Upgrade IBM i from 7.1 to 7.3 (my condensed process) – Hosted LPAR

I have been performing a number of upgrades from 7.1 to 7.3. In this post I hope to give guidance on the process. The upgrade process that I will cover below was specifically upgrading an LPAR on a HOST system where VIOS was present. The process is similar for a none hosted environment with some slight differences (if you want me to create a version of this for a stand alone server post a comment below).

This is my streamlined process but I will add in additional notes and suggestions of things you will want to review. I am not going to cover the process of securing the 7.3 media and uploading it to the system but I will give a list of high level steps. I hope in a future post to cover this process from a more in depth perspective.

Before You Start

1. Check if your hardware is compatible with the OS Release. IBM’s System i Maps
2. Order the OS Media several weeks before you plan to perform the upgrade (or you can download it from the ESS website)
3. Secure License keys for the software (you can create a CL to apply these or copy and paste them to a command line to apply them after the upgrade)
4. Several weeks before order the latest PTF Groups for the OS (in this case 7.3). This can be found on IBM’s Fix Central website
5. If you are performing a save to physical tape make sure that you have it on hand
6. Review documentation
   • IBM i 7.3 Manual
   • 7.3 Memo to Users
7. Check Third Party Software for compatibility
8. Check the load source to ensure that it is big enough. This is a check in GO LICPGM then option 5 when you are running through getting the OS prepared for install. IBM has published this article to help with this: Determine Load Source. 7.3 needs a load source greater than 35GB for virtual disks, >41GB with 512-byte sectors, and >70GB for Native-attached SAS/SCSI

Getting Started – Prepare the System for Upgrade

1. Pre-check : Review the list of required PTFs. I added them below but you can review IBM’s article as well: here
   DSPPTF OUTPUT(*PRINT)
   NOTE: I found it easiest to print the list of all PTFs, pull up the spool file, and then search through it for the PTFs listed below. (there are a number of ways you can look for them)

If you are upgrading from:	PTFs	If you are upgrading from:	PTFs
V7R1M0	SI59470	V7R2M0	SI67589
	SI67578		SI65435
	MF50235		SI52981 *
	MF51411		MF59284
	MF53918		MF59329
	MF53919		MF60264 ***
	MF59277		MF60475 *
	MF59283		MF63892 ****
	MF60229 **
	MF60263 **
	MF63879 ****

If you are upgrading from:	PTFs	If you are upgrading from:	PTFs
V7R1M0	SI67578	V7R2M0	SI67589
	SI52927		SI52910
	SI52990		SI52991
	SI65908		SI65907

7.1 Load Source: MF59277
7.2 Load Source: MF59329
** If at 7.1 TR10 or higher
*** If at 7.2 TR2 or higher
**** Required if load source is VIOS 520 byte disks

2. Walk through all of the options under GO LICPGM then option 5 Prepare for Install; starting with Allocate additional space for LIC. In my case I had to allocate the storage for V7R3M0 to take effect at the next IPL (more on this later).
   NOTE: make sure you have the load source PTF listed above installed before performing this or it will fail!

3. Mount the 7.3 media and select Work with licensed programs for target release. At this point you will point it at the media source (in my case I loaded the 7.3 media to an Image Catalog and mounted it to OPTVRT01 — I am going to create a separate blog post on how to do this later. If you need help leave a comment)

4. Step through the other option for upgrade
   NOTE: MAKE SURE TO ACCEPT ALL LICENSE AGREEMENTS!! If you do not the install will fail!

System Preparation Complete – Shutdown LPAR and Backup

1. Connect to the HMC if one is present or configure a session to run in the QCTL subsystem or another subsystem that does not go down
   • Remove Startup PGM and record what it was (I did this for my own sanity so I wouldn’t have issues with it starting things I didn’t want it to)
     WRKSYSVAL SYSVAL(QSTRUPPGM)
     DSPSYSVAL SYSVAL(QSTRUPPGM) OUTPUT(*PRINT)
     CHGSYSVAL SYSVAL(QSTRUPPGM) VALUE(*NONE)
   • You can record other system values to be on the safe side as well (QSYSLIBL, QUSRLIBL, QALWOBJRST (needs to be *ALL), QVRYOBJRST, and QSCANCTL)
   • Put on hold any jobs that may run (make sure to record them)
   • End Subsystems
     ENDSBS SBS(*ALL) OPTION(*IMMED)
   • Power down the system
     PWRDWNSYS OPTION(*IMMED) RESTART(*NO)
     NOTE: The next time the system starts the PTFs will be applied (if you loaded and applied them on Pre-Check Step 1) and the load source will increase if you staged it
2. Once the LPAR is shutdown, go to the host LPAR and perform the following steps or perform a SAVE 21 or SAVE 22 if tape is the desired medium for backup:
   • Vary off the Network Server Description under WRKNWSD
   • Backup the Network Server Storage Spaces (I did this to a *SAVF)
   • Vary on the Network Server Description
     NOTE: You can create a CL to perform this and submit it like this
     SBMJOB CMD(CALL PGM(LPARSAVLIB/SAVENWS)) JOBQ(QCTL)
     NOTE: This will save the storage spaces.  In the event of an incompatibility issue with V7R3, we can unlink the storage spaces, delete them and then restore the storage spaces
3. Start the LPAR from HMC

System Ready – Perform Upgrade

1. Mount Image Catalog
   LODIMGCLG IMGCLG(V7R3M0RSE) OPTION(*LOAD) DEV(OPTVRT01)
   NOTE: If OPTVRT01 does not exist you can create it (Instructions from IBM here or CRTDEVOPT DEVD(OPTVRT01) RSRCNAME(*VRT) )
2. Verify Image Catalog
   VFYIMGCLG IMGCLG(V7R3M0RSE) TYPE(*UPGRADE) SORT(*YES)
   NOTE: If the verify fails check the job log (DSPJOBLOG) for errors and correct any that exist.
3. End Subsystems and restart with upgrade media
   ENDSBS SBS(*ALL) OPTION(*IMMED)
   PWRDWNSYS OPTION(*IMMED) RESTART(*YES) IPLSRC(*IMGCLG) IMGCLG(V7R3M0RSE)
   NOTE: The system will restart and begin installing 7.3. Everything should install automatically
4. The system may reboot several times and once complete it will return you to a sign on screen.

System Upgrade Complete – Install PTFs

1. On the HOST, load the SF99730 image catalog (or whatever you named your PTF Group Image Catalog) onto OPTVRT01 and make sure first volume is mounted
   NOTE: You could create this Image Catalog on the Host or LPAR being upgraded (but it would change the below steps if you create it on the LPAR upgraded to 7.3)
   NOTE: You would create this image catalog by going to Fix Central, downloading all of the PTF Groups, and uploading them to the Host (check out my post here)
2. On the Upgraded LPAR, run WRKOPTVOL and note device name (in my case it was OPT02)
3. At this point you can add back the Startup PGM from the Preparation Complete Step 1 above (the value for QSTRUPPGM will be in the SPLF from earlier)
4. On the Upgraded LPAR, run GO PTF and take option 8 to install the package. Enter the name of the optical device and press Enter (let it IPL)
5. Once the IPL and PTF install is complete, run WRKPTFGRP and make sure all are installed
   NOTE: It will return you to a sign on screen once complete
6. Go to GO LICPGM then option 50 and make sure you see INZSYS started and INZSYS processing completed successfully

7. Check and release scheduled jobs if needed — WRKJOBSCDE
8. Apply License Program license keys

System Upgrade and PTFs Complete