How to configure ZFS (zoning) in Solaris 10

Jan 11, 2013 · Linux · 3 min read

Zones in Solaris server in some way serves the same purpose as virtualization where you are allowed to create several zones which will act as an individual machine.

These are the features of zones in Solaris:

  • Virtualization
  • Solaris Zones can host only instances of Solaris. Not other OSs.
  • Limit of 8192 zones per Solaris host
  • Primary zone(global) has access to ALL zones
  • Non-global zones, do NOT have access to other non-global zones
  • Default non-global zones derive packages from global zone
  • Program isolation - zone1(Apache), zone2(MySQL)
  • Provides 'z' commands to manage zones: zlogin, zonename, zoneadm,zonecfg

Features of Global zone:

  • Solaris ALWAYS boots(cold/warm) to the global zone
  • Knows about ALL hardware devices attached to the system
  • Knows about ALL non-global zones

Features of Non-Global zones:

  • Installed at a location on the filesystem of the GLOBAL zone 'zone root path' /export/home/zones/{zone1,zone2,zone3,...}
  • Share packages with GLOBAL zone
  • Manage distinct hostname and tables files
  • Cannot communicate with other non-global zones by default. NIC must be used, which means, use standard network API(TCP)
  • Global zone admin can delegate non-global zone administration

Steps for configuring non-global zone:

# mkdir /export/home/zones  
# chmod 700 /export/home/zones/testzone1

Creating a zone:

# zonecfg -z testzone1  
zonecfg:testzone1> create  
zonecfg:testzone1> set zonepath=/export/home/zones/testzone1  
zonecfg:testzone1> add net  
zonecfg:testzone1:net> set address=10.10.10.113  
zonecfg:testzone1:net> set physical=e1000g0  
zonecfg:testzone1:net> set defrouter=10.10.10.235  
zonecfg:testzone1:net> info  
net:  
address: 10.10.10.113  
physical: e1000g0  
defrouter: 10.10.10.235  
 zonecfg:testzone1:net> exit  
 Resource incomplete; really quit (y/[n])? n  
 zonecfg:testzone1:net> end  
 zonecfg:testzone1> verify  
 zonecfg:testzone1> commit  
 zonecfg:testzone1> exit

Configuring a zone:

# zonecfg -z testzone1 info  
 zonename: testzone1  
 zonepath: /export/home/zones/testzone1  
 brand: native  
 autoboot: false  
 bootargs:  
 pool:  
 imitpriv:  
 scheduling-class:  
 ip-type: shared  
 inherit-pkg-dir:  
 dir: /lib  
 inherit-pkg-dir:  
 dir: /platform  
 inherit-pkg-dir:  
 dir: /sbin  
 inherit-pkg-dir:  
 dir: /usr  
 net:  
 address: 10.10.10.113  
 physical: e1000g0  
 defrouter: 10.10.10.235

Installing a zone:

bash-3.00# zoneadm -z testzone1 install  
 Preparing to install zone <testzone1>.  
 Creating list of files to copy from the global zone.  
 Preparing to initialize <1090> packages on the zone.  
 Initializing package <622> of <1090>: percent complete: 57%  
 Initialized <1090> packages on zone.  
 Zone <testzone1> is initialized.  
 The file  </export/home/zones/testzone1/root/var/sadm/system/logs/install_log>  
 contains a log of the zone installation.

Booting the zone

bash-3.00# zoneadm -z testzone1 boot  
bash-3.00# zoneadm list -iv  
ID NAME      STATUS   PATH  BRAND  IP  
0  global    running   /    native shared  
1  testzone1 running   /    export/home/zones/testzone1 native shared

Zlogin is used to login to zones

NOTE: each non-global zone maintains a console. Use 'zlogin -C zonename' after installing zone to complete zone configuration

NOTE: Zlogin permits login to non-global zone via the following:
 1. Interactive - i.e. zlogin -l username zonename
 2. Non-interactive - zlogin options command
 3. Console mode - zlogin -C zonename
 4. Safe mode - zlogin -S

Now login to your zone and complete the installation using this command

# zlogin -C testzone1

To reboot the zone

# zoneadm -z testzone1 reboot

To shutdown the zone

# zlogin testzone1 shutdown

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