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unixwerk > AIX > nimserver March 4, 2011

unixwerk Cr eate a NIM Ser ver f rom Scratch

Contents
AIX
1. Introduction
BSD 2. Install NIM Master filesets
3. Create filesystems
HP-UX 4. Initialize NIM
5. Create basic NIM resources
Linux 5.1 Create LPP source from DVD
5.2 Create Spot
Solaris
5.3 Create Scripts
6. Create an Installation Image
Others
A. Useful commands
Un*x B. Related Information

Topics

1. Introduction
AIX 7.1 is out. SP2 is already existing. Time to evaluate AIX 7.1 for productive use. And time to
create a new NIM server to serve AIX 7.1.
Guestbook
This article assumes that the LPAR you want to use as a NIM server is already installed with AIX
Contact 7.1 SP2.

Archive

2. Install NIM Master filesets

master# smitty install_latest

Install Software
Ty+--------------------------------------------------------------------------+
Pr| SOFTWARE to install |
| |
[T| Move cursor to desired item and press F7. Use arrow keys to scroll. |
* | ONE OR MORE items can be selected. |
* | Press Enter AFTER making all selections. |
| |
| [MORE...537] |
| @ 7.1.0.0 Filesystem Quota Commands |
| @ 7.1.0.0 License Management |
| @ 7.1.0.0 Network Install Manager - Client Tools |
| > + 7.1.0.0 Network Install Manager - Master Tools |
| > + 7.1.0.0 Network Install Manager - SPOT |
| @ 7.1.0.0 Software Trace Service Aids |
| @ 7.1.0.0 System Backup and BOS Install Utilities |
| @ 7.1.0.0 System Management Interface Tool (SMIT) |
| [MORE...1188] |
[M| |

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| F1=Help F2=Refresh F3=Cancel |

F1| F7=Select F8=Image F10=Exit |
F5| Enter=Do /=Find n=Find Next |
F9+--------------------------------------------------------------------------+

3. Create Filesystems
First we create the NIM volume group, the loglv, and the base filesystem for the NIM resources:

master# mkvg -f -S -s 32 -y nim_master hdisk1

master# mklv -t jfs2log -y nim_jfs2log nim_master 16
master# logform /dev/nim_jfs2log
logform: destroy /dev/rnim_jfs2log (y)?y
master# mklv -t jfs2 -y nim_base nim_master 2
master# crfs -v jfs2 -d /dev/nim_base -m /nim -p rw -A yes -u NIM
master# mount /nim

Then we create a filesystem for installation images:

master# mklv -t jfs2 -y nim_images nim_master 200

master# crfs -v jfs2 -d /dev/nim_images -m /nim/images -p rw -A yes -u NIM
master# mount /nim/images

... a filesystems for LPP sources...

master# mklv -t jfs2 -y nim_lppsrc nim_master 200

master# crfs -v jfs2 -d /dev/nim_lppsrc -m /nim/lppsource -p rw -A yes -u NIM
master# mount /nim/lppsource

... and a filesystem for the spots:

master# mklv -t jfs2 -y nim_spot nim_master 30

master# crfs -v jfs2 -d /dev/nim_spot -m /nim/spot -p rw -A yes -u NIM
master# mount /nim/spot

Let's check what we created:

master# df
Filesystem 512-blocks Free %Used Iused %Iused Mounted on
/dev/hd4 393216 4976 99% 10019 88% /
/dev/hd2 4063232 427232 90% 42567 46% /usr
/dev/hd9var 786432 244304 69% 5720 17% /var
/dev/hd3 1572864 850168 46% 159 1% /tmp
/dev/hd1 131072 129880 1% 62 1% /home
/dev/hd11admin 262144 261384 1% 5 1% /admin
/proc - - - - - /proc
/dev/hd10opt 786432 398288 50% 7253 14% /opt
/dev/livedump 524288 523552 1% 4 1% /var/adm/ras/livedum
/dev/nim_base 131072 130328 1% 8 1% /nim
/dev/nim_images 13107200 13104544 1% 4 1% /nim/images

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/dev/nim_lppsrc 13107200 13104544 1% 4 1% /nim/lppsource

/dev/nim_spot 1966080 1965120 1% 4 1% /nim/spot

4. Initialize NIM
Let's say our NIM server's ethernet interface for NIM tasks is en6 and is configured with the IP
address 10.255.127.10 and a subnet mask of 255.255.255.0, then we can initialize the NIM server
with a command like this:

master# nimconfig -a netname=net_10_255_127 -a pif_name=en6 -a netboot_kernel=

-a cable_type=tp -a client_reg=no
0513-071 The nimesis Subsystem has been added.
0513-071 The nimd Subsystem has been added.
0513-059 The nimesis Subsystem has been started. Subsystem PID is 7340138.

