Sun Microsystems

System Management

Resource Management

Resource Management in the Solaris™ 9 Operating Environment (September 2002)
-Stuart J. Lawson
The Solaris™ Resource Manager (Solaris RM) enables the resources of a single instance of the operating environment to be shared in an arbitrarily fine-grained manner, among consolidated or partitioned applications or system users. The Solaris RM can be used such that a guaranteed level of service can be given, where appropriate. In this article, Stuart Lawson describes the three core resource management approaches in the Solaris™ 9 Operating Environment and offers best practices for setting up a resource management framework.
Introduction to the Cluster Grid - Part 2 (September 2002)
-James Coomer and Charu Chaubal
Grid computing is a rapidly emerging technology that can be implemented through the use of the Sun™ Cluster Grid software stack. In the second part of a two-part series, this article takes the next step in describing the Sun Cluster Grid design phase which includes information gathering, design decisions, installation and management considerations, and example implementations.
Introduction to the Cluster Grid - Part 1 (August 2002)
-by James Coomer and Charu Chaubal
Grid computing is a rapidly emerging technology which can be implemented today through the use of the Sun Cluster Grid software stack. Part one of this two part series provides an introduction to grid architecture, and discusses how the architecture can be applied to existing compute environments using the Sun Cluster Grid software stack. Full treatment of the cluster grid design and implementation will be provided in the September BluePrints Online article, "Introduction to the Cluster Grid - Part 2".
Enterprise Management Systems Part II: Enterprise Quality of Service (QoS) Provisioning and Integration (May 2002)
-by Deepak Kakadia with Dr. Tony G. Thomas, Dr. Sridhar Vembu, and Jay Ramasamy of AdventNet, Inc.
Building on the concepts of how to best manage services in Service Driven Networks, this second article of the two-part series describes how to integrate Sun™ Management Center 3.0 software and AdventNet WebNMS 2.3 software to provision end-to-end services and provide a complete solution that can effectively manage a multivendor environment.
Enterprise Management Systems Part I: Architectures and Standards (April 2002)
-by Deepak Kakadia, Dr. Tony Thomas, Dr. Sridhar Vembu and Jay Ramasamy
The first in a two-part series focused on managing services in Service Driven Networks (SDNs), this article presents a summary of typical architectures and a clarification of the standards to help the reader better understand the implementations of various third-party vendor EMSystems solutions.
Enterprise Quality of Service (QoS): Part II - Enterprise Solution (March 2002)
-by Deepak Kakadia
Deepak's article is the second in a two part series that focuses on Quality of Service (QoS) issues. This article explores possible approaches to deploying an Enterprise Quality of Service Solution using Solaris Bandwidth Manager 1.6, and presents an integrated close loop solution using Sun MC 3.0, which exploits API's offered by both products and creates a policy-based QoS solution for the enterprise.
Enterprise Quality of Service (QoS): Part I - Internals (February 2002)
-by Deepak Kakadia
In a two-article series, distinguished Sun BluePrints™ author works to clear the confusion surrounding QoS by explaining what it is, how it is implemented, and how to use it in an enterprise. This month's part one article details the basics surrounding the "what" and "how" of implementation, as well as the internals of QoS. Be sure to return to Sun BluePrints OnLine next month for his second article which will focus on how to deploy QoS in an enterprise.
Managing Systems and Resources in HPC Environments (February 2002)
-by Omar Hassaine
Written for the compute-intensive site administrator and user, this article highlights the benefits, presents preferred practices, and provides useful recommendations for using enterprise server tools and features available in commercial environments.
Issues in Selecting a Job Management System (January 2002)
-by Omar Hassaine
This article addresses the problems usually faced when selecting the most appropriate job management system (JMS) to deploy at HPC sites. The article describes the three most popular offerings available on the Sun platform and provides a classification of the most important features to use as a basis in selecting a JMS. A JMS comparison and useful set of recommendations are included.
Building Sun based Beowulf Cluster (December 2001)
-by Börje Lindh
This article explains how you can build compute clusters from Sun Microsystems components that competes with Beowulf clusters and above.
System Performance Management: Moving from Chaos to Value (July 2001)
-by Jon Hill and Kemer Thomson
This article presents the rationale for formal system performance management from a management, systems administrative and vendor perspective. It describes four classes of systems monitoring tools and their uses. The article discusses the issues of tool integration, "best-of-breed versus integrated suite" and the decision to "buy versus build."
Using Solaris™ Resource Manager with Solaris™ PC NetLink Software - Part 2 (June 2000)
-by Don DeVitt
Don presents part 2 of this article in which he includes an experiment that is performed to determine a useful range of shares that can be allocated to the Solaris PC NetLink software by the Solaris Resource Manager software.
Using Solaris™ Resource Manager with Solaris™ PC NetLink Software - Part 1 (May 2000)
-by Don DeVitt
Don discusses the use of Solaris PC NetLink with Solaris Resource Manager.
Sun Enterprise™ 10000 Server Floating Tape Library Solution (January 2000)
-by Enrique Vargas
Enrique presents the fourth article in the Dynamic Reconfiguration (DR) series.
Tracing Resource Consumption of Solaris™ PC NetLink Software Users (December 1999)
-by Don DeVitt
Shows the Solaris™ Operating Environment commands and the Solaris PC NetLink software commands for determining which PC clients are consuming resources via Solaris PC NetLink software.
Policy-Based Networks (October 1999)
-by Jean-Christophe Martin
Talks about the network policy concept in greater depth, and see how it is implemented in the Solaris™ Bandwidth Manager software.
Modelling the Behavior of SRM™ Software (August 1999)
-by Enterprise Engineering
How SRM software achieves dynamic resource consumption by using a fair share CPU scheduling algorithm.
SRM™: Resource Assignment (August 1999)
-by Richard McDougall
This article explains how users are assigned resource lnodes and under what circum-stances they change to ensure that resource limits are allocated correctly.
Solaris™ Bandwidth Manager (June 1999)
-by Evert Hoogendoorn
Evert explains the benefits of Solaris Bandwidth Manager.
Load Sharing Facility (June 1999)
-by Tom Bialaski
How LSF can be used as a resource management tool for running technical batch applications such as simulations.
SRM™ - Decay Factors and Parameters (April 1999)
-by Richard McDougall
More on SRM with the Decay Factors and Parameters.
SRM™ - Decay and Scheduler Parameters (April 1999)
-by Richard McDougall
Continues with the topic of SRM Decay.
An Overview of Methodology (April 1999)
-by Adrian Cockcroft
An in-depth overview on Service Level Definitions and Interactions and Resource Management Control Loop.
Dynamic Reconfiguration (April 1999)
-by Enrique Vargas
The fundamentals of Dynamic Reconfiguration.
Managing NFS™ Workloads (April 1999)
-by Richard McDougall, Adrian Cockcroft and Evert Hoogendoorn
Demonstration of the usage and management of NFS.
Solaris Resource Manager™ (April 1999)
-by Richard McDougall
Overview and examples of SRM functions.

Data Management

Monitoring and Tuning Oracle - Chapter 22, Part II (August 2002)
-by Allan N. Packer
Building on his July 2002 Sun BluePrints OnLine article, Allan continues to provide more best practices for Oracle monitoring using utlbstat/utlestat scripts and to recommend parameter settings for OLTP and DSS environments. Issues ranging from load performance to dynamic reconfiguration and Oracle recovery are also examined. Additional Oracle monitoring and tuning recommendations are available in his recently released book "Configuring and Tuning Databases on the Solaris™ Platform."
Sun StorEdge™ Instant Image 3.0 and Oracle8i Database Best Practices (August 2002)
-by Art Licht
A methodology for implementing the Sun StorEdge™ Instant Image 3.0 Point-In-Time (PIT) copy technology to perform non-intrusive and efficient backup operations on Oracle8i databases, without impacting business operations is presented. A method customers can use to repurpose the PIT Oracle8i data for parallel business processes is also included.
Reducing the Backup Window With Sun StorEdge™ Instant Image Software (July 2002)
-by Selim Daoud
This article discusses the advantages and methods of using a point-in-time (PIT) type of backup system versus a more traditional backup approach that requires extended downtime. This article is for anyone interested in reducing the backup window (improving the uptime of important applications) while backing up a system that is nearly online.
Monitoring and Tuning Oracle - Chapter 22 Part 1 (July 2002)
-by Allan N. Packer
Allan N. Packer shares Oracle monitoring and tuning recommendations from his recently-released book, "Configuring and Tuning Databases on the Solaris™ Platform", ISBN# 0-13-083417-2. In this article, Allan examines ways of managing Oracle behavior, changing tunable parameters, calculating the buffer cache hit rate, and other topics. The article goes on to discuss Oracle monitoring using the utlbstat/utlestat scripts.
Drill-Down Monitoring of Database Servers - Chapter 21 (June 2002)
-by Allan N. Packer
Database expert, Allan N. Packer, shares database best practices from his recently-released book, Configuring and Tuning Databases on the Solaris Platform, (ISBN# 0-13-083417-2) In this article, Allan presents a process for identifying and resolving problems with the performance of database servers.
Network Storage Evaluations Using Reliability Calculations (June 2002)
-by Selim Daoud
This article uses a case study to introduce concepts and calculations for systematically comparing redundancy and reliability factors as they apply to network storage configurations.
LAN-Free Backups Using the Sun StorEdge Software (June 2002)
-by Art Licht
As data grows in size and backup windows shrink, performing backups across the LAN is no longer the ideal method. This article gives an overview of LAN and SAN backup practices and includes procedures for performing LAN-free backups.
Storage Resource Management: A Practitioner's Approach (April 2002)
-by Stevan Arbona and Joe Catalanotti
Storage resource management (SRM) best practices are presented, with a particular focus on the positive impact that SRM can have on controlling costs by increasing operational efficiency.
Configuring Boot Disks With Solstice DiskSuite™ Software (April 2002)
-by Erik Vanden Meersch and Kristien Hens
How to partition the system disk, mirror it, and create and maintain a contingency boot disk are presented. Topics include two-, three-, and four-disk configurations, their associated runbooks, and the SUNBEsdm package with scripts.
Configuring Boot Disks (December 2001)
-by John S. Howard and David Deeths
This article is the fourth chapter of the Sun BluePrints™ book titled "Boot Disk Management: A Guide For The Solaris™ Operating Environment" (ISBN 0-13-062153-6), which is available through www.sun.com/books, amazon.com, fatbrain.com and Barnes & Noble bookstores.

