Hello Fellas!

Here is a good how to build from the Scratch a NIM Server under AIX 6.1. (The operation for version 7.1 stills the same, anyway).

Well, for this environment i dedicate one vg for this NIM as best practices. So, let’s take a look on our vgs:

# lspv
hdisk0          00047ff1211f84d2                    rootvg          active      
hdisk1          00047ff12252331b                    nimvg           active  

Remembering our OS version

# oslevel -s
6100-08-02-1316

Checking fot the NIM packages already installed by default regarding nim environment:

# lslpp -l | grep nim
bos.sysmgt.nim.client     6.1.8.15  COMMITTED  Network Install Manager -
bos.sysmgt.nim.client     6.1.8.15  COMMITTED  Network Install Manager -

So, with our AIX 6.1 cd0 mounted, let’s install the nim SPOT and nim MASTER packages:

# installp -Ld /dev/cd0 | grep nim
X11.Dt:X11.Dt.helpmin:6.1.2.0::I:T:::::N:AIX CDE Minimum Help Files ::::0:0846:
X11.msg.DE_DE:X11.msg.DE_DE.Dt.helpmin:6.1.4.0::I:T:::::N:AIX CDE Minimum Help Files - German (UTF)::::0::
X11.msg.EN_US:X11.msg.EN_US.Dt.helpmin:6.1.4.0::I:T:::::N:AIX CDE Minimum Help Files - U.S. English (UTF)::::0::
X11.msg.FR_FR:X11.msg.FR_FR.Dt.helpmin:6.1.4.0::I:T:::::N:AIX CDE Minimum Help Files - French (UTF)::::0::
X11.msg.IT_IT:X11.msg.IT_IT.Dt.helpmin:6.1.4.0::I:T:::::N:AIX CDE Minimum Help Files - Italian (UTF)::::0::
X11.msg.JA_JP:X11.msg.JA_JP.Dt.helpmin:6.1.4.0::I:T:::::N:AIX CDE Minimum Help Files - Japanese (UTF)::::0::
X11.msg.Ja_JP:X11.msg.Ja_JP.Dt.helpmin:6.1.4.0::I:T:::::N:AIX CDE Minimum Help Files - Japanese::::0::
X11.msg.de_DE:X11.msg.de_DE.Dt.helpmin:6.1.4.0::I:T:::::N:AIX CDE Minimum Help Files - German::::0::
X11.msg.en_US:X11.msg.en_US.Dt.helpmin:6.1.0.0::I:T:::::N:AIX CDE Minimum Help Files - U.S. English::::0:0747:
X11.msg.fr_FR:X11.msg.fr_FR.Dt.helpmin:6.1.4.0::I:T:::::N:AIX CDE Minimum Help Files - French::::0::
X11.msg.it_IT:X11.msg.it_IT.Dt.helpmin:6.1.4.0::I:T:::::N:AIX CDE Minimum Help Files - Italian::::0::
X11.msg.ja_JP:X11.msg.ja_JP.Dt.helpmin:6.1.4.0::I:T:::::N:AIX CDE Minimum Help Files - Japanese IBM-eucJP::::0::
bos.sysmgt:bos.sysmgt.nim.client:6.1.8.15::I:C:::::N:Network Install Manager - Client Tools ::::0:1316:
bos.sysmgt:bos.sysmgt.nim.master:6.1.8.15::I:T:::::N:Network Install Manager - Master Tools ::::0:1316:
bos.sysmgt:bos.sysmgt.nim.spot:6.1.8.15::I:T:::::N:Network Install Manager - SPOT ::::0:1316:

Let’s install first the nim.spot filesets:

# installp -agXd /dev/cd0 bos.sysmgt.nim.spot
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
Pre-installation Verification...
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
Verifying selections...done
Verifying requisites...done
Results... SUCCESSES --------- Filesets listed in this section passed pre-installation verification and will be installed. Selected Filesets ----------------- bos.sysmgt.nim.spot 6.1.8.15 # Network Install Manager - SPOT << End of Success Section >> +-----------------------------------------------------------------------------+ BUILDDATE Verification ... +-----------------------------------------------------------------------------+ Verifying build dates...done FILESET STATISTICS ------------------ 1 Selected to be installed, of which: 1 Passed pre-installation verification ---- 1 Total to be installed +-----------------------------------------------------------------------------+ Installing Software... +-----------------------------------------------------------------------------+ installp: APPLYING software for: bos.sysmgt.nim.spot 6.1.8.15 . . . . . << Copyright notice for bos.sysmgt >> . . . . . . . Licensed Materials - Property of IBM 5765G6200 Copyright International Business Machines Corp. 1993, 2013. All rights reserved. US Government Users Restricted Rights - Use, duplication or disclosure restricted by GSA ADP Schedule Contract with IBM Corp. . . . . . << End of copyright notice for bos.sysmgt >>. . . . Finished processing all filesets. (Total time: 16 secs). +-----------------------------------------------------------------------------+ Summaries: +-----------------------------------------------------------------------------+ Installation Summary -------------------- Name Level Part Event Result ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- bos.sysmgt.nim.spot 6.1.8.15 USR APPLY SUCCESS #

