Solaris Zones configuration and set up

Solaris Zones

Features :-

1.Virtualization like VMware
2.Solaris Zones can hosts only instances of solaris. Not other Os's
3.Limit of 8192 Zones per solaris Host
4.Primary Zone(Global) has access to all zones
5.non-global zones, do not have access to other non-global zones
6.Default non global zones derive oackages from global Zone
7.Program Isolation like zone1 for apache zone2 for mysql zone3 for databases.
8.Provides 'Z' commands to manage Zones : Zlogin zonecfg zoneadm zonename

Features of Global Zone
1.Solaris Always boots(cold/warm) to the global zone.
2.Knows about All Hardware devices attach to system
3.Knows about all non global Zones

Features of Non-Global Zones.
1.Installed at a location on the filesystem of the Global Zone
'Zone root path' /export/home/zones/zones1 {Zone2,Zone3----} this is as root directory for this zones.
2.Share Packages with Global Zone.
3.Manage distinct hostname and table files.
4.cannot communicate with other non-global zones by default.NIC must be used, which means use standard network API(TCP)
5.Global Zone admin can delegatenon-global zone administration

Zones Commands example :-

#which zonename - to check if you os has zonename commands
/usr/bin/zonename

#zonename - by default will show global zonename.
global

#z - "z' commands

Zone Configuration.

#zonecfg - to configure zones

note - zonecfg can run interactively , non -interactively, command-file modes

Requirements for non-global zones;

1.Hostname of
2.Zone root path ie /export/home/zones/testzone1
3.IP Adress - bound to logical or physical interfaces.

Zones Types:-

1.sparse Root Zones - share key fileswith global zones.
2.Whole Root Zones - require more storage

#df -k and select a slice which has more space lets example /export/home has 5GB

Steps for Configuring non-global-zone:

1.mkdir /export/home/zones/testzone1
2.chmod 700 /export/home/zones/testzone1 - for user restriction of global zone users.
3.ls -ltr /export/homes/zones

4#zonecfg -z testzone1
no such zone configured create one This error will pop when you first create a zone
>create - to create a zone
>set zonepath=/export/home/zones/testzone1 - This is the Root path for zone
>add net
>set address=192.168.1.0 - ip address
>set physocal=el000g0 - physical name of network card check with 'ifconfig -a'
> - If you are ready with you parameters press end before you can exit
>info- to see what we have set
>set autoboot=true - test zone will started automatically when system start
>info
>add attr - to add some extra parameters
attr>set name=commnet
attr>set type=string
attr>value =TestZone1
>end
>verify - verify if any error check the parameter again.
>commit - commit changes
>exit.

#list -iv - to list zones

#zoneadmin -z testzone1 install

Zone testzone1 in to installed in not ready for production so we have to get it in ready state now

#zoneadm list -iv - still u can see testzone1 has not got any id assigned like global one so now

#zoneadm -z testzone1 boot - boots the zone , changing its state from installed to ready

Simple is we are restarting the Testzone1

#zoneadm list -iv - now you can see an id is assigned and status is running.

#ps -ef | grep z
zoneadmd -z testzone1 - this process is responsible for this zone to run.

zlogin - is used to login to zones
Note - each non - global maintain a console, use 'zlogin -C testzone1' to acces that zone.

Note - zlogin permits login to non - global zone via the following messages
1.Interactive - i.e zlogin -l username zonename
2.Non -Interactive - zlogin options command
3.Console Mode - zlogin -C zonename
4.Safe Mode - zlogin -S

#zoneadm list -iv

#zlogin -C testzone1
select a laguage - 0 English
Vt100 - terminal
testzone1 press F2
Configure Kerbose - yes
name service - nis

Enter from this procure its same like installation of solaris so specify all details as required.
like dns names, nis services location places etc etc

#enter with root user and passwd
#zonename
testzone1

#zoneadm list -iv - shows all zones global and non - global

# once u r in testzone1 check /etc/passwd file u can see the system user but not users of the main system

#netstat -anp tcp

#Zoneadm -z testzone1 reboot - reboots the zone

#zlogin testzone1 shutdown - to shutdown the zone

Once Zones are created you can ssh or telnet from remote machine to connect that zone

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