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NIM mksysb install - just sits there

NIM mksysb install - just sits there

Post by Michelle DeVau » Fri, 07 Mar 2003 01:21:31



Hi all,

I'm trying to set up a NIM invironment to push mksysb images out to
all client machines.  I've got a master defined (4.3.3.0 ML7) and a
couple of test clients.

The client is a 43P-140.

Think I have all the resources is need defined (spot, lpp_source,
mksysb, bosinst_data) and they are allocated to the client machine
resource.  I can
reboot this client from the master (#nim -o reboot <client>).

Trying a mksysb install to one of the clients (#nim -o bos_inst -a
source=mksysb <client>) is not working.  It gets to the white screen,
says "Starting software, please wait"  then just sits there.

Any clues as to what I'm doing wrong or don't have set up properly?
Thanks.

M.

 
 
 
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NIM mksysb install - just sits there

Post by Christian Prue » Fri, 07 Mar 2003 07:41:25


Michelle:

Try checking your NFS exports and ensure that the RIPL information is
still current in your target system's SMS menus.  Any LEDs would also
be beneficial.

--Christian Pruett


> Hi all,

> I'm trying to set up a NIM invironment to push mksysb images out to
> all client machines.  I've got a master defined (4.3.3.0 ML7) and a
> couple of test clients.

> The client is a 43P-140.

> Think I have all the resources is need defined (spot, lpp_source,
> mksysb, bosinst_data) and they are allocated to the client machine
> resource.  I can
> reboot this client from the master (#nim -o reboot <client>).

> Trying a mksysb install to one of the clients (#nim -o bos_inst -a
> source=mksysb <client>) is not working.  It gets to the white screen,
> says "Starting software, please wait"  then just sits there.

> Any clues as to what I'm doing wrong or don't have set up properly?
> Thanks.

> M.


 
 
 
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NIM mksysb install - just sits there

Post by Aamir Kh » Sat, 08 Mar 2003 02:39:30


More info useful, but it would be very advisable to update the
Microcode of the 43p... they have specific issues I think concerning
RIPL.

kind regards Aamir

 
 
 
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NIM mksysb install - just sits there

Post by Aamir Kh » Sat, 08 Mar 2003 02:39:34


More info useful, but it would be very advisable to update the
Microcode of the 43p... they have specific issues I think concerning
RIPL.

kind regards Aamir

 
 
 
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NIM mksysb install - just sits there

Post by Michelle DeVau » Sat, 08 Mar 2003 03:00:07


The NFS exports look ok to me - what should I check for?
I did update the RIPL info on the client, but get the same results as
before.
Client box sticks at an F05 once it gets to the "Starting software,
please wait" point.

I also upgraded the master to ML09 (since the mksysb I would like to
dump on the client was taken on a ML09 box).  I created another
lpp_source from the ML09 cd's, and created a new spot from the new
lpp_source.  However, a bos_inst using these new resources yield the
same results.

Also tried skipping the bosinst_data resource I had been trying to
use.  Thought maybe something there was* me up, but no luck.

I'm really, really stumped.  Can't think of anything else to try.

M.


> Michelle:

> Try checking your NFS exports and ensure that the RIPL information is
> still current in your target system's SMS menus.  Any LEDs would also
> be beneficial.

> --Christian Pruett


> > Hi all,

> > I'm trying to set up a NIM invironment to push mksysb images out to
> > all client machines.  I've got a master defined (4.3.3.0 ML7) and a
> > couple of test clients.

> > The client is a 43P-140.

> > Think I have all the resources is need defined (spot, lpp_source,
> > mksysb, bosinst_data) and they are allocated to the client machine
> > resource.  I can
> > reboot this client from the master (#nim -o reboot <client>).

> > Trying a mksysb install to one of the clients (#nim -o bos_inst -a
> > source=mksysb <client>) is not working.  It gets to the white screen,
> > says "Starting software, please wait"  then just sits there.

> > Any clues as to what I'm doing wrong or don't have set up properly?
> > Thanks.

> > M.

 
 
 
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NIM mksysb install - just sits there

Post by Anthon » Sat, 08 Mar 2003 04:03:10



> I'm really, really stumped.  Can't think of anything else to try.