This chapter presents a reference configuration of the root disk and associated disks that emphasizes the value of configuring a system for high availability and high serviceability. This chapter explains the value of creating a system with both of these characteristics, and outlines the methods used to do so.
Sun StorEdge™ T3 Array: Installation, Configuration and Monitoring Best Practices (October 2001)
-by Ted Gregg
In order to fully realize the benefits of the capabilities built into the Sun StorEdge™ T3 array, it must be installed, configured, and monitored with best practices for RAS. This article details these best practices. It includes both Sun StorEdge T3 array configuration and host system configuration recommendations, along with brief descriptions of some of the available software installation and monitoring tools.
Sun StorEdge™ T3 Dual Storage Array Part 3 - Basic Management (April 2001)
-by Mark Garner
The final article in the series looks at the configuration of basic management and monitoring functions on the T3 array. It concludes with example Expect scripts that could be used as a starting point for automating your own T3 installations.
Sun StorEdge™ T3 Dual Storage Array Part 2 - Configuration (March 2001)
-by Mark Garner
This second article in the series addresses the installation and configuration of a T3 array partner group. It covers how two single arrays would be reconfigured to form a partner group, how the new devices are created on the host and how VERITAS Volume Manager integrates into the solution.
Sun StorEdge™ T3 Dual Storage Array Part 1 - Installation, Planning and Design (February 2001)
-by Mark Garner
This article looks at the planning and design requirements for the installation of a Sun StorEdge T3 Array partner group. It is the first of three articles which address planning and design, configuration and basic management of a Sun StorEdge T3 Array.
Sun/Oracle Best Practices (January 2001)
-by Bob Sneed
In this paper, Best Practice concepts are first defined, then specific high-impact technical issues common with Oracle in the Solaris™ Operating Environment are discussed.
Storage Area Networks: A blueprint for Early Deployment (January 2001)
-by Brian Wong
This paper surveys the applications to which Storage Area Networks (SANs) aspire, the available SAN technology-and its limitations-and attempts to prepare users for forthcoming technology, so that they can deploy real operational storage in data centers without further delay.
Wide Thin Disk Striping (October 2000)
-by Bob Larson
In this article, the technique of using stripes to distribute data and indexes over several disks is described. The article also contains the recommendations to use wide-thin stripes to maximize operational flexibility while minimizing complexity.
Online Backups Using the VxVM Snapshot Facility (September 2000)
-by John S. Howard
Complete and accurate backups performed in a timely fashion are crucial to every datacenter. This article presents a procedure utilizing the snapshot facility of the Veritas Volume Manager software which enables the System Administrator to perform timely, complete and accurate online backups with minimal impact to the user or application.
Sun StorEdge™ T3 Single Storage Array Design and Installation (September 2000)
-by Mark Garner
This article provides a roadmap for the cinfiguration of a single Sun StorEdge™ T3 Storage Array. It addresses: Prerequisites, Storage Layout Design, Implementation, Configuration and Basic Management.
Toward a Reference Configuration for VxVM Managed Boot Disks (August 2000)
-by Gene Trantham and John S. Howard
Gene and John outline the fundamental procedures typically followed in a boot disk encapsulation and the problems this default encapsulation introduces. A best practice for VxVM installation, root disk encapsulation and a reference configuration is presented.
SCSI-Initiator ID (August 2000)
-by David Deeths
Changing the SCSI-initiator ID is necessary for cluster configurations that share SCSI devices between multiple hosts. This article walks you through the process, and also provides an excellent background on SCSI issues in clustered systems.
VxVM Private Regions: Mechanics and Internals of the VxVM Confirguration Database (July 2000)
-by Gene Trantham
Gene discuss the functions of the VxVM public and private regions, the configuration database, and the special considerations for root disk encapsulation.
Scrubbing Disk Using the Solaris™ Operating Environment Format Program (June 2000)
-by Rob Snevely
Rob explains how to effectively scrub disks on a Solaris Operating Environment system, using the format utility.
Veritas VxVM Storage Management Software (May 2000)
-by Gene Trantham
Gene explains the underlying actions VxVM during boot disk encapsulation, and details the mechanism by which it seizes and manages a boot device.
Sun Enterprise™ 10000 Server Floating Tape Library Solution (January 2000)
-by Enrique Vargas
Presents the fourth article in the Dynamic Reconfiguration (DR) series.

Performance

A Short Introduction to Optimization on Sun (March 2002)
-by Börje Lindh
This article provides a brief introduction to optimization on SPARC/Solaris, while Rajat Garg and Ilya Sharapov's Sun BluePrints book, "Techniques for Optimizing Applications" explores this subject in more detail.
Sizing Sun Ray™ Servers Running Windows Applications with SunPCi™ IIpro Coprocessor Cards (November 2001)
-by Don DeVitt
This paper addresses the task of sizing a server capable of supporting Wintel based applications on a Sun Ray™ Server utilizing Sun Pci™ IIpro co-processor cards. The paper integrates the the informationof several previously published documents and sizing tools to determine a baselineconfiguration. The paper also suggests many best practice options for configuring the server.
Supporting Microsoft Windows 2000 Server Applications from Sun Enterprise™ Servers (June 2001)
-by Don DeVitt
This article explores using multiple SunPCi™ II Pro cards running on Sun Enterprise servers to support Microsoft Windows 2000 Server applications. New SunPCi II Pro hardware and software now support multiple cards in one Sun Enterprise server. Benchmarks and Sizing information for a Windows 2000 Terminal Server environment are discussed.
Administering Sun™ Cluster 2.2 Environments (October 2000)
-by David Deeths
David Deeths discusses the fundamentals and best practices of installing, configuring, and managing a Sun™ Cluster 2.2 environment. He also offers many tips for effective cluster administration and how to increase and maintain a high level of system availability.
Sun™ HPC ClusterTools Software Best Practices(September 2000)
-by Omar Hassaine
This paper discusses the Best Practices for successfully configuring, installing and using the Sun High Performance Computing (HPC) ClusterTools software. It also covers the current status of the Sun HPC ClusterTools in the field and briefly describes the architecture.
Static Performance Tuning (May 2000)
-by Richard Elling
Richard discusses a class of problems that can affect system performance which is not dynamic by nature, and cannot be detected by conventional dynamic tuning tools.
Tales from the Trenches: The Case of the RAM Starved Cluster (April 2000)
-by Richard Elling
Richard discusses how Veritas File System (VxFS) affects memory on a Solaris™ Operating Environment server. He also describes a real world example of the interactions between the Solaris Operating Environment Version 2.5.1, VxFS Version 2.3.1, and user applications.
Scenario Planning - Part 2 (March 2000)
-by Adrian Cockcroft
Presents part two of the Scenario Planning article and explains how to follow-up a simple planning methodology based on a spreadsheet that is used to break down the problem and experiment with alternative future scenarios.
Fast Oracle Parallel Exports on Sun Enterprise™ Servers (March 2000)
-by Stan Stringfellow - Special to Sun BluePrints OnLine
Gives a script that performs very fast Oracle database exports by taking advantage of parallel processing on SMP machines. This script can be invaluable for situations where you need to perform exports of large mission-critical databases that require high availability.
Scenario Planning - Part 1 (February 2000)
-by Adrian Cockcroft
Discusses scenario planning techniques to help predict latent demand during overload periods. In this part 1 he explains how to simplify your model down to a single bottleneck.
Upgrading the Solaris™ PC NetLink Software (January 2000)
-by Don DeVitt
Highlights some of the subtle upgrade options that many system administrators will want to be aware of as they move from one version of Solaris PC NetLink software to the next.
Observability (December 1999)
-by Adrian Cockcroft
Discusses Capacity Planning and Performance Management techniques.
Processing Accounting Data into Workloads (October 1999)
-by Adrian Cockcroft
Information about Solaris operating system accounting to include code examples that extract the data in a usable format and pattern match it into workloads.

