Performing the Live Update operation by using NIM

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Network Installation Manager (NIM) can be used to start an AIX® Live Update operation on a target machine either from a NIM master (also known as central master) or from the NIM client. The required authentication to the HMC can also be managed within the NIM framework by defining a Hardware Management Console (HMC) object. Similarly, for a NIM client that is managed by IBM® Power® Virtualization Center (PowerVC), the authentication can be managed by defining a PowerVC object in NIM.

Use the following step-by-step examples to set up NIM and to set up the updates that are initiated from either the client or the master:

  1. Generate the HMC password key.
    # /usr/bin/dpasswd -f /export/eznim/passwd/hmc_passwd -U hscroot -P abc123
  2. Use this key to define an HMC object.
    # nim -o define -t hmc -a if1="find_net hmc_object 0" -a net_definition=“ent 255.255.255.0 9.1.2.1” 
                -a passwd_file=/export/eznim/passwd/hmc_passwd hmc_object
  3. Define managed system of NIM stand-alone machine.
    # nim -o define -t cec -a hw_type=8203 -a hw_model=E4A -a hw_serial=0123456 
                -a mgmt._source=hmc_object cec1
  4. Exchange Secure Shell (SSH) keys between HMC and NIM master.
    # dkeyexch -f /export/eznim/passwd/hmc_passwd -I hmc -H hmc_object
  5. Define the NIM stand-alone machine that points to the Central Electronic Complex (CEC).
    # nim -o define -t standalone -a if1=find_net mac1 0” -a net_definition=“ent 255.255.255.0 9.1.2.1”
                -a net_setting1=“100 full” -a mgmt_source=cec1 -a identity=<lpar_id> client1
Note: The Live Update operation started by NIM calls the hmcauth command during the cust operation to authenticate to the NIM client with the HMC by using the HMC passwd file.

Starting the Live Update operation from NIM master

To use a NIM live_update_data resource, run the following command:
# nim -o cust -a live_update=yes -a live_update_data=lvup -a lpp_source=720lpp 
                -a filesets=IZ12345.140806.epkg.Z client1
To use the client's /var/adm/ras/liveupdate/lvupdate.data file, run the following command:
# nim -o cust -a live_update=yes -a filesets=IZ12345.140806.epkg.Z client1
To run the Live Update operation in preview mode, run the following command:
# nim -o cust -a live_update=yes -a live_update_data=lvup -a installp_flags=“-p” 
                -a lpp_source=720lpp -a filesets=IZ12345.140806.epkg.Z client1

Starting the Live Update operation from NIM client

To use separate operations to allocate and run the Live Update operation, run the following command:
# nimclient -o allocate -a lpp_source=720lpp -a live_update_data=lvup
# nimclient -o cust -a live_update=yes -a filesets=IZ12345.140806.epkg.Z
To allocate and run the Live Update operation together, run the following command:
# nimclient -o cust -a live_update=yes -a lpp_source=720lpp -a live_update_data=lvup 
                      -a filesets=IZ12345.140806.epkg.Z
To run the Live Update operation in preview mode, run the following command:
# nimclient -o cust -a live_update=yes -a lpp_source=720lpp -a live_update_data=lvup 
                      -a installp_flags=“-p” -a filesets=IZ12345.140806.epkg.Z