Chapter 3: Performing System Boot and Shutdown

Overview

Once installed, the Solaris operating system is designed to run continuously so that its resources and services are available to users on a 24 × 7 basis. On occasion, however, you will need to shut down the system and reboot it for such reasons as system configuration changes, scheduled maintenance procedures, or anticipated power outages. Consequently, you need to be familiar with system boot and shutdown procedures. The system boot process is controlled by the boot configuration variables and the system is shutdown by bringing it down to a level where the power can be turned off. At any given time the system is running in a state called the run level defined by the services running on the system. In Solaris 10, most of the services are managed by the Service Management Facility (SMF).

So, the core question to think about in this chapter is: how to manage the system boot and shutdown? In search of an answer to this question, we will explore three thought streams: the boot and shutdown processes, the boot configuration variables, and the relationship of SMF to the run levels.