Setting up AIX NIM Patch Repository

Patching IBM AIX servers is available with JetPatch. JetPatch makes use of IBM’s NIM Master server as the patch Repository, serving all the AIX systems in the local network. Below is a full guide that will help you set up everything you need in order to start patching. 

Architecture Overview: 

Connectivity is required between the NIM server and IBM repository center to download the patches. The AIX endpoints are communicating with JetPatch Application server and with the NIM repository. Communication is also required between JetPatch and the NIM repository.

Note: one NIM patch repository can support AIX 7.1, and 7.2

Pre-Conditions 

1. NIM master is configured in your environment. Read more here.

2. NIM server is licensed by IBM’s Fix Central website.

3. No connectivity issues between the NIM Master server and IBM’s Fix Central website.  See Port requirements from IBM: https://www.ibm.com/support/pages/nim-communication-within-firewall-environment

Note: 

You can validate these two requisites be running on the NIM server the following command:

# /usr/esa/bin/verifyConnectivity -tw

4. All of the AIX client servers should be listed in the NIM server hosts list (etc/hosts). Learn more here.

5. pg.patching.nfs.mount-point.aix property must match DLTarget on the NIM Master server (use command: suma -D).  If it does not, use the following command to set it.

• suma -x -a DLTarget=<nfs-mountpoint-path-used by customer>
   

6. On isolated AIX environment or if NIM server lacks access to the public repository, you can manually copy and define the patch on a NIM server. 

/usr/bin/perl /usr/sbin/suma -x -a RqType=SP -a RqName=7100-03-07-1614 -a FilterML=7100-03 -a DLTarget=/export/lpp_source/SP-7100-03-07-1614 
nim -o define -t lpp_source -a server=master -a location=/export/lpp_source/SP-7100-03-07-1614 SP-7100-03-07-1614_lppsrc

The first command uses suma (Service Update Management Assistant) to download an AIX service pack. The options include specifying the request type (RqType), request name (RqName), filter for maintenance level (FilterML), and the download target (DLTarget). Additional parameter can be used in suma command to 'Preview' before the actual 'Download' process (-a Action=Preview). 

The second 'nim' command defines a new resource of type lpp_source on the NIM master server. It specifies the location of the lpp_source directory (-a location=/export/lpp_source/SP-7100-03-07-1614), and gives it a name (SP-7100-03-07-1614_lppsrc).

To verify the created patch, you can execute the fetch script on NIM (from Jetpatch) or use the following command from the NIM command line interface:

lsnim -l

Note: Ensure that the DLTarget value in the suma -D output matches the pg.patching.nfs.mount-point.aix property. 

Configure NIM repository in JetPatch 

There are several steps that you should do in order to set up your NIM server to work with JetPatch.

Step 1: Discover and Manage the NIM server

The NIM server should be discovered and managed by JetPatch. Learn more on how to discover servers and deploy the JetPatch connector. 

Step 2:  Add the NIM configuration to the intigua.properties file

1. SSH to JetPatch server

2. Edit the intigua.properties file by running the below command:

vi /usr/share/tomcat/default/conf/intigua.properties

3. Add the following properties and fill the relevant details

################################
#      AIX configuration       #
################################

## nim server name or ip
pg.aix-nim.name-or-ip=<IP OR SERVER NAME>

## local mount point for AIX patching 
## dir that is created on the client server once the JetPatch connector is installed
pg.patching.local.mount-point.aix=/mnt

## NFS mount point for AIX patching 
# specify the folder to download all the patches on the NIM server
pg.patching.nfs.mount-point.aix=<NIM SERVER IP>:/export/lpp_source

4. Restart tomcat (run service tomcat restart)

Note1: pg.patching.nfs.mount-point.aix must match DLTarget on the NIM Master server (use command: suma -D)

Note2: If patches are not visible in JetPatch after tomcat restart, verify that AIX directory is mounted on JetPatch Linux server. You can manually fix mount issue, then restart the tomcat again and search for AIX patches in JetPatch Patches Catalog. 

Related Articles 

• Working with the NIM repository