niminit Command

Purpose

Configures the Network Installation Management (NIM) client package.

Syntax

niminit { -a name=Name -a pif_name=Pif -a master=Hostname } [ -a master_port=PortNumber ] [ -a registration_port=PortNumber ] [ -a cable_type=CableType | -a ring_speed=Speed ] [ -a iplrom_emu=Device ] [ -a platform=PlatformType ] [ -a netboot_kernel=NetbootKernelType ] [ -a adpt_add=AdapterAddress ] [ -a is_alternate= yes | no ] [ -a connect=value ] [ -a vlan_tag=value ] [ -a vlan_pri=value ] [ -c ]

niminit { -a name=Name -a master=Hostname -a master_port=PortNumber }

Description

The niminit command configures the NIM client package before using the nimclient command. When the niminit command receives the required attributes, a new machine object is created to represent the machine that runs the niminit command. After successful completion of the niminit command, the machine, which runs the niminit command can participate in the NIM environment.

After the NIM client package is configured, you can run the niminit command to rebuild the /etc/niminfo file on the client. The /etc/niminfo file is used by the niminit command. The /etc/niminfo file must be rebuilt if the user deletes the file unintentionally.

The niminit command configures an alternate_master object when the is_alternate attribute is set to yes. The bos.sysmgt.nim.master fileset must be installed before an alternate_master object is configured. After the alternate_master object is configured, the primary system with which the alternate_master object is registered, can run the alternate_master object operations on this machine.

Flags

Security

Access Control

You must have root authority to run the niminit command.

RBAC users

Attention RBAC users: This command can perform privileged operations. Only privileged users can run privileged operations. For more information about authorizations and privileges, see Privileged Command Database in Security. For a list of privileges and the authorizations that are associated with this command, see the lssecattr command or the getcmdattr subcommand.

Examples

1. To configure the NIM client package on a machine that has a BOOTP-enabled Initial Program Loader (IPL) ROM and must be known as scuba in the NIM environment, enter the following command:

   niminit -a name=scuba -a pif_name=en0 -a cable_type=bnc \
   -a master=manta

   Where en0 is the primary interface and the Ethernet cable type is bnc. This command also specifies that the machine communicates with the NIM master by using manta as the hostname of the NIM master and the NIM ports that are located in the /etc/services directory for network install communications.

2. To rebuild the /etc/niminfo file that is deleted by using superman as the hostname of the NIM master and a port number 1058, enter the following command:

   niminit -a name=robin -a master=superman -a master_port=1058

3. To configure the NIM client package for AIX 5.1 and earlier on a machine that is a PowerPC PCI bus-based, uniprocessor system that has a BOOTP-enabled IPL ROM and must be known as starfish in the NIM environment, enter the following command:

   niminit -a name=starfish -a pif_name=en0 -a cable_type=dix \
   -a master=whale -a master_port=1058 -a platform=rspc

   Where en0 is the primary interface and an Ethernet cable type is dix. This command also specifies that the NIM client package communicates with the NIM master by using whale as the host name of the NIM master and a port number of 1058.

4. To configure the NIM client on a machine that must be known as bluefish in the NIM environment, enter the following command:

   niminit -a name=bluefish -a pif_name=at0 -a master=redfish \
   -a master_port=1058

   Where at0 is the primary interface. This command also specifies that the NIM client communicates with the NIM master by using redfish as the host name of the NIM master and a port number of 1058.

   Note: As the Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) network interface does not support booting over the network, this operation defines a machine object on the NIM master if a generic network object corresponding to the subnet of the client is already defined.
5. To configure the NIM client for AIX 5.1 and earlier on a machine that is a PowerPC PCI bus-based, symmetric multiprocessor system that has a BOOTP-enabled IPL ROM and must be known as jellyfish in the NIM environment, enter the following command:

   niminit -a name=jellyfish -a pif_name=en0 -a cable_type=dix \
   -a master=whale -a master_port=1058 -a platform=rspcsmp

   Where en0 is the primary interface and an Ethernet cable type is dix. This command also specifies that the NIM client communicates with the NIM master by using whale as the host name of the NIM master and a port number of 1058.

6. To configure the NIM client package on a machine that uses an IPL ROM emulation in the device /dev/fd0 directory and must be known as octopus in the NIM environment, enter the following command:

   niminit -a iplrom_emu=/dev/fd0 -a name=octopus -a pif_name=tr0 \
   -a ring_speed=16 -a master=dolphin -a master_port=1700 \
   -a registration_port=1701

   Where tr0 is the primary interface and a ring speed is 16. This command also specifies that the machine communicates with the NIM master by using dolphin as the hostname of the NIM master and a port number of 1700 for client communications and 1701 for client registration.

7. To configure the machine that is known as octopus in the NIM environment as an alternate_master object with the NIM master dolphin and communicate over the interface en0, enter the following command:

   niminit -a is_alternate=yes -a name=octopus -a pif_name=en0 \ 
   -a cable_type=bnc -a master=dolphin

8. To copy an SSL certificate and to enable SSL authentication during client initialization, enter the following command:

   niminit -a name=octopus -a master=dolphin -a connect=nimsh -c -v

   Note: For NIM communication, SSL keys and certificates configuration during NIM master initialization is supported for AIX® 7.3 with Technology Level 2, and later.

Files