaris 11  local IPS repository server. In this post, we’ll address the topic of installing an http shared repository for Solaris 11.1, Solaris Cluster 4.1 and EMC PowerPath.

As prerequisite for this configuration we need a working Solaris 11 System (can be either an x86-based or a SPARC-based system) with enough space available to copy the repositories (15Gb for Oracle Solaris 11.1 release repository and about 500 Mb for Oracle Solaris Cluster 4.0 and EMC PowerPath)

1.        Oracle Solaris 11.1 IPS Repository

There’s 02 ways to obtain a copy of the Oracle Solaris 11.1 IPS package repository: the first is to download the repository images files from the Oracle Solaris 11 download site and the second is to retrieve the repository directly from the Internet (using pkgrecv). We’ll go for the first method.
We’ll first create a zfs dataset for the package repository and disable the atime of this dataset (to improve performance during the update of this repo).

# zfs create rpool/export/repoSolaris11_1 # zfs set atime=off rpool/export/repoSolaris11_1

Then, concatenate the iso files downloaded , validate the download using digest and mount it
# cd /export/install/media/ # cat sol-11_1-repo-full.iso-a sol-11_1-repo-full.iso-b > sol-11_1-repo-full.iso # digest -v -a md5 /export/install/media/sol-11_1-repo-full.iso md5 (/export/install/media/sol-11_1-repo-full.iso) = be2f78ac92adc9ccafc936bcc8a74ba7 # lofiadm -a /export/install/media/sol-11_1-repo-full.iso /dev/lofi/1 # mount -F hsfs /dev/lofi/1 /mnt

Synchronize the content of the repo directory by using rsync (pay attention to the / at the end of repo) and unmount the lofi device (optionally delete the iso files)

# rsync -aP /mnt/repo/ /export/repoSolaris11_1 # ls /export/repoSolaris11_1 pkg5.repository publisher # umount /mnt

To enable clients to search for packages in the local repository, we’ll use the following command ( catalogs packages in the repository and updates search indexes).

# pkgrepo -s /export/repoSolaris11_1 refresh Initiating repository refresh.

At this stage, the repository is in place and can be used locally. But, in order to enable clients to retrieve packages in this local repository, we’ll configure an HTTP interface (also possible by using NFS Share). We’re using pkg.depotd to serve the repository to clients. Pkg.depotd (svc:/application/pkg/server) is the depot server for the image packaging system. It provides network access to the data contained within a package repository. By default, pkg.depotd listens for connections on port 80. For this Solaris Repository, we’ll use port 8080.

First of all, let’s make sure the publisher prefix is set on the ha-cluster repository:

# pkgrepo get -s /export/repoSolaris11_1 SECTION PROPERTY VALUE publisher prefix solaris repository description This\ repository\ serves\ a\ copy\ of\ the\ Oracle\ Solaris\ 11.1\ Build\ 24b\ Package\ Repository. repository name Oracle\ Solaris\ 11.1\ Build\ 24b\ Package\ Repository repository version 4

If not, then let’s do it

# pkgrepo set -s /export/repoSolaris11_1 publisher/prefix=solaris

To enable clients to access the local repository via HTTP, let’s configure and enable the svc:/application/pkg/server Service Management Facility (SMF) service.

# svccfg -s application/pkg/server setprop pkg/inst_root=/export/repoSolaris11_1 # svccfg -s application/pkg/server setprop pkg/readonly=true # svcprop -p pkg/inst_root application/pkg/server /export/repoSolaris11_1 # svccfg -s application/pkg/server setprop pkg/port=8080 # svcadm refresh application/pkg/server # svcadm enable application/pkg/server

Check and Browse the repository at http://<reposerver_ip_address>:8080/.

# netstat -an | grep 8080 *.8080 *.* 0 0 128000 0 LISTEN

Now we can configure our repository on client system by resetting the origin for the Solaris publisher.

We first check the actual solaris publisher which is configured for the client node (by default it’s the oracle public repository).

# pkg publisher PUBLISHER TYPE STATUS P LOCATION solaris origin online F http://pkg.oracle.com/solaris/release/

We can reset the origin of this Solaris Publisher by running

# pkg set-publisher -G ’*’ -M ’*’ -g http://10.252.33.160:8080/ solaris -G ’*’ Removes all existing origins for the ha-cluster publisher. -M ’*’ Removes all existing mirrors for the ha-cluster publisher. -g Adds the URI of the newly-created local repository as the new origin for the ha-cluster publisher. # pkg publisher PUBLISHER TYPE STATUS P LOCATION solaris origin online F http://<local_ip>:8080/

2.       Oracle Solaris Cluster 4.1

Let’s now configure a second instance for the pkg.depotd (svc:/application/pkg/server)which will serve Oracle Solaris Cluster 4.1 Packages. The iso is downloaded from  OTN.

