NIM -Basics

Network Installation Manager (NIM):

NIM is a facility to enables you to perform software installation and maintenance over the network.

NIM is a server and client application.

-          NIM server provides resources.

-          A machine depend on NIM master to get resources is called NIM client.

NIM is objected oriented application.

NIM represents many resources and objects

NIM uses AIX ODM for its objects;

IBM will deliver NIM with AIX Package, no any additional charges for NIM.

NIM minimizes the use of CDs, DVDs or Tape drives for OS installations, backups;

NIM uses 4 classes:

1)    Machines -3 types of machines

i) Master- Where you have set and maintain NIM environment is called NIM master

      ii) Client-Standalone, Diskless, Dataless, WPAR- Can be a target operation to installation form NIM master.

      iii) Resources Sever: Can holds the NIM resources, a standalone machine or master machine can be a resources server, in many cases NIM mater only the resources server.

                

2)    Resources- 6 types resource

i)                    lpp_source- contains the software to be installed, estimated size 3 GB

ii)                  spot-Contains the code to be used by the client during the installation, estimated size 3 GB

iii)                mksysb – contains the system backup image, estimates size 3 GB

iv)                boinst_data: provides information to automate initiate installation

v)                  installp_bundle: list the file sets to be install a unit by NIM

vi)                script: specifies the instruction to be installed after installation is performed.

3)    Networks-coming soon

4)    Groups-coming soon

Disk space needed for NIM set up

lpp_source………..3GB

spot ………………1GB

mksysb ………….. 4GB

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Total ……………. 8GB

We can keep 6 time of total space needed..

so 6 x 8GB =49 GB or 50GB is more idle for NIM set

NIM uses AIX ODM files to store NIM objects;

ODM files of NIM

1)      /etc/objrepos/nim_attr

2)      /etc/objrepos/nim_data

3)      /etc/objrepos/pdattr

 NIM Files:

nimesis: daemon uses on NIM master

nim: performs nim operations

lsnim: displays nim information

nimconfig: initiate NIM master package

niminit: initiate NIM client package

nimadapter: configure nim adapter

NIM File sets:

etc/bos.sysmgt.nim.client- required on NIM client, installed default while AIX installation

etc/bos.sysmgt.nim.master- required on NIM master, not installed in default while AIX installation.

etc/bos.sysmgt.nim.spot- required on resource server, not installed in default while AIX installation

Listing NIM Objects:

# lsnim
# lsnim -c machines
# lsnim -t lpp_source
-c flag specifying the class of interest

-t flag specifying the type of interest

NIM Dependencies:

-TCP/IP communications
- Name resolution
-Bootstrap Protocol (BOOTP)
-Trivial File Transfer Protocol (TFTP)
-Object Data Manager (ODM)
-Network File System (NFS)
-Remote Shell Protocol (RSH)