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AIX Version 4.3 Network Installation Management Guide and Reference

Adding a Standalone NIM Client to the NIM Environment

This procedure describes how to add standalone clients to the NIM environment. Standalone clients are machines that, once installed, can obtain a boot image and mount all file systems from the local hard disk, unlike diskless and dataless clients which depend on remote servers.

From one of the following interfaces, use Method A if the client machine is not running or if the client does not have AIX Version 4 installed. Method A can also be used if BOS is to be installed on the client and the client is to be network-booted manually or to initiate the install from a force-push operation. Prior to AIX Version 4.2, specific network objects must be defined in addition to the steps provided in Method A. This procedure automatically adds NIM networks when needed.

From one of the following interfaces, use Method B if the client machine has AIX Version 4 already installed.

If the NIM client being defined is on a network that is not currently defined in the NIM environment, 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 B to complete the configuration.

Prerequisites

  1. The NIM master must be configured. See "Configuring the NIM Master and Creating Basic Installation Resources" for more information.
  2. You must know the subnet mask, the default gateway for the client machine, and the default gateway for the NIM master.

From Web-based System Manager

Method A:

  1. From the NIM container, open the Add New Machine TaskGuide.
  2. Follow the TaskGuide instructions to guide you through the configuration.

    Note: You can also open a Taskguide by selecting the icon, then selecting Open from the Selected menu.

Method B:

  1. To start the Web-based System Manager Software application, enter the fast path: 
      wsm software
  2. From the Software menu, select New Software (Install/Update) > Install Additional Software (Custom).
  3. In the Install Software dialog, specify bos.sysmgt.nim.client as the software to install.
  4. From the Software menu, select NIM Client > Join NIM Environment
  5. Use the dialog to complete the task.

From SMIT

Method A:

  1. To add a standalone client to the NIM environment, enter the smit nim_mkmac fast path.
  2. Specify the host name of the client.
  3. The next SMIT screen displayed depends on whether NIM already has information about the client's network. Supply the values for the required fields or accept the defaults. Use the help information and the LIST option to help you specify the correct values to add the client machine.

Method B:

  1. Install the bos.sysmgt.nim.client fileset on the running machine.
  2. Enter the smit niminit fast path.
  3. Supply the values for the required fields or accept the defaults. Use the help information and the LIST option to help you specify the correct values for defining your client machine.
Note: If the LIST option is used to display valid platforms for the client definition, only platforms currently supported by SPOTs defined in the NIM environment are displayed. If no SPOTs are currently defined, only rs6k and rspc are displayed as selectable platforms.

From the Command Line

Method A:

On the NIM master, enter:

nim -o define -t standalone -a platform=PlatformType \
-a netboot_kernel=NetbootKernelType \
-a if1=InterfaceDescription \
-a net_definition=DefinitionName -a ring_speed1=SpeedValue \
-a cable_type1=TypeValue -a iplrom_emu=DeviceName MachineName
Example 1:

To add the machine with host name machine1 with the following configuration:

host name=machine1
platform=rspc
kernel=up
network type=ethernet
subnet mask=255.255.240.0
default gateway=gw1
default gateway used by NIM master=gw_master
cable type=bnc
network boot capability=yes (no emulation needed)

enter the following command sequence:

nim -o define -t standalone -a platform="rspc" \
-a netboot_kernel="up" -a if1="find_net machine1 0" \
-a cable_type1="bnc" \
-a net_definition="ent 255.255.240.0 gw1 gw_master" machine1
Example 2:

To add the machine with host name machine2 with the following configuration:

host name=machine2
platform=rs6k
netboot_kernel=up
network type=token ring
subnet mask=255.255.225.0
default gateway=gw2
default gateway used by NIM master=gw_master
ring speed=16
network boot capability=no (use emulation on a diskette)

enter the following command sequence:

nim -o define -t standalone -a platform="rs6k" \
-a netboot_kernel="up" -a if1="find_net machine2 0" \
-a ring_speed1="16" \
-a net_definition="tok 255.255.225.0 gw2 gw_master" \
-a iplrom_emu="/dev/fd0" machine2
Notes:
  1. Prior to AIX Version 4.2, specific network objects must be defined in addition to the steps provided in this procedure. In this procedure, NIM networks are added automatically when needed.
  2. If the find_net keyword in the if attribute causes NIM to successfully match a network definition to the client definition, the net_definition attribute is ignored.
  3. See "Defining NIM Clients" for more information about the attributes you can specify when defining NIM clients.

Method B:

  1. Install the bos.sysmgt.nim.client fileset on the client machine.
  2. From the machine being defined as a client, enter: 
    niminit -a name=ClientDefinitionName -a master=MasterName \
-a pif_name=Interface -a platform=PlatformType \
-a netboot_kernel=NetbootKernelType -a ring_speed1=SpeedValue \
-a cable_type1=TypeValue -a iplrom_emu=DeviceName
    Note: For detailed attribute information, see the "niminit Command".
Example 1:

To add the machine with host name machine1 with the following configuration:

host name=machine1
NIM master's host name=master_mac
primary interface adapter=en0
platform=rspc
kernel=up
cable type=bnc
network boot capability=yes (no emulation needed)

enter the following command sequence:

niminit -a name=machine1 -a master=master_mac \
-a pif_name=en0 -a platform=rspc -a netboot_kernel=up \
-a cable_type1=bnc
Example 2:

To add the machine with host name machine2 with the following configuration:

host name=machine2
NIM master's host name=master_mac
primary interface adapter=tr0
platform=rs6k
netboot_kernel=up
ring speed1=16
network boot capability=no (use emulation on a diskette)

enter the following command sequence:

niminit -a name=machine2 -a master=master_mac \
-a pif_name=tr0 -a platform=rs6k -a netboot_kernel=up \
-a ring_speed1=16 -a iplrom_emu="/dev/fd0"

Verifying the Status of Your Client Machine

To verify that the niminit operation completed successfully, enter the following command at the NIM client: 

nimclient -l -l MachineObjectName
Note: There is neither a Web-based System Manager application nor a SMIT menu to do this task.

The system returns output similar to the following:

Standalone2:
   class          =  machines
   type           =  standalone
   Cstate         =  ready for a NIM operation
   platform       =  rs6k
   netboot_kernel =  up
   if1            =  Network2 standalone2 08005acd536d
   cable_type1    =  bnc
   iplrom_emu     =  /dev/fd0
   prev_state     =  customization is being performed
   cpuid          =  000247903100
   Mstate         =  currently running
   Cstate_result  =  success

If the system output to this query indicates any errors, you must validate all of your data, checking for accurate spelling, nonduplication of NIM names, and so forth, and redo the niminit operation.

Be sure to coordinate this operation with the system administrator of the NIM master, and ensure that all NIM object names are unique in the entire NIM environment.

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