NIM Install Methods

7/31/2019 NIM Install Methods

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METHOD 1How to setup NIM Master

Introduction

In an environment with many AIX systems, installing, upgrading, and maintaining softwarecan become cumbersome and time consuming. Network Installation Manager provides aneasy, efficient way to install, upgrade, and even maintain your AIX systems over the network,while reducing down time. You can use Network Installation Manager to remotely manage AIXinstallations and upgrades on several systems without using AIX CDs.

You can also use Network Installation Manager to install several AIX machines simultaneously.Network Installation Manager filesets are included in the base AIX CDs. The NetworkInstallation Manager client fileset gets installed with the standard AIX installation, but theserver filesets need to be installed separately from the CD.

Configuring a Network Installation Manager serverTo configure a Network Installation Manager server:

1. Log in as root.2. Run the following command to ensure that these filesets are installed:

# lslpp -l | grep nim

bos.sysmgt.nim.client 5.3.0.50 COMMITTED Network Install Manager -

bos.sysmgt.nim.master 5.3.0.50 COMMITTED Network Install Manager -

bos.sysmgt.nim.spot 5.3.0.50 COMMITTED Network Install Manager SPOT

If the above filesets are not installed, install them from Volume 1 of the AIX base CDsbefore proceeding.

3. Create a Network Installation Manager Master, as follows:

# smitty nim

4. Select Configure the Network Installation Manager Environment, and you shouldsee the panel shown below.


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5. Select Configure a Basic Network Installation Manager Environment (EasyStartup) to get the following menu.

6. To select Primary Network Interface for the Network Installation Manager Master,use the F4 function key. It lists the network interfaces. Select the network interface thatyou are using to put your system on the network. In this example, it's en0, as shownbelow.


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7. Volume 1 of the base AIX CDs is in the CD-ROM drive of the system, as highlightedbelow.

Also on this panel are:

LPP_SOURCE NameAn lpp_source is a directory similar to AIX installation CDs. It contains AIX licensedprogram products in backup file format. Every resource has a unique identifiable name.


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By default, the lpp_source name has the name lpp_source1, but you can change it tosomething more meaningful so that you can easily identify it.

For example, if you are creating an AIX 5.3-TL06 lpp_source, you can use the nameLPP53-TL06 instead of the default name.LPP_SOURCE DirectoryThe directory where the lppsource resides on your Network Installation Manager

server. By default, it will be in /export/lpp_source. (If it doesnt exist, NetworkInstallation Manager creates this file system.) However, you can change it to whereveryou choose. You can create your own file system, or even use a directory under anexisting file system.

Leave everything else as the default and press Enter. If the above runs successfully, it shouldcreate a Network Installation Manager server environment on this system. If it fails, then the/smit.log should have a message about why it failed.

The Network Installation Manager Master server AIX level should always be higher or at thesame level, as the lppsource AIX image it is serving.

In this example, if you used AIX 5.3-TL06 CDs to create lpp_source, then the NetworkInstallation Manager Master server has to be at, or above, AIX 5.3-TL06.

Configuring a Network Installation Manager client1. Log in as root.2. Enter:

# smitty nim

The following menu appears (see Figure below). The Network Installation Manager Masterclient menu is different from the Network Installation Manager Master server menu

3. Select Configure Network Installation Manager Client Fileset, and you should seethe following panel.


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4. For Machine Name, enter the hostname of the client.

5. For Primary Network Install Interface, press F4 to get the network interface that you

want to use for the Network Installation Manager Master client. This example usesen0, as shown below.

6. For Host Name Network Install Master, give the host name (fully qualified) of theNetwork Installation Manager Master server.

Leave all the other defaults and press Enter.


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METHOD. 2

1. Verify the user ulimit set to appropriately

2. If it is not set properly please use the following screen shots as guidelines tochange it.


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3. Verify Name Resolution for NIM Server


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4. Verify Name Resolution for NIM Client

5. Required filesets providing NIM Server support

7. Create a separate filing system for NIM database


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8. Create a separate directory for AIX NIM objects. Set proper permissions andmount filing system. Create directory for image being supported.

9. Create or copy a mksysb image


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10. Resulting mksysb image size = 1.9G Standard JFS filing system

maximum = 2G. JFS2 should be used for images over 2G. Shell setting forulimit must be unlimited.

11. Create NIM Master Database Environment.


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12. Define NIM Master Communication DeviceConfigure Primary Communication Network

Network Name user defined

Network Interface available ethernet adapter


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13. NIM Master Database Process Subsystems

NIM process subsystems created and started

14. Define AIX Resource used for Client InstallationDefine the source mksysb as a Resource

a. Creating a NIM object in database

b. Identifying object as a mksysb image

c. Identifying server as a NIM Master

d. Location of source mksysb image

e. Name of object being created in database

15. Create NIM Master Database

16. Creating installation files and scripts (SPOT)

a. Location of spot resource being created

b. Pointer to source used to create the SPOT

c. Name of the SPOT resource being created


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17. Verify NIM resources were created

18. Add NIM Client and Communication deviceDefine NIM Client partition


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19. Create the NIM installation file bos_inst


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Documents

NIM Install Methods