JumpStart

Customizing JumpStart™ Framework for Installation and Recovery (August 2002)
-by John S. Howard and Alex Noordergraaf
Techniques to augment a CDROM-based installation with the services and behaviors provided by a JumpStart™ server are detailed in this article. These techniques are suitable to situations when a hands-free Solaris™ Operating Environment (Solaris OE) installation is necessary but when a JumpStart server cannot be used. This article is a chapter from the Sun BluePrints book, "JumpStart™ Technology: Effective Use in the Solaris™ Operating Environment", ISBN# 0-13-062154-4.
Using Live Upgrade 2.0 With JumpStart™ Technology and Web Start Flash (April 2002)
-by John S. Howard
In this final installment of his three-part series on Solaris™ Live Upgrade 2.0 (LU) technology, John S. Howard provides recommendations and techniques for integrating LU with the JumpStart™ software framework and the Solaris™ Web Start Flash software.
WebStart Flash (November 2001)
-by John S. Howard and Alex Noordergraaf
The Solaris™ Operating Environment Flash installation component extends JumpStart™ technology by adding a mechanism to create a system archive, a snapshot of an installed system, and installation of the Solaris Operating Environment from that archive. This article introduces the concepts and best practices for a Flash archive, describes the master machine, and suggested storage strategies, and provides a complete example of creating a Flash archive and installing a Web server with Flash.
Cluster Platform 220/1000 Architecture-A Product from the SunTone™ Platforms Portfolio (August 2001)
-by Enrique Vargas
This article will provide customers a better understanding of this product capabilities by presenting its hardware and software architecture as well as best practices used in integrating the design.
Automating LDAP Client Installations (July 2001)
-by Tom Bialaski
The article explains how to configure a native LDAP client at installation time, which is a new feature in Solaris™ 8 Operating Environment U3. The basics of sysidtools and creating a sysidcfg file for hands-off installation is covered along with how they relate to LDAP. Hard to find (non-documented) tips are provided to avoid common pitfalls.
Building a JumpStart™ Infrastructure (April 2001)
-by Alex Noordergraaf
This article discussed how the core JumpStart components interract. Recommendations on how to structure the JumpStart server are provided in addition to step by step instructions on how to get a basic automated JumpStart environment up and running as quickly as possible.
Customizing the JumpStart™ Boot Image Recovery (March 2001)
-by John S. Howard
This article includes techniques and recommendations for creating a recovery platform by augmenting the Solaris OE boot image (mini-root). This article will also examine the boot and installation processes by demonstrating how to adapt those processes for system recovery.
Building a Bootable JumpStart™ Installation CD-ROM (March 2001)
-by John S. Howard
This article presents an examination of the structure of a bootable Solaris OE CD-ROM and procedures for how to create a bootable JumpStart installation CD-ROM. This CD can be used to complete a standardized, hands-free Solaris OE installation in environments where the disk space or networking constraints do not allow for a JumpStart server.
MR System for Rapid Recovery (January 2001)
-by John S. Howard
This article is an introduction to the MR system for rapid recovery. As the system uptime requirements have become more exacting, the length of time it takes to boot these larger and more complex systems has grown. By implementing MR on your JumpStart servers it may be possible to reduce the number of reboots required during a system recovery or service event. This minimization of reboots will speed recovery and service time as well as enable the system administrator to use datacenter tools during system recovery procedures.
Updated (November 2000)
-by Alex Noordergraaf and Glenn Brunette
In parallel with the "JASS" Toolkit version 0.2 release all three articles describing the "JASS Toolkit have been updated and revised to document new updates and functionality.

JumpStart™ Architecture and Security Scripts for the Solaris™ Operating Environment - Part 1

JumpStart™ Architecture and Security Scripts for the Solaris™ Operating Environment - Part 2

JumpStart™ Architecture and Security Scripts for the Solaris™ Operating Environment - Part 3
JumpStart™ Architecture and Security Scripts for the Solaris™ Operating Environment - Part 3 (September 2000) -Alex Noordergraaf
This article is third in a three part series describing an automated toolkit for implementing the security modifications documented in earlier BluePrint onLine articles. In conjuction with this final article the toolkit itself is being made freely available.
JumpStart™ Architecture and Security Scripts for the Solaris™ Operating Environment - Part 2 (August 2000) -Alex Noordergraaf
This article is part two of a three part series that presents the JumpStart Architecture and Security Scripts toolkit. We continue with an in-depth review of the configuration files, directories, and scripts used by the toolkit to enhance the security of Solaris Operating Environment systems. This series is a must read for anyone interested in upgrading the security of their site.
JumpStart™ Architecture and Security Scripts for the Solaris™ Operating Environment - Part 1 (July 2000) -Alex Noordergraaf
This article is part one of a three part series presenting the JumpStart Architecture and Security Scripts tool (Toolkit) for the Solaris Operating Environment. The Toolkit is a set of scripts which automatically harden and minimize Solaris Operating Environment systems. The modifications made are based on the recommendations made in the previously published Sun BluePrints OnLine security articles.
JumpStart™ Mechanics: Using JumpStart Application for Hands- Free Installation of Unbundled Software - Part 2 Automatic Encapsulation of the Root Disk (June 2000)
-by John S. Howard
John provides procedures to fully automate the initial configuration of Sun Enterprise Volume Manager™ and automate encapsulation of the boot disk using JumpStart.
JumpStart™ Mechanics: Using JumpStart Application for Hands-Free Installation of Unbundled Software - Part 1 (May 2000)
-by John S. Howard
John discusses automating and standardizing the installation of the Solaris™ Operating Environment along with the associated unbundled software products and datacenter management tools.
Solaris 8 Additions to sysidcfg (March 2000)
-by Rob Snevely
Shows you how to do fully hands-off installations of the Solaris™ 8 Operating Environment. He also discusses how to use Jumpstart™ and sysidcfg to provide uniform Solaris Operating Environment installations and save you time.
Setting Up a Solaris™ Operating Environment Install Server and the Solaris JumpStart™ Feature (December 1999)
-by Rob Snevely
A walkthrough on setting up an install server.
JumpStart: NIS and sysidcfg (October 1999)
-by Rob Snevely
How to use JumpStart technology to allows automation of the install process.

Naming and Directory Services

Extending Authentication in the Solaris™ 9 Operating Environment Using Pluggable Authentication Modules (PAM): Part I (September 2002)
-Michael Haines
This article is the first of a two-part series that offers a technical overview of how the Solaris™ 9 Operating Environment implementation of Securing LDAP Through TLS/SSL--A Cookbook (June 2002)
-by Stefan Weber
Deploying secure Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) connections is becoming more demanding. This article details the steps on how to set up the Sun™ Open Net Environment (Sun™ ONE) Directory Server software so that it can be accessed securely from command line tools.
Solaris™ Operating Environment LDAP Capacity Planning and Performance Tuning (May 2002)
-by Steve Lopez
Experienced System Administrators can increase the performance and scalability of Netscape Directory by utilizing the key practice methodologies presented in this article. These include key practices for the capacity planning of the LDAP naming service on the Solaris™ Operating Environment, as well as performance tuning examples and exercises.
Automating LDAP Client Installations (July 2001)
-by Tom Bialaski
The article explains how to configure a native LDAP client at installation time, which is a new feature in Solaris™ 8 Operating Environment U3. The basics of sysidtools and creating a sysidcfg file for hands-off installation is covered along with how they relate to LDAP. Hard to find (non-documented) tips are provided to avoid common pitfalls.
Running Multiple Solaris™ Operating Environment Naming Services on a Client (May 2001)
-by Tom Bialaski
The native LDAP client installation program assumes that you will not be running another naming service on your client. Some customers, who I have worked with, do not want to disable NIS when they configure native LDAP. This can be done, but there is no readily available document which describes how to do it. The article not only describes this procedure, but also highlights best practices for running NIS and LDAP together.

PC Interoperability

Windows NT Server Consolidation and Performance Improvements with Solaris™ PC NetLink 2.0 Software (August 2002)
-by Don DeVitt
This article focuses on best practices to help data center managers meet cost reduction goals in supporting multiple users accessing servers through PC clients. New features in Solaris™ PC NetLink 2.0 software that improve performance and add new options for consolidating Windows NT servers are discussed.
Sizing Sun Ray™ Servers Running Windows Applications with SunPCi™ IIpro Coprocessor Cards (November 2001)
-by Don DeVitt
This paper addresses the task of sizing a server capable of supporting Wintel based applications on a Sun Ray™ Server utilizing Sun Pci™ IIpro co-processor cards. The paper integrates the the informationof several previously published documents and sizing tools to determine a baselineconfiguration. The paper also suggests many best practice options for configuring the server.
Supporting Microsoft Windows 2000 Server Applications from Sun Enterprise™ Servers (June 2001)
-by Don DeVitt
This article explores using multiple SunPCi™ II Pro cards running on Sun Enterprise servers to support Microsoft Windows 2000 Server applications. New SunPCi II Pro hardware and software now support multiple cards in one Sun Enterprise server. Benchmarks and Sizing information for a Windows 2000 Terminal Server environment are discussed.
Sharing NFS and Remote File Systems via Solaris™ PC NetLink Software (November 2000)
-by Don DeVitt
This article offers best practice solutions for sharing NFS and remote file systems via Solaris™ PC NetLink software. These solutions help your enterprise avoid potential conflicts in the decision to allow access to files using Solaris PC NetLink software.
Using Solaris™ Resource Manager with Solaris™ PC NetLink Software - Part 2 (June 2000)
-by Don DeVitt
Don presents part 2 of this article in which he includes an experiment that is performed to determine a useful range of shares that can be allocated to the Solaris PC NetLink software by the Solaris Resource Manager software.
Using Solaris™ Resource Manager with Solaris™ PC NetLink Software - Part 1 (May 2000)
-by Don DeVitt
Don discusses the use of Solaris PC NetLink with Solaris Resource Manager.
Troubleshooting the Computer Browser Service with Solaris™ PC NetLink Software (April 2000)
-by Don DeVitt
Don discusses trouble-shooting network browsing with Solaris PC NetLink software.
Managing the Solaris™ PC NetLink Registry (February 2000)
-by Don DeVitt
highlights the importance of documenting and managing changes to the Solaris PC NetLink registry and establishing procedures for maintaining the state server.
Upgrading the Solaris™ PC NetLink Software (January 2000)
-by Don DeVitt
Highlights some of the subtle upgrade options that many system administrators will want to be aware of as they move from one version of Solaris PC NetLink software to the next.
Tracing Resource Consumption of Solaris™ PC NetLink Software Users (December 1999)
-by Don DeVitt
Shows the Solaris™ Operating Environment commands and the Solaris PC NetLink software commands for determining which PC clients are consuming resources via Solaris PC NetLink software.
SunPCi™ Supporting Highly Available PC Applications with Solaris™ (August 1999)
-by Don DeVitt
Creating a highly available environment for supporting PC applications, using the newly introduced SunPCi card.
Transitioning to Solaris™ PC NetLink 1.0 (June 1999)
-by Don DeVitt
Don takes you through step-by-step on setting up the Solaris PC NetLink.