Well, you could try using Storix instead. Much better backup and nettwork install process, very automated configuration, and
NO NFS!
 
 
 
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NIM mksysb install - just sits there

Post by Dale Talco » Sat, 08 Mar 2003 00:18:18



>Client box sticks at an F05 once it gets to the "Starting software,
>please wait" point.

Several times since 4.3.3, NIM created a bogus boot image for me.  The
client either hung or flashing 8'ed.  One time I got it to work by
destroying and recreating the SPOT (based on the original LPPs with no
patches).  Another time, just removing the image and using the nim
check command to recreate it worked (which doesn't make any sense
to me).  This has happened with two different NIM masters, so it's
not likely a hardware problem.  Same operator though, so it could be
a consistent operator headspace error :-)

The corruption seems to happen when there are patches applied to the SPOT.
A SPOT created straight from base LPPs seems to be okay.  But I haven't had
time to investigate much.

--
Dale Talcott, IT Research Computing Services, Purdue University

 
 
 
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NIM mksysb install - just sits there

Post by Michelle DeVau » Sat, 08 Mar 2003 06:00:48


Upon further investigation, I've decided that my problem is that the
client can't download the bootp image from the master.

I've run the bootp on the master in debug mode, and I get this:

Mar  6 13:09:18 server01 bootpd[2342]: bootptab mtime is Thu Mar  6
09:44:51 2003
Mar  6 13:09:18 server01 bootpd[2342]: reading "/etc/bootptab"
Mar  6 13:09:18 server01 bootpd[2342]: read 0 entries from
"/etc/bootptab"
Mar  6 13:09:18 server01 bootpd[2342]: dumped 0 entries to
"/etc/bootpd.dump".
Mar  6 13:15:26 server01 bootpd[2342]: bootptab mtime is Thu Mar  6
09:44:51 2003
Mar  6 13:15:26 server01 bootpd[2342]: Received boot request.
Mar  6 13:15:26 server01 bootpd[2342]: request from IP addr
123.25.6.103
Mar  6 13:15:26 server01 bootpd[2342]: IP address not found:
123.25.6.103
Mar  6 13:15:26 server01 bootpd[2342]: Finished processing boot
request.

The IP address of the client is correct, and under normal
circumstances the server can contact the client using that address.

First off, there is nothing in the /etc/bootptab file on the master.
I thought that a nim network boot filled this in as needed, but is
this not the case?
Do I need to manually generate these entries?

The client is on a different subnet than the server. I think I'm
leaning more towards this being my problem, although I'm not sure what
I don't have set
up correctly.  

I have a network resource defined for each subnet, and network
routings defined.

Still stumped, but reading the redbook.  Any ideas would be
appreciated.


> Michelle:

> Try checking your NFS exports and ensure that the RIPL information is
> still current in your target system's SMS menus.  Any LEDs would also
> be beneficial.

> --Christian Pruett


> > Hi all,

> > I'm trying to set up a NIM invironment to push mksysb images out to
> > all client machines.  I've got a master defined (4.3.3.0 ML7) and a
> > couple of test clients.

> > The client is a 43P-140.

> > Think I have all the resources is need defined (spot, lpp_source,
> > mksysb, bosinst_data) and they are allocated to the client machine
> > resource.  I can
> > reboot this client from the master (#nim -o reboot <client>).

> > Trying a mksysb install to one of the clients (#nim -o bos_inst -a
> > source=mksysb <client>) is not working.  It gets to the white screen,
> > says "Starting software, please wait"  then just sits there.

> > Any clues as to what I'm doing wrong or don't have set up properly?
> > Thanks.

> > M.

 
 
 
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NIM mksysb install - just sits there

Post by Michelle DeVau » Sat, 08 Mar 2003 06:56:49


Uhhhhh .... no money to purchase anything.  Thanks for thinking of me, though.


> > I'm really, really stumped.  Can't think of anything else to try.

> Well, you could try using Storix instead. Much better backup and nettwork install process, very automated configuration, and
> NO NFS!

 
 
 
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NIM mksysb install - just sits there

Post by Timothy J. Boga » Sat, 08 Mar 2003 09:59:04




>Upon further investigation, I've decided that my problem is that the
>client can't download the bootp image from the master.

