Disks and Partitioning


This panel enables you to choose a disk, or a partition on a disk, as the installation target. The panel also enables you to make adjustments to the partition layout, such as deleting existing partitions or creating a Solaris partition. 

Minimum size and recommended minimum size for installation of the Oracle Solaris operating system (OS) are displayed in this panel. 


Procedure

1. Select a disk.

	This panel displays internal disks, external disks, and non-traditional "disks," including storage cards, that are available on the system. When a disk is selected in this panel, the existing partitions for that disk are displayed. 	

	Note: For details about a disk, move the cursor over the disk icon. A popup window provides disk specifications. Disks that are too small for a successful installation are labeled as such. 

2. Select either "Use the whole disk" or "Partition the disk."

	CAUTION: If you select "Use the whole disk", the entire disk will be erased during the installation and overwritten with the new Oracle Solaris OS in GPT format.

	CAUTION:  If you select "Partition the disk", and the existing partition table cannot be read, the panel displays proposed GPT partitioning. In this case, all existing data on the disk will be destroyed during the installation and overwritten with the new Oracle Solaris OS in GPT format.

	If you selected "Use the whole disk", you can press Next and go to the next panel. If you selected "Partition the disk," continue with the following steps as needed.

3. Set up a Solaris partition to use for the installation or accept the suggested partition specifications. 

	IMPORTANT: The installer uses GPT formatting when installing onto a whole disk or an unformatted disk. However, existing GPT partitions or DOS partitions are retained by default and displayed in this panel, so you can retain and install into an existing partition.

	When you select "Partition the disk," the panel displays the existing GPT partitions or DOS partitions for the selected disk. Partitions are displayed in the same order that they are laid out on the disk. The partition type, current size, and maximum available disk space for each partition are also displayed. If there is an existing Solaris partition, that partition is selected by default as the installation target. You must install into a Solaris partition.

	Note: If you use an existing Solaris partition as the installation target, and you do not change the other partitions, the Solaris partition is overwritten during the installation and the other existing partitions are not changed.

	* If the disk contains existing DOS partitions, up to four DOS primary partitions are displayed. If a DOS extended partition exists, its logical partitions are also displayed in the disk layout order within the extended partition. Only one Solaris partition is allowed, and that Solaris partition must be used for the installation. The Solaris partition can be a logical partition within an extended partition.

	Note: A DOS partition cannot be larger than 2 TB, in order to be used for installing the operating system. For disks larger than 2 TB, use GPT partitioning.

	* If the disk contains existing GPT partitions, the GPT partitions are displayed. Up to 7 GPT partitions are supported. You can create one or more Solaris partitions during the installation, but you must choose one Solaris partition as the installation target. If there are multiple, existing Solaris GPT partitions, the first suitable Solaris GPT partition will be chosen by default as the installation target.

	LINUX-SWAP INSTRUCTIONS: If you used a third-party DOS partitioning tool, then this screen displays a DOS partition named Linux-swap on which you can install the Oracle Solaris OS. Change the Linux-swap DOS partition type in the dropdown box to Solaris2.

	For further information, see "Additional Partitioning Instructions" below.

4. Optional: After you have set up a Solaris partition to be used as the installation target, you can further modify the overall partition layout in this panel. See "Additional Partitioning Instructions" below.

	Note: The changes you make will be implemented during the installation. You can cancel your modifications by pressing the Reset button in the Disk panel.

5. When you have completed your selections, press Next to continue.


Additional Partitioning Instructions

In the Disk panel, you can select any of the following options to accept or revise the partition setup:

	* You can use the existing Solaris partition with the current size as the installation target. 

	* If there is available space, you can resize a Solaris partition or a DOS extended partition by typing a new size, up to the displayed available space, for that partition.
	
	Note: The available space contains any contiguous unused space before or after the selected partition. If you enlarge a partition, unused space after the partition is used first. Then, unused space before the partition is used, changing the starting sector or cylinder of the selected partition.

	* If there is no existing Solaris partition, you must select a partition and change its type to Solaris by changing the dropdown menu selection for that partition to Solaris. During installation, this modification erases the existing partition contents. You can resize the new Solaris partition. 

	* You can reduce the size of an existing Solaris partition or an existing DOS extended partition. But, if you reduce a partition size or change it's type, the existing partition contents will be erased during installation. Otherwise, existing partition contents are preserved during installation. 

	* You can delete any partition by changing its partition type dropdown selection to Unused. During installation, the existing partition contents are erased, and the resultant unused space is made available to adjacent partitions.

	* For existing DOS partitions, if you want to install to a different partition, you must first delete any existing Solaris partition by changing its type to Unused in the dropdown menu. Then, you can select another partition and change its type to Solaris in the dropdown menu. 

	* If you want to create a new Solaris partition within a DOS extended partition, the procedure is similar to the procedure described in the prior bullet. First, delete the existing Solaris partition, if one exists, by changing its type to Unused in the dropdown menu. Then, create a new extended partition, if one does not exist, by changing the partition type to Extended in the dropdown menu. You can resize the extended partition. Then, change one of the logical partitions in the extended partition to a Solaris partition. You can enlarge the logical partition up to the size of the containing extended partition. 

	Note: You can create one new DOS extended partition, if one does not exist, without making that partition the Solaris installation target.  Just change the existing partition type to Extended in the dropdown menu. Only one extended partition is allowed. You can resize the extended partition.