1    Operating System and Installation Technology Overview

This chapter contains the following information:

• A high level overview of the operating system features

• A situation analysis to help you determine what kind of installation to perform

• A summary of cluster installation procedures

• What to do if software was preinstalled at the factory

• A description of the two types of distribution media: CD-ROM or remote installation services (RIS) server

• A description of the two installation user interfaces: graphical and text-based

• How to use this manual to find the information you need

1.1    Overview of the Operating System

The operating system is a multiuser, multitasking, 64-bit advanced kernel architecture based on Carnegie Mellon University's Mach Version 2.5 kernel design with components from Berkeley Software Distribution (BSD) Versions 4.3 and 4.4, UNIX System Laboratories System V Release 4.0, other software sources, and the public domain.

A suite of comprehensive management solutions is built into the operating system, enhancing productivity and efficiency at every level from installing new software and monitoring performance to tuning the system dynamically for maximum availability. This version of the operating system provides more advanced management features, including simplified installations, system configuration and management, faster and easier problem diagnosis, and web-based management.

The operating system incorporates several performance enhancements either developed or extended by Compaq, including the wired memory, virtual memory, and unified buffer cache; cached writes over NFS; IP multicasting, path MTU discovery, and optimized TCP/IP; and quick started shared libraries.

The operating system supports loadable drivers and other kernel subsystems including loadable boot-path support for third-party disks and graphics cards and provides support for dynamic system configuration and dynamic system recognition of disks and tapes.

The Common Desktop Environment (CDE) is the desktop user interface. CDE provides a uniformed graphical user interface - portable across multiple platforms - to facilitate common end-user and system administration tasks. The CDE uniformed graphical interface makes the operating system appear more like a personal computer, a feature that makes it more accessible to the many end-users familiar with those systems.

Tru64 UNIX provides realtime support and symmetrical multiprocessing (SMP), dataless servers and clients, and numerous features intended to assist application programmers in developing applications that use shared libraries, threads, and memory mapped files. It is fully compliant to the Single UNIX Specification, to the X/Open UNIX brand, to POSIX 1003.1B (Realtime) and to POSIX 1003.1C (with DECthreads).

1.2    What Kind of Installation Should You Perform?

There are three ways you can install the operating system:

• An Update Installation takes a system that is running Version 4.0F or Version 5.0 of the operating system and updates it to Version 5.0A. An Update Installation preserves disk partitions, file systems, file customizations, network and print environment, user accounts, user created files, and any other system setup you may have done on the system.

• A Full Installation installs a brand new operating system, in this case Version 5.0A. A Full Installation creates new file systems and swap space and overwrites existing system and user-created files on the disk partitions where the file systems and swap spaces are to be installed. After the installation, the system must be configured for general use.

• A Cloned Installation is a variation of a Full Installation that lets you replicate the installation from a model system that is already installed with Version 5.0A onto one or more systems with the same or similar hardware configuration. Installation Cloning is ideal for environments in which there are many systems of the same type to be installed. Cloning produces identical system installations and eliminates the need to go through the Full Installation tasks at each system.

Use Table 1-1 as a guideline to decide which type of installation to perform.

The primary difference between an Update Installation and a Full Installation is that an Update Installation updates your system to the next version of the operating system with little or no disruption to your existing system configuration. When you perform a Full Installation, however, you lose all existing configuration data, layered products, and third party software. If user data exists in one of the standard UNIX file systems (for example, in /usr/users), that data must be backed up so it can be restored after the Full Installation is complete.

Table 1-1 describes different installation scenarios and lists the installation type that is best suited for the situation.

Table 1-1:  Situation Analysis - Which Installation Type Is Best For You?

1.3    Installing a Cluster

To install and configure a cluster, you install the operating system only on one system that you plan to make a cluster member. You do not have to install the Tru64 UNIX operating system on each system that will become a cluster member.

To summarize, the basic steps for installing a cluster are:

1. Read the TruCluster Server Software Installation manual first because it provides all the background information you need to know about cluster installations. This manual, the Installation Guide, is focused on single system installations.

