SmartOS

SmartOS is an OpenIndiana-based operating system specifically crafted to be deployed on server machines. It is comprised of the four most revolutionary OS technologies of the past decade: ZFS, KVM, DTrace and Zones.

The operating system reviewed here is not Linux or BSD, it’s a Solaris one that provides users with an arbitrarily observable and highly multi-tenant server environment, built on an enterprise-grade and reliable storage stack.

State-of-the-art features

It can easily turn any server machine into a highly efficient hosting platform for machine-to-machine, multi-tenant, or storage apps, as it features unique and innovative utilities for software developers, data center operators and service providers alike.

Using ZFS, one of the most resilient and reliable file system for carrier and enterprise applications, SmartOS provides storage pools, adaptive replacement caching (ARC), end-to-end data validation, and copy-on-write filesystem snapshots.

As mentioned, it uses the Crossbow (dladm) software for network virtualization, the ZFS filesystem for storage virtualization, Zones for containment and virtualization, SMF for service management, DTrace for introspection, and BSM/RBAC for role based security and auditing.

Great availability

It is available for download as a USB image, VMWare virtual machine, platform archive, as well as a Live CD ISO image that supports only 64-bit hardware platforms and can be deployed on both USB sticks and CD discs.

There are five different options to chose from on the boot prompt of the Live CD, allowing users to run the OS in text mode with or without the ability to install it, with kmdb (kernel debugger), as well as in ttya mode with or without kmdb.

The operating system seems to be based on SunOS 5.11, and will asks users if they want to configure the live environment from the get-go. For example, they will be able to add an IP address, netmask, gateway, DNS, NTP, and domain name.

Bottom line

SmartOS is a really smart and modern operating system based on Solaris and state-of-the-art technologies, such as ZFS, DTrace, Zones or KVM. It’s the perfect OS for servers!

What is new in this release:

• Persistent setup on boot: creates a zpool and datasets for /var, /etc/zones, /etc/ssh, /zones
• /usr/sbin/create-machine : allows you to define & install a vm or zone via a json file, greatly simplifying use of the joyent brand
• vmadm : simplified vm management utility allowing better control & interrogation of vms (documentation coming, but invoked without options will give usage)
• networking persistence : define it once ( via the dataset setup ), next reboot it's there
• ssh host key persistence : no more errors from ssh
• zone persistence
• root's password can now be changed from the default of ‘root'

What is new in version 20180621:

• Persistent setup on boot: creates a zpool and datasets for /var, /etc/zones, /etc/ssh, /zones
• /usr/sbin/create-machine : allows you to define & install a vm or zone via a json file, greatly simplifying use of the joyent brand
• vmadm : simplified vm management utility allowing better control & interrogation of vms (documentation coming, but invoked without options will give usage)
• networking persistence : define it once ( via the dataset setup ), next reboot it's there
• ssh host key persistence : no more errors from ssh
• zone persistence
• root's password can now be changed from the default of ‘root'

What is new in version :

• Persistent setup on boot: creates a zpool and datasets for /var, /etc/zones, /etc/ssh, /zones
• /usr/sbin/create-machine : allows you to define & install a vm or zone via a json file, greatly simplifying use of the joyent brand
• vmadm : simplified vm management utility allowing better control & interrogation of vms (documentation coming, but invoked without options will give usage)
• networking persistence : define it once ( via the dataset setup ), next reboot it's there
• ssh host key persistence : no more errors from ssh
• zone persistence
• root's password can now be changed from the default of ‘root'

What is new in version 20171123:

• Persistent setup on boot: creates a zpool and datasets for /var, /etc/zones, /etc/ssh, /zones
• /usr/sbin/create-machine : allows you to define & install a vm or zone via a json file, greatly simplifying use of the joyent brand
• vmadm : simplified vm management utility allowing better control & interrogation of vms (documentation coming, but invoked without options will give usage)
• networking persistence : define it once ( via the dataset setup ), next reboot it's there
• ssh host key persistence : no more errors from ssh
• zone persistence
• root's password can now be changed from the default of ‘root'

What is new in version 20171109:

