Resources › Provisioning › Provisioning a Resource › Add a Network Installation Manager (NIM)

Add a Network Installation Manager (NIM)

Specifies a Network Installation Manager (NIM) that provides a central point of management for installing and maintaining AIX images for LPARs and individual servers.

The page provides the following fields:

NIM Master

Defines the computer where you set up and maintain your NIM environment. The NIM environment is a logical group of computers. Multiple NIM environments can be on the same TCP/IP network, but there can only be one active NIM master per environment.

Machine Resource Name

Defines the name of the target computer for NIM installations and update operations. Provisions a client computer and images it with an AIX operating system.

Installation Type

Specifies whether to provision using the default method (RTE) or a MKSYSB image.

Resource Type

Defines the resource type (individual or group) used to image.

Resource Group

When using a resource group, specifies which group to use for assigning resources to a NIM client more quickly than an individual association.

Host Name

Defines the name of the host computer.

Username

Defines the root user used for agent deployment.

Password

Defines the root user password used for agent deployment.

Use Logical Partition

Defines the Logical Partition to be imaged.

HMC/IVM Name

Defines the HMC/IVM that is associated with the managed server where the selected partition resides.

System Name

Defines the system name where the Logical Partition resides.

Partition Name

Defines the partition name to be imaged.

Profile Name

Defines the partition profile name.

Templates

Select one from the drop-down list. The templates list is populated with predetermined values, depending on the ticket type you select.

Description

Optional description for the template

Domain Manager

Select a Domain Manager from the drop-down list.

Scalability Server

Serves as the primary interface for the agent and distributes the Unicenter DSM workload across multiple hosts. Software delivery adapter supports multiple scalability servers for software distribution.

Provision an IBM AIX Image Using MKSYSB

The IBM NIM MKSYSB utility provides one-step IBM AIX image provisioning that can include both the operating system and additional software. To provision using MKSYSB, you must already have MKSYSB images and NIM resources available.

When the IBM NIM environment is configured with MKSYSB resources, use the CA Server Automation user interface to provision the IBM AIX image.

Follow these steps:

Note: Verify that you are logged in to the CA Server Automation user interface as an administrator.

1. Click Resource, and open the Explore pane.
2. Right-click an IBM PowerVM resource, and select Provisioning, Provision NIM.

   The Provision AIX with NIM dialog appears.

3. Complete the following fields:

   NIM Master

   Specify the computer where you configured your NIM environment. There can only be one active NIM master server in an environment.

   Machine Resource Name

   Specify the target computer for NIM installation and update operations.

4. In the Installation Type drop-down, select mksysb.
5. In the Resource Type drop-down, select Resource Group.
6. Select an MKSYSB resource group.
7. In the System Attributes pane, provide the administrator credentials to log in to the host NIM system.

   Note: The administrator user ID and password must match the ones specified in the install_path/imaging/etc/ca_post_install.sh script during IBM AIX imaging configuration.

8. Click Add Computer.

The new IBM AIX system image is created and ready for use. By having the MKSYSB resource group already available, provisioning did not require a multistep build process.