Format

Classroom

Duration

3.0 Day(s)

Description

The Network Installation Management (NIM) utility is a new offering in AIX Version 4 which permits the installation and maintenance of AIX over token-ring, ethernet, FDDI and ATM local area networks. Initially released in AIX Version 4.1, NIM underwent significant enhancements in AIX 4.2 and 4.3. The purpose of this course is to teach NIM concepts, setup, and usage. AIX Version 4.2 and 4.3 enhancements will be introduced as preferred alternatives as appropriate. The course also covers NIM support for the management of diskless and dataless clients.

Audience

Network administrators or other personnel responsible for the installation and maintenance of AIX Version 4 on multiple IBM RISC System/6000 systems in a local area network or on an RS/6000 SP.

Prerequisites

Before attending this class, the student should:
- Have a working knowledge of AIX installation and maintenance in a non-NIM environment
- Have a working knowledge and understanding of network configuration and administration
- Have a working knowledge of the AIX environment and commands
- Be able to work with SMIT in configuring a system
- Be able to edit files with vi
- Understand AIX files, file systems, and directories
These skills can also be obtained by taking the following AIX courses:
- AU05: AIX Version 4 TCP/IP Administration
- AU14: AIX V4 Basic System Administration

Objectives

Upon completion of this class, the student should be able to:
- Understand the different methods of using NIM (SMIT panels, WSM ,command line)
- Understand and initiate a network boot operation
- Understand and create NIM resources
- Configure a NIM environment
- Install the Base Operating System on NIM clients using different modes of NIM installation
- Define and understand NIM networks and routes
- Understand and use NIM's support for distributed resources
- Understand NIM's support for PUSH and PULL installation
- Use NIM to install and remove optional software and fixes
- Use NIM's software querying facilities
- View the installation, boot, and configuration logs in a NIM environment
- Define and use machine and resource groups
- Configure and boot diskless and dataless machines
- Use the NIMDEF command to define a NIM environment from a stanza file
- Understand Alternate disk installation
Because it is only a two days course, the instructor will decide to detail or not these items which are for their majority included in the appendices part.

Contents

- Basic NIM setup and client installation
- Guidelines and features for installing uniform mksysb images in a small NIM environment
- Guidelines and features for installing a uniform NIM SPOT in a widespread LAN
- Guidelines and features for custom installation and maintenance of AIX
- Diskless and dataless management
- Miscellaneous, advanced, and debug topics in appendices.