# zfs create rpool/export/repoCluster4u1 # zfs set atime=off rpool/export/repoCluster4u1 # lofiadm -a /export/install/media/osc-4_1-ga-repo-full.iso /dev/lofi/2 # mount -F hsfs /dev/lofi/2 /mnt # rsync -aP /mnt/repo/ /export/repoCluster4u1 # ls /export/repoCluster4u1 pkg5.repository publisher # umount /mnt

Again, the repository creation commands do not build a search index by default. To enable clients to search for packages in the local repository, we’ll use the following command  (catalogs packages in the repository and updates search indexes).

# pkgrepo -s /export/repoCluster4u1 refresh Initiating repository refresh.

As described above, the repository for Solaris 11.1 is already configured using an http interface (pkg.depotd daemon handling the web service) So we’re going to serve multiple repositories using multiple pkg.depotd daemons running on different ports on the same repository server.  As we used port 8080 for Solaris 11.1 Repository, we’ll use 8081 for Solaris Cluster 4.1 Repository

Let’s make sure that the publisher prefix is set on the ha-cluster repository:

# pkgrepo get -s /export/repoCluster4u1 SECTION PROPERTY VALUE publisher prefix ha-cluster repository description This\ repository\ serves\ a\ copy\ of\ the\ Oracle\ Solaris\ Cluster\ 4.1\ Package\ Repository. repository name Oracle\ Solaris\ Cluster\ 4.1\ Package\ Repository repository version 4

Add a new instance of the pkg/server service:

# svccfg -s pkg/server add ha-cluster # svccfg -s pkg/server:ha-cluster addpg pkg application # svccfg -s pkg/server:ha-cluster setprop pkg/port=8081 # svccfg -s pkg/server:ha-cluster setprop pkg/inst_root=/export/repoCluster4u1 # svccfg -s pkg/server list :properties default ha-cluster

Complete configuration of the new pkg/server instance:

# svccfg -s pkg/server:ha-cluster addpg general framework # svccfg -s pkg/server:ha-cluster addpropvalue general/enabled boolean: true

Start the new service:

# svcadm refresh application/pkg/server:ha-cluster # svcadm enable application/pkg/server:ha-cluster

Check and Browse the repository at http://<reposerver_ip_address>:8081/.

# netstat -an | grep 8081 *.8081 *.* 0 0 128000 0 LISTEN

Configure the Solaris Cluster Repository on The client

# pkg set-publisher -G ’*’ -M ’*’ -g http://10.252.33.160:8081/ ha-cluster -G ’*’ Removes all existing origins for the ha-cluster publisher. -M ’*’ Removes all existing mirrors for the ha-cluster publisher. -g Adds the URI of the newly-created local repository as the new origin for the ha-cluster publisher. # pkg publisher PUBLISHER TYPE STATUS P LOCATION ha-cluster origin online F http://10.252.33.160:8081/ solaris origin online F http://10.252.33.160:8080/

3.       EMC PowerPath

For EMC PowerPath, the Archive was downloaded from EMC PowerLink and uncompressed.

Below are the steps to configure its repository.

# zfs create rpool/export/repoPPath # zfs set atime=off rpool/export/repoPPath # tar xf EMCPower.SOLARIS11.5.5.P01.b002.tar # rsync -aP ./EMCpower/ /export/repoPPath # ls /export/repoPPath pkg5.repository publisher # rm -r EMCpower EMCPower.SOLARIS11.5.5.P01.b002.tar

To enable clients to search for packages in the local repository

# pkgrepo -s /export/repoPPath refresh Initiating repository refresh.

As described above, the repositories for Solaris 11.1 and Solaris Cluster 4.1 are already configured using an http interface (pkg.depotd daemon handling the web service) So we’re going to add a third instance of pkg.depotd.  As we’ used port 8080 for Solaris 11.1 Repository and 8081 for Solaris Cluster 4.1, we’ll use 8082 for EMC PowerPath. Let’s check the publisher prefix of this new repository.

# pkgrepo get -s /export/repoPPath SECTION PROPERTY VALUE publisher prefix emc.com repository version 4

Add a new instance of the pkg/server service:

# svccfg -s pkg/server add emcppath # svccfg -s pkg/server:emcppath addpg pkg application # svccfg -s pkg/server:emcppath setprop pkg/port=8082 # svccfg -s pkg/server:emcppath setprop pkg/inst_root=/export/repoPPath # svccfg -s pkg/server list :properties default ha-cluster emcppath

Complete configuration of the new pkg/server instance:

# svccfg -s pkg/server:emcppath addpg general framework # svccfg -s pkg/server:emcppath addpropvalue general/enabled boolean: true

Start the new service:

# svcadm refresh application/pkg/server:emcppath # svcadm enable application/pkg/server:emcppath

Check and Browse the repository at http://<reposerver_ip_address>:8082/.