2. Use the information in the TruCluster Server Hardware Configuration manual to configure the storage hardware and firmware.

3. Follow the Full Installation procedures described in Chapter 5 and Chapter 6 to install the operating system on a private disk on the system that will become the first cluster member. Remember to select AdvFS as the file system type.

4. Configure the system, using the instructions in Chapter 7, including network and time services. Load and configure the applications you plan to use in the cluster.

5. Follow the instructions in the TruCluster Server Software Installation manual to load licenses, install the TruCluster Server software subsets, and run cluster specific configuration commands to create the cluster.

1.4    What to Do if the Operating System Is Preinstalled

Some brand new systems are preinstalled with the operating system before being shipped from the manufacturing facility. These systems are called factory installed systems (FIS). Typically, a FISed system is installed with all base operating system subsets as well as several associated products.

Included in the shipping carton with the hardware is the Factory Installed Software Information Sheet. This information sheet describes the software products that have been preinstalled for you and the disks and disk partitions that were used in the file system layout.

When you power on the system and monitor for the first time, the FIS Startup Procedure begins, and you have two choices:

• If the preinstalled software and file system layout is not what you want, cancel the FIS Startup Procedure and perform a Full Installation where you can choose your own software and file system layout. Refer to Chapter 4 and Chapter 6 for information about the Full Installation process.

• If you decide to keep the preinstalled software and file system layout, you will be asked to supply the following information:

  • A name for the system (Section 6.8)

  • The current local time and date (Section 6.9)

  • The geographic location and area where the system is located (Section 6.10)

  • A superuser password (Section 6.11)

  When you supply the system-specific information and the kernel build process is complete, refer to Chapter 7 for information about setting up your system for general use.

1.5    Installation Media: CD-ROM or Network Server

There are two types of distribution media you can use to install the operating system:

• The Version 5.0A Operating System Volume 1 CD-ROM contains the operating system software subsets that are described in Appendix C. CD-ROM is the most commonly used installation media, and the boot instructions in this manual are targeted to CD-ROM installers.

• Over a network connection to a Remote Installation Services (RIS) server that is serving Version 5.0A of the operating system. Although the installation procedures are documented in this manual, the network boot commands are described in the Installation Guide -- Advanced Topics because the network is less commonly used.

Choosing which distribution media to use for the installation depends on the following:

• If you have a copy of the Version 5.0A operating system CD-ROM in your possession and your system has a CD-ROM drive, you can perform the installation from CD-ROM.

• If your site has a RIS server that is serving Version 5.0A of the operating system, ask the RIS server administrator if you should perform a RIS installation. The RIS server administrator performs the tasks necessary to register your system as a client of the RIS server.

  If you are the RIS server administrator and want to enable installations over the network, follow the instructions in Sharing Software on a Local Area Network to set up a RIS server and register client systems.

1.6    Installation User Interfaces: Graphical and Text-Based

Full and Update Installations have a graphical user interface and a text-based, menu-driven user interface. You have the option to view the user interface in one of three languages: United States English, Chinese, or Japanese.

The type of user interface presented during a Full or Update Installation is determined based on the hardware configuration. Systems equipped with graphics consoles present a graphical interface to the installation. Systems with consoles that do not have graphics capabilities present a text-based interface.

Both interfaces are task oriented in design, which means that each user decision is presented to you one at a time. You can go back and change your entries at any time.

Both installation interfaces have an online help system. The online help for the graphical interface was modeled after the CDE online help system and provides enough information for you to make intelligent decisions. Online help is available in the text-based interface by entering help at any prompt.

1.7    Using This Manual

After you have decided which type of installation to perform, follow these suggested paths to the information you may need:

Update Installation:

Read: Chapter 2 ==> Chapter 3

Suggested reading: Appendix A, Appendix E, and Appendix F

Full Installation:

Read: Chapter 4 ==> Chapter 5 ==> Chapter 6 ==> Chapter 7

Suggested reading: Chapter 8, Appendix A, and Appendix F

Cloned Installation:

Read: The Installation Cloning chapter in the Installation Guide -- Advanced Topics ==> then Chapter 6 in this manual

Suggested reading: Appendix F