How To

Creating Zone in
Solaris 11
Prepared By
F. Mohaideen Abdul Kader

Document Type: How To

WIPRO LIMITED

Creating a Zone in Solaris 11

In oracle solaris 10, zones was introduced which gave us an ability to create isolated environments for
applications that can run on a single machine. Solaris 11 has added a lot of new features to the zones
technology. Let us get started and see how we can create a zone in solaris 11.
Pre-requisites:
1. A server with Solaris 11 installed
2. IPS repository
3. ZFS file system to install zone (This is mandatory is Solaris 11)
Configuring the zone
First thing we need is a installation path for the new zone to be created. I am going to create a
filesystem under rpool of global zone.
root@testlab:~# zfs create rpool/zone01
Using zonecfg we will create the new zone, zone01 and assign the necessary resources through the
interactive configuration flow of zonecfg command.
root@testlab:~# zonecfg -z zone01
Use 'create' to begin configuring a new zone.
zonecfg:zone01> create
create: Using system default template 'SYSdefault'
zonecfg:zone01> set zonepath=/rpool/zone01
zonecfg:zone01> set autoboot=true
zonecfg:zone01> set bootargs="-m verbose"
zonecfg:zone01> verify
zonecfg:zone01> commit
zonecfg:zone01> exit
Verify the zone we have created
root@testlab:~# zoneadm list -icv
ID NAME
STATUS PATH
BRAND IP
0 global
running /
solaris shared
- zone01
configured /rpool/zone01
solaris excl
Installing the zone
Before installing the zone make sure you have a IPS repository available to use as Solaris 11 uses IPS
to install the new zone by downloading the installation image from IPS repository. I have a local
repository set in my global zone.

root@testlab:~# pkg publisher

PUBLISHER
TYPE STATUS P LOCATION
solaris
origin online F file:///sol_11_repo/repo/
Now install the zone using below command:
root@testlab:~# zoneadm -z zone01 install
/rpool/zone01 must not be group readable.
/rpool/zone01 must not be group executable.
/rpool/zone01 must not be world readable.
/rpool/zone01 must not be world executable.
changing zonepath permissions to 0700.
Progress being logged to /var/log/zones/zoneadm.20131122T084145Z.zone01.install
Image: Preparing at /rpool/zone01/root.
AI Manifest: /tmp/manifest.xml.C8aOIi
SC Profile: /usr/share/auto_install/sc_profiles/enable_sci.xml
Zonename: zone01
Installation: Starting ...
Creating IPS image
Startup linked: 1/1 done
Installing packages from:
solaris
origin: http://localhost:1008/solaris/ffbe7adc15370eee5e159f41613703a3f440bf35/
DOWNLOAD
PKGS
FILES XFER (MB) SPEED
Completed
183/183 33556/33556 222.2/222.2 560k/s
PHASE
ITEMS
Installing new actions
46825/46825
Updating package state database
Done
Updating image state
Done
Creating fast lookup database
Done
Installation: Succeeded
Note: Man pages can be obtained by installing pkg:/system/manual
done.
Done: Installation completed in 510.747 seconds.
Next Steps: Boot the zone, then log into the zone console (zlogin -C)
to complete the configuration process.
Log saved in non-global zone as
/rpool/zone01/root/var/log/zones/zoneadm.20131122T084145Z.zone01.install

The zone is installed now. Check the status of the installed zone:
root@testlab:~# zoneadm list -icv
ID NAME
STATUS PATH
0 global
running /
- zone01
installed /rpool/zone01

BRAND IP
solaris shared
solaris excl

You can also check the file systems that are created under /rpool/zone01 for the zone01.
root@testlab:~# zfs list |grep zone
rpool/zone01
414M 4.50G 32K /rpool/zone01
rpool/zone01/rpool
414M 4.50G 31K /rpool
rpool/zone01/rpool/ROOT
414M 4.50G 31K legacy
rpool/zone01/rpool/ROOT/solaris
414M 4.50G 390M /rpool/zone01/root
rpool/zone01/rpool/ROOT/solaris/var 24.3M 4.50G 23.7M /rpool/zone01/root/var
rpool/zone01/rpool/VARSHARE
31K 4.50G 31K /var/share
rpool/zone01/rpool/export
62K 4.50G 31K /export
rpool/zone01/rpool/export/home
31K 4.50G 31K /export/home
The ZFS dataset used to create the zones gives us the ability to clone the zones.
Booting the zone
Now the final step is to boot the configured, installed zone and configure the zone using the System
Configuration Tool (SCI).
root@testlab:~# zoneadm -z zone01 boot
root@testlab:~# zlogin -C zone01
[Connected to zone 'zone01' console]

The system configuration tool starts after you press enter. Use ESC + 2 to navigate through the next
screens.