# netstat -an | grep 8082 *.8082 *.* 0 0 128000 0 LISTEN

Configure the EMC PowerPath Repository on The client

# pkg set-publisher -G ’*’ -M ’*’ -g http://10.252.33.160:8082/ emc.com -G ’*’ Removes all existing origins for the ha-cluster publisher. -M ’*’ Removes all existing mirrors for the ha-cluster publisher. -g Adds the URI of the newly-created local repository as the new origin for the ha-cluster publisher. # pkg publisher PUBLISHER TYPE STATUS P LOCATION ha-cluster origin online F http://10.252.33.160:8081/ solaris origin online F http://10.252.33.160:8080/ emc.com origin online http://10.252.33.160:8082/

Install EMC PowerPath Package

# pkg search emc INDEX ACTION VALUE PACKAGE pkg.description set EMC Powerpath Multipathing, version 5.5.0.1.0 pkg:/system/EMCpower@5.5.0.1.0-2 pkg.summary set EMC Powerpath Multipathing, version 5.5.0.1.0 pkg:/system/EMCpower@5.5.0.1.0-2 basename dir etc/emc pkg:/system/EMCpower@5.5.0.1.0-2 # pkg install EMCpower Packages to install: 1 Create boot environment: No Create backup boot environment: No Services to change: 1 DOWNLOAD PKGS FILES XFER (MB) SPEED Completed 1/1 226/226 28.2/28.2 0B/s PHASE ITEMS Installing new actions 320/320 Updating package state database Done Updating image state Done Creating fast lookup database Done

HP ILO/Linux output to VSP

The aim here is to describe the configuration and usage of HP ILO VSP (Virtual Serial Port) in order to redirect a RHEL5 System Output on this Virtual Port.

Note that the procedure is different for RHEL6/Upstart or RHEL7/Systemd, these entries address the same for: RHEL6/Upstart based-System , RHEL7/Systemd based-system. 

The same procedure could be used with others Init-based Linux Distribution. We'll go through the following Steps:

BIOS Configuration

Grub Configuration

Init Configuration

Connect trough ILO

1. BIOS Configuration:

Go to ‘BIOS Serial Console & EMS’ menu

Set  ‘BIOS Serial Console Port’ to COM2

Set ‘BIOS Serial Console Baud Rate’ to 115200

2. Grub Configuration:

Before modifying the grub.conf, we should first confirm the name of COM2 device which was previously configured in the BIOS. Setserial is a program designed to set and/or report the configuration information associated with a serial port. This information includes what I/O port and IRQ a particular serial port is using.

[root@mypc.me ~]# setserial -g /dev/ttyS[01] /dev/ttyS0, UART: 16550A, Port: 0x03f8, IRQ: 4 /dev/ttyS1, UART: 16550A, Port: 0x02f8, IRQ: 3

Append "console=tty0 console=ttyS1,115200" to the kernel configuration of your boot entry in grub.conf.

#boot=/dev/sda default=0 timeout=5 splashimage=(hd1,0)/grub/splash.xpm.gz #hiddenmenu title myboot (2.6.18-128.1.10.el5)         root (hd0,0)         kernel /vmlinuz-2.6.18-128.1.10.el5 ro root=/dev/VolGroup00/LogVol00 console=tty0 console=ttyS1,115200         initrd /initrd-2.6.18-128.1.10.el5.img

3. Init Configuration:

Add the following lines to /etc/inittab

# Added for VSP of ILO S1:2345:respawn:/sbin/agetty 115200 ttyS1 vt100

getty / agetty - agetty opens a tty port, prompts for a login name and invokes the /bin/login command.

Ask Init Daemon to reread its configuration file

root@mypc.me # init q

4. Connect trough ILO:

Now, it's time to try to connect.

</>hpiLO-> vsp Virtual Serial Port Active: COM2 Starting virtual serial port. Press 'ESC (' to return to the CLI Session. Red Hat Enterprise Linux Server release 5.3 (Tikanga) Kernel 2.6.18-128.el5PAE on an i686 mypc.me login:

If the Virtual Port is already in use by someone else, you'll have the following error: "Virtual Serial Port is currently in use by another session." In this case, you can stop the actual connection and start yours.

</>hpiLO-> vsp status=2 status_tag=COMMAND PROCESSING FAILED error_tag=COMMAND ERROR-UNSPECIFIED Virtual Serial Port is currently in use by another session. </>hpiLO-> stop /system1/oemhp_vsp1