diff --git a/xCAT-server/lib/xcat/plugins/aixinstall.pm b/xCAT-server/lib/xcat/plugins/aixinstall.pm
index 242a2193a..24232460c 100644
--- a/xCAT-server/lib/xcat/plugins/aixinstall.pm
+++ b/xCAT-server/lib/xcat/plugins/aixinstall.pm
@@ -1178,6 +1178,7 @@ sub spot_updates
         xCAT::MsgUtils->message("E", $rsp, $callback);
         return 1;
     }
+
     else
     {
 
@@ -1492,7 +1493,6 @@ srvnode.";
     return 0;
 }
 
-
 #----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
 =head3   chkosimage
@@ -4022,7 +4022,6 @@ sub mk_bosinst_data
 		Only if the node "domain" & "nameservers" attrs are set!
 
         Returns:
-
                 0 - OK
                 1 - error
 =cut
@@ -7849,7 +7848,7 @@ sub mkdsklsnode
                 {
                     my $rsp;
                     push @{$rsp->{data}},
-                      "The resource named \'$imagehash{$img}{shared_root}\' is currently allocated. It will not be updated.\n";
+                      "The resource named \'$imagehash{$img}{shared_root}\' is currently allocated. It will not be re-synchronized.\n";
                     xCAT::MsgUtils->message("I", $rsp, $callback);
                     next;
                 }
@@ -7936,6 +7935,17 @@ sub mkdsklsnode
         my $toinit = 0;
         my $toremove = 0;
 
+		#  NIM has a limit of 39 characters for a macine name
+		my $len = length($nim_name);
+		if ($len > 39) {
+			my $rsp;
+			push @{$rsp->{data}}, "$Sname: Could not define \'$nim_name\'. A NIM machine name can be no longer then 39 characters.\n";
+			xCAT::MsgUtils->message("E", $rsp, $callback);
+			push(@nodesfailed, $node);
+			$error++;
+			next;
+		}
+
         # 	see if it's already defined first
         if (grep(/^$nim_name$/, @machines))
         {
diff --git a/xCAT-server/lib/xcat/plugins/xcat2nim.pm b/xCAT-server/lib/xcat/plugins/xcat2nim.pm
index 67a076263..84bcb5331 100644
--- a/xCAT-server/lib/xcat/plugins/xcat2nim.pm
+++ b/xCAT-server/lib/xcat/plugins/xcat2nim.pm
@@ -873,6 +873,15 @@ sub mkclientdef
 	# need short host name for NIM client defs
 	($shorthost = $node) =~ s/\..*$//;
 
+	#  NIM has a limit of 39 characters for a machine name
+	my $len = length($shorthost);
+	if ($len > 39) {
+		my $rsp;
+		push @{$rsp->{data}}, "$::msgstr Could not define \'$shorthost\'. A NIM machine name can be no longer then 39 characters.\n";
+		xCAT::MsgUtils->message("E", $rsp, $callback);
+		return 1;
+	}
+
 	# don't update an existing def unless they say so!
 	if ($::client_exists && !$::opt_u) {