High Availability

>Enterprise Network Design Patterns: High Availability (September 2002)
-by Deepak Kakadia, Sam Halabi, and Bill Cormier
High availability considerations extend well beyond individual servers in today's enterprise. Ultimately, availability is only as good as the networking infrastructure. This article presents the key issues, explores available network topologies and protocols, and makes recommendations for their application in creating a highly available network.
Sun Fire™ 3800-6800 Servers Dynamic Reconfiguration (April 2002)
-by Peter Gonscherowski
A general overview of Dynamic Reconfiguration (DR), its implementation on Sun Fire™ 3800-6800 servers, and best practice guidelines for DR with Sun™ Management Center or the command line are provided.
Cluster and Complex Design Issues (November 2001)
-by Richard Elling and Tim Read
This is the entire first chapter from the Sun BluePrints Book "Designing Solutions with Sun™ Cluster 3.0." In it, the authors examine how failures occur in complex systems and show methods that contain, isolate, report, and repair failures. Special considerations for clustered systems are discussed, including the impact of caches, timeouts, and the various failure modes, such as split brain, amnesia, and multiple instances.
Sizing Sun Ray™ Servers Running Windows Applications with SunPCi™ IIpro Coprocessor Cards (November 2001)
-by Don DeVitt
This paper addresses the task of sizing a server capable of supporting Wintel based applications on a Sun Ray™ Server utilizing Sun Pci™ IIpro co-processor cards. The paper integrates the the informationof several previously published documents and sizing tools to determine a baselineconfiguration. The paper also suggests many best practice options for configuring the server.
Writing Scalable Services With Sun™ Cluster 3.0 Software (October 2001)
-by Peter Lees
This article provides an introduction to the supporting features in the Sun™ Cluster 3.0 product release. It also describes both the technical requirements that must be considered when designing and programming an application to the most effective use of the cluster framework. This article also details some of the tools available for creating scalable resources.
Sun Fire™ Midframe Server Best Practices for Administration (October 2001)
-by James Hsieh
This article introduces best practices to maintain a Sun Fire™ server for mission-critical environments. It includes details of connecting the System Controller (SC), SC Administration Concepts for the Sun Fire Midframe Server, Platform Security, and Error Analysis and Diagnosis.
Sun Fire™ Midframe Server Configuration Best Practices (September 2001)
-by James Hsieh
This article introduces best practices that take advantage of the new features, capabilities, and technologies of the Sun Fire™ server. These practices will aid in configuring a Sun Fire system for mission critical applications.
Cluster Platform 220/1000 Architecture-A Product from the SunTone™ Platforms Portfolio (August 2001)
-by Enrique Vargas
This article will provide customers a better understanding of this product capabilities by presenting its hardware and software architecture as well as best practices used in integrating the design.
Supporting Microsoft Windows 2000 Server Applications from Sun Enterprise™ Servers (June 2001)
-by Don DeVitt
This article explores using multiple SunPCi™ II Pro cards running on Sun Enterprise servers to support Microsoft Windows 2000 Server applications. New SunPCi II Pro hardware and software now support multiple cards in one Sun Enterprise server. Benchmarks and Sizing information for a Windows 2000 Terminal Server environment are discussed.
Demystifying the Directory Information Tree (DIT) (April 2001)
-by Tom Bialaski
Understand how NIS data is stored in the LDAP Directory Information Tree (DIT) helps you develop a directory topolgy that works best for you. This article introduces LDAP terminology and concepts which relate to the DIT and draws an analogy to terminology used to describe the UNIX UFS filesystem. Examples are provided which show different options for storing NIS data.
Using dsimport to Convert NIS Maps to LDAP Directory Entries (February 2001)
-by Tom Bialaski
This article describes a method to import your NIS maps into an LDAP directory using the dsimport utility. Use of this tool rather than a homegrown one or one found in the public domain is a best practice because it is complete, tested, and verifiable.
Planning to Fail (December 2000)
-by John S. Howard
This article presents design guidelines and "best practices" for the selection and configuration of system software such as Veritas Volume Manager, Dynamic Mulit-pathing, Dynamic Reconfiguration, and Live Update. It also focuses on which versions and combinations of these software tools result in viable configurations, and which combinations to avoid.
Directory Server Security (December 2000)
-by Tom Bialaski
This article provides an overview of what the LDAP security model consists of and what security changes need to be made to accommodate the Solaris™ Operating Environment naming service requirements.
High Availability Best Practices (December 2000)
-by Enrique Vargas
This article introduces best practices that assist in minimizing the impact of people and processes in the datacenter which helps to achieve higher availability goals.
Directory Server Indexing (November 2000)
-by Tom Bialaski
Indexing plays an important role in optimizing the performance of a directory server. Both types of indexing discussed in this article, attribute and Virtual List View (VLV), should be deployed when configuring a directory server to support the native LDAP naming service which is included in the Solaris™ 8 Operating Environment.
High Availability Fundamentals (November 2000)
-by Enrique Vargas
This article emphasizes configuration elements that impact a single server availability to help system administrators arrive at a hardware configuration that best matches their availability requirements.
Implementing LDAP in the Solaris™ Operating Environment (October 2000)
-by Tom Bialaski
This article provides an overview of LDAP implementation. LDAP is an industry standard interface that is more than just a protocol. This article provides an explanation of the LDAP models and their actual implementation. Since the installation and configuration of Solaris Native LDAP is quite complex this article provides a foundation for understanding the fundamental principles involved.
SCSI-Initiator ID (August 2000)
-by David Deeths
Changing the SCSI-initiator ID is necessary for cluster configurations that share SCSI devices between multiple hosts. This article walks you through the process, and also provides an excellent background on SCSI issues in clustered systems.
Fast Oracle Parallel Exports on Sun Enterprise™ Servers (March 2000)
-by Stan Stringfellow - Special to Sun BluePrints OnLine
Gives a script that performs very fast Oracle database exports by taking advantage of parallel processing on SMP machines. This script can be invaluable for situations where you need to perform exports of large mission-critical databases that require high availability.
Clustering LDAP Directory Servers (December 1999)
-by Tom Bialaski
Explore deployment of Sun™ Cluster software to create an environment for LDAP based directory services that are highly available for both read and write access.
Availability - What It Means, Why It's Important, and How to Improve It (October 1999)
-by Richard McDougall
Explains various aspect of availability.
Solaris™ Directory Services: Past, Present and Future (October 1999)
-by Tom Bialaski
The high availability features of currently supported Solaris™ Operating Environment directory services (NIS, NIS+, DNS) and contrasts them with LDAP's high availability features.
Workgroup Server PCI RAID Solution - The Sun StorEdge™ SRC/P Controller (October 1999)
-by Don DeVitt
SRC/P basic description and performance considerations in the Sun Enterprise 450 server.
HA: Boot/Root/Swap (June 1999)
-by Jeannie Johnstone Kobert
Ways to mirror your system disk to prevent system failure.

Data Center Practices

Sun Fire™ Systems Design and Configuration Guide (September 2002)
-Nathan Wiger and Roger Blythe
This article details key features of the Sun Fire™ product line and presents a process you can follow to determine which server best meets your needs. An excerpt from the new Sun BluePrints book, "Sun Fire™ Systems Design and Configuration Guide" by Nathan Wiger and Roger Blythe, this article provides best practice design consideration, rules of thumb, and sample server configurations.
Consolidation in the Data Center (September 2002)
-by Ken Pepple and David Hornby
Data center consolidation is about reducing the number of devices you have to manage and reducing the number of ways you use to manage them. This article introduces various types of consolidations you can perform - servers, applications, storage, shared services, networks, and people resources - and describes some of the benefits of each type of consolidation.
Sun StorEdge™ Instant Image 3.0 and Oracle8i Database Best Practices (August 2002)
-by Art Licht
A methodology for implementing the Sun StorEdge™ Instant Image 3.0 Point-In-Time (PIT) copy technology to perform non-intrusive and efficient backup operations on Oracle8i databases, without impacting business operations is presented. A method customers can use to repurpose the PIT Oracle8i data for parallel business processes is also included.
An Information Technology Management Reference Architecture Implementation (July 2002)
-by Edward Wustenhoff
This article is the fifth in a series of articles by Edward Wustenhoff on the data center management infrastructure. The focus of this article is on the implementation of the management infrastructure. It is a follow-up article on the "An information Technology Management Reference Architecture article published earlier by Edward Wustenhoff and the Sun BluePrints group. It describes the implementation of IT management reference architecture in the Authorized iForce[sm] Ready Center (iFRC) program that displays an IDC Mail and Messaging Architecture. The iFRC program is a Sun program that provides reference implementations and proof of concepts to assist our customers in avoiding common pitfalls. This article describes the technical aspects and details of the management and organization (M&O) architecture deployment.
An Information Technology Management Reference Architecture (June 2002)
-by Edward Wustenhoff
Building on Edward's prior Sun BluePrints OnLine articles, found at Archive by Subject, this article describes the results of a proof-of-concept process to create an IT management reference architecture that displays IDC mail and messaging, as conducted at Sun's iForce Ready Center.
Deployment Considerations for Data Center Management Tools (May 2002)
-by Edward Wustenhoff
Build a better management infrastructure by understanding more about the basic building blocks, architecture, and key design elements of a complete Systems Management Tools Framework, as presented in this first article in a two-part series.
Using Live Upgrade 2.0 With JumpStart™ Technology and Web Start Flash (April 2002)
-by John S. Howard
In this final installment of his three-part series on Solaris™ Live Upgrade 2.0 (LU) technology, John S. Howard provides recommendations and techniques for integrating LU with the JumpStart™ software framework and the Solaris™ Web Start Flash software.
Service Level Agreement in the Data Center (April 2002)
-by Edward Wustenhoff
Building on the definitions, processes, and best practices supporting the Service Level Management (SLM) process presented in the first article in this two-part series, this article explores Service Level Agreements (SLAs). Best practices for keeping SLAs simple, measurable, and realistic--thus avoiding the most common pitfalls of overpromising and underdelivering on agreements--are detailed and templates are provided that illustrate the translation of SLA principles to real-world examples.
Service Level Management in the Data Center (March 2002)
-by Edward Wustenhoff
By presenting a basic definition of and best practices around Service Level Management (SLM), this article provides the foundation for understanding this critical datacenter discipline. SLM provides the methodology and discipline for measuring overall system performance parameters, and forms the basis for the implementation of Service Level Agreements (SLA). This article details the SLM process, including gathering of metrics regarding all aspects, at all platform layers, to evaluate compliance with SLA's and to ensure continuous improvement in overall system performance. Future articles from Wustenhoff will investigate best practices surrounding SLA's.
Using Live Upgrade 2.0 With a Logical Volume Manager (March 2002)
-by John S. Howard
Part two of a three part series by John S. Howard, this article addresses best practices surrounding system upgrades, specifically using LU 2.0 with a logical volume manager. As system administrators know, system upgrades which can be time-consuming and error prone processes, and frequently, mission-critical or datacenter systems can not afford to be taken down for much time to test patches and execute software upgrades. Examples cited use VERITAS Volume Manager (VxVM); however, the concepts and high level procedural steps are the same for using LU 2.0 with Solstice DiskSuite software.
Managing Solaris™ Operating Environment Upgrades With Live Upgrade 2.0 (February 2002)
-by John S. Howard
Performing an upgrade of an operating system and the associated system software is one of the most time-consuming and error prone tasks facing system administrators. Compounding the upgrade process is the reality that most mission-critical or datacenter systems cannot afford to be taken down for any length of time to test patches and execute software upgrades. This article, part one of a three-part series, focuses on how Live Upgrade (LU) provides a mechanism to manage and upgrade multiple on-disk Solaris™ Operating Environments without taking the systems down. LU provides a framework to upgrade and work within multiple on-disk environments and reboots into the new Solaris Operating Environment after completion of changes to the on-disk software images.
Data Center Design Philosophy (January 2002)
-by Rob Snevely
This article is from the entire first chapter of the Sun BluePrints™ book, Enterprise Data Center Design and Methodology, (ISBN 0-13-047393-6), which is available beginning January 30th through www.sun.com/books, amazon.com, fatbrain.com and Barnes & Noble bookstores.

