Solaris Containers (formally zones) cheat sheet

There are two types of zones

global

and

non-global

. The global zone is the server itself and is used as thesystem-wide configuration and control, there can only be one global zone per system. A maximum of 8192 non-global zones can exist on a system, all non-global zones are isolated from each other.There are two type types of non-global zones

spare root zone

whole root zones

whole rootzoneSolaris packages are copied to the zone's private file system. Disk space usage is much greater than using aspare root zonespare root zoneYou can determine how much of the global zone file system you want to be inherited from the global zone.Spare root zones use loopback file systems from global zone.Use the

inherit-pkg-dir

resource to specify which directories to inherit.

Zone States

ConfiguredConfiguration has been completed and storage has been committed. Additional configuration isstill required.IncompleteZone is in this state when it is being installed or uninstalled.InstalledThe zone has a confirmed configuration,

zoneadm

is used to verify the configuration, Solarispackages have been installed, even through it has been installed, it still has no virtual platformassociated with it.Ready (active)Zone's virtual platform is established. The kernel creates the

zsched

process, the networkinterfaces are plumbed and filesystems mounted. The system also assigns a zone ID at this state,but no processes are associated with this zone.Running (active)A zone enters this state when the first user process is created. This is the normal state for anoperational zone.Shutting down + Down(active)Normal state when a zone is being shutdown.

Zone Daemons

zoneadmEach zone will have a zoneadm associated with it and carries out the following actions:allocates the zone ID and starts the zsched processsets system-wide resource controlsprepares the zone's devices if any specified in the zone configurationplumbs the virtual network interfacemounts any loopback or conventional filesystemszschedThe job of the zsched is to keep track of kernel threads running withon the zone.

List zone name

# zonename

List all zones

All the configured zone and there status should be listed.

# zoneadm list -cvID NAME STATUS PATH0 global running /

3 testzone running /zones/testzone

Creating a zone

When creating a zone the zonename must be unique, no longer than 64 characters and is case-sensitive and must begin with aalpha-numeric character. It can include underbars(_), hyphens (-) and periods (.). The name

global

and

SUNW

are reservedwords and cannot be used.

# zonecfg -z testzonetestzone: No such zone configuredUse 'create' to begin configuring a new zone.zonecfg:testzone> createzonecfg:testzone> set zonepath=/zones/testzonezonecfg:testzone> set autoboot=truezonecfg:testzone> infozonepath: /zones/testzoneautoboot: truepool:inherit-pkg-dir:dir: /libinherit-pkg-dir:dir: /platforminherit-pkg-dir:dir: /sbininherit-pkg-dir:dir: /usrzonecfg:testzone> verifyzonecfg:testzone> commitzonecfg:testzone> ^D

The zone will now be created in a installed state, ignore the error at the top as this is just reporting that there isno other testzone.

# zoneadm list -cvID NAME STATUS PATH0 global running /- testzone installed /zones/testzone

/zones can be a filesystem or directory. Although the zone has been create it does not have resouces yet i.e no ipaddress.

Install the zone

Copy the necessary files from the global zone and populate the product database for the zone. While the zone is being installedthe state changes to

incomplete.

# zoneadm –z testzone install# zoneadm list –cvID NAME STATUS PATH0 global running /1 testzone incomplete /zones/testzone

Once the zone is installed the state changes again to

installed

# zoneadm list –cvID NAME STATUS PATH

0 global running /1 testzone installed /zones/testzone

Ready a zone

When the zone is in the ready state it is associated with a virtual platform, network interfaces are plumbed andfilesystems mounted.There is no "ok>" prompt in a zone.

# zoneadm –z testzone ready# zoneadm list –cvID NAME STATUS PATH0 global running /1 testzone ready /zones/testzone

Booting a zone

When you boot a zone the state changes to

running

. When booting a zone it automatically readies the state of azone so youdo not need to ready a zone beforehand.

# zoneadm –z testzone boot# zlogin -C testzone[Connected to zone 'testzone' console][NOTICE: Zone booting up]SunOS Release 5.10 Version Generic 64-bitCopyright 1983-2005 Sun Microsystems, Inc. All rights reserved.Use is subject to license terms.Hostname: ukstsg10ukstsg10 console login:# zoneadm list –cvID NAME STATUS PATH0 global running /4 testzone running /export/home/testzone

You can login to the zones console, use '~.' to exit out of the console. All console messages will be reportedhere as per anormal console, they only difference is there is no "ok>" prompt.The first time a zone is booted you have to finish off the configuration which asks you set language, terminaltype, etc

# zlogin -C testzone

Adding a network resource to a zone

You need to log into the zone for the changes to take effect

# zonecfg –z testzonezonecfg:testzone> add netzonecfg:testzone:net> set address=192.168.0.12zonecfg:testzone:net> set physical=hme0zonecfg:testzone:net> endzonecfg:testzone> exportcreate -b