NIM server bootps error 3

[phorbiuz]

I need help please.

I've got a VIO'd P570, on which one of the lpars is a NIM server. It was/is working when I inherited it as the previous 6 lpars were built using it.

I've created a new VIO profile which works fine (thanks to an earlier reply from p5wizard).

I've defined this new lpar in NIM under the administration tasks as a machine using the same settings as the other NIM clients have (except for obvious things such as name and IP).

I've then gone through the installation and maintenance tasks install the base OS on a standalone client and everything there went OK.

From there, I've booted the new lpar into SMS and configured the network interface to use with its own IP, NIM master IP, no gateway as they're on the same subnet, and network mask. A ping test works fine.

However, when booting I just get:
BOOTP request retry attempt:1 (and so on until it runs out of retries)

The client is in the host table OK.
Showmount -e shows the spot, lpp source and mksysb shared OK.
Nfso -a | grep port returns both zero's.

Anyone any suggestions to get me past this?

Thanks.

 

[ccook123]

Off of the top of my head this is how I would run through a quick NIM install.

smitty nim
Perform NIM Software Installation and Maintenance Tasks
Install and Update Software
Install the Base Operating System on Standalone Clients
(select the machine you defined)
select installation type
select lpp_source(if applicable)

Now you are in the "Install the Base Operating System on Standalone Clients" menu with a lot of options to configure.

At this point the options I change are:
ACCEPT new license agreements? change to yes
Initiate reboot and installation now? change to no
(you may have additional options to change for your setup)

Hit enter and it finishes, you get the OK in smit? Don't close out of this smit menu and go to the lpar.

Now, boot up newly defined lpar to sms menu.
In the main menu:
Select 2. Setup Remote IPL
Select the virtual lan adapter

Under Network Parameters:
Select 1. IP Parameters
I fill out all of the parameters including gateway, you shouldn't have to but I do and it works for me.

Hit escape and go back to the main Network Parameters heading.

Select 2. Adapter Configuration
Under this menu set
1. Speed, Duplex to auto
2. Spanning Tree Disabled
3. Protocol IEEE802.3

Hit escape and go back to the main Network Parameters heading.

Select 3. Ping test, make sure it pings

Escape all the way back to the main menu
select 5. Select Boot Options
select 1. install/boot device
select 6. network
select 1. (or whatever your virtual ethernet adapter is)
select 2. Normal mode boot
select 1. Yes

Some of my settings may seem a bit odd; this is because like you, I have ran into similar problems and had to tweak things to finally get it to work. If this doesn't help out post back and I will see if I can come up with anything else.

 

[ogniemi]

if you have another LPAR already installed on the same server and which you can use for cloning, then you can clone the system on the drive you a going to use for new LPAR's rootvg. all you have to do is to add/map temporaily target drive to already running AIX/LPAR and run:

alt_disk_install -C hdiskX

where hdiskX is the target drive (dedicated for rootvg for new LPAR). When the cloning completes (5-20 minutes) you can remove the drive the the source system and add it back to new LPAR and boot system from it.

Probably also -O option would be good in your case:

-O Performs a device reset on the target altinst_rootvg. This will cause alt_disk_install to NOT retain any user defined device configurations. This flag is useful if the target disk or disks will become the rootvg of a different system (such as in the case of logical partitioning or system disk swap).


alt_disk_install package is optional so you need to install is from AIX base cd if you want to use it.

it is great tool which also allows to migrate running AIX eg. 5.2 to eg. 5.3 to spare drive in the system minimizing migration downtime just to system reboot from new AIX (even jfs -> jfs2 migration is possible in such migration).


some links:

http://publib.boulder.ibm.com/infoc...bm.aix.cmds/doc/aixcmds1/alt_disk_install.htm

http://www.ibm.com/developerworks/wikis/download/attachments/53871900/nim_advance_2007.pdf?version=1

 

[Aixexplore]

Hi Phorbiuz,

Please logon NIM master post verify/post (From NIM master) #lsnim -l "newlpar hostname".


Regards!

 

[phorbiuz]

Hello again.

Sorry for the delay here but I got pulled onto another customer project. I have a bit of an update, and I'm afraid its still not working. In answer to previous replies:

ccook123
********

Yes, that's virtually the process followed. The only differences are as follows.

After the "Install the Base Operating System on Standalone Clients" bit, we do get the OK result, but also an error stating that exportfs: /images doesn't exist. It doesn't but presumably did at some point.

After selecting the virtual lan we get asked which IP version 4 or 6 to use (4) and whether we want to use bootp or iscsi (bootp).

Everything seems to be fine and we get ping success.

Aixexplore
**********

nim_mgt:/: lsnim -l ukepu113_mgt
ukepu113_mgt:
class = machines
type = standalone
connect = nimsh
platform = chrp
netboot_kernel = mp
if1 = network1 ukepu113_mgt 0ade374d7a0d
net_settings1 = auto auto
cable_type1 = tp
Cstate = BOS installation has been enabled
prev_state = ready for a NIM operation
Mstate = not running
boot = boot
lpp_source = lpp_src_53
mksysb = ukepu107_mksysb
nim_script = nim_script
spot = spot_53TL09
control = master

ogniemi
*******

Great utility that, and it works fine for lpars on the VIO side. Thanks v much. However, this NIM server also serves other machines in the area which I can't physically move disks between so I do need to figure out where this is going wrong.


So......

Any more ideas?

 

[phorbiuz]

I should point out after the 5 bootp retry attempts that fail, the error code is !EA01B015 !

 

[phorbiuz]

No need - sorted it. Found a network problem. When I assigned the IP's and a default router, the default router was blocking bootp.

Thanks again everyone.