This article lays the foundation for addressing challenges of data center design, through a presentation of the more important design issues, priorities, and philosophies. The article concludes with a summary of the ten most important design guidelines.
The Intelligent Architectures Design Philosophy (December 2001)
-by John S. Howard
This article introduces the design philosophy and tenets of the Intelligent Architectures (IA) approach to systems architecture: a philosophy centered on the use of archetypes - original models after which similar things are patterned. This article presents the IA archetypes in brief, as well as rules and recommendations for combining archetypes to design systems and datacenters.
Configuring Boot Disks (December 2001)
-by John S. Howard and David Deeths
This article is the fourth chapter of the Sun BluePrints™ book titled "Boot Disk Management: A Guide For The Solaris™ Operating Environment" (ISBN 0-13-062153-6), which is available through www.sun.com/books, amazon.com, fatbrain.com and Barnes & Noble bookstores.
Using NTP to Control and Synchronize System Clocks - Part III: NTP Monitoring and Troubleshooting (September 2001)
-by David Deeths and Glenn Brunette
This article is the third in a series of three articles that discuss using Network Time Protocol (NTP) to synchronize system clocks. The goal of this article is to provide an effective understanding of NTP troubleshooting and monitoring.
Using NTP to Control and Synchronize System Clocks - Part II: Basic NTP Administration and Architecture (August 2001)
-by David Deeths and Glenn Brunette
This is Part 2 of a three-article series that discusses how to use Network Time Protocol (NTP) to synchronize system clocks. This article explains the basics of client and server administration, covering various client/server configurations, as well as authentication and access control mechanisms. This article also provides a number of suggestions for an effective NTP architecture.
Using NTP to Control and Synchronize System Clocks - Part I: Introduction to NTP (July 2001)
-by David Deeths and Glenn Brunette
This article is the first of a series on the Network Time Protocol (NTP). NTP allows synchronizing clocks on different network nodes, which is critical in today's networked world. This first article provides an overview of why time synchronization is important and introduces basic NTP concepts.
Datacenter Naming Scheme (May 2001)
-by Mark Garner
Eighty percent of outages are allegedly the result of people or proces issues. An intuitive and informative naming scheme can define and highlight the composition and function of components within a service infrastructure. The article looks at the merits of such a naming scheme and includes an example system for servers, storage, networks and cables that may help reduce operational error.
Customizing the JumpStart™ Boot Image Recovery (March 2001)
-by John S. Howard
This article includes techniques and recommendations for creating a recovery platform by augmenting the Solaris OE boot image (mini-root). This article will also examine the boot and installation processes by demonstrating how to adapt those processes for system recovery.
MR System for Rapid Recovery (January 2001)
-by John S. Howard
This article is an introduction to the MR system for rapid recovery. As the system uptime requirements have become more exacting, the length of time it takes to boot these larger and more complex systems has grown. By implementing MR on your JumpStart servers it may be possible to reduce the number of reboots required during a system recovery or service event. This minimization of reboots will speed recovery and service time as well as enable the system administrator to use datacenter tools during system recovery procedures.
Sun/Oracle Best Practices (January 2001)
-by Bob Sneed
In this paper, Best Practice concepts are first defined, then specific high-impact technical issues common with Oracle in the Solaris™ Operating Environment are discussed.
Planning for Large Configurations of Netra t1 Servers (January 2001)
-by Stan Stringfellow - Special to the Sun BluePrints OnLine
This article examines a wide range of management and serviceability issues that should be considered when planning a large (and possibly geographically disbursed) server farm consisting of Netra t1 servers. The use of the Netra alarms and lights-out management (LOM) module is discussed in some detail. Consideration is also given to several other topics, including the power and cooling issues that arise when up to 32 Netra t1 servers are mounted within a single rack or cabinet.
Planning to Fail (December 2000)
-by John S. Howard
This article presents design guidelines and "best practices" for the selection and configuration of system software such as Veritas Volume Manager, Dynamic Mulit-pathing, Dynamic Reconfiguration, and Live Update. It also focuses on which versions and combinations of these software tools result in viable configurations, and which combinations to avoid.
Sun StorEdge™ T3 Single Storage Array Design and Installation (September 2000)
-by Mark Garner
This article provides a roadmap for the cinfiguration of a single Sun StorEdge™ T3 Storage Array. It addresses: Prerequisites, Storage Layout Design, Implementation, Configuration and Basic Management.
An Introduction to Live Upgrade (July 2000)
-by John S. Howard
John provides an introduction and overview of Live Upgrade and also provides techniques and best practices for the usage of Live Upgrade.
Disaster Recovery Requirements Analysis (July 2000)
-by Stan Stringfellow - Special to Sun BluePrints OnLine
Stan discusses how to successfully implement a disaster recovery program through careful and exhaustive disaster recovery requirements analysis. He also provides a disaster recovery requirements analysis form that can serve as the basis for an iterative negotiation process that helps all parties to arrive at realistic expectations and well-understood disaster recovery service level agreements.
JumpStart™ Mechanics: Using JumpStart Application for Hands- Free Installation of Unbundled Software - Part 2 Automatic Encapsulation of the Root Disk (June 2000)
-by John S. Howard
John provides procedures to fully automate the initial configuration of Sun Enterprise Volume Manager™ and automate encapsulation of the boot disk using JumpStart.
The Art of Production Environment Engineering (June 2000)
-by Bill Walker
Bill addresses the production environment needs of the datacenter using the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), Fault Configuration Application Performance Security model (FCAPS), Information Technology Infrastructure Library framework (ITIL), a basic IT reference model, and the SunReady™ Methodology's roadmap to prodution.
JumpStart™ Mechanics: Using JumpStart Application for Hands-Free Installation of Unbundled Software - Part 1 (May 2000)
-by John S. Howard
John discusses automating and standardizing the installation of the Solaris™ Operating Environment along with the associated unbundled software products and datacenter management tools.
Solaris 8 Additions to sysidcfg (March 2000)
-by Rob Snevely
Shows you how to do fully hands-off installations of the Solaris™ 8 Operating Environment. He also discusses how to use Jumpstart™ and sysidcfg to provide uniform Solaris Operating Environment installations and save you time.
Fast Oracle Parallel Exports on Sun Enterprise Servers (March 2000)
-by Stan Stringfellow - Special to Sun BluePrints OnLine
Gives a script that performs very fast Oracle database exports by taking advantage of parallel processing on SMP machines. This script can be invaluable for situations where you need to perform exports of large mission-critical databases that require high availability.
Setting Up a Solaris™ Operating Environment Install Server and the Solaris JumpStart™ Feature (December 1999)
-by Rob Snevely
A walkthrough on setting up an install server.
JumpStart: NIS and sysidcfg (October 1999)
-by Rob Snevely
How to use JumpStart technology to allows automation of the install process.
An Overview of Methodology (April 1999)
-by Adrian Cockcroft
An in-depth overview on Service Level Definitions and Interactions and Resource Management Control Loop.
Dynamic Reconfiguration (April 1999)
-by Enrique Vargas
The fundamentals of Dynamic Reconfiguration.

