Oracle-Branded-Zones

What is a Branded Zone?

Branded Zones (BrandZ) provides the framework to create non-global zones that contain non-native operating environments. This allows individual zones to emulate an OS environment other than the native one of the global OS. The brand for a zone is set at the time the zone is created, and is implemented with interposition points within the OS kernel that can be used to change the behavior of syscalls, process loading, thread creation, and other elements.

Three brands that can been implemented are

• Solaris Containers for Linux Applications.
• Solaris 8 Containers.
• Solaris 9 Containers.

Definition of Server types
-> Source Server = Server to be migrated or Virtualised.
-> Target Server = Server that will host the Zone post migration or virtualisation.

Flash Archive Migration/Virtualisation

• To utilise the powerful P2V technologies of the Solaris OS to install a Solaris 8 or Solaris 9 Zone, one option is to use a Flash archive (FLAR) copy of the needed parts from a source server.
• FLASH Archive is an Operating system feature, freely available in the Solaris 8, 9 and 10 OS versions.
• The copy will include operating system binaries, configurations and setup from the physical source server.

Required BrandZ pkgs: Target server

• Solaris release on Global Zone is higher or equal to Solaris 10_U6

• The following SUNW pkgs are required on the target server:-

Solaris 9: SUNWs9brandk, SUNWs9brandr and SUNWs9brandu

Solaris 8: SUNWs8brandk, SUNWs8brandr and SUNWs8brandu

• SUNWs[89]brandr and SUNWs[89]brandu are installed as part of an Oracle Solaris 10 installation in the MetaCluster : SUNWCXall or SUNWCall
• SUNWs[89]brandk is only available from Oracle Software Delivery Cloud. It is the RTU licence pkg.

URL:Oracle E-delivery

To obtain the package from the delivery cloud:

• Select product: "Oracle Solaris" and platform "Oracle Solaris on SPARC (64-bit),” and click search, Select Oracle Solaris Legacy Containers to download the package.
• If your Solaris release or metacluster does NOT meet the above requirements, download and install the following patches from MOS

Solaris Container software / Patch Name to download

• Solaris 9 Containers 1.0.1 SPARC- 64 bit / 11842137
• Solaris 9 Containers 1.0.1 SPARC- 32 bit / 11842136
• Solaris 8 Containers 1.0.1 SPARC- 64 bit / 11702874
• Solaris 8 Containers 1.0.1 SPARC- 32 bit / 11702873

• To download the patches login to MOS
• To be able to install a Solaris BrandZ , one option is to use a Flash archive (FLAR) copy of needed parts from Source server.
• The other is to install from a “Ready to Use” Solaris 8 or 9 image from Oracle.

Following patches are recommended for SUNWs8brandr/SUNWs9brandr or SUNWs8brandu/SUNWs9brandu packages on the target server

137137-09 SunOS 5.10: kernel patch

139555-08 SunOS 5.10: Kernel Patch

141444-09 SunOS 5.10: kernel patch

142909-17 SunOS 5.10: kernel patch

144500-19 SunOS 5.10: Solaris kernel patch

145023-LR SunOS 5.10: rc scripts Solaris Containers patch

146834-LR SunOS 5.10: zones resource controls patch

147440-LR SunOS 5.10: Solaris kernel patch

148161-LR SunOS 5.10: Solaris 9 Containers patch

NB! LR is latest release

Required BrandZ patches: Source server

In order to be able to use FLAR the following must be in place in source server:

Solaris 8, SPARC & x86

The following patches must be applied to the Image source.

• Patch 109318-41, SPARC - Patches required with this patch: 108528-05 108993-01 110383-01 110390-01 111098-01 (or greater)

Reboot is required. Use Single User Mode when installing this patch on an active boot environment

• Patch 109319-40, x86 - Patches required with this patch: 108529-05 108994-01 110397-01 110406-01 111099-01 (or greater)

Reboot is required. Use Single User Mode when installing this patch on an active boot environment.

Solaris 9, SPARC & x86

• Patch 113434-40, SPARC - Required Pre-Patch-ID# 114482-04 (no reboot required)

Reboot is required. Use Single User Mode when installing this patch on an active boot environment

• Patch 114196-38, x86 - Required Pre-Patch-ID# 114483-04 (no reboot required)

Reboot is required. Use Single User Mode when installing this patch on an active boot environment

Solaris 10

• Patch 119534-33, SPARC - Patches required with this patch: 119252-18 120199-09 124628-03 (or greater)
• Patch 137046-01, SPARC

Important

• Don't forget to check that the SUNWinst package is installed on the source server. If it's missing e.g. usually on Solaris 8 or 9, then add the package.
• Check the < /etc/release > file for the ”Oracle” syntax on source server. Compare with target server.
• Check the < .platform > file on source server for the sun4v support if migrating to an LDOM. Add the required lines if necessary.

Documentation available from My Oracle Support (MOS)
 "How to Setup Solaris 8 and 9 Containers (Branded Zones) in Solaris 10", [ID 1019682.1]