IBM Support

Alternate DB2 UDB FixPaks on UNIX-based systems

Preventive Service Planning


Abstract

Alternate DB2® Universal Database™ (DB2 UDB) Version 8 FixPaks are now supported on production UNIX®-based systems.

Content

Prior to DB2 UDB Version 8, FixPaks functioned only as updates to installed DB2 UDB packages or file sets in one fixed location. This meant that FixPak installation replaced existing files with updated ones, which were provided in the FixPaks. Multiple DB2 FixPak levels could not exist on a single system. Now DB2 UDB Enterprise Server Edition (ESE) can exist at multiple fix pack levels in the same system for Linux® and UNIX® operating systems. This feature, supported in production operating environments since Version 8.1.2, is achieved using the following two FixPak types:

regular FixPaks

  • Are available not only for ESE, but for all supported DB2 Version 8 products for the related platforms
  • Can be installed directly on top of the existing installation either in the /usr/opt/db2_08_01 directory on AIX® or the /opt/IBM/db2/V8.1 directory on other platforms
  • Can not be applied on top of any installed alternate FixPaks

alternate FixPaks (AFPs)
  • Can be installed as completely new copies of DB2 UDB ESE
  • Are installed in a predefined location for each fixpak. It is not the same location as is used for a regular DB2 UDB installation. The installation path would be /usr/opt/db2_08_FPn on AIX or /opt/IBM/db2/V8.FPn on other platforms, where n represents the DB2 Version 8 FixPak number.
  • There is no GUI installation procedure for alternate FixPaks

Notes:
  1. You are not required to perform a multiple FixPak installation if it is unnecessary for your environment. You might consider installation of multiple FixPaks if you need DB2 UDB Version 8 ESE instances at different fixpak levels in the same system. For example, multiple FixPaks enable you to verify the changes contained in the FixPak in your test environment without affecting your production systems.
  2. Starting with IBM DB2 UDB Enterprise Server Edition (ESE) for Linux and UNIX, Version 8.1.2, fix packs are supported in production operating environments when they are installed as Multiple fix packs.


Supported platforms

DB2 UDB Version 8 alternate FixPaks only support DB2 ESE on the following Linux and Unix platforms:
  • AIX 4.3.3
  • AIX 5L
  • Solaris
  • HP RISC
  • Linux x86 32-bit Kernel 2.4 and 2.6
  • Linux 390 31-bit


Restrictions
  1. At any given time, you can only have one alternate FixPak installed for a specific FixPak base level or number. This limitation includes alternate FixPaks packaged from an interim or special fix build based on the same FixPak level. For example, DB2 Version 8 FixPak 7a and 7b use the same FixPak 7 base level. You cannot install FixPak 7b on top of FixPak 7a because they use the same installation path as of FixPak 7.
  2. If you want to install an alternate FixPak on top of another which uses the same FixPack base level, you must bring down the related instances (and DAS if it is running against the installation path) then completely uninstall the existing alternate FixPak. Refer to the FixPak readme files for details about pre-installation, installation and post-installation.
  3. Two or more DB2 instances running at different fixpak levels on the same system do not support the instance attachment (db2 attach) operation. All instances involved in this operation on the same system should be at the same DB2 fixpak level.


Updating an alternate FixPak

To update an existing AFP to another AFP from an interim or a special build for the same FixPack base level (for example, update AFP 7 to AFP 7b, or update AFP 7 to an AFP packaged from a special build based on FixPak 7) , you must uninstall the related existing AFP which has the same installation path as the AFP to be installed. This usually only happens among:
  • An alternate FixPak and its interims, such as AFP 7 and its interims AFP7a, AFP7b, and so on
  • AFPs from special builds based on the same FixPak level

These scenarios are explained in detail next.

AFP interims

All the AFP interims for the same fixpak number (such as 7a and 7b for FP7) will use the same installation path as the one used by the base AFP. For example, interim fixpak 7a uses the same installation path as alternate FixPak 7.

Among these AFPs, if you want to replace an installed AFP by another AFP, you need to uninstall the currently installed AFP first.

Examples:
  • You have AFP for FP7 installed and you want to install AFP FP7a. You must uninstall AFP FP7 first.
  • You have AFP for FP6 installed and you want to install AFP FP7a. You do not need to uninstall AFP FP6 first.

AFPs from special builds

If you have a special build based on a given fixpak level, an AFP for the special build will have the same installation path as an AFP for a base fixpak build. You must uninstall the AFP from the base fixpak before you can install the AFP for the special build.

Example:

You want to install an AFP from a special build based on FP7c:
  • If you currently have an AFP for FP7, or FP7a, or so on, you must uninstall it
  • If you currently have an AFP for FP6, or FP5, or so on, you do not need to uninstall it


Updating a DB2 instance to a different FixPak level

To update a DB2 instance to a different FixPak level, perform one of the following operations:
  • Install the appropriate regular FixPak on the General Availability (GA) installation path and update the instance by running db2iupdt from the GA installation path.
  • Install the appropriate alternate FixPak to its own unique path and update the instance by running db2iupdt from this path.
  • If an instance is being downgraded from a higher fixpack level to a lower level, the option '-D' for db2iupdt must be specified.


For further information regarding alternate FixPaks:

Related Information

DB2 Technical Support

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Document Information

Modified date:
16 June 2018

UID

swg21112119

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