IBM AIX 7.3 – Common Problem 103 – Diagnosis and Fix

📖 ~1 min read

Table of contents

1. Symptom & Impact
2. Environment & Reproduction
3. Root Cause Analysis
4. Quick Triage
5. Step-by-Step Diagnosis
6. Solution – Primary Fix
7. Solution – Alternative Approaches
8. Verification & Acceptance Criteria
9. Rollback Plan
10. Prevention & Hardening
11. Related Errors & Cross-Refs
12. References & Further Reading

Symptom & Impact

nim -o bos_inst stalls and client never reaches BOS install menu.

Environment & Reproduction

Network installs across VLANs or firewalls drop bootp/tftp.

Root Cause Analysis

NIM relies on bootp, tftp, and rsh/nfs ports being open.

Quick Triage

Tail /var/adm/ras/nimlog and check lssrc -s tftpd.

Step-by-Step Diagnosis

Use tcpdump on en0 of master for bootp request from client MAC.

Solution – Primary Fix

Re-run nim -Fo reset client then nim -o bos_inst with -a no_client_boot=no.

Solution – Alternative Approaches

Boot client from CD/USB and point to NIM via SMS menu.

Verification & Acceptance Criteria

Client reaches BOS menu and installp progresses.

Rollback Plan

Revert NIM resource allocation with nim -o deallocate.

Prevention & Hardening

Document firewall rules: 67/68 UDP, 69 UDP, 111, NFS.

Related Errors & Cross-Refs

Often co-occurs with rpc.bootparamd or portmap restart needs.

Related tutorial: View the step-by-step tutorial for aix-7.3.

View all aix-7.3 tutorials on the Tutorials Hub →

Browse all common problems & solutions on the Tutorials Hub.

References & Further Reading

IBM Docs: NIM Administration Guide.