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AIX 6.1 Installation from a lower AIX version using NIM or NIMOL ( NIM
on Linux )

*Introduction
In case you need to install an AIX OS over the network you need
normally a AIX machine at the same AIX level and a configured NIM
environment or a linux machine serving NIM functions (NIMOL).

NIMOL RPM Packages ( Fits also for aix 5.3 )
The AIX 6.1 base installation contains a directory ./RPMS/linux ( The
5.3 as well and about 5.2 i do not know )
This directory contains the files for a NIMOL installation
- XML-LibXML-1.58-1.i386.rpm
- libxml2-2.6.17-4.i586.rpm
- nimol-1.0-4.noarch.rpm
- osinstall-1.0-1.noarch.rpm

and the SPOT and KERNEL for the given aix version ( aix-res-..... ) in
the
- aix-res-6100-00-1.0-1.aix5.3.noarch.rpm

Where the aix-res contains the following files.
- Boot kernel - /opt/aix-res/6100-00/booti.chrp.mp.ent.Z
- Bosinst.data - /opt/aix-res/6100-00/bosinst.data
- SPOT - /opt/aix-res/6100-00/ispot.tar.Z


* Using NIMOL to install AIX 6.1
For an introduction to NIMOL and BASIC NIMOL configuration ( No
resources are configured ) please read:
http://www.ibm.com/developerworks/ai...html#instlinim

For creating installation resources i suggest the following IBM
documentation because other information found on the iNet ( search
nimol ) mention that you need a mksysb what is not correct imho.
http://publib.boulder.ibm.com/infoce...mol_config.htm

* Create a NIMOL resource
Since even the above documentation is not quite clear in section 7 and
also a simple
$ nimol_config # failed for AIX 5.3 and AIX 6.1
i started to create the required resource by hand:

Note: The final NIM resource name will be aix610
Prerequites:
- Have NIMOL packages installed ( except the aix-res rpms ) an run
successfully a $ nimol_config -c
- The aix 6.1 aix-res-6100-00-1.0-1.aix5.3.noarch.rpm can not be
installed because during installation it says: requires aix5.3
operation system. IBM is really funny.

To unpack the aix-res rpm do
$ mkdir /mnt/nimol ; mount MyAIX61CD1 /mnt/nimol
$ mkdir -p /opt/aix-res/6100-00
$ cd /
$ rpm2cpio /mnt/nimol/RPMS/linux/aix-
res-6100-00-1.0-1.aix5.3.noarch.rpm | cpio -idmv

Now we have the aix resources in /opt/aix-res/6100-00

* Create the resource environment named aix610
Base directory is /export/aix
$ mkdir /export/aix/aix610

* Get a bosinst.data
Copy the the bosinst.data into the resource directory
$ cp /opt/aix-res/6100-00/bosinst.data /export/aix/aix610/

* Create a lppsource in /export/aix/aix610
Copy the lpp_source from the installation CD (At least from first CD )
or DVD
We use the previousley mounted .
$ mkdir /export/aix/aix610/lpp_source
$ ( cd /mnt/nimol/ && tar -cf - ./installp/ ) | ( cd /export/aix/
aix610/lpp_source && tar -xf - )
Now we a basic lppsource with the structure /export/aix/aix610/
lpp_source/installp/ppc

* Create a SPOT
$ cd /export/aix/aix610 && tar -zxf /opt/aix-res/6100-00/ispot.tar.Z
Now we a SPOT with the structure /export/aix/aix610/SPOT/usr

* Get the boot image
$ cd /export/aix/aix610 && tar -zxf /opt/aix-res/6100-00/
booti.chrp.mp.ent.Z

Now the required resource exist to create the NIMOL resource aix610
* Finally create NIMOL resource named aix610
$ nimol_config -t /export/aix -L aix610
To list valid NIMOL resource
$ nimol_config -l

Now you can procced with the client configuration.
See above mentioned documentation about nimol_install
----------------------------

* Install AIX 6.1 from a lower level AIX NIM server( Not tested yet
and only a cook book )
As seen from the above we have a aix 6.1 SPOT, boot image and
bosinst.data .
Thus i would copy the aix 6.1 kernel to /tftpboot as
aix610.chrp.mp.ent . The SPOT to your default SPOT directory as well
as the lppsource to your default lpp directory like /export/nim/
lpp_source/aix610.
Also i would change the bosinst.data file to a prompted installation
and also enable the debug mode within this file.
Now use nim to configure your aix 6.1 target client as an aix 5.3
client. This way you have a configuration you can change to use the
AIX 6.1 resources

This means:
- do a
$ showmount -a
to get all exported information and save any shown scripts.
- Grab from the /etc/bootptab the information for your target client
- Backup the client info file in /tftpboot

Now reset the client .
- Update the /etc/bootptab from the previously saved information and
change filenames as needed.
- - do a
$ refresh -s inetd
- Restore the client info file to /tftpboot and change information as
required.
- relink the client name to the aix 6.1 boot image
- NFS export the aix 6.1 lpp_source and the aix 6.1 spot and the nim
scripts.

--------------------------------

Additional Note
The NIMOL installation on a p51A runnning from a OpenSuse 10.3
- for AIX 5.3 failed with an 0c45 - Failed to overmount / ... killed
- for AIX 6.1 failed with an 0c35 - No console found.

I will update this post as soon as i get the installation running.
Comments also welcome.

cheers
Hajo