AIX

Hello all,

Relative AIX novice here: I'm trying to clarify the naming of AIX install vs. update media, and how best to name my lpp_sources on my NIM server.

An example:

I have two sets of DVDs from IBM (ordered via Entitled Software Support) sitting in front of me for 7100-03-04. One set is labelled "AIX 7" and the other is "AIX 7 Update".

Is it correct to say the first is for fresh installations only, while the second is meant only for updating existing installations? That's what I have been assuming and I have been naming my lpp_sources for these accordingly:

Code:

# lsnim
master                     machines        master
boot                       resources       boot
nim_script                 resources       nim_script
master_net                 networks        ent
7100-03-04_install_lpp     resources       lpp_source
7100-03-04_update_lpp      resources       lpp_source
#

Is it also correct that everything pulled from FixCentral is an "Update" and never meant for a fresh install? As in, if I download 7100-03-04 from FixCentral, I am actually downloading the same media that is on the 7100-03-04 "Update" DVDs sitting here on my desk?

How do you name your lpp_sources? I thought a directory hierarchy might make sense:

/export/nim/lpp_source/install/
/export/nim/lpp_source/update/

As you can see above, right now I am just including 'install' and 'update' in the name of each lpp_source.

Cheers,
Mark

You have asked several questions here and some of them are notoriously touchy subjects. I'll try to go over them one by one.

The difference between update and install-packages: an install-package can be installed any time (well, requisites have to be met, etc.). An update-package can only be installed, if the package of the same name already has been installed. Basically there is some "base-level" fileset (which by itself is an install-package) as one of the prerequisites of the update-package.

The reason is mostly licensing: if you have an installation licenses for a certain AIX level you can install all the updates to it (they will be update-packages), but not another AIX version for which you have no license. Save for these legalities there is little difference in update- and install-packages. There are many update-packages which even replace all the files that come with that package.

About naming the NIM-resources: this should be done veeerrryyy carefully - and in practice rarely is. In most of the projects i came into the NIM-server was quite shoddily managed. I hate that with a passion but once i was done putting order to the chaos the project was usually done and in the next datacenter i went into the situation was the same as before, rinse and repeat.

Now, there is no real "right or wrong" way to do it, just be consistent with yourself. My personal system is to name all NIM-resources so that they immediately show their type: all lpp_sources are "lpp_something", all SPOTs are "spot_something", etc.. Then i have the habit of naming the resources by the versions they serve, i.e.:

Code:

lpp_71_03-02
lpp_71_03-03
lpp_71_03-04
lpp_71_03-05
spot_71_03-02
spot_71_03-03
spot_71_03-04
spot_71_03-05
[...]

This way i see immediately which lpp_source belongs to which SPOT and vice versa.

For other software i create a lpp_source and put everything into it, i.e. lpp_java, which contains all Java-versions, lpp_emc, which contains all versions of the EMC drivers, etc.. HACMP (or whatever they call it today) has a separate lpp_source for every version: lpp_hacmp_711, lpp_hacmp_713 and so on.

I suggest creating a sensible direcctory structure too, but this is separate from the structure of the NIM-resources.

Btw., you do not need a separate install- and update-lpp_source. You can put everything into one and it is even more convenient because if you try to install pkg.1.1 (the update) it will - if you selected "automatically install requisite software" automatically install pkg.1.0 (the base install package) if it is there. Otherwise you always have to switch from one lpp_source to the other and back.

I hope this helps.

bakunin