Network Installation Manager

Network Installation Manager (NIM) is an object-oriented system management framework on the IBM AIX operating system that installs and manages systems over a network.{{cite web|title=NIM from A to Z in AIX 5L|url=http://ps-2.kev009.com/basil.holloway/ALL%20PDF/NIM_A_to_Zsg247296.pdf|publisher=IBM Redbooks|access-date=17 June 2016}}{{cite web|title=Network Installation Management|url=https://www.ibm.com/support/knowledgecenter/ssw_aix_61/com.ibm.aix.install/nim_intro.htm|website=www.ibm.com|publisher=IBM|access-date=17 June 2016}}{{cite journal|last1=Long|first1=Lyle N.|last2=Morris|first2=Philip J.|last3=Morooney|first3=Kevin|last4=Kellogg|first4=Steve|title=The Teaching and Learning of High Performance Computing|journal=Journal of Engineering Education|date=December 1998|volume=87|issue=S5|pages=591–597|doi=10.1002/j.2168-9830.1998.tb00397.x|s2cid=108640218 }} NIM is analogous to Kickstart in the Linux world.{{cite book|last1=Nemeth|first1=Evi|title=UNIX and Linux System Administration Handbook|publisher=Pearson Education|isbn=9780131480056|page=380|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=0SIdBAAAQBAJ&q=%22Network+Installation+Manager%22+AIX&pg=PA380|access-date=18 June 2016|language=en|year=2010}} NIM is a client-server system{{cite book|last1=Michael|first1=Randal|title=AIX 5L Administration|publisher=McGraw Hill Professional|isbn=9780072228410|page=112|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=hQT04FEn9r0C&q=%22NIM%22+AIX|language=en|date=2002-12-06}} in which a NIM server provides a boot image to client systems via the BOOTP and TFTP protocols.{{cite book|last1=Preston|first1=W. Curtis|title=Backup & Recovery: Inexpensive Backup Solutions for Open Systems|publisher="O'Reilly Media, Inc."|isbn=9780596555047|page=375|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6-w4fXbBInoC&q=%22NIM%22&pg=PA378|language=en|date=2007-01-03}} In addition to boot images, NIM can manage software updates and third-party applications.{{cite book|last1=Racherla|first1=Sangam|last2=Demarchi|first2=Delmar|last3=Dybas|first3=Scott|last4=Stark|first4=Bobby|last5=Syed|first5=Mansoor|last6=Redbooks|first6=I. B. M.|title=SAN Boot Implementation and Best Practices Guide for IBM System Storage|publisher=IBM Redbooks|isbn=9780738437064|page=374|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=4bDEAgAAQBAJ&q=%22NIM%22+AIX&pg=PA374|language=en|date=2012-09-30}} The SUMA command can be integrated with NIM to automate system updates from a central server and subsequent distribution to clients.{{cite web|last1=Milberg|first1=Kenneth|title=Integrating IBM AIX's NIM and SUMA|url=http://searchitchannel.techtarget.com/news/1227857/Integrating-IBM-AIXs-NIM-and-SUMA|website=SearchITChannel|date=10 February 2016 |access-date=18 June 2016}}

NIM data is organized into object classes and object types.{{cite web|title=unixwerk: NIM Commands|url=http://www.unixwerk.eu/aix/nim-howto.html|website=www.unixwerk.eu|publisher=Unixwerk|access-date=18 June 2016}} Classes include machines, networks and resources while types refer to the kind of object within a class, e.g., script or image resources.