The JumpStart Client Boot Process

When a JumpStart client boots, the boot PROM broadcasts a RARP request to the local subnet.
The in.rarpd daemon on the boot server processes the client's RARP request by:
Looking up the client's Ethernet address and host name in the /etc/ethers file
Checking for a corresponding host name in the /etc/hosts file
Returning the associated IP address to the client
The client's boot programmable read-only memory (PROM) sends a TFTP request for a network bootstrap program.
The in.tftpd daemon on the boot server processes the client's TFTP request. The daemon searches the /tftpboot directory for a file with a hexadecimal representation of the client's IP address. The hexadecimal representation is the name of the file. This file is a symbolic link that points to a network bootstrap program.
The in.tftpd daemon on the boot server returns the network bootstrap program to the JumpStart client.
The JumpStart client runs the network bootstrap program.
The network bootstrap program issues a whoami request to discover the JumpStart client's host name.
The rpc.bootparamd daemon on the boot server looks up the client's host name, and returns it to the client.
The network bootstrap program issues a getfile request to obtain the location of the root (/) file system.
The server responds with the location of the root (/) file system, obtained from the appropriate source:
The /etc/bootparams file.
A name service such as NIS , NIS+, LDAP.
After the client obtains its boot parameters, the network bootstrap program mounts the root (/) file system from the boot server.
The client loads its kernel and starts the init program. When the JumpStart client finishes booting, it attempts to find configuration information.
The client searches for the configuration server using BOOTPARAMS information. The client mounts the configuration directory, and runs the sysidtool daemon.
The client uses BOOTPARAMS information to locate and mount the Solaris Operating System installation image.
The client runs the suninstall program and installs the Solaris Operating System.

DNS Short Hand For Netmasks

The number in the "/xx" shorthand stands for the number of bits (technically, bits set to one) in the subnet mask. The convention is always to start at the left end of the 32-bit subnet mask. The table below shows the correspondence between the "/xx" notation and the actual numeric representation.

Subnet Mask # of Addresses
/1 128.0.0.0 2.1 billion
/2 192.0.0.0 1 billion
/3 224.0.0.0 536 million
/4 240.0.0.0 268 million
/5 248.0.0.0 134 million
/6 252.0.0.0 67 million
/7 254.0.0.0 34 million
/8 255.0.0.0 17 million (Class A)
/9 255.128.0.0 8.4 million
/10 255.192.0.0 4.2 million
/11 255.224.0.0 2.1 million
/12 255.240.0.0 1 million
/13 255.248.0.0 524 thousand
/14 255.252.0.0 262 thousand
/15 255.254.0.0 131 thousand
/16 255.255.0.0 65,534 (Class B)
/17 255.255.128.0 32,766
/18 255.255.192.0 16,382
/19 255.255.224.0 8,190
/20 255.255.240.0 4,094
/21 255.255.248.0 2,046
/22 255.255.252.0 1,022
/23 255.255.254.0 510
/24 255.255.255.0 254 (Class C)
/25 255.255.255.128 126
/26 255.255.255.192 62
/27 255.255.255.224 30 (254-224)
/28 255.255.255.240 14 (254-240)
/29 255.255.255.248 6 (254-248 or 2*2*2-2)
/30 255.255.255.252 2 (254-252 or 2*2-2)
/31 255.255.255.254 RFC 3021
/32 255.255.255.255 Loopback address

Staring from today

I got Richard McDougall and Jim Mauro's 'Solaris Internals' at a Sun reception for a Major Investment Bank on Christmas time of 2000. The book was personally signed by Jim. It a shame that I never read the book.The BigAdmin news leter announce that the book is at is second editions now, which covers Solaris 10. I have just downloaded a chapter and here is my starting point.