If the new NIM client is not available, e.g., because it is turned off or not installed, the NIM client can also be created directly on the NIM master. To do this, a NIM object of type standalone must be created for the NIM client. This can be done via the command line using the command “nim -o define“. The type of NIM object (standalone) and a name for the NIM object to be created must be specified:

aixnim # nim -o define -t standalone aix05
0042-001 nim: processing error encountered on "master":
   0042-021 m_mkmac: the "if" attribute is required for this
        operation

aixnim # 

However, the specification of at least one network interface (attribute if) is still missing. The information for a network interface consists of the following four values, separated by spaces:

value1 value2 value3 [value4]

value1 – The name of the associated NIM network. Alternatively, "find_net" can be specified to find the associated NIM network using the IP address (hostname).
Value2 – The hostname of the NIM client (this must be resolvable).
value3 – The hardware address (MAC address) of the interface on the client. If no broadcast is used for a network boot, the value "0" can be used instead of a hardware address.
value4 – Optional: The logical device name of the interface on the client.

Since a NIM client can have more than one network interface, a sequence number (1-1024) must be specified for the interface.

aixnim # nim -o define -t standalone -a if1="find_net aix05 0" aix05
aixnim # 

The new NIM client is now defined on the NIM master:

aixnim # lsnim -l aix05
aix05:
   class          = machines
   type           = standalone
   connect        = nimsh
   platform       = chrp
   netboot_kernel = 64
   if1            = net_10_192_168_0 aix05 0
   cable_type1    = N/A
   Cstate         = ready for a NIM operation
   prev_state     = ready for a NIM operation
   Mstate         = currently running
aixnim # 

Once the NIM client has booted AIX, /etc/niminfo must be configured and the NIM service handler (nimsh) must be started. The easiest way to do this is probably to run the niminit command, specifying the name of the NIM client (must match the name of the NIM client object on the NIM master) and the name of the NIM master:

aix05 # niminit -a name=aix05 -a master=aixnim
nimsh:2:wait:/usr/bin/startsrc -g nimclient >/dev/console 2>&1
0513-077 Subsystem has been changed.
0513-059 The nimsh Subsystem has been started. Subsystem PID is 7602636.
aix05 # 

The NIM client contacts the NIM master and requests the correct client configuration, which it then enters in /etc/niminfo. NIMSH is then automatically started on the NIM client. On the NIM master, the cpuid attribute for the NIM client object is updated:

aixnim # lsnim -l aix05
aix05:
   class          = machines
   type           = standalone
   connect        = nimsh
   platform       = chrp
   netboot_kernel = 64
  if1            = net_10_192_168_0 aix05 0
   cable_type1    = N/A
   Cstate         = ready for a NIM operation
   prev_state     = ready for a NIM operation
   Mstate         = currently running
   cpuid          = 00DC1AD25C11
aixnim # 

There are a number of other attributes of a NIM client object, which we will discuss later.