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Solaris Express Installation Guide: Network-Based Installations
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Upgrading the Solaris OS

Upgrading, Error Messages

No upgradable disks

Cause:

A swap entry in the /etc/vfstab file is causing the upgrade to fail.

Solution:

Comment out the following lines in the /etc/vfstab file:

  • All swap files and slices on disks not being upgraded

  • Swap files that are no longer present

  • Any unused swap slices

usr/bin/bzcat not found

Cause:

Solaris Live Upgrade fails because of needing a patch cluster.

Solution:

A patch is needed to install Solaris Live Upgrade. Ensure that you have the most recently updated patch list by consulting https://sunsolve.sun.com. Search for the info doc 72099 on the SunSolve web site.

Upgradeable Solaris root devices were found, however, no suitable partitions to hold the Solaris install software were found. Upgrading using the Solaris Installer is not possible. It might be possible to upgrade using the Solaris Software 1 CDROM. (x86 based systems only)

Cause:

You cannot upgrade with the Solaris Software - 1 CD because you do not have enough space.

Solution:

To upgrade, you can either create a swap slice that is larger than or equal to 512 Mbytes or use another method of upgrading such as the Solaris installation program from Solaris DVD, a net installation image, or JumpStart.

ERROR: Could not select locale (x86 based systems only)

Cause:

When you test your JumpStart profile by using the pfinstall -D command, the dry run test fails under the following conditions:

  • The profile contains the locale keyword.

  • You're testing a release that contains GRUB software. The GRUB boot loader facilitates booting different operating systems installed on your system with the GRUB menu.

With the introduction of GRUB software, the miniroot is compressed. The software can no longer find the list of locales from the compressed miniroot. The miniroot is the smallest possible Solaris root (/) file system and is found on the Solaris installation media.

Solution:

Perform the following steps. Use the following values.

  • MEDIA_DIR is /cdrom/cdrom0/

  • MINIROOT_DIR is $MEDIA_DIR/Solaris_11/Tools/Boot

  • MINIROOT_ARCHIVE is $MEDIA_DIR/boot/x86.miniroot

  • TEMP_FILE_NAME is /tmp/test

  1. Become superuser or assume an equivalent role.

    Roles contain authorizations and privileged commands. For more information about roles, see Configuring RBAC (Task Map) in System Administration Guide: Security Services.

  2. Uncompress the miniroot archive.

    # /usr/bin/gzcat $MINIROOT_ARCHIVE > $TEMP_FILE_NAME

  3. Create the miniroot device by using the lofiadm command.

    # LOFI_DEVICE=/usr/sbin/lofiadm -a $TEMP_FILE_NAME
# echo $LOFI_DEVICE
/dev/lofi/1

  4. Mount the miniroot with the lofi command under the Miniroot directory.

    # /usr/sbin/mount -F ufs $LOFI_DEVICE $MINIROOT_DIR

  5. Test the profile.

    # /usr/sbin/install.d/pfinstall -D -c $MEDIA_DIR $path-to-jumpstart_profile

  6. After the testing is completed, unmount the lofi device.

    # umount $LOFI_DEVICE

  7. Delete the lofi device.

    # lofiadm -d $TEMP_FILE_NAME

Upgrading, General Problems

The upgrade option is not presented even though there is a version of Solaris software that's upgradable on the system.

Cause:

Reason 1: The /var/sadm directory is a symlink or it is mounted from another file system.

Solution:

Reason 1: Move the /var/sadm directory into the root (/) or /var file system.

Cause:

Reason 2: The /var/sadm/softinfo/INST_RELEASE file is missing.

Solution:

Reason 2: Create a new INST_RELEASE file by using the following template:

OS=Solaris
VERSION=x 
REV=0
x

Is the version of Solaris software on the system

Cause:

Reason 3: SUNWusr is missing from /var/sadm/softinfo.

Solution:

Solution 3: You need to do an initial installation. The Solaris software is not upgradable.

Couldn't shut down or initialize the md driver

Solution:

Follow these instructions:

The upgrade fails because the Solaris installation program cannot mount a file system.

Cause:

During an upgrade, the script attempts to mount all the file systems that are listed in the system's /etc/vfstab file on the root (/) file system that is being upgraded. If the installation script cannot mount a file system, it fails and exits.

Solution:

Ensure that all file systems in the system's /etc/vfstab file can be mounted. Comment out any file systems in the /etc/vfstab file that cannot be mounted or that might cause the problem so that the Solaris installation program does not try to mount them during the upgrade. Any system-based file systems that contain software to be upgraded (for example, /usr) cannot be commented out.

The upgrade fails

Description:

The system does not have enough space for the upgrade.

