DR_NIM_01 built, nimesis and nimd SRC subsystems running.DR_NIM_01.192.168.131.2 — .23) reachable from DR_NIM_01 over TCP/3901 (nimsh) and ICMP.DR_NIM_01 and each bc<NN> via DNS or /etc/hosts.bos.sysmgt.nim.client installed on each target (ships with base AIX media).DR_NIM_01 and each target client.Critical: The NIM client fileset (bos.sysmgt.nim.client) must be present on each bc<NN> before niminit in Phase 5 will succeed. Verify with lslpp -l bos.sysmgt.nim.client on a sample client first.
Restart if needed: Both NIM daemons must be active. If either is inoperative, restart with startsrc -s nimesis / startsrc -s nimd before continuing.
IP convention: bc<NN> → 192.168.131.(NN+1). So bc01 = .2, bc22 = .23. The .1 address is reserved for DR_NIM_01. Any FAIL must be resolved (firewall, routing, host down) before that client can be defined.
Skip this step if DNS is authoritative for these names.
✓ Verify: host bc01 on DR_NIM_01 resolves to 192.168.131.2. From bc01, host DR_NIM_01 resolves to 192.168.131.1.
Seven filesets, all required. JBB depends on the FilePath kernel extension; the BA client depends on GSKit for TLS.
| Fileset | Purpose |
|---|---|
| GSKit8.gskcrypt64.ppc.rte | IBM Global Security Kit — crypto runtime (TLS dependency) |
| GSKit8.gskssl64.ppc.rte | GSKit SSL libraries (TLS dependency) |
| tivoli.tsm.client.api.64bit | TSM API — required by BA client and any future TDP/RMAN integration |
| tivoli.tsm.client.ba.64bit | BA client (dsmc, dsmcad, dsmtca) — core fileset |
| tivoli.tsm.client.jbb.64bit | Journal-Based Backup engine |
| tivoli.tsm.client.webgui | Web GUI (optional but useful for ops handover) |
| tivoli.tsm.filepath_aix | FilePath kernel extension — required by JBB |
Substitute /mnt/nfs/tsm/8.1.x for the NFS source path in your environment.
Common trap: Re-run inutoc after every change to the directory. A stale .toc is the most common cause of "0503-005 Cannot find requested fileset" errors during nim -o cust.
This creates the resource object lpp_tsm_ba_81 that will be allocated to clients during the install push in Phase 7.
✓ Verify: Output should show Rstate = ready for use and type = lpp_source. simages = no is expected — this is an application lpp_source, not a base OS one.
Net definition: The net_definition attribute auto-creates the supporting NIM network object on the first iteration; subsequent definitions reuse it.
nimsh vs shell: connect=nimsh is preferred — authenticated, doesn't require .rhosts. If the customer estate is locked to legacy rsh, fall back to connect=shell for the initial push and convert afterwards.
✓ Verify: Each call returns a populated fileset list rather than "0042-006 cannot establish connection".
Grouping lets a single nim -o cust invocation drive the install in parallel rather than serialising 22 calls.
✓ Verify: lsnim -l grp_tsm_onboard | grep member_ returns 22 lines.
-apYg. No filesets installed. Use this first, every time.-acgXY in step 15. Only run after the dry-run is clean.Flag breakdown: -a apply, -p preview only, -Y auto-accept licenses, -g install requisite software automatically. The -p turns this into a no-op that exercises every code path except the actual install.
Flags: apply, commit, install requisites, expand filesystems if needed, accept licenses.
License acceptance is mandatory. Without accept_licenses=yes, the install will exit before the commit phase and leave applied-but-not-committed filesets across the entire estate — tedious to clean up.
Per-client install transcripts are written on the client side; the master keeps a summary in /var/adm/ras/nim.installp.
Note: dsmc will not launch interactively until dsm.sys and dsm.opt are created — that is expected at this stage. The -version flag returns version info without requiring config.
✓ Verify: Each client returns a version banner matching the lpp_source level — e.g. Version 8, Release 1, Level x.x.