Set the hostname for the zone as zone01 and mode of network configuration as manual.

On the next screen give the IP address to the NIC card net0 and a netmask.

We will not configure any DNS service so select Do not configure DNS.

Select None option for alternate name service.

On the next screens set the time zone according to your location.

Now set the root password. Also if you want any user to be created, you can do it on this screen.

Double check the system configuration summary before going forward.

After this the system will get configured. No need to login as its the console login of the zone. Use ~.
to come out of the console.
Check the status of the zone01 from the global zone. It should be running now.
root@testlab:~# zoneadm list -icv
ID NAME
STATUS PATH
BRAND IP
0 global
running /
solaris shared
1 zone01
running /rpool/zone01
solaris excl
If you check dladm, you would see a virtual NIC created:
root@testlab:~# dladm show-link
LINK
CLASS MTU STATE OVER
net0
phys 1500 up
-zone01/net0
vnic 1500 up
net0
Now login to the zone
root@testlab:~# zlogin zone01
[Connected to zone 'zone01' pts/3]
Oracle Corporation SunOS 5.11 11.1 September 2012
root@zone01:~# uname -a
SunOS zone01 5.11 11.1 i86pc i386 i86pc
Check the network settings:
root@zone01:~# dladm show-link
LINK
CLASS MTU STATE OVER
net0
vnic 1500 up
?
root@zone01:~# ipadm show-addr
ADDROBJ
TYPE STATE
ADDR
lo0/v4
static ok
127.0.0.1/8
net0/v4
static ok
192.168.1.25/24
lo0/v6
static ok
::1/128
net0/v6
addrconf ok
fe80::8:20ff:fe89:4b7c/10
root@zone01:~# ifconfig -a
lo0: flags=2001000849 mtu 8232 index 1
inet 127.0.0.1 netmask ff000000
net0: flags=1000843 mtu 1500 index 2
inet 192.168.1.25 netmask ffffff00 broadcast 192.168.1.255
ether 2:8:20:89:4b:7c
lo0: flags=2002000849 mtu 8252 index 1
inet6 ::1/128
net0: flags=20002004841 mtu 1500 index 2
inet6 fe80::8:20ff:fe89:4b7c/10
ether 2:8:20:89:4b:7c

If you check zfs list, you would only see zfs dataset assigned to zone and not the global file system.
root@zone01:~# zfs list
NAME
USED AVAIL REFER MOUNTPOINT
rpool
441M 4.48G 31K /rpool
rpool/ROOT
441M 4.48G 31K legacy
rpool/ROOT/solaris
441M 4.48G 416M /
rpool/ROOT/solaris/var 24.4M 4.48G 23.8M /var
rpool/VARSHARE
39K 4.48G 39K /var/share
rpool/export
63K 4.48G 32K /export
rpool/export/home
31K 4.48G 31K /export/home
To check the complete configuration details of the zone from non-global zone:
root@testlab:~# zonecfg -z zone01 info
zonename: zone01
zonepath: /rpool/zone01
brand: solaris
autoboot: true
bootargs: -m verbose
file-mac-profile:
pool:
limitpriv:
scheduling-class:
ip-type: exclusive
hostid:
fs-allowed:
anet:
linkname: net0
lower-link: auto
allowed-address not specified
configure-allowed-address: true
defrouter not specified
allowed-dhcp-cids not specified
link-protection: mac-nospoof
mac-address: random
auto-mac-address: 2:8:20:89:4b:7c
mac-prefix not specified
mac-slot not specified
vlan-id not specified
priority not specified
rxrings not specified
txrings not specified
mtu not specified
maxbw not specified
rxfanout not specified
vsi-typeid not specified
vsi-vers not specified

vsi-mgrid not specified

etsbw-lcl not specified
cos not specified
pkey not specified
linkmode not specified