+
+ <para><filename>timers.target</filename> is pulled-in
+ by <filename>basic.target</filename> asynchronously.
+ This allows timers units to depend on services which
+ become only available later in boot.</para>
+ </refsect1>
+
+ <refsect1>
+ <title>Bootup in the Initial RAM Disk (initrd)</title>
+ <para>The initial RAM disk implementation (initrd) can
+ be set up using systemd as well. In this case, boot up
+ inside the initrd follows the following
+ structure.</para>
+
+ <para>The default target in the initrd is
+ <filename>initrd.target</filename>. The bootup process
+ begins identical to the system manager bootup (see
+ above) until it reaches
+ <filename>basic.target</filename>. From there, systemd
+ approaches the special target
+ <filename>initrd.target</filename>. If the root device
+ can be mounted at <filename>/sysroot</filename>, the
+ <filename>sysroot.mount</filename> unit becomes active
+ and <filename>initrd-root-fs.target</filename> is
+ reached. The service
+ <filename>initrd-parse-etc.service</filename> scans
+ <filename>/sysroot/etc/fstab</filename> for a possible
+ <filename>/usr</filename> mount point and additional
+ entries marked with the
+ <emphasis>x-initrd.mount</emphasis> option. All
+ entries found are mounted below
+ <filename>/sysroot</filename>, and
+ <filename>initrd-fs.target</filename> is reached. The
+ service <filename>initrd-cleanup.service</filename>
+ isolates to the
+ <filename>initrd-switch-root.target</filename>, where
+ cleanup services can run. As the very last step, the
+ <filename>initrd-switch-root.service</filename> is
+ activated, which will cause the system to switch its
+ root to <filename>/sysroot</filename>.
+ </para>
+
+<programlisting> : (beginning identical to above)
+ :
+ v
+ basic.target
+ | emergency.service
+ ______________________/| |
+ / | v
+ | sysroot.mount <emphasis>emergency.target</emphasis>
+ | |
+ | v
+ | initrd-root-fs.target
+ | |
+ | v
+ v initrd-parse-etc.service
+ (custom initrd |
+ services...) v
+ | (sysroot-usr.mount and
+ | various mounts marked
+ | with fstab option
+ | x-initrd.mount...)
+ | |
+ | v
+ | initrd-fs.target
+ \______________________ |
+ \|
+ v
+ initrd.target
+ |
+ v
+ initrd-cleanup.service
+ isolates to
+ initrd-switch-root.target
+ |
+ v
+ ______________________/|
+ / v
+ | initrd-udevadm-cleanup-db.service
+ v |
+ (custom initrd |
+ services...) |
+ \______________________ |
+ \|
+ v
+ initrd-switch-root.target
+ |
+ v
+ initrd-switch-root.service
+ |
+ v
+ Transition to Host OS</programlisting>