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. [1] [2] [3] NIM is analogous to Kickstart in the Linux world. [4] NIM is a client-server system [5] in which a NIM server provides a boot image to client systems via the BOOTP and TFTP protocols. [6] In addition to boot images, NIM can manage software updates and third-party applications. [7] The SUMA command can be integrated with NIM to automate system updates from a central server and subsequent distribution to clients. [8]
NIM data is organized into object classes and object types. [9] Classes include machines, networks and resources while types refer to the kind of object within a class, e.g., script or image resources.