Cause:

Check Upgrading With Disk Space Reallocation in Solaris Express Installation Guide: Planning for Installation and Upgrade for the space problem and see if you can fix it without using auto-layout to reallocate space.

Problems upgrading RAID–1 volume root (/) file systems

Solution:

If you have problems upgrading when using Solaris Volume Manager RAID-1 volumes that are the root (/) file system, see Chapter 27, Troubleshooting Solaris Volume Manager (Tasks), in Solaris Volume Manager Administration Guide.

To Continue Upgrading After a Failed Upgrade

The upgrade fails and the system cannot be soft-booted. The failure is for reasons beyond your control, such as a power failure or a network connection failure.

  1. Reboot the system from the Solaris DVD, the Solaris Software - 1 CD, or from the network.
  2. Choose the upgrade option for installation.

    The Solaris installation program determines if the system has been partially upgraded and continues the upgrade.

x86: Problems With Solaris Live Upgrade When You Use GRUB

The following errors can occur when you use Solaris Live Upgrade and the GRUB boot loader on an x86 based system.

ERROR: The media product tools installation directory path-to-installation-directory does not exist.

ERROR: The media dirctory does not contain an operating system upgrade image.

Description:

The error messages are seen when using the luupgrade command to upgrade a new boot environment.

Cause:

An older version of Solaris Live Upgrade is being used. The Solaris Live Upgrade packages you have installed on your system are incompatible with the media and the release on that media.

Solution:

Always use the Solaris Live Upgrade packages from the release you are upgrading to.

Example:

In the following example, the error message indicates that the Solaris Live Upgrade packages on the system are not the same version as on the media.

# luupgrade -u -n s10u1 -s /mnt
    Validating the contents of the media </mnt>.
    The media is a standard Solaris media.
    ERROR: The media product tools installation directory 
</mnt/Solaris_10/Tools/Boot/usr/sbin/install.d/install_config> does 
not exist.
    ERROR: The media </mnt> does not contain an operating system upgrade 
image.

ERROR: Cannot find or is not executable: </sbin/biosdev>.

ERROR: One or more patches required by Solaris Live Upgrade has not been installed.

Cause:

One or more patches required by Solaris Live Upgrade are not installed on your system. Beware that this error message does not catch all missing patches.

Solution:

Before using Solaris Live Upgrade, always install all the required patches. Ensure that you have the most recently updated patch list by consulting https://sunsolve.sun.com. Search for the info doc 72099 on the SunSolve web site.

ERROR: Device mapping command </sbin/biosdev> failed. Please reboot and try again.

Cause:

Reason 1: Solaris Live Upgrade is unable to map devices because of previous administrative tasks.

Solution:

Reason 1: Reboot the system and try Solaris Live Upgrade again

Cause:

Reason 2: If you reboot your system and get the same error message, you have two or more identical disks. The device mapping command is unable to distinguish between them.

Solution:

Reason 2: Create a new dummy fdisk partition on one of the disks. See the fdisk(1M) man page. Then reboot the system.

Cannot delete the boot environment that contains the GRUB menu

Cause:

Solaris Live Upgrade imposes the restriction that a boot environment cannot be deleted if the boot environment contains the GRUB menu.

Solution:

Use lumake(1M) or luupgrade(1M) commands to reuse that boot environment.

The file system containing the GRUB menu was accidentally remade. However, the disk has the same slices as before. For example, the disk was not re-sliced.

Cause:

The file system that contains the GRUB menu is critical to keeping the system bootable. Solaris Live Upgrade commands do not destroy the GRUB menu. But, if you accidentally remake or otherwise destroy the file system containing the GRUB menu with a command other than a Solaris Live Upgrade command, the recovery software attempts to reinstall the GRUB menu. The recovery software puts the GRUB menu back in the same file system at the next reboot. For example, you might have used the newfs or mkfs commands on the file system and accidentally destroyed the GRUB menu. To restore the GRUB menu correctly, the slice must adhere to the following conditions:

  • Contain a mountable file system

  • Remain a part of the same Solaris Live Upgrade boot environment where the slice resided previously

Before rebooting the system, make any necessary corrective actions on the slice.

Solution:

Reboot the system. A backup copy of the GRUB menu is automatically installed.

The GRUB menu's menu.lst file was accidentally deleted.

Solution:

Reboot the system. A backup copy of the GRUB menu is automatically installed.

System Panics When Upgrading With Solaris Live Upgrade Running Veritas VxVm

When you use Solaris Live Upgrade while upgrading and running Veritas VxVM, the system panics on reboot unless you upgrade by using the following procedure. The problem occurs if packages do not conform to Solaris advanced packaging guidelines.

  1. Become superuser or assume an equivalent role.

    Roles contain authorizations and privileged commands. For more information about roles, see Configuring RBAC (Task Map) in System Administration Guide: Security Services.