✓ Phase complete: Binaries are installed and committed across all 22 LPARs. Configuration deployment (dsm.sys / dsm.opt, REGISTER NODE server-side, dsmcad scheduler) is the next phase — covered separately under RB-TSM-AIX-002.
| Symptom | Cause & resolution |
|---|---|
| 0042-001 nim: 'client' is not a valid object | Client not defined or name mismatch. Verify with lsnim bc<NN>. |
| 0042-006 cannot establish connection | nimsh not running on client, port 3901/tcp blocked, or hostname resolution mismatch. Check lssrc -s nimsh on the client and verify /etc/hosts on both sides. |
| 0503-005 Cannot find requested fileset | Stale or missing .toc. Re-run inutoc /export/lpp_source/tsm_ba_8.1 and retry. |
| 0503-409 bosboot verification failed | Pre-existing system issue, not caused by this install. Investigate bosboot -v -a on the affected client before retrying. |
| filepath_aix kernel ext error | Another process holds the kernel extension. Stop any running TSM/JBB processes (ps -ef | grep dsm) and retry. |
| License acceptance error mid-install | accept_licenses=yes was omitted. Re-run with the flag set; previously-applied filesets will be skipped. |
| Location | Contents |
|---|---|
| /var/adm/ras/nim.installp | Per-host install transcript (lives on both master and client) |
| /var/adm/ras/nimlog | Master-side NIM operations log |
| /smit.log | Fallback if SMIT was used for any step |
| lslpp -h <fileset> | Full apply / commit / reject history per fileset |
Cleanup: The machine group grp_tsm_onboard can be retained for future patching campaigns or removed with nim -o remove grp_tsm_onboard. The lpp_source should be retained for future onboardings and BA client upgrades.
| Command | Purpose | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| lsnim -l master | Confirm NIM master state | Cstate must be "ready for a NIM operation" |
| lssrc -s nimesis / nimd | Confirm NIM daemons running | Restart with startsrc -s <name> if down |
| inutoc /export/lpp_source/tsm_ba_8.1 | Generate lpp_source TOC | Re-run after every directory change |
| nim -o define -t lpp_source ... | Register staged dir as NIM resource | Phase 4 — creates lpp_tsm_ba_81 |
| nim -o define -t standalone ... | Define each bc<NN> as NIM client | Phase 5 — looped for all 22 |
| niminit -a name=bc<NN> ... | Initialise NIM client daemon | Run on each LPAR, one-time |
| nim -o define -t mac_group ... | Build machine group | Enables single-shot parallel install |
| nim -o cust ... -apYg | Dry-run install (preview only) | Phase 7 step 14 — must be clean before live |
| nim -o cust ... -acgXY | Live install — apply, commit, requisites | accept_licenses=yes mandatory |
| lslpp -l 'tivoli.tsm.client*' | Verify fileset commit state | Looped across all 22 clients post-install |
| dsmc -version | Sanity-check installed version | Works without dsm.sys / dsm.opt configured |
| nim -o cust -a installp_flags="-r" | Reject applied (uncommitted) install | Rollback step RB.1 |
| installp -u <fileset> | Deinstall committed fileset | Per-client only — no NIM verb exists |
-apYg) before the live install (-acgXY). The dry-run exercises dependency resolution against all 22 clients; uncaught issues here become 22 failures during the live push.accept_licenses=yes is non-negotiable on the live install. Omitting it leaves applied-but-not-committed filesets across the estate, which then have to be cleaned up per host.bos.sysmgt.nim.client) must already be installed on each bc<NN> before niminit. It ships with base AIX, but custom mksysb images sometimes drop it.inutoc after any change to the lpp_source directory. A stale .toc is the most common cause of 0503-005 Cannot find requested fileset.bc<NN> → 192.168.131.(NN+1). Verify both directions of name resolution before defining clients — half-broken DNS shows up later as 0042-006 cannot establish connection.dsm.sys, dsm.opt, REGISTER NODE server-side, dsmcad scheduler) is intentionally out of scope here — covered under RB-TSM-AIX-002.lpp_tsm_ba_81 and grp_tsm_onboard after the install completes. Both are reusable for future BA client upgrades and patching campaigns.