Sippy Softswitch Installation Overview
Installation is the process of installing the software on the target hardware platform. The installer installs everything necessary to run the softswitch, including the operating system, all software components and the necessary configuration files. Installation consists of the few simple steps outlined below.
Media Preparation
First thing to do is to prepare the installation media. Options for the installation media could be either CD or DVD disk. To prepare the media, download the ISO image file, save it on a local computer and burn it to a blank CD or DVD using your favorite CD-burning software. Make sure to enable the "Check Disk After Burning" option (or equivalent) to make sure the data can be read back from the disk.
Booting Installation Media
The next step is to boot your target hardware from the installation media. Usually, this involves inserting the installation media into a CD or DVD drive and powering on the hardware. Sometimes, it might require going to the BIOS and making changes to the boot order. Please refer to your hardware manual to note your specific requirements.
The following screenshots illustrate the selection of the boot media from the BIOS menu followed by the "Press any key to boot from the CD" prompt.
Welcome Screen
Once the installation program has been loaded (usually takes up to 5 minutes), the welcome screen will appear (see below). Press Next to proceed.
Disk Partitioning
On the next screen the system will allow you to change the amount of disk space allocated for each logical partition and swap file. Unless there is a specific reason to make adjustments, the default values should be accepted. Please note that the /var partition should get most of the disk space, since it contains database data as well as SIP log files.
Recommended values:
/ : 4G or more if you're going to store additional data in root partition
swap : twice higher than RAM but not more than 60G
/usr : 20G or more if there're additional users with /usr/home
/var : the rest of disk space, 20G is minimal value
To proceed with the installation Press Next.
Network Configuration
The next menu allows you to configure the network interface. Please refer to your network administrator or hosting provider for the correct values.
If the hardware device that you are installing on has more than one network interface, it will be listed. You must choose the correct interface that is appropriately connected to your network. If an interface has no cable connected, then an exclamation mark "!" will appear in-front of the interface name. You can see an example of this in the Network Configuration screenshot below; interface em1 is not connected.
Press Next when finished to proceed.
Time Zone Configuration
The next screen allows you to select the server-wide time zone; this will be the time zone in which all log files are created. Generally, it is good idea to set the time zone to match the location of your head office; this will help simplify log inspection. You can move between the region selection list on the left and the country/city selection list on the right using the right and left arrow keys. Use the Tab key to select the "Next" button when done.
Users and Passwords Configuration
On the next menu the installation program allows you to set the password for the UNIX system administrator shell account (root). Here you will also be able to create one non-privileged user shell account and set its password. The root shell account is needed to perform various maintenance tasks in the system and to inspect system logs, while the non-privileged user is necessary to login into server remotely using the SSH (secure socket shell) protocol. By default, for security reasons, the root user is only allowed to log in from the local console. Once logged in, it is possible to switch between root user and non-privileged user through the "su" command. Make sure you remember both passwords and click the "Next" button when finished.
Disk Formatting Confirmation
The next screen is the last page displayed before the installation program performs full formatting of the selected hard drive. At this point no changes have been made to your server, so it is the last chance to go back to select another disk or adjust some parameters. Press "Next" when you are ready to install.
Installation Progress Display
On the next screen the installation program will display the progress of installation. Usually it takes somewhere from 3 to 15 minutes to complete the installation (depending on hardware and type of installation media). When installation has been finished the installation program will display a confirmation message and it will wait for the user to press the Enter or Space key to reboot the machine into the newly installed Softswitch.
Finalizing Installation
When the system reboots, make sure to remove the installation media from the CD/DVD drive. It is also a good idea to check that BIOS settings confirm that the disk where you have installed the software is the first one in the boot order. Refer to your hardware manual on how to enter the BIOS to check or modify the boot order. If everything has been configured correctly, the system should boot to the "login:" prompt as illustrated on the following screenshots.
