NIM HOW-TO GUIDE

An instructional guide illustrating how to utilize NIM for installing base operating systems as well as other software.

Table of Contents NIM MASTER SETUP.......................................................................................................1 NIM CLIENT SETUP.........................................................................................................4 INSTALLING BASE OPERATING SYSTEM..................................................................9 Server-side Preparati ! " Met# d A............................................................................9 C$ie!t-side E%e&'ti ! " Met# d A............................................................................1( INSTALLING SO)T*ARE +IA NIM............................................................................,,

NIM MASTER SETUP

The NIM master must be configured, and lpp_source and S !T resources must be defined. "se this procedure for configuring the NIM master and creating basic installation resources using SMIT. #. Insert the AI$% &olume # media into the appropriate dri'e of the designated master machine. (. To install the bos.sysmgt.nim.master fileset, enter the smit install_latest fast path. ). "sing the *IST option, select +de'+cd, for the IN "T de'ice+directory for software. -. Specify bos.sysmgt.nim.master as the S!.T/A01 to install.

2. Accept the default 'alues for all other fields on this screen. After successful completion of this installation, e3it SMIT. 4. To configure the NIM master, enter the smit nim_config_en' fast path. 5. "sing the *IST option, select the rimary Networ6 Interface for the NIM Master. 7. "sing the *IST option, select +de'+cd, or +de'+rmt, for the Input de'ice for installation + images field. 8. If you will be supporting dis6less and dataless clients, select yes at the 9reate :is6less+:ataless Machine 0esources; field, and supply names for the resources to be created. #,. Select yes at the 0emo'e all newly added NIM definitions and file systems if any part of this operation fails; field. This will ma6e it easier to restart this procedure if failures occur. ##. Accept the default 'alues for all other fields on this screen.

Note: #. :epending on the speed of your machine, creating the basic NIM resources could be a lengthy process. (. This procedure pro'ides the capability for much more than <ust configuring the NIM master and creating the lpp_source and S !T resources. =owe'er, for this simple configuration, only a subset of the a'ailable functions will be used. Ad'anced NIM administrators can use the SMIT screens accessed through this procedure to create a more comple3 en'ironment. ). As you de'elop a better understanding of configuration tas6s, you may prefer to not automatically undo all configuration when failures occur >as in step #, in the pre'ious procedure?. 9ontinuing from the last point of failure results in faster configuration for e3perienced administrators.

NIM CLIENT SETUP

The NIM client to be installed must already e3ist in the NIM en'ironment. To add the client to the NIM en'ironment Standalone clients are machines that, once installed, can obtain a boot image and mount all file systems from the local hard dis6, unli6e dis6less and dataless clients which depend on remote ser'ers. @ou can add a client with or without the networ6 information.

.ollow these instructions to add a standalone NIM client to the NIM en'ironment using SMIT. To add a standalone NIM client to the NIM en'ironment using SMIT, use Method A if the client machine is not running or if the client does not ha'e AI$% installed. Method A can also be used if A!S is to be installed on the client and the client is to be networ6Bbooted manually or to initiate the installation from a forceBpush operation. This procedure automatically adds NIM networ6s when needed. To add a standalone NIM client that already has AI$ installed, use Method A. If the NIM client being defined is on a networ6 that is not currently defined in the NIM en'ironment, the niminit command will fail. If this is the case, use Method A of this procedure to define the client on the NIM master, and then follow the steps in Method A to complete the configuration.

METHOD A: Adding a client with the networ6 information using SMIT when client is not
running .ollow these steps to add a client with the networ6 information using SMIT when the client is not running. #. All NIM clients must be :NS resol'able from the NIM Master. Aefore adding a NIM client, be sure that the hostname of the NIM client is resol'able by way of the local +etc+hosts file on the NIM Master. (. !n the NIM master, add a standalone client to the NIM en'ironment by typing the smit nim_m6mac fast path. ). Specify the host name of the client.

-. The ne3t SMIT screen displayed depends on whether NIM already has information about the clientCs networ6. Supply the 'alues for the reDuired fields or accept the defaults. "se the help information and the *IST option to help you specify the correct 'alues to add the client machine.

