Installing Liberty fix packs on IBM i operating systems using response files

You can update WebSphere® Application Server Liberty to a later version using Installation Manager response files.

Before you begin

Important:

Java™ SE 8 is the recommended Java SDK because it provides the latest features and security updates. An alternative to Java SE 8 is any supported Java SDK version.

If you want to install Liberty assets from local directory-based repositories or an instance of the Liberty Asset Repository Service, configure the repositories. For more information about the Liberty asset repositories, see Installing assets using Installation Manager.

Tip: As an alternative to the procedure that is described in this article, Installation Manager allows you to use the updateAll command in a response file or on the command line to search for and update all installed packages. Use this command only if you have full control over which fixes are contained in the targeted repositories. If you create and point to a set of custom repositories that include only the specific fixes that you want to install, you should be able to use this command confidently. If you enable searching service repositories or install fixes directly from other live web-based repositories, then you might not want to select this option so that you can select only the fixes that you want to install using the -installFixes option with the install command on the command line or the installFixes attribute in a response file.

About this task

New: Fix pack 16.0.0.2 is the next Liberty fix pack after 8.5.5.9. For more information about changes in Liberty fix pack numbering and delivery, see What is new in this release of Liberty.

When you install a fix pack, Installation Manager automatically reapplies any installed interim fixes if they apply to the updated fix pack level. Interim fixes that do not apply, such as if the updated fix pack contains the fix, are uninstalled. In some cases, Installation Manager must uninstall an interim fix that you must manually reapply. For example, you might update to a fix pack that does not contain the fix and requires an updated interim fix level. Installation Manager notifies you if any interim fixes must be manually reapplied. You can verify which interim fixes are installed by running the productInfo version --ifixes command.

Procedure

Optional: If the repository requires a username and password, create a credential-storage file to access this repository.

Tip: When creating a credential-storage file, append /repository.config at the end of the repository URL location if the imutilsc command is unable to find the URL that is specified.
Sign on to the IBM® i system with a user profile that has *ALLOBJ and *SECADM special authorities.
On a CL command line, run the STRQSH command to start the Qshell command shell.
Use a response file to update the product.
Change to the eclipse/tools subdirectory in the directory where you installed Installation Manager, and update the product. For example:
```
./imcl -acceptLicense
  input $HOME/WASFiles/temp/update_response_file.xml 
  -log $HOME/WASFiles/temp/update_log.xml 
  -secureStorageFile $HOME/WASFiles/temp/credential.store -masterPasswordFile $HOME/WASFiles/password_file.txt
```
Note: The program might write important post-installation instructions to standard output.

For more information on using Installation Manager, read the IBM Installation Manager product documentation.

Example

The following is an example of a response file for updating WebSphere Application Server Liberty to a later version.

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<agent-input>
<server>
  <repository location='https://www.ibm.com/software/repositorymanager/com.ibm.websphere.liberty.ND'/>
</server>
<profile id='WebSphere Liberty' installLocation='/QIBM/ProdData/WebSphere/Liberty/ND'>
  <data key='was.install.os400.profile.location' value='/QIBM/UserData/WebSphere/Liberty/ND'/>
</profile>
<install modify='false'>
  <offering profile='WebSphere Liberty' id='com.ibm.websphere.liberty.ND' 
    version='16.0.2.20161025_2108'/>
</install>
<preference name='com.ibm.cic.common.core.preferences.eclipseCache' value='/QIBM/UserData/InstallationManager/IMShared'/>
</agent-input>

Tips:

The profile ID (<profile . . . id='profile_ID' . . . .> and <offering . . . profile='profile_ID' . . . .>) can be found when you run the imcl listInstallationDirectories -verbose command from the eclipse/tools subdirectory in the directory where you installed Installation Manager. It is the same as the package group's name.
The version is a specific version of the offering to install (16.0.2.20161025_2108 for example). This specification is optional.
- If version is not specified, the latest version of the offering and all interim fixes for that version are installed.
- If version is specified, the specified version of the offering and no interim fixes for that version are installed.
The offering version can be found attached to the end of the offering ID with an underscore when you run the following command against the repository:
```
./imcl listAvailablePackages -repositories repository_URL_or_path
```
You can also specify none, recommended or all with the -installFixes argument to indicate which interim fixes you want installed with the offering.
- If the offering version is not specified, the -installFixes option defaults to all.
- If the offering version is specified, the -installFixes option defaults to none.
If you obtained the fix pack by installing the WebSphere Application Server group PTF, you can use the local fix-pack repositories to install the fix pack.
For information about the local fix-pack repositories, see file /QIBM/WAS/WASFixpacks/Readme.html or /QIBM/WAS/WASFixpacks/Readme.txt.
New: When you update Liberty, all installed Liberty addons and features are also updated.

You can install additional features by adding a data element in your response file. To install features, specify the symbolic name or the short name on