Nope, haven't gotten it working...I actually have been trying to get it working on a very customer version of linux, but after no luck, went to Suse 9 and RH 9, and it still doesn't work.

I think it has something to do with the AIX boot process looking for a file that is typically found on a NIM server called /etc/bootptab that is not present on Linux or in the NIMOL files. Reading through AIX boot documentation, this is the first file requested by an AIX client upon doing a network boot.

My theory is that IBM took NIMOL documentation off of their site because it never worked...

I will be speaking with IBM this week (have a case opened), so will let you know if I hear anything

At last I have found someone with the same problem!!!!! On switch on my 43p 120 constantly communicates with the NIM Server (SUSE10). The DHCP log shows constant address requests with the correct replies to this request being sent! This leads me to believe that the answer is not what the RS/6000 is looking for! I am glad to have found you are having the same problem and that you have a call open with IBM please oh please keep this thread updated and help me keep the hair I have left!

Well, IBM was no help. All they know is what the crappy doc tells them. Plus since I am based in US, and the server I am working on this for is in Spain, they made me call a toll number to spain to get connected to support, which barely speaks english. Fortunately I speak a little spanish, but we got no where. I spoke to 3 people, all of them just kept telling me look at the install guide, etc. I will keep hacking away and let you know

Well no surprise there then in IBM speak an unsupported product! Looks like we will both be just hacking away! Good luck!

You might want to give up the NIM idea and look at Storix.

Storix SBAdmin - Linux and AIX Backup / Disaster Recovery Software - Home

As I understand it the guy who wrote sysback broke off from IBM and started storix. this will do your re-build for you and it will run from Linux. The one advantage this has over NIM is storix will backup all your volume groups. NIM only does rootvg. I could be wrong on that. It wouldn't surprise me if NIM could do volume groups but I've never used it like that.

Good Luck

I will give a try but I believe from reading the user guide that it will only restore backup data whereas NIM will install from an LPP_SOURCE. I do not have a MKSYSB but the source for AIX 5.1. This is why I need NIM or something similar!

I guess my main question now is whether you did find the documentations on nimol.

I am looking for the nimol equivalence for nim "lsnim"....

Other than that, i cannot help much...my nimol_backup worked ok (after 2 days of strugeling) but i was not able to boot the client and "load" the mksysb.

Also, i you have any usefull info about bootp and lpar_netboot and their possible error that will b great..

Have fun and take care,
Efrat