After initialization there are already some base NIM resources configured:

master# lsnim
master machines master
boot resources boot
nim_script resources nim_script
net_10_255_127 networks ent

5. Create Basic NIM Resources

Three types of basic resources have to be created:

an LPP source (NIM object of type lppsource)

a SPOT (NIM object of type spot)
NIM scripts (NIM objects of type script and fb_script)

5.1 Create LPP source from DVD

First we want to create an LPP source from an AIX 7.1 installation DVD. As a first step we copy the
files to our target filesystem (/nim/lppsource) using bffcreate. Since we want to be able to
serve more than one LPP source we decide to store the files in a subfolder lpp_aix710:

master# mkdir /nim/lppsource/lpp_aix710

master# smitty bffcreate

| Copy Software to Hard Disk for Future Installation

|
| Type or select values in entry fields.
| Press Enter AFTER making all desired changes.
| [Entry Fields]
| * INPUT device / directory for software /dev/cd0
| * SOFTWARE package to copy [all]
| * DIRECTORY for storing software package [/nim/lppsource/lpp_a
| DIRECTORY for temporary storage during copying [/tmp]
| EXTEND file systems if space needed? yes

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| Process multiple volumes? yes

There is no TL out yet for AIX 7.1 only Service Packs are available. In the below example we
assume that we stored the filesets for SP2 under /tmp/ibmfixes/710/tl00/sp02. We now
copy the filesets into the LPP source. Please note the target directory in the example below!

master# smitty bffcreate

| Copy Software to Hard Disk for Future Installation

|
| Type or select values in entry fields.
| Press Enter AFTER making all desired changes.
| [Entry Fields]
| * INPUT device / directory for software /tmp/ibmfixes/710/tl
| * SOFTWARE package to copy [all]
| * DIRECTORY for storing software package [/nim/lppsource/lpp_a
| DIRECTORY for temporary storage during copying [/tmp]
| EXTEND file systems if space needed? yes
| Process multiple volumes? yes

If there would be a TL out we had to do this step twice - once for the TL and another time for the
SP.

Now we are ready to define the LPP source:

master# cd /nim/lppsource/lpp_aix710/installp/ppc
master# inutoc .
master# nim -o define -t lpp_source \
-a server=master \
-a location=/nim/lppsource/lpp_aix710 \
-a comments='Full AIX 7100-00-02 source' \
lpp_aix710

To save some space we remove superseeded filesets and language bloat:

master# smitty nim_lppmgr

| Eliminate Unnecessary Software Images in an lpp_source

| Type or select values in entry fields.
| Press Enter AFTER making all desired changes.
| [Entry Fields]
| TARGET lpp_source lpp_aix710
| PREVIEW only? no
| REMOVE DUPLICATE software yes
| REMOVE SUPERSEDED updates yes
| REMOVE LANGUAGE software yes
| PRESERVE language [en_US]
| REMOVE NON-SIMAGES software no
| SAVE removed files no
| DIRECTORY for storing saved files []
| EXTEND filesystems if space needed? yes

If you want to keep the language filesets set REMOVE LANGUAGE software to no.

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5.2 Create Spot

After we successfully created the LPP source we are ready to create a spot from the source:

master# nim -o define -t spot \

-a server=master \
-a source=lpp_aix710 \
-a location=/nim/spot \
-a comments='Spot created from lpp_aix710' \
spot_aix710

Note that we didn't use a separate path name for our spot under location - just /nim/spot! NIM
automatically appends the objectname (spot_aix710 here) to the path. You would find the spot
under /nim/spot/spot_aix710/usr.

5.3 Create Scripts

Let's say we have a first boot script called fb_aix7.sh and a postinstall script called aix7_post.sh in
place, then we have to define two more NIM resources:

Firstboot Script

master# vi fb_aix7.sh
master# chmod ug+x fb_aix7.sh
master# nim -o define -t fb_script \
-a server=master \
-a comments='Firstboot script for AIX 7' \
-a location=/nim/scripts/fb_aix7.sh \
fb_aix7

Postinstall Script

master# vi aix7_post.sh
master# chmod ug+x aix7_post.sh
master# nim -o define -t script \
-a server=master \
-a comments='Postinstall script for AIX 7 installations' \
-a location=/nim/scripts/aix7_post.sh \
script_aix7_post

6. Create an Installation Image

This step is only required if you intend to install your servers from an mksysb image rather than
from an LPP source.

In order to define an MKSYSB resource you need an mksysb from an existing AIX7 installation.
Copy it over to the NIM master. If there is no AIX7 server in your environment you have two
options:

1. Create an mksysb image from your NIM master (you should do this before you configure
the server as a NIM master!)
2. Do an LPP installation of a spare LPAR, do your site customization, and create a mksysb
from this server

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Once you have a mksysb image of an AIX 7.1 SP2 server in place you can define the NIM resource
with a command like this:

master# nim -o define -t mksysb \

-a server=master \
-a comments='Mksysb AIX 7.1 TL0 SP2 - created 22.12.2010' \
-a location=/nim/install_images/mksysb_aix710-sp02_test \
mksysb_aix710-sp02_test

Appendix

A. Useful Commands

This is only a brief and selective list of commands that might be useful if you setup a NIM server. If
you need to find more commands please refer to the NIM Commands overview.

remove a resource:
nim -o remove spot_aix710
add filesets to a spot
smitty nim_inst_latest
define a client
nim -o define -t standalone -a platform=chrp -a netboot_kernel=64
-a if1="net_10_255_127 <client> 0 ent" -a cable_type1=tp <client>
initialize an lpp installation
nim -o bos_inst -a spot=spot_aix710 -a lpp_source=lpp_aix710 -a
no_client_boot=yes -a accept_licenses=yes <client>
synchromize alt_disk_install fileset between server and client resources:
nimadm -M -s <spot> -l <lpp source> -d <source directory>
or
smitty nimadm_sync

B. Related Information
Configuring the NIM master and creating basic installation resources
IBM Redbook: NIM from A to Z

(c) unixwerk Content is available under the BSD Documentation License.

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