> We have a one year contract with Novell until May 2009. > They gave us a unique activation code. They told me to download > the CD1-CD2 disks from their site. > > Can I use the "SUSE Linux Enterprise Server Starter > System for System z" to install it? > I'm confused...
Maybe this will help: The starter system is a prebuilt installation server that you use to create other virtual machines - it contains the disk1 and disk2 images plus a copy of SLES configured to act as a NFS/HTTP/SMB/FTP server to make that data available. It's the functional equivalent of downloading the CD media, setting up a server to provide access to the media, and configuring all the software you need to provide access to the media -- condensed into the single step of downloading the starter system and installing it. You use the installation server as the source to create new virtual machines. Machines that are created from the installation server get the activation codes, because once they're installed, they interact directly with the Novell servers to get updates, etc (unless you set up a local service mirror), and thus need to identify themselves as valid recipients. So, to answer your question -- yes, use the starter system to install a new guest, and when prompted, give it the activation code you got from Novell, and the end product is exactly the same as if you had downloaded the media, found someone to serve it up to you over the network, transferred the boot files, made a boot image, booted SLES from reader or tape, and answered the prompts. You just save a bunch of steps, you don't have to convince anyone to stick a CD or DVD in their machine for two or three hours, and get your virtual machines installed at memory-to-memory speeds instead of just Ethernet speed. All you do is create the new VM userid, LINK NOVSTART 19F 19F RR, ACCESS 19F R, and type SLES. From that point on, you're in the normal SLES installer.