  2. Create an inactive boot environment. See Creating a New Boot Environment in Solaris Express Installation Guide: Solaris Live Upgrade and Upgrade Planning.
  3. Before upgrading the inactive boot environment, you must disable the existing Veritas software on the inactive boot environment.
    1. Mount the inactive boot environment. 
      # lumount inactive_boot_environment_name mount_point

      For example:

      # lumount solaris8 /mnt
    2. Change to the directory that contains the vfstab, for example:
      # cd /mnt/etc
    3. Make a copy of the inactive boot environment's vfstab file, for example:
      # cp vfstab vfstab.501
    4. In the copied vfstab, comment out all Veritas file system entries, for example: 
      #  sed '/vx\/dsk/s/^/#/g' < vfstab > vfstab.novxfs

      The first character of each line is changed to #, which makes the line a comment line. Note that this comment line is different than the system file-comment lines.

    5. Copy the changed vfstab file, for example:
      # cp vfstab.novxfs vfstab
    6. Change directories to the inactive boot environment's system file, for example:
      # cd /mnt/etc
    7. Make a copy of the inactive boot environment's system file, for example:
      # cp system system.501
    8. Comment out all “forceload:” entries that include drv/vx.
      # sed '/forceload: drv\/vx/s/^/*/' <system> system.novxfs

      The first character of each line is changed to *, which makes the line a command line. Note that this comment line is different than the vfstab file comment lines.

    9. Create the Veritas install-db file, for example:
      # touch vx/reconfig.d/state.d/install-db
    10. Unmount the inactive boot environment.
      # luumount inactive_boot_environment_name
  4. Upgrade the inactive boot environment. See Chapter 5, Upgrading With Solaris Live Upgrade (Tasks), in Solaris Express Installation Guide: Solaris Live Upgrade and Upgrade Planning.
  5. Activate the inactive boot environment. See Activating a Boot Environment in Solaris Express Installation Guide: Solaris Live Upgrade and Upgrade Planning.
  6. Shut down the system.
    # init 0
  7. Boot the inactive boot environment in single-user mode:
    OK boot -s

    Several messages and error messages that contain “vxvm” or “VXVM” are displayed that can be ignored. The inactive boot environment becomes active.

  8. Upgrade Veritas.
    1. Remove the Veritas VRTSvmsa package from the system, for example:
      # pkgrm VRTSvmsa
    2. Change directories to the Veritas packages.
      # cd /location_of_Veritas_software
    3. Add the latest Veritas packages to the system:
      #  pkgadd -d `pwd` VRTSvxvm VRTSvmsa VRTSvmdoc VRTSvmman VRTSvmdev
  9. Restore the original vfstab and system files:
    # cp /etc/vfstab.original /etc/vfstab
# cp /etc/system.original /etc/system
  10. Reboot the system.
    # init 6

x86: Service Partition Not Created by Default on Systems With No Existing Service Partition

If you install the current Solaris release on a system that does not currently include a service or diagnostic partition, the installation program might not create a service partition by default. If you want to include a service partition on the same disk as the Solaris partition, you must re-create the service partition before you install the current Solaris release.

If you installed the Solaris 8 2/02 OS on a system with a service partition, the installation program might not have preserved the service partition. If you did not manually edit the fdisk boot partition layout to preserve the service partition, the installation program deleted the service partition during the installation.

Note - If you did not specifically preserve the service partition when you installed the Solaris 8 2/02 OS, you might not be able to re-create the service partition and upgrade to the current Solaris release.

If you want to include a service partition on the disk that contains the Solaris partition, choose one of the following workarounds.

To Install Software From a Network Installation Image or From the Solaris DVD

To install the software from a net installation image or from the Solaris DVD over the network, follow these steps.

  1. Delete the contents of the disk.
  2. Before you install, create the service partition by using the diagnostics CD for your system.

    For information about how to create the service partition, see your hardware documentation.

  3. Boot the system from the network.

    The Customize fdisk Partitions screen is displayed.

  4. To load the default boot disk partition layout, click Default.

    The installation program preserves the service partition and creates the Solaris partition.

To Install From the Solaris Software - 1 CD or From a Network Installation Image

To use the Solaris installation program to install from the Solaris Software - 1 CD or from a network installation image on a boot server, follow these steps.

  1. Delete the contents of the disk.
  2. Before you install, create the service partition by using the diagnostics CD for your system.

    For information about how to create the service partition, see your hardware documentation.

  3. The installation program prompts you to choose a method for creating the Solaris partition.
  4. Boot the system.
  5. Select the Use rest of disk for Solaris partition option.

    The installation program preserves the service partition and creates the Solaris partition.

  6. Complete the installation.
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