Rapid Recovery Techniques

Sun StorEdge™ Instant Image 3.0 and Oracle8i Database Best Practices (August 2002)
-by Art Licht
A methodology for implementing the Sun StorEdge™ Instant Image 3.0 Point-In-Time (PIT) copy technology to perform non-intrusive and efficient backup operations on Oracle8i databases, without impacting business operations is presented. A method customers can use to repurpose the PIT Oracle8i data for parallel business processes is also included.
Customizing the JumpStart™ Boot Image for Recovery (March 2001)
-by John S. Howard
This article includes techniques and recommendations for creating a recovery platform by augmenting the Solaris OE boot image (mini-root). This article will also examine the boot and installation processes by demonstrating how to adapt those processes for system recovery.
MR Systme for Rapid Recovery (January 2001)
-by John S. Howard
This article is an introduction to the MR system for rapid recovery. As the system uptime requirements have become more exacting, the length of time it takes to boot these larger and more complex systems has grown. By implementing MR on your JumpStart servers it may be possible to reduce the number of reboots required during a system recovery or service event. This minimization of reboots will speed recovery and service time as well as enable the system administrator to use datacenter tools during system recovery procedures.
SCSI-Initiator ID (August 2000)
-by David Deeths
Changing the SCSI-initiator ID is necessary for cluster configurations that share SCSI devices between multiple hosts. This article walks you through the process, and also provides an excellent background on SCSI issues in clustered systems.
Disaster Recovery Requirements Analysis (July 2000)
-by Stan Stringfellow - Special to Sun BluePrints OnLine
Stan discusses how to successfully implement a disaster recovery program through careful and exhaustive disaster recovery requirements analysis. He also provides a disaster recovery requirements analysis form that can serve as the basis for an iterative negotiation process that helps all parties to arrive at realistic expectations and well-understood disaster recovery service level agreements.
A Sun StorEdge™ Rapid Restore Solution for Disaster Resiliency (April 2000)
-by Raza Hussain
Raza gives a quick and efficient method for using point in time images to minimize the potential of data loss and expedite the restoration of business to normal.
SSP Best Practices (March 2000)
-by John S. Howard
Presents best practice procedures and configurations for the SSP and backup SSP. In addition, an overview of the MR system for rapid recovery of systems or domains.
Rapid Recovery Techniques: Auditing Custom Software Configurations (February 2000)
-by Richard Elling
The fourth article in a series that covers rapid recovery techniques for the Solaris Operating Environment.
Rapid Recovery Techniques for Solaris Operating Environment (January 2000)
-by Richard Elling
Discusses the Solaris software registry, the ease of building packages, and the use of these packages in an automated installation environment.
Rapid Recovery Techniques: Repairing File Ownership and Mode (December 1999)
-by Richard Elling
The second article in a series that will discuss rapid recovery techniques for the Solaris™ Operating Environment.
Rapid Recovery Techniques: Exploring the Solaris™ Software Registry (October 1999)
-by Richard Elling
How to use processes to recover from errors caused by people.

Security

Securing Sun Fire™ 12K and 15K Domains: Updated for SMS 1.2 (July 2002)
-by Alex Noordergraaf and Dina Nimeh
This article documents security modifications that you can implement on Sun Fire™ 12K and 15K domains without adversely affecting their behavior. The configuration changes in this article enable Solaris™ Operating Environment (Solaris OE) security features and disable potentially insecure services and daemons. This article is one in a series that provides recommendations for enhancing security of a Sun Fire system. Before securing the domains, we recommend that you use the "Securing the Sun Fire 12K and 15K System Controllers" article to secure the system controllers.
Securing the Sun Fire™ 12K and 15K System Controllers: Updated for SMS 1.2 (July 2002)
-by Alex Noordergraaf and Dina Nimeh
This article provides recommendations on how to securely deploy the Sun Fire™ 12K and 15K system controllers (SC). These recommendations apply to environments where security is a concern, particularly environments where the uptime requirements of the SC and/or the information on the Sun Fire server is critical to the organization. This article is one in a series that provides recommendations for enhancing security of a Sun Fire system. After securing the SC, we recommend that you use the "Securing the Sun Fire 12K and 15K Domains" article to secure the SC domains.
Securing LDAP Through TLS/SSL--A Cookbook (June 2002)
-by Stefan Weber
Deploying secure Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) connections is becoming more demanding. This article details the steps on how to set up the Sun™ Open Net Environment (Sun ONE) Directory Server software so that it can be accessed securely from command line tools.
Securing the Sun Fire Midframe System Controller (June 2002)
-by Alex Noordergraaf and Tony M. Benson
Securely deploying the Sun Fire™ Midframe System Controller (SC) is crucial. This article offers recommendations on building a separate and private SC network, to which the insecure protocols required to manage an SC are restricted.
How Hackers Do It: Tricks, Tools, and Techniques (May 2002)
-by Alex Noordergraaf
Learn how to build and maintain secure systems and implement preventive solutions against the common tricks, tools, and techniques used by hackers to gain unauthorized access to Solaris™ Operating Environment systems.
Securing the Sun™ Cluster 3.0 Software (May 2002)
-by Alex Noordergraaf
Reduce susceptibility to attacks and increase the reliability, availability, and serviceability of systems that run Sun™ Cluster 3.0 software by implementing the recommendations for configuring the Solaris Operating Environment and supported agents detailed in this article.
Securing the Enterprise 10000 System Service Processors
(March 2002)
-by Alex Noordergraaf
Security of high end systems, such as Sun's Enterprisetm 10000 server, is of critical concern to customers deploying such systems in their environment. This article provides a documented and fully supported solution for protecting the weakest link in the security of the E10000 - the System Service Processors (SSP's).
Server Virtualization Using Trusted Solaris™ 8 Operating Environment (February 2002)
-by Glenn Faden
Building on the concepts presented in his follow-on article, Maintaining Network Separation with Trusted Solaris™ 8 Operating Environment, expands on the techniques of configuring labeled networks to show how the Trusted Solaris™ Operating Environment can be deployed by a network service provider to support multiple customers within a single infrastructure. Through the use of the appropriate Trusted Solaris Operating Environment functionality, each customer can have its own virtual server or community. This article describes best practices for administrative procedures and configuration files that are required to set up fully contained communities.
Configuring OpenSSH for the Solaris™ Operating Environment (January 2002)
-by Jason Reid
The network environment was never safe. As more users connect to open networks for remote access, the risks of compromising systems and accounts increase. Secure network tools such as OpenSSH counter the threats of password theft, session hijacking, and other network attacks. These tools require planning, configuration, and integration. This article deals with server and client configurations, key management, and integration into existing environments for the Solaris™ Operating Environment (OE).
Securing Sun Fire™ 15K Domains (January 2002)
-Alex Noordergraaf and Dina Kurktchi
This article describes how the Solaris™ Operating Environment can be hardened on a Sun Fire™ 15K domain. Included are recommendations on how the Solaris Operating Environment image running on the Sun Fire 15K domains should be configured in secure environments.
Developing a Security Policy (December 2001)
-by Joel Weise and Charles R. Martin
Security policy development is a frequently overlooked component of overall security architectures. This article details the importance of security policies and the basic steps involved in their creation.
Sun™ Cluster 3.0 12/01 Security: with the Apache and iPlanet™ Web and Messaging Agents (December 2001)
-by Alex Noordergraaf, Mark Hashimoto and Richard Lau
This article takes a first step in providing secured configurations for Sun™ Cluster 3.0 software by describing how three specific agents can be deployed in a secured configuration that is supported by Sun Microsystems. Sun Cluster 3.0 software is used by organizations to provide additional assurance that mission-critical services will be available despite unexpected hardware or software failures.
Securing the Sun Fire™ 15K System Controller (November 2001)
-by Alex Noordergraaf and Dina Kurktchi
This Sun™ BluePrints OnLine article provides specific recommendations on how the security of the Sun Fire™ 15k System Controller (SC) can be improved. These recommendations include specific recommendations on how the Solaris™ Operating Environment (Solaris OE) image running on the SC should be configured in secured environments.
Kerberos Network Security in the Solaris™ Operating Environment (October 2001)
-by Wyllys Ingersoll
This article describes how to correctly and securely configure Kerberos in the Solaris™ Operating Environment. It provides best practices and recommendations.
Securing the Sun Fire™ Midframe System Controller (September 2001)
-by Alex Noordergraaf and Tony Benson
This article provides detailed recommendations on how to securely integrate the new Sun Fire™ Midframe systems into your environment.
Securing Systems with Host-Based Firewalls - Implemented With SunScreen™ Lite 3.1 Software (September 2001)
-by Martin Englund
This article provides a discussion of why host-based firewalls can be an effective alternative to choke-point based firewalls or an additional layer of security in an environment. Details are then provided on how to implement a host-based firewalls using Sun's free host-based firewall software - SunScreen™ SecureNet Lite.
Using NTP to Control and Synchronize System Clocks - Part III: NTP Monitoring and Troubleshooting (September 2001)
-by David Deeths and Glenn Brunette
This article is the third in a series of three articles that discuss using Network Time Protocol (NTP) to synchronize system clocks. The goal of this article is to provide an effective understanding of NTP troubleshooting and monitoring.
Using NTP to Control and Synchronize System Clocks - Part II: Basic NTP Administration and Architecture (August 2001)
-by David Deeths and Glenn Brunette
This is Part 2 of a three-article series that discusses how to use Network Time Protocol (NTP) to synchronize system clocks. This article explains the basics of client and server administration, covering various client/server configurations, as well as authentication and access control mechanisms. This article also provides a number of suggestions for an effective NTP architecture.
Public Key Infrastructure Overview (August 2001)
-by Joel Weise
This article removes some of the mystique, fear and misconceptions with Public Key Infrastructures (PKI), by providing an overview of what it is, how it works, why and when it should be used, and the benefits it can provide. After reading this article individuals should be better able to determine their requirements for a PKI and what features they need for their particular business.
Building and Deploying OpenSSH on the Solaris™ Operating Environment (July 2001)
-by Jason Reid and Keith Watson
This article describes the build and deployment processes for OpenSSH on Solaris Operating Environment. There are several components that must be built prior to building OpenSSH itself. Each necessary component is listed and described along with recommendations on build options. Openssh itself is a flexible tool with several options that affect integration into a site's security policy. These options are explored. Issues of packaging and deployment are also addressed.
Using NTP to Control and Synchronize System Clocks - Part I: Introduction to NTP (July 2001)
-by David Deeths and Glenn Brunette
This article is the first of a series on the Network Time Protocol (NTP). NTP allows synchronizing clocks on different network nodes, which is critical in today's networked world. This first article provides an overview of why time synchronization is important and introduces basic NTP concepts.
Updated The Solaris™ Security Toolkit - Quick Start: Updated for Toolkit version 0.3 (June 2001)
-by Alex Noodergraaf and Glenn Brunette
This article provides an administrator with the information critical to getting the Solaris Security Toolkit installed and running as quickly as possible. None of the details included in Internals or Configuration and Installation are included.
Updated The Solaris™ Security Toolkit - Release Notes: Updated for Toolkit version 0.3 (June 2001)
-by Alex Noodergraaf and Glenn Brunette
This article provides the Toolkit user with a discussion of the new features, enhacements, and and changes included in version 0.3 of the Solaris Security Toolkit.
Updated The Solaris™ Security Toolkit - Installation, Configuration, and Usage Guide: Updated for Toolkit version 0.3 (June 2001)
-by Alex Noodergraaf and Glenn Brunette
This article focuses on the configuration and installation information of the Solaris Security Toolkit. This is a more in-depth discussion of the installation, configuration, and usage aoptions available in the Toolkit then in the Sun BluePrints OnLine article titled Solaris™ Security Toolkit - Quick Start Guide.
Updated The Solaris™ Security Toolkit - Internals: Updated for Toolkit version 0.3 (June 2001)
-by Alex Noodergraaf and Glenn Brunette
This article focuses on the internals of the Toolkit. Each directory, file, and script included with the Toolkit source is discussed. Each of these components of the Solaris Security Toolkit are discussed to provide the reader with a detailed understanding of how the different Toolkit components function and interact.
The Solaris™ Fingerprint Database - A Security Tool for Solaris Operating Environment Files (May 2001)
-by Vasanthan Dasan, Alex Noodergraaf, and Lou Ordorica
The Solaris Fingerprint Database (sfpDB) enables you to verify the integrity of files distributed with the Solaris Operating Environment. By validating that these files have not been modified administrators can determine whether their systems have, or have not, been hacked and had trojaned malicious replacements for system files installed.
Updated Solaris™ Operating Environment Security - Updated for Solaris 8 Operating Environment (April 2001)
-by Alex Noodergraaf and Keith Watson
This article discusses how system and network security can be dramatically improved on a Solaris OE system. Specific security recommendations are made for Solaris OE versions 2.5.1 through 8. This revised version, of the original Solaris OE Security Sun BluePrints published in January of 2000, incorporates all security-related updates in Solaris 8 OE.
Maintaining Network Separation with Trusted Solaris™ 8 Operating Environment (March 2001)
-by Glenn Faden
Glenn Faden describes how Mandatory Access Control (MAC) can be used to provide concurrent access to two isolated networks without compromising the separation.
Auditing in the Solaris™ 8 Operating Environment (February 2001)
-by William Osser and Alex Noordergraaf
The use of the Solaris OE auditing (BSM) has never been well understood. This article presents an auditing configuration optimized for Solaris 8. The recommended configuration will audit activity on a system without generated gigabytes of data every day. In addition, the configuration files are available for download from http://www.sun.comtools.
Directory Server Security (December 2000)
-by Tom Bialaski
This article provides an overview of what the LDAP security model consists of and what security changes need to be made to accommodate the Solaris™ Operating Environment naming service requirements.
Updated (11/01) Solaris™ Operating Environment Network Settings for Security: Updated for Solaris 8 Operating Environment (December 2000)
-by Keith Watson and Alex Noordergraaf
This article updates the original Solaris Operating Environment Network Settings for Security article published December 1999 to include security specific IPv4 and IPv6 options added in Solaris 8 Operating Environment. These additions and modifications have been incorporated into an updated nddconfig script available on http://www.sun.comtools.
Updated Solaris™ Operating Environment Minimization for Security: A Simple, Reproducible and Secure Application Installation Methodolgy - Updated for Solaris 8 Operating Environment (November 2000)
-by Alex Noordergraaf
This article updates the original OS Minimization article's required package listings for Solaris 8 Operating Environment and 64bit UltraSPARC™ II hardware.
Updated (November 2000)
-by Alex Noordergraaf and Glenn Brunette
In parallel with the "JASS" Toolkit version 0.2 release all three articles describing the "JASS Toolkit have been updated and revised to document new updates and functionality.

