Install AIX from a Linux Server Using NIM on Linux
Network Installation Management (NIM) on Linux (NIMOL) provides basic AIX software administration services from a Linux server. The NIMOL RPM included in the AIX product media provides basic NIM functionality for a Linux server. While using a pSeries NIM Server for AIX client management provides more functionality, NIMOL provides the following functions on Linux servers:

Configuring services required to install AIX with NIM
Performing a network installation of AIX
Installing software updates on an AIX system
Listing software installed on an AIX system
Creating a backup of an AIX system that NIMOL can use to install other systems with NIM
NIMOL is supported on SUSE LINUX 9.0 and Redhat 9.0. Read the NIMOL readme file in the /usr/share/doc/nimol directory for information on updates.

Note:
NIMOL supports AIX 5L Version 5.2 with the 5200-04 Recommended Maintenance package and later.
Commands
The following commands are shipped with the NIMOL RPM:

nimol_config
Configures a Linux server to install AIX with NIM
nimol_install
Sets up a client for AIX installation
nimol_lslpp
Lists software installed on an AIX client
nimol_update
Installs software updates onto an AIX client
nimol_backup
Creates an installable backup of an AIX client
Note:
These commands are available on the Linux server. For additional information on these commands, run the man command on the Linux server with the name of the specific NIMOL command.
Configuring the Linux Server
To configure the Linux server, complete the following:

Insert the AIX product CD that contains the NIMOL RPM into the Linux server.
Install the followingRPMs, which are requisite for SUSE LINUX 9.0 and RedHat 9.0:
dhcp
tftp
nfs-utils
gettext
The following RPMs are additional requisites for Redhat 9.0 only:
dhcp-server
tftp-server
Insert the AIX product CD Volume 1 into the Linux server.
Install the NIMOL RPM by running the following commands:
mount /dev/cdrom
rpm -ivh /mnt/cdrom/RPMS/linux/nimol*
Run the following command to configure the Linux server:
nimol_config -C
The nimol_config command configures the basic services required to install AIX on clients with NIM, such as bootp, tftp, nfs, and syslog. The command uses the dhcp server to respond to client bootp requests.

Note:
You should not manually modify the /etc/dhcpd.conf file because the modifications might interfere with the ability of NIMOL to add and remove subnet and host entries.

Creating AIX Installation Resources
To create AIX installation resources, you need access to an existing AIX client.

Ensure that your NIMOL Linux Server has rhost permissions to the AIX client by editing the /.rhosts file on the AIX client.
Run the nimol_backup command on the Linux Server. For example, if the client is named myaixclient.ibm.com and you want to name the installation resources aix530, then run the following command:
nimol_backup -c myaixclient.ibm.com -L aix530
The nimol_backup command will create a mksysb backup of the client, as well as the other resources required to perform a network boot in the /export/aix/aix530 directory.
Alternately, you can use the nimol_config command to define existing AIX installation resources that reside on your NIMOL Server. For example, if you have existing AIX installation resources located in /export/aix/aix530, run the following command to define the resources for use with NIMOL:

nimol_config -t /export/aix -L aix530
Setting up a NIMOL Client
You can set up a client for the installation of AIX with NIM by running the nimol_install command. Before you run the nimol_install command, you will need the following information for the client:

Hostname
MAC address
Subnet mask
The following examples show how to obtain your MAC address.

To obtain the MAC address for the ent0 network adapter on a running client, run the following command:

lscfg -vl ent0
To obtain the MAC address on an IBM eServer pSeries 690 client that is not running, complete the following:

Power on the system.
Press F1 when the keyboard icon is displayed to access the SMS menus.
Select Boot Options.
Select Install or Boot a Device.
Select Network This menu refers to your network card (for example, ethernet).
Select Information. This screen will contain the MAC address.
When specifying the MAC address to nimol_install, colons are required.

For example, to set up a client with a client1 hostname, 255.255.255.0 subnet mask, 192.168.1.1 gateway, and 00:60:08:3F:E8F MAC address with the "aix530" installation resources, run the following command:

nimol_install -c client1 -g 192.168.1.1 -m 00:60:08:3F:E8F -s 255.255.255.0 -L aix530
After you run nimol_install, you can specify a network boot using the bootlist command on a running AIX system. For example, if the client installs AIX from the ent0 adapter with a 192.168.1.20 client IP address, and the NIMOL server has a 192.168.1.10 IP address and is on the same subnet as the client, complete the following:

Run the bootlist command as follows:
bootlist -m normal ent0 bserver=192.168.1.10 gateway=0.0.0.0 client=192.168.1.20
Run the following command to begin the installation:
shutdown -Fr
Note:
If the client is not running, power on the system and enter the system management services (SMS) menus by pressing F1 when the keyboard icon is displayed. You can then specify the network boot parameters and select the network device as the boot device.
The syslog daemon is configured to receive remote status by default. This setting allows you to monitor the installation by viewing the /var/log/nimol.log file on the NIMOL server.

After the installation is complete, you can remove the setup for the client named client2 by running the following command:

nimol_install -c client1 -r
Maintaining the NIMOL Client
You can use the following commands to maintain the NIMOL client:

nimol_update
nimol_lslpp
Note:
The default option for the nimol_install command is intended for use on the client machine where you installed AIX. If you specify the -n option with the nimol_install command when you install AIX on the client machine, these commands will not be available.
The following scenarios are tasks involved in maintaining the NIMOL client:

To list the software that is installed on client1, run the following command:
nimol_lslpp -c client1 -f "-L"
To install the perl.rte software package from the aix530 installation resources, run the following command:
nimol_update -c client1 -L aix530 -p "perl.rte"
Notes:
To install additional software, copy the installp images into the lpp_source/installp/ppc sub-directory of the installation resources directory. For example, if your installation resources are located in the /export/aix/aix530 directory, you will need to copy the installp images into the /export/aix/aix530/lpp_source/installp/ppc directory. You also must copy the .toc file because Linux machines cannot create this file.
To use a different remote access other than rhost permissions, you can specify the -m option with the nimol_update command, the nimol_lslpp command, or the nimol_backup command. The alternative remote access must be configured prior to using it with the NIMOL commands, and the remote access method cannot prompt for a password. For example, the following command will use the /usr/bin/ssh directory to remotely access the client1 during a software listing:
nimol_lslpp -c client1 -f "-L" -m /usr/bin/ssh
Unconfiguring the NIMOL Server
To unconfigure the NIMOL server, complete the following:

Determine if clients are set up to install by running the following command:
nimol_install -l
Remove any clients that are listed as set to install by running the following command:
nimol_install -r -c client
Remove the AIX installation resource labels that you created by running the following command:
nimol_config -r -L aix530
Removing these labels removes all resources from the NIMOL server. You can define them again if you decide to configure the NIMOL server in the future.
Unconfigure NIMOL by running the following command:
nimol_config -U
This command restores services to the state they were before you configured NIMOL. For example, if you had the nfs service and the tftp service turned off prior to configuring NIMOL, then they are turned off again.
Remove the NIMOL RPM by running the following command:
rpm -e nimol