In this section, we will configure the NIM master and create some basic installation resources:

• Ensure that Volume 1 of the AIX DVD is in the drive.
• Install the NIM master fileset:

  # installp -agXd /dev/cd0 bos.sysmgt.nim

• Configure NIM master:

  # smitty nim_config_env

  Set fields as follows:
  • "Primary Network Interface for the NIM Master": selected interface
  • "Input device for installation images": "cd0"
  • If you already have set up an /export file system, you may choose not to create new file systems for /export/lpp_source and /export/spot; It is up to you.
  • Select to prepend the level to the LPP_SOURCE and SPOT names, so you can identify the level of AIX that was used to create the LPP_SOURCE and SPOT.
  • "Remove all newly added NIM definitions if the operation fails": "yes"
  • Press Enter.
  • Exit when complete.
  If you run into an issue here, where it says that the SPOT cannot be created, because the LPP_SOURCE is missing the simages (short for system images) attribute, because fileset bos.vendor.profile is missing, then this means it is telling you that the LPP_SOURCE doesn't include all the required filesets to create the SPOT. This looks like a bug because fileset bos.vendor.profile can be found on the AIX media. But it seems somehow it is not copied to the target LPP_SOURCE folder while the LPP_SOURCE is created. It has been seen in AIX 7.1 TL4. If you run into this, do the following:
  • Check if bos.vendor.profile exists on the installation media. It should be in the installp/ppc folder.
  • If so, rerun the steps above (starting with smitty nim_config_env), and while the LPP_SOURCE is being created, copy the bos.vendor.profile file yourself from the AIX installation media to the LPP_SOURCE target folder. For example, if your installation folder is /aix (assuming you have mounted the first AIX installation ISO image using loopmount on mount point /aix; and assuming you are using AIX 7.1 TL4), then run:

    # cp /aix/installp/ppc/bos.vendor.profile /export/lpp_source/710-04lpp_source1/installp/ppc/bos.vendor.profile

• Initialize each NIM client:

  # smitty nim_mkmac

  Enter the host name of the appropriate LPAR. Set fields as follows:
  • "Kernel to use for Network Boot": "mp"
  • "Cable Type": "tp"
  • Press Enter.
  • Exit when complete.

• Nimadm
• Quick setup guide for HACMP
• Can't open virtual terminal
• Installing MySQL, PHP and Apache
• How to migrate from p5 to p6