JumpStart™ Architecture and Security Scripts for the Solaris™ Operating Environment - Part 1

JumpStart™ Architecture and Security Scripts for the Solaris™ Operating Environment - Part 2

JumpStart™ Architecture and Security Scripts for the Solaris™ Operating Environment - Part 3
Building Secure N-Tier Environments (October 2000)
-by Alex Noordergraaf
This article provides recommendations on how to architect and implement secure N-Tier ecommerce environments.
JumpStart™ Architecture and Security Scripts for the Solaris™ Operating Environment - Part 3 (September 2000)
-by Alex Noordergraaf
This article is third in a three part series describing an automated toolkit for implementing the security modifications documented in earlier BluePrint onLine articles. In conjuction with this final article the toolkit itself is being made freely available.
JumpStart™ Architecture and Security Scripts for the Solaris™ Operating Environment - Part 2 (August 2000)
-by Alex Noordergraaf
This article is part two of a three part series that presents the JumpStart Architecture and Security Scripts toolkit. We continue with an in-depth review of the configuration files, directories, and scripts used by the toolkit to enhance the security of Solaris Operating Environment systems. This series is a must read for anyone interested in upgrading the security of their site.
JumpStart™ Architecture and Security Scripts for the Solaris™ Operating Environment - Part 1 (July 2000)
-by Alex Noordergraaf
This article is part one of a three part series presenting the JumpStart Architecture and Security Scripts tool (Toolkit) for the Solaris Operating Environment. The Toolkit is a set of scripts which automatically harden and minimize Solaris Operating Environment systems. The modifications made are based on the recommendations made in the previously published Sun BluePrints OnLine security articles.
Solaris Operating Environment Security (January 2000)
-by Keith Watson and Alex Noordergraaf
This article splits the discussion of the Solaris Operating Environment system security into two parts.
Solaris™ Operating Environment Minimization for Security: A Simple, Reproducible and Secure Application Installation Methodology (December 1999)
-by Keith Watson and Alex Noordergraaf
Discuss OS minimization as a technique for reducing system vulnerabilities; a simple method for duplicating these installations on large numbers of servers is also introduced. (See "November 2000" updated for Solaris 8 OE)
Updated (11/01) Solaris™ Operating Environment Network Settings for Security (December 1999)
-by Keith Watson and Alex Noordergraaf
Discuss the many low-level network options available within Solaris and their impact on security. (See "December 2000" updated for Solaris 8 OE)

Operating Environment

Using Live Upgrade 2.0 With JumpStart™ Technology and Web Start Flash (April 2002)
-by John S. Howard
In this final installment of his three-part series on Solaris™ Live Upgrade 2.0 (LU) technology, John S. Howard provides recommendations and techniques for integrating LU with the JumpStart™ software framework and the Solaris™ Web Start Flash software.
Using Live Upgrade 2.0 With a Logical Volume Manager (March 2002)
-by John S. Howard
Part two of a three part series by John S. Howard, this article addresses best practices surrounding system upgrades, specifically using LU 2.0 with a logical volume manager. As system administrators know, system upgrades which can be time-consuming and error prone processes, and frequently, mission-critical or datacenter systems can not afford to be taken down for much time to test patches and execute software upgrades. Examples cited use VERITAS Volume Manager (VxVM); however, the concepts and high level procedural steps are the same for using LU 2.0 with Solstice DiskSuite software.
Managing Solaris™ Operating Environment Upgrades With Live Upgrade 2.0 (February 2002)
-by John S. Howard
Performing an upgrade of an operating system and the associated system software is one of the most time-consuming and error prone tasks facing system administrators. Compounding the upgrade process is the reality that most mission-critical or datacenter systems cannot afford to be taken down for any length of time to test patches and execute software upgrades. This article, part one of a three-part series, focuses on how Live Upgrade (LU) provides a mechanism to manage and upgrade multiple on-disk Solaris™ Operating Environments without taking the systems down. LU provides a framework to upgrade and work within multiple on-disk environments and reboots into the new Solaris Operating Environment after completion of changes to the on-disk software images.
Configuring Boot Disks (December 2001)
-by John S. Howard and David Deeths
This article is the fourth chapter of the Sun BluePrints™ book titled "Boot Disk Management: A Guide For The Solaris™ Operating Environment" (ISBN 0-13-062153-6), which is available through www.sun.com/books, amazon.com, fatbrain.com and Barnes & Noble bookstores.

