netisl(ADM)

Syntax

Description

The netisl command enables software on a system to be accessed for network Initial System Load (ISL) by converting the system to be a network software server. Various subfunctions provide access to the server management tasks.

The subfunction is required. The subfunctions and their argument requirements are listed here:

server on [product_ID1...[product_IDN]]

Enables the system to be a server for network software installations. product_IDN is of the form:

vendor:product_name::version

If no product ID arguments are provided, netisl server on prepares each product installed on the system for access by remote clients. Otherwise only products specified are made accessible.

When this subfunction is run, a snapshot is taken of important bootstrap files used to initialize a client's disk. These are placed under the directory /tftpboot/isl/product_ID for each product ID specified. This subfunction is only valid with products that contain the necessary ISL bootstrap component.

If new products are added or updated after this command has been run, simply re-run it and it will update the snapshots of all products specified.

This subfunction also ensures that the server is prepared to respond to the BOOTP and TFTP protocols used by a remote client during a network ISL.

If the subfunction client add is run before server on has been run, client add automatically runs server on to prepare the system.

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NOTE: In addition to running server on, you must also add the user account swadmin to your system, using any available uid and supplying a network passwd. The swadmin passwd is used as the network password when initiating a remote install operation on a client.

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server off

Reverses netisl server on for all products. That is, it frees disk space used by the bootstrap snapshots of all products for which server on has been run, and causes the system no longer to respond to BOOTP or TFTP requests (removes these service entries from /etc/inetd.conf).

client add [client_name1 ... [client_nameN]]

Prepares a boot program and the correct network hardware driver for use by a network install client. Clients may use boot ROMs or may boot the BOOTP/TFTP software from a floppy.

If no client arguments are specified, client add runs interactively and allows you to specify particular information about a series of clients, such as: system name, network card and parameters (IRQ and IO Base address), IP address, netmask, broadcast address, low-level Ethernet(MAC) address, and whether the client has a bootp chip or will boot from a floppy. If the server and client are on separate subnets, you must also supply the IP address for the gateway machine connecting them. If the client is running an SCO OpenServer system, the llistat(ADM) command displays the MAC address. Otherwise use the method documented by your hardware vendor to determine the MAC address.

If the client is to boot from floppy, client add prepares this floppy to be booted on the client system to initiate the networked installation process on that client. You should have prepared in advance a formatted floppy for each client you intend to add during a client add session. To use this floppy on the client, boot the client from the floppy and proceed as you would when installing from local media such as tape or CD-ROM.

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NOTE: When installing the client you will be prompted for a network passwd. This is the password for the swadmin account on the server system.

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This command also configures the server to respond to the remote boot request from the client.

client add saves information gathered about a client for later re-use. Thus, even if the client has been rendered un-installable by using ``client del'' on that client, the information still exists on the system and a client can be made installable again by running:

client add client_name

client_name in this case is the host name of the client, specified during a previous client add session.

To edit existing saved information about a client, run client add. When you enter the host name of that client, client add finds the information and displays it as defaults in the on-screen data entry forms.

client del client_name1 [...client_nameN]

reverses netisl client add for the specified client(s). This command causes the server no longer to respond to installation boot requests from the particular client(s) specified. However, the information about the client(s) is saved on the server, and can later be re-used as described above under client add.

gateway on servername

Configures a system to act as a BOOTP forwarder. This enables the use of bootpgw(ADMN). The servername argument is the hostname of the installation server to which BOOTP requests should be forwarded.

To designate a different server for a given gateway machine, run netisl gateway on with the new server's name. The gateway machine stops sending bootp protocols to the previous server, and starts sending them to the new server.

gateway off

Causes the system no longer to forward BOOTP requests to any server.

To use netisl, the server machine must include all software you want to install on a client and must include the Network Install Support component. The server also must have TCP/IP configured. The client cannot require a Boot-time Loadable Driver for network install.

Files

See also

Standards conformance