• Persistent setup on boot: creates a zpool and datasets for /var, /etc/zones, /etc/ssh, /zones
• /usr/sbin/create-machine : allows you to define & install a vm or zone via a json file, greatly simplifying use of the joyent brand
• vmadm : simplified vm management utility allowing better control & interrogation of vms (documentation coming, but invoked without options will give usage)
• networking persistence : define it once ( via the dataset setup ), next reboot it's there
• ssh host key persistence : no more errors from ssh
• zone persistence
• root's password can now be changed from the default of ‘root'

What is new in version 20170706:

• Persistent setup on boot: creates a zpool and datasets for /var, /etc/zones, /etc/ssh, /zones
• /usr/sbin/create-machine : allows you to define & install a vm or zone via a json file, greatly simplifying use of the joyent brand
• vmadm : simplified vm management utility allowing better control & interrogation of vms (documentation coming, but invoked without options will give usage)
• networking persistence : define it once ( via the dataset setup ), next reboot it's there
• ssh host key persistence : no more errors from ssh
• zone persistence
• root's password can now be changed from the default of ‘root'

What is new in version 20170608:

• Persistent setup on boot: creates a zpool and datasets for /var, /etc/zones, /etc/ssh, /zones
• /usr/sbin/create-machine : allows you to define & install a vm or zone via a json file, greatly simplifying use of the joyent brand
• vmadm : simplified vm management utility allowing better control & interrogation of vms (documentation coming, but invoked without options will give usage)
• networking persistence : define it once ( via the dataset setup ), next reboot it's there
• ssh host key persistence : no more errors from ssh
• zone persistence
• root's password can now be changed from the default of ‘root'

What is new in version 20170413:

• Persistent setup on boot: creates a zpool and datasets for /var, /etc/zones, /etc/ssh, /zones
• /usr/sbin/create-machine : allows you to define & install a vm or zone via a json file, greatly simplifying use of the joyent brand
• vmadm : simplified vm management utility allowing better control & interrogation of vms (documentation coming, but invoked without options will give usage)
• networking persistence : define it once ( via the dataset setup ), next reboot it's there
• ssh host key persistence : no more errors from ssh
• zone persistence
• root's password can now be changed from the default of ‘root'

What is new in version 20170315:

• Persistent setup on boot: creates a zpool and datasets for /var, /etc/zones, /etc/ssh, /zones
• /usr/sbin/create-machine : allows you to define & install a vm or zone via a json file, greatly simplifying use of the joyent brand
• vmadm : simplified vm management utility allowing better control & interrogation of vms (documentation coming, but invoked without options will give usage)
• networking persistence : define it once ( via the dataset setup ), next reboot it's there
• ssh host key persistence : no more errors from ssh
• zone persistence
• root's password can now be changed from the default of ‘root'

What is new in version 20170302:

• Persistent setup on boot: creates a zpool and datasets for /var, /etc/zones, /etc/ssh, /zones
• /usr/sbin/create-machine : allows you to define & install a vm or zone via a json file, greatly simplifying use of the joyent brand
• vmadm : simplified vm management utility allowing better control & interrogation of vms (documentation coming, but invoked without options will give usage)
• networking persistence : define it once ( via the dataset setup ), next reboot it's there
• ssh host key persistence : no more errors from ssh
• zone persistence
• root's password can now be changed from the default of ‘root'

What is new in version 20170202:

• Persistent setup on boot: creates a zpool and datasets for /var, /etc/zones, /etc/ssh, /zones
• /usr/sbin/create-machine : allows you to define & install a vm or zone via a json file, greatly simplifying use of the joyent brand
• vmadm : simplified vm management utility allowing better control & interrogation of vms (documentation coming, but invoked without options will give usage)
• networking persistence : define it once ( via the dataset setup ), next reboot it's there
• ssh host key persistence : no more errors from ssh
• zone persistence
• root's password can now be changed from the default of ‘root'

What is new in version 20141212:

• Persistent setup on boot: creates a zpool and datasets for /var, /etc/zones, /etc/ssh, /zones
• /usr/sbin/create-machine : allows you to define & install a vm or zone via a json file, greatly simplifying use of the joyent brand
• vmadm : simplified vm management utility allowing better control & interrogation of vms (documentation coming, but invoked without options will give usage)
• networking persistence : define it once ( via the dataset setup ), next reboot it's there
• ssh host key persistence : no more errors from ssh
• zone persistence
• root's password can now be changed from the default of ‘root'