This chapter presents a reference configuration of the root disk and associated disks that emphasizes the value of configuring a system for high availability and high serviceability. This chapter explains the value of creating a system with both of these characteristics, and outlines the methods used to do so.
Application Troubleshooting: Alternate Methods of Debugging (November 2001)
-by David Deeths and Glenn Brunette
What to do when applications are crashing or hanging is a critical issue for any software user. Few people will have the resources and skill set to debug the application directly using a source code debugger. In many cases source code debugging may not even be an option. This paper will discuss a variety of options open to a Solaris™ Operating Environment user to narrow down the causes and scope of a application failure. The article discusses programs such as truss, proc tools and features of the Solaris runtime linker.
WebStart Flash (November 2001)
-by John S. Howard and Alex Noordergraaf
The Solaris™ Operating Environment Flash installation component extends JumpStart™ technology by adding a mechanism to create a system archive, a snapshot of an installed system, and installation of the Solaris Operating Environment from that archive. This article introduces the concepts and best practices for a Flash archive, describes the master machine, and suggested storage strategies, and provides a complete example of creating a Flash archive and installing a Web server with Flash.
Using NTP to Control and Synchronize System Clocks - Part III: NTP Monitoring and Troubleshooting (September 2001)
-by David Deeths and Glenn Brunette
This article is the third in a series of three articles that discuss using Network Time Protocol (NTP) to synchronize system clocks. The goal of this article is to provide an effective understanding of NTP troubleshooting and monitoring.
Using NTP to Control and Synchronize System Clocks - Part II: Basic NTP Administration and Architecture (August 2001)
-by David Deeths and Glenn Brunette
This is Part 2 of a three-article series that discusses how to use Network Time Protocol (NTP) to synchronize system clocks. This article explains the basics of client and server administration, covering various client/server configurations, as well as authentication and access control mechanisms. This article also provides a number of suggestions for an effective NTP architecture.
Using NTP to Control and Synchronize System Clocks - Part I: Introduction to NTP (July 2001)
-by David Deeths and Glenn Brunette
This article is the first of a series on the Network Time Protocol (NTP). NTP allows synchronizing clocks on different network nodes, which is critical in today's networked world. This first article provides an overview of why time synchronization is important and introduces basic NTP concepts.
Building a Bootable JumpStart™ Installation CD-ROM (March 2001)
-by John S. Howard
This article presents an examination of the structure of a bootable Solaris OE CD-ROM and procedures for how to create a bootable JumpStart installation CD-ROM. This CD can be used to complete a standardized, hands-free Solaris OE installation in environments where the disk space or networking constraints do not allow for a JumpStart server.
Exploring the iPlanet™ Directory Server NIS Extensions (August 2000)
-by Tom Bialaski
Tom discusses how to implement a phased deployment using the Solaris Extensions for Netscape Directory Server 4.11.
Upgrading to the Solaris™ 8 Operating Environment (April 2000)
-by Computer Systems, Solaris Productization and Marketing
This article displays how administrators can upgrade quickly to the Solaris 8 Operating Environment by proactively testing applications and using Solaris JumpStart™.
Building Longevity into Solaris™ Operating Environment Applications (April 2000)
-by Computer Systems, Solaris Productization and Marketing
This article discusses specific steps that developers can take to improve the longevity of their applications. It also introduces evolutionary new features and interfaces that Sun offers in the Solaris 8 Operating Environment release.
Operating Environment: Solaris 8 Installation and Boot Disk Layout (March 2000)
-by Richard Elling
Discusses Solaris™ WebStart. a new Java-based procedure that simplifies installation of the Solaris 8 Operating Environment. Richard also recommends a boot disk layout for desktop and small workgroup servers.
NIS to LDAP Transition: Exploring (February 2000)
-by Tom Bialaski
Examines technologies that help increase availability during the transition from legacy Solaris Operating Environment directory services to LDAP based ones.
Solaris™ Directory Services: Past, Present and Future (October 1999)
-by Tom Bialaski
The high availability features of currently supported Solaris™ Operating Environment directory services (NIS, NIS+, DNS) and contrasts them with LDAP's high availability features.
Starfire Server DR-Detach and DR-Attach Requirements (August 1999)
-by Enrique Vargas
Provides a complete list of Starfire Server prerequisites for enabling attach and detach operations on any system board.
DR Requirements for I/O Device Drivers (June 1999)
-by Enrique Vargas
Covers the device driver functions that are required to fully support the DR framework.

Service Provider

Metropolitan Area Sun Ray™ Services (May 2002)
-by Lars Persson
Expand into new lines of business and drastically reduce the actual and hidden costs of ownership of the desktop PC device by implementing these preferred practice recommendations for deploying Sun Rays over a Metropolitan Area Network.
Establishing an Architectural Model (February 2002)
-by John V. Nguyen
This article is the complete third chapter of the upcoming Sun BluePrints™ book, Designing ISP Architectures, ISBN 0-13-045496-6. This article introduces an architectural model as a framework for designing platform-independent ISP architectures, based upon expertise and Sun best practices for designing ISP architectures. Ideal for IT architects and consultants who design ISP architectures, John's complete book will be available beginning March 2002 through www.sun.com/books, amazon.com, fatbrain.com, and Barnes & Noble bookstores.
Planning for Large Configurations of Netra t1 Servers (January 2001)
-by Stan Stringfellow - Special to the Sun BluePrints OnLine
This article examines a wide range of management and serviceability issues that should be considered when planning a large (and possibly geographically disbursed) server farm consisting of Netra t1 servers. The use of the Netra alarms and lights-out management (LOM) module is discussed in some detail. Consideration is also given to several other topics, including the power and cooling issues that arise when up to 32 Netra t1 servers are mounted within a single rack or cabinet.
Architecting a Service Provider Infrastructure for Maximum Growth (June 2000)
-by Stan Stringfellow - Special to Sun BluePrints™ OnLine
Stan introduces the first of a new series of Sun BluePrints OnLine articles that will examime the issues involved with building scalable and highly available service provider infrastructures. ISPs, ASPs, NSP's corporate Web services, Telco services, and digital wireless network services all benefit from the principles that will be discussed in these series of articles.

Cluster

Cluster Column:
IMPLEMENTATION GUIDE:
Guide to Installation-Part II: Sun™ Cluster 3.0 Software Management Services (May 2002)
-by Chris Dotson and Steve Lopez
The second in a two-part series, this module details the tasks that must be performed to install the Solaris™ Operating Environment on each cluster node during a Sun™ Cluster 3.0 software installation.
Cluster Column:
IMPLEMENTATION GUIDE:
Guide to Installation-Part I: Sun™ Cluster Management Services (April 2002)
-by Chris Dotson and Steve Lopez
This module contains the tasks that must be performed for installation of Sun™ Cluster 3.0 software. These tasks include setting up the administrative workstation, configuring the Sun Cluster 3.0 software cluster, implementing best practices, performing design verifications, and administering a two-node Sun Cluster 3.0 hardware cluster.
Introduction to SunTone Clustered Database Platforms
-by Ted Persky and Richard Elling
While there appears to be unanimous consent in the industry that a need exists for integrated hardware and software platforms, exactly what constitutes an integrated stack, particularly in the area of clusters and high availability? What best practices should be embraced? What services should one provide? This article provides details on the benefits that can be derived from a clustered Oracle database software stack that has been integrated to best practices and is ready to deploy. Examples in this article highlight Sun's soon-to-be release Clustered Database Platform 280/3.
Automating Sun™ Cluster 3.0 Data Service Setup (February 2002)
-by Tom Bialaski
After installing Sun™ Cluster 3.0 software and performing basic cluster configuration, the next task is to set up the applications or data services for the application to run on the cluster. This procedure involves a number of steps, many of which need to be performed from the command line. Others such as creating a resource group, can be performed through the SunPlex™ GUI. Because these steps require executing complicated commands or traversing through several GUI screens, it is advantageous to write scripts that can simplify and automate the data service and configuration process. Scripts are also a valuable tool to capture work completed in a test environment to ensure consistent deployment on the production network. In addition, scripts are useful to enable less-experienced system administrators to perform complex configuration tasks, or to rebuild systems for multiple testing purposes. To highlight how to architect such scripts, this article illustrates best practices in deploying the HA-NFS data service, for which the agent is contained on the Sun Cluster 3.0 Data Services CD-ROM.
IMPLEMENTATION GUIDE:
Guide to Installation - Hardware Setup (January 2002)
-by Chris Dotson and Steve Lopez
This article provides hardware configuration and installation procedures for each component of a Sun™ Cluster 3.0, two-node cluster. Procedures include commands required to configure the cluster hardware and best practices for achieving higher availability and/or performance for the two-node cluster. Sun's Cluster Platform 220/1000, featuring redundant Sun Enterprise™ 220R servers and Sun StorEdge™ D1000 disk arrays, Terminal Concentrator, and the Sun Cluster 3.0 Administration Workstation is examined. Note: This article is available in PDF format only.
Building Sun based Beowulf Cluster (December 2001)
-by Börje Lindh
This article explains how you can build compute clusters from Sun Microsystems components that competes with Beowulf clusters and above.
Cluster and Complex Design Issues (November 2001)
-by Richard Elling and Tim Read
This is the entire first chapter from the Sun BluePrints Book "Designing Solutions with Sun™ Cluster 3.0." In it, the authors examine how failures occur in complex systems and show methods that contain, isolate, report, and repair failures. Special considerations for clustered systems are discussed, including the impact of caches, timeouts, and the various failure modes, such as split brain, amnesia, and multiple instances.
Writing Scalable Services With Sun™ Cluster 3.0 Software (October 2001)
-by Peter Lees
This article provides an introduction to the supporting features in the Sun™ Cluster 3.0 product release. It also describes both the technical requirements that must be considered when designing and programming an application to the most effective use of the cluster framework. This article also details some of the tools available for creating scalable resources.
Robust Clustering: A Comparison of Sun™ Cluster 3.0 versus Sun Cluster 2.2 Software (September 2001)
-by Tim Read and Don Vance
This article provides a technical comparision between Sun's most recent version of its clustering software and the previous version. The newest version includes numerous new features, which are examined in depth.
Cluster Platform 220/1000 Architecture-A Product from the SunTone™ Platforms Portfolio (August 2001)
-by Enrique Vargas
This article will provide customers a better understanding of this product capabilities by presenting its hardware and software architecture as well as best practices used in integrating the design.

Sun ONE Solutions

Sun™ ONE Portal Server 3.0 Rewriter Configuration and Management Guide (July 2002)
-by Rob Baker
This article provides comprehensive best practices and deployment guidelines for the Sun™ ONE Portal Server 3.0 product, with a specific emphasis on the rewriter component of the Secure Remote Access Gateway (SRAP). The SRAP is a portal server add-on that enables end users to access enterprise web content securely, using only a standard web browser with a Java™ virtual machine. The article highlights best practices for the SRAP and presents methods for configuring it to leverage existing corporate intranet content while enabling flexibility for future growth. These practices allow users to fully utilize this unique feature of the Sun ONE Portal Server product. Detailed knowledge needed for complex Sun ONE Portal Server product deployments involving a vast array of aggregated content and content types are also provided.

Quality

Sun's Quality, Engineering, and Deployment (QED) Test Train Model (August 2002)
-by George Wood
The why and how of Sun's integration and interoperability testing process, known internally as the Solaris™ OE Train, are explained in this article. This long conducted software testing program supports each Solaris Operating Environment (Solaris OE) release and have recently been expanded to include rigorous integration and interoperability testing of key third party software from VERITAS Software and Oracle Corporation, as well as Sun™ Open Net Environment (Sun ONE) software.