nimdef Command

Purpose

Defines Network Installation Management (NIM) clients from a stanza file.

Syntax

nimdef [  -p |  -d  |  -c ] -f Name

Description

The nimdef command parses a definition stanza file to build the commands required to add NIM client definitions to the NIM environment.

The nimdef command can also create NIM networks and NIM machine groups automatically in the NIM environment to support the new client definitions.

Note: Before using the nimdef command, you must configure the NIM master. (See Basic NIM operations and configuration in Installation and migration for more information.)

Client Definition File Rules

The format of the client definition file must comply with the following rules:

• After the stanza header, follow attribute lines of the form Attribute = Value.
• If you define an attribute value multiple times within the same stanza, only the last definition is used unless the attribute is machine_group. If you specify multiple machine_group attributes, all are applied to the machine definition.
• If you use an invalid attribute keyword, then that attribute definition is ignored.
• Each line of the file can have only one header or attribute definition.
• Only one stanza may exist in a definition file for each machine hostname.
• If the stanza header entry is the keyword default, this specifies to use it for the purpose of defining default values.
• You can specify a default value for any machine attribute except the machine hostname. If you do not specify an attribute for a machine but define a default value, then the default value is used.
• You can specify and change default values at any location in the definition file. After a default value is set, it applies to all definitions following it.
• To turn off a default value for all following machine definitions, set the attribute value to nothing in a default stanza.
• To turn off a default value for a single machine definition, set the attribute value to nothing in the machine stanza.
• You can include comments in a client definition file. Comments begin with the pound (#) character.
• When parsing the definition file for header/attribute keywords and values, tab characters and spaces are ignored.

Client Definition File Keywords

The client definition file uses the following keywords to specify machine attributes:

Required Attributes

Optional Attributes

Client Definition File Stanza Errors

A definition stanza is incorrect under any of the following conditions:

• The hostname used in the stanza header for the definition is unresolvable.
• A required attribute is missing.
• You specify an invalid value for an attribute.
• An attribute mismatch occurs. For example, you can not specify network_type=tok and cable_type=bnc in the same stanza.
• A group-type mismatch occurs. For example, you can not specify a group for a machine if the group includes standalone machines and you specify machine_type=diskless.
• Machine definitions occur multiple times for the same hostname.
• A machine definition occurs for a machine that is already defined in the NIM environment.
• The primary_interface value in a machine definition does not match the hostname of any defined machine or stanza definition.
• The primary_interface value in a machine definition matches the hostname of another machine definition, but that definition is incorrect.

Sample Client Definition File

# Set default values.
default:
    machine_type  = standalone
    subnet_mask   = 255.255.240.0
    gateway       = gateway1
    network_type  = tok
    ring_speed    = 16
    platform      = rs6k
    machine_group = all_machines

# Define the machine "lab1"
# Take all defaults.
lab1:

# Define the machine "lab2"
# Take all defaults and specify 2 additional attributes.
# The machine "lab2" uses IPL ROM emulation, and will be added to
# the machine groups "all_machines" and "lab_machines".
lab2:
    ipl_rom_emulation = /dev/fd0
    machine_group     = lab_machines

# Define the machine "lab3"
# Take all defaults, but do not add the machine to the default
# group.
lab3:
    machine_group=

# Define the machine "lab4"
# Take all defaults, but do not add "lab4" to the default group
# "all_machines".
# Instead add it to the groups "lab_machines" and "new_machines".
lab4:
    machine_group =
    machine_group = lab_machines
    machine_group = new_machines

# Change the default "platform" attribute.
default:
    platform = rspc

# define the machine "test1"
# Take all defaults and include a comment.
test1:
    comments = "This machine is a test machine."

Flags

Exit Status

This command returns the following exit values:

Security

Access Control: You must have root authority to run the nimdef command.

Auditing Events: N/A

Attention RBAC users and Trusted AIX 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 associated with this command, see the lssecattr command or the getcmdattr subcommand.

Examples

1. To preview the client definition file client.defs, enter:

   nimdef -p -f client.defs

2. To add the NIM clients described in the client definition file client.defs, enter:

   nimdef -d -f client.defs

3. To create a kshell script called client.add to add the NIM clients described in the client definition file client.defs, enter:

   nimdef -c -f client.defs > client.add

Files