METHOD B: Adding a client with the networ6 information using SMIT when client is running
.ollow these steps to add a client with the networ6 information using SMIT when the client is running. #. All NIM clients must be :NS resol'able from the NIM Master. Aefore adding a NIM client, be sure that the hostname of the NIM client is resol'able by way of the local +etc+hosts file on the NIM Master. (. !n a system that you ha'e chosen to be a NIM client, 'erify that if the bos.sysmgt.nim.client fileset is installed by typing the followingE F lslpp B* bos.sysmgt.nim.client

). If the bos.sysmgt.nim.client fileset is not installed, then install the fileset from the AI$% &olume # 9:+:&: by typing the followingE F installp Bac$d +de'+cd, bos.sysmgt.nim.client -. 1nter the smit niminit fast path.

2. Supply the 'alues for the reDuired fields or accept the defaults. "se the help information and the *IST option to help you specify the correct 'alues for defining your client machine.

INSTALLING BASE OPERATING SYSTEM

Se !e -s"#e P e$a at"on % Met&o# A
"sing installation images to install the base operating system on a NIM client using SMIT .ollow this procedure to install use installation images to install the base operating system a NIM client using SMIT. #. To install A!S on a NIM client using an rte installation, type smit nim_bosinst from the NIM master. (. Select the TA0G1T for the operation.

). Select rte as the installation T@ 1.

-. Select the *

_S!"091 to use for the installation.

2. Select the S !T to use for the installation.

4. In the displayed dialog fields, supply the correct 'alues for the installation options or accept the default 'alues. "se the help information and the *IST option to help you.

5. If the client machine being installed is not already a running, configured NIM client, NIM will not automatically reboot the machine o'er the networ6 for installation. If the client was not rebooted automatically from SMIT, initiate a networ6 boot from the client to install it. If you are booting from a networ6 de'ice, follow the procedures in your hardware documentation to perform the networ6 boot. 7. After the machine boots o'er the networ6, the display on the client machine will begin prompting for information about how the machine should be configured during installation. Specify the reDuested information to continue with the installation.

Cl"ent-s"#e E'e()t"on % Met&o# A

#. Aoot the target * A0 into SMS so that you can configure the networ6 card to contact the NIM master on bootBup. .rom the SMS menu, select option ( >Setup 0emote I *?.

(. Through the subseDuent menus, you will be able to configure the I arameters. Specify the I address of the target machine >H9lientI?, the NIM MasterJs I address >HSer'erI?, and the appropriate gateway and subnet mas6.

). "nder the Adapter 9onfiguration menus, you can ad<ust a few other networ6 settings. ItJs smart to disable Spanning Tree unless youJre certain that you need to use it in your en'ironment.

-. !nce the networ6 card has been configured with the I arameters youJ'e entered in the pre'ious menus, be sure to issue a ing Te3t. Select the ing Test option, 'erify that all the configurations are correct, and e3ecute it by selecting option #. ending the success of this test, you are now ready to boot the machine off the networ6 card.

2. 0eturn to the main SMS menu and perform a HnormalI boot off the systems networ6 card that youJ'e configured. @ouJll 6now 'ery Duic6ly whether or not the NIM install is wor6ing because youJll see the pac6et count increase as the client is transferring filesets from the NIM master. See the picture below for an e3ample as to how this should loo6.

INSTALLING SO*TWARE +IA NIM

#. To install other software >Maintenance *e'els, Ser'ice ac6s, etc.? 'ia NIM, you first ha'e to copy the software into NIM. "se the fastpath Hsmit nim_bffcreateI to start the process. 1nter in the input de'ice, which could be the software 9:+:&: or a directory on the ser'er that contains all the fileset A..s. .ill out the selections for where NIM should store the software and what NIM should refer to the * _S!"091 as. Ae sure to use descripti'e naming schemes to simplify things later.

(. This process will copy all the software from the source into a NIM directory so that it can be subseDuently pushed to NIM clients. Aased on the size of the software pac6age, this could be a lengthy process.

). To push the software to a NIM client, use the fastpath Hsmit nim_tas6_instI. :epending on the software to be installed, it may be appropriate to choose the H"pdate AllI method of installing as opposed to the HInstall SoftwareI. "se H"pdate AllI when you donJt plan on choosing a specific fileset within the software pac6. "se HInstall Software AundleI when you <ust want to install a select few filesets that comprise an application that resides in the software pac6. Select the NIM client and the * _S!"091 and initiate the install. N!T1E The install will run inside of smit on the NIM Master and in the bac6ground on the NIM 9lient. If you wanted to run multiple installs simultaneously, the installs should be initiated from the NIM 9lients instead of the Master.