Add/Modify resources to support handsfree installation of clients with ssh support

What you may not be aware of is that the default lpp_resource created by nim does not include the software we need to install ssh_server support on AIX clients. To add this support to our installation we need to

• add software to the lpp_resource
• add a software_bundle resource that NIM can install during the installation
• add bosinst_data resource for hands free installation

If you dont do it this way you run the risk of having the same hostid credentials in the /etc/ssh directory on all your systems.

On the nim server I have the following filesets installed to support ssh:

# lslpp -L | grep open
  openssh.base.client     5.4.0.6100    C     F    Open Secure Shell Commands
  openssh.base.server     5.4.0.6100    C     F    Open Secure Shell Server
  openssh.man.en_US       5.4.0.6100    C     F    Open Secure Shell
  openssh.msg.en_US       5.4.0.6100    C     F    Open Secure Shell Messages -
  openssl.base            0.9.8.1300    C     F    Open Secure Socket Layer
  openssl.license         0.9.8.1300    C     F    Open Secure Socket License
  openssl.man.en_US       0.9.8.1300    C     F    Open Secure Socket Layer

In the lpp_source only the following filesets are installed

# nim -o showres lpp_6106 | grep open
  openssl.base                0.9.8.1300                 I  N usr,root
  openssl.license             0.9.8.1300                 I  N usr     
  openssl.man.en_US           0.9.8.1300                 I  N usr     

To help update the the lpp_resource with the software we need we will first create the installp_bundle resource and use that to tell nim what software to add to the lpp_resource. In short, use nim resources whnever you can to help prevent ommissions.

Because all our resources are to be in a seperate volume group copy the standard bundle to /export/nim and then define the copy as the resource

# cp /usr/sys/inst.data/sys_bundles/openssh_server.bnd /export/nim
# nim -o define -t installp_bundle -a server=master -a location=/export/nim/openssh_server.bnd openssh_serverAnd now you can use the bundle to update the lpp_source with the software needed by the bundle

bosinst_data resource for hands free installation

The last resource we need is a bos_install resource - for hands-free installation. Again we copy a file from the master system to the NIM volume group and define it. This time though, we also modify the resource. Read carefully!

# cp /bosinst.data /export/nim/bosinst_hdisk0_install

When we made our initial mksysb one side effect was that the file /bosinst.data was made with default settings. For an automatic installation there are a number of lines we need to change:

The lines to change are from:

    PROMPT = yes
    RECOVER_DEVICES = Default
    ACCEPT_LICENSES =
    ACCEPT_SWMA =
    IMPORT_USER_VGS =

to:

    PROMPT = no
    RECOVER_DEVICES = no
    ACCEPT_LICENSES = yes
    ACCEPT_SWMA = yes
    IMPORT_USER_VGS = no

And simplify the target_disk_data: stanza from:
target_disk_data:
        PVID = 00f67207e26dbb8d
  PHYSICAL_LOCATION = U8233.E8B.107207P-V41-C21-T1-L8100000000000000
        CONNECTION = vscsi0//810000000000
        LOCATION =
        SIZE_MB = 70006
        HDISKNAME = hdisk0

to:

target_disk_data:
        HDISKNAME = hdisk0

Remember it is the file /export/nim/bosinst_hdisk0_install that needs to be edited.

Then make the last nim resource using:

# nim -o define -t bosinst_data -a server=master -a location="/export/nim/bosinst_hdisk0_install" bosinst_hd0

The completed nim resources are:

# lsnim
master                  machines        master
boot                    resources       boot
nim_script              resources       nim_script
n392                    networks        ent
mksb_6106_generic       resources       mksysb
spot_6106               resources       spot
lpp_6106                resources       lpp_source
openssh_server          resources       installp_bundle
bosinst_hd0             resources       bosinst_data