Then, we can install the nim.master filesets:

# installp -agXd /dev/cd0 bos.sysmgt.nim.master
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
Pre-installation Verification...
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
Verifying selections...done
Verifying requisites...done
Results...

SUCCESSES
---------
Filesets listed in this section passed pre-installation verification
and will be installed.

Selected Filesets
-----------------
bos.sysmgt.nim.master 6.1.8.15 # Network Install Manager - Ma...

<< End of Success Section >>

+-----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
BUILDDATE Verification ...
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
Verifying build dates...done
FILESET STATISTICS
------------------
1 Selected to be installed, of which:
1 Passed pre-installation verification
----
1 Total to be installed

+-----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
Installing Software...
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------------+

installp: APPLYING software for:
bos.sysmgt.nim.master 6.1.8.15

. . . . . << Copyright notice for bos.sysmgt >> . . . . . . .
Licensed Materials - Property of IBM

5765G6200
Copyright International Business Machines Corp. 1993, 2013.

All rights reserved.
US Government Users Restricted Rights - Use, duplication or disclosure
restricted by GSA ADP Schedule Contract with IBM Corp.
. . . . . << End of copyright notice for bos.sysmgt >>. . . .

Successfully updated the Kernel Authorization Table.
Successfully updated the Kernel Role Table.
Successfully updated the Kernel Command Table.
Successfully updated the Kernel Device Table.
Successfully updated the Kernel Object Domain Table.
Successfully updated the Kernel Domains Table.
Finished processing all filesets. (Total time: 42 secs).

+-----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
Summaries:
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------------+

Installation Summary
--------------------
Name Level Part Event Result
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
bos.sysmgt.nim.master 6.1.8.15 USR APPLY SUCCESS

After this 2 operations, we may have the filesets needed for the nim server configuration:

# lslpp -l | grep nim
bos.sysmgt.nim.client     6.1.8.15  COMMITTED  Network Install Manager -
bos.sysmgt.nim.master     6.1.8.15  COMMITTED  Network Install Manager -
bos.sysmgt.nim.spot       6.1.8.15  COMMITTED  Network Install Manager - SPOT
bos.sysmgt.nim.client     6.1.8.15  COMMITTED  Network Install Manager -

Starting the setup (using smit – easier):

# smit nim

Image 1.

1. Select: Configure the NIM Environment

Image 2.

1. Select: Configure a Basic NIM Environment (Easy Startup)

Image 3.

1. Primary Network Interface for the NIM Master: Choose the network card used for the NIM network connection;
2. Input device for installation images: In our case, i choose cd0 as the mounted AIX 6.1 ISO from the VIOS;
3. LPP SOURCE Name: I Choose AIX61DISK1LPP to inform that this is the Disk 1 for the AIX 6.1 Installation media;
4. Filesystem SIZE (MB): 4000 = 4GB (The size of the ISO file);
5. VOLUME GROUP for new filesystem: nimvg (as the vg created for holding the files);

Image 4.

1. SPOT Name: I choose AIX61DISK1SPOT to identify what the spot is about;
2. Filesystem SIZE (MB): 650, as the space for swap files during installation/processing. The minimum is 500M.
3. VOLUME GROUP for new filesystem: Again the nimvg as the vg defined for this use.

Image 5.

1. Remove all newly added NIM definitions and filesystems if any part of this operation fails?: Yes, in case of fails, bring everything to the same place.

Image 6.

After all setting being inputed, hit enter, and start the Resource creation. (Be carefully, umount the /dev/cd0 to avoid mounting problems if using this drive as source for this LPP).

Image 7.

(After some time… ) Installation Finish.

So, next part we will talk about creating new LPP/SPOT resources. It’ll be available soon, stay tunned!