Create A Boot Environment - Oracle SuperCluster T5-8 Owner's Manual

Create a Boot Environment

using the beadm create command. The clone you create is a bootable copy of the original.
Then, you can install, test, and update different software packages on the original boot
environment and on its clone.
Although only one boot environment can be active at a time, you can mount an inactive
boot environment by using the beadm mount command. Then, you could use the pkg
command with the alternate root (-R) option to install or update specific packages on that
environment.
If you are modifying a boot environment, you can take a snapshot of that environment at
■
any stage during modifications by using the beadm create command. For example, if you
are doing monthly upgrades to your boot environment, you can capture snapshots for each
monthly upgrade.
Use the command as follows:
# beadm create BeName@snapshotNamedescription
The snapshot name must use the format, BeName@snapshotdescription, where BeName is
the name of an existing boot environment that you want to make a snapshot from. Enter a
custom snapshotdescription to identify the date or purpose of the snapshot.
You can use the beadm list -s command to view the available snapshots for a boot
environment.
Although a snapshot is not bootable, you can create a boot environment based on that
snapshot by using the -e option in the beadm create command. Then you can use the
beadm activate command to specify that this boot environment will become the default
boot environment on the next reboot.
For more information about the advantages of multiple Oracle Solaris 11 boot environments,
see:
http://docs.oracle.com/cd/E23824_01/html/E21801/snap3.html#scrolltoc
Create a Boot Environment
If you want to create a backup of an existing boot environment, for example, prior to modifying
the original boot environment, you can use the beadm command to create and mount a new boot
environment that is a clone of your active boot environment. This clone is listed as an alternate
boot environment in the boot menu for SPARC systems.
Log in to the target system.
1.
148 Oracle SuperCluster T5-8 Owner's Guide • May 2016