>I've run the bootp on the master in debug mode, and I get this:

>Mar  6 13:09:18 server01 bootpd[2342]: bootptab mtime is Thu Mar  6
>09:44:51 2003
>Mar  6 13:09:18 server01 bootpd[2342]: reading "/etc/bootptab"
>Mar  6 13:09:18 server01 bootpd[2342]: read 0 entries from
>"/etc/bootptab"
>Mar  6 13:09:18 server01 bootpd[2342]: dumped 0 entries to
>"/etc/bootpd.dump".
>Mar  6 13:15:26 server01 bootpd[2342]: bootptab mtime is Thu Mar  6
>09:44:51 2003
>Mar  6 13:15:26 server01 bootpd[2342]: Received boot request.
>Mar  6 13:15:26 server01 bootpd[2342]: request from IP addr
>123.25.6.103
>Mar  6 13:15:26 server01 bootpd[2342]: IP address not found:
>123.25.6.103
>Mar  6 13:15:26 server01 bootpd[2342]: Finished processing boot
>request.

>The IP address of the client is correct, and under normal
>circumstances the server can contact the client using that address.

>First off, there is nothing in the /etc/bootptab file on the master.
>I thought that a nim network boot filled this in as needed, but is
>this not the case?
>Do I need to manually generate these entries?

>The client is on a different subnet than the server. I think I'm
>leaning more towards this being my problem, although I'm not sure what
>I don't have set
>up correctly.  

>I have a network resource defined for each subnet, and network
>routings defined.

>Still stumped, but reading the redbook.  Any ideas would be
>appreciated.

<snip>

I didn't see any response to the firmware comment - It fixed almost
the exact same problem for me - tho with 5.1L, but still it is a
good idea to get the firmware square, esp. client.

Cheers.
--
"I'm a big fan of ignorance based techniques, because humans
have a lot of ignorance, and we want to play our strong suit."
  Eric Lander  New Scientist

 
 
 
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NIM mksysb install - just sits there

Post by Dunc » Sun, 09 Mar 2003 00:48:31




> >Client box sticks at an F05 once it gets to the "Starting software,
> >please wait" point.

> Several times since 4.3.3, NIM created a bogus boot image for me.  The
> client either hung or flashing 8'ed.  One time I got it to work by
> destroying and recreating the SPOT (based on the original LPPs with no
> patches).  Another time, just removing the image and using the nim
> check command to recreate it worked (which doesn't make any sense
> to me).  This has happened with two different NIM masters, so it's
> not likely a hardware problem.  Same operator though, so it could be
> a consistent operator headspace error :-)

> The corruption seems to happen when there are patches applied to the SPOT.
> A SPOT created straight from base LPPs seems to be okay.  But I haven't had
> time to investigate much.

I have fallen into the same trap as well. A good book if you dont have

specifically, 3.4.2 lppsource corruption. If the fileset is downloaded
as a single update the pre-requisites from the .toc are different, so
when it goes to install it looks for different filesets and hangs.
After a few hard lessons I keep the patches as a different resource.

Sorry Michelle its not really answering your original post but you
might like to do get the book also. To answer your other question -
yes NIM should create the entries in the bootptab check them for typos
or differences that you were expecting. NIM removes them after a
successful install.

Other things to check -
Your not going through a firewall that has bootp disabled?
Can you do a successful ping test from the client to the master via
the SMS menus? Again if you go via firewall check that ping is
enabled.

hth,
Duncan

PS On hols tomorrow so cannot follow the post. Good luck.

 
 
 
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1. NIM mksysb install

Hi all,

I have started to use NIM more frequently to restore mksysb images and
fixes etc.

I am able to restore a mksysb to a machine if the machine is already
running and is a nim client.

Question : Is it possible to load a customized mksysb onto a machine
which is not running ? ie: I bring the machine down to the SMS menu
and point it to the NIM server for a network boot. I then try to load
a mksysb onto this machine from the NIM server.

I always get "do-bootp-req failed" messages.

I suppose this is the same as a dataless machine ( which is what I am
trying to simulate ) but it seems that one can only do a fresh install
with dataless clients.

Any help appreciated.

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