OK, so I had a NIM master with two network interfaces, en0 and en1. The en0 interface was connected to the 192.168.10.0 network and the en1 interface was connected to the 10.1.1.0 network. When the master was initially configured, we chose en0 as the primary install interface. The master could now install NIM clients on the 192.168.10.0 network, without any additional NIM network configuration.

root@nim1 / # ifconfig a

en0: flags=1e080863,480<UP,BROADCAST,NOTRAILERS,RUNNING,SIMPLEX,MULTICAST,GROUPRT,64BIT,CHECKSUM_OFFLOAD(ACTIVE),CHAIN>

inet 192.168.10.10 netmask 0xffffff00 broadcast 192.168.10.255

tcp_sendspace 262144 tcp_recvspace 262144 rfc1323 1

en1: flags=1e080863,480<UP,BROADCAST,NOTRAILERS,RUNNING,SIMPLEX,MULTICAST,GROUPRT,64BIT,CHECKSUM_OFFLOAD(ACTIVE),CHAIN>

inet 10.1.1.10 netmask 0xffffff00 broadcast 10.1.1.255

tcp_sendspace 262144 tcp_recvspace 262144 rfc1323 1

lo0: flags=e08084b,c0<UP,BROADCAST,LOOPBACK,RUNNING,SIMPLEX,MULTICAST,GROUPRT,64BIT,LARGESEND,CHAIN>

inet 127.0.0.1 netmask 0xff000000 broadcast 127.255.255.255

inet6 ::1%1/0

tcp_sendspace 131072 tcp_recvspace 131072 rfc1323 1

There was a single NIM network definition for the 192.168.10.0 network (net_192_168_10) in the NIM database.

root@nim1 / # lsnim -c networks

net_192_168_10 networks ent

Sure enough, the time came when we needed to install NIM clients on the 10.1.1.0 network. Rather than adding NIM routes, we chose to configure the NIM master with an additional install interface on the 10.1.1.0 network. Fortunately, the NIM master was already directly connected to the 10.1.1.0 network on its en1 interface. So all we had to do was update the NIM configuration.

First we added a new entry in the /etc/hosts file for the NIM masters 10.1.1.0 network address. The hostname for this interface was nim1i.

root@nim1 / # grep nim1 /etc/hosts

192.168.10.10 nim1

10.1.1.10 nim1i

root@nim1 / # host nim1i

nim1i is 10.1.1.10

Next we defined a new network install interface for the NIM master via the smit fastpath, smit nim_mac_if.

root@nim1 / # smit nim_mac_if

Define a Network Install Interface

+--------------------------------------------------------------------------+

| Machine Name |

| |

| Move cursor to desired item and press Enter. |

| |

| master machines master |

| lpar14 machines standalone |

| lpar15 machines standalone |

| lpar16 machines standalone |

| |

| F1=Help F2=Refresh F3=Cancel |

| F8=Image F10=Exit Enter=Do |

F1=Help F2=Refresh | /=Find n=Find Next | F8=Image

F9=Shell F10=Exit +--------------------------------------------------------------------------+

We entered the hostname of the NIM master on the 10.1.1.0 network i.e. nim1i.

Define a Network Install Interface

Type or select a value for the entry field.

Press Enter AFTER making all desired changes.

[Entry Fields]

* Host Name of Network Install Interface [nim1i]

We named the new NIM network, net_10_1_1 and entered the appropriate subnet mask for this network. We did not enter a default gateway for the client or the NIM master (it is unnecessary, as the master is directly connected to this network).

Define a Network Install Interface

Type or select values in entry fields.

Press Enter AFTER making all desired changes.

[Entry Fields]

* Machine Name master

Network Install Interface

* Cable Type N/A +

Network Speed Setting [] +

Network Duplex Setting [] +

* NIM Network [net_10_1_1]

* Network Type ent

* Ethernet Type Standard +

* Subnetmask [255.255.255.0]

Default Gateway Used by Machine []

Default Gateway Used by Master []

* Host Name nim1i

Network Adapter Hardware Address [0]

Network Adapter Logical Device Name []

There were now two network definitions in our NIM database. The Nstate attribute was set to ready for use, so our definition was OK to use.

root@nim1 / # lsnim -c networks

net_192_!68_10 networks ent

net_10_1_1 networks ent

root@nim1 / # lsnim -l net_10_1_1

net_10_1_1:

class = networks

type = ent

comments = Generated during definition of nim1i

Nstate = ready for use

prev_state = information is missing from this object's definition

net_addr = 10.1.1.0

snm = 255.255.255.0

The NIM master has two network interfaces defined.

root@nim1 / # lsnim -l master | grep if

if_defined = chrp.64.ent

if1 = net_192_168_10 nim1 0

if2 = net_10_1_1 nim1i 0

Now we could install new NIM clients using this network. We verified this by adding a new NIM client to the NIM database.

# smit nim_mkmac

Define a Machine

Type or select a value for the entry field.

Press Enter AFTER making all desired changes.

[Entry Fields]

* Host Name of Machine [lpar22i]

(Primary Network Install Interface)

After pressing enter on the previous smit panel, we were immediately presented with a panel to modify the attributes of the NIM client and (more importantly) the correct network and hostname were automatically selected as part of the clients definition.

Define a Machine

Type or select values in entry fields.

Press Enter AFTER making all desired changes.

[Entry Fields]

* NIM Machine Name [lpar22]

* Machine Type [standalone] +

* Hardware Platform Type [chrp] +

Kernel to use for Network Boot [64] +

Communication Protocol used by client [nimsh] +

Primary Network Install Interface

* Cable Type N/A +

Network Speed Setting [] +

Network Duplex Setting [] +

* NIM Network net_10_1_1

* Host Name lpar22i

Network Adapter Hardware Address [0]

Network Adapter Logical Device Name []

IPL ROM Emulation Device [] +/

CPU Id []

Machine Group [] +

Managing System Information

WPAR Options

Managing System []

-OR-

LPAR Options

Identity []

Management Source [] +

Comments []

If we had configured NIM incorrectly i.e. it was not aware of the 10.1.1.0 network, then we would have been prompted for network information before we could configure the NIM client (as shown below).

Define a Machine

Type or select a value for the entry field.

Press Enter AFTER making all desired changes.

[Entry Fields]

* Host Name of Machine [lpar22i]

(Primary Network Install Interface)

+--------------------------------------------------------------------------+

| Type of Network Attached to Primary Network Install Interface |

| |

| Move cursor to desired item and press Enter. |

| |

| tok = token ring network |

| ent = ethernet network |

| fddi = FDDI network |

| generic = generic network (no network boot capability) |

| atm = ATM network |

| ent6 = IPv6 ethernet network |

| hfi = HFI network |

| |

| F1=Help F2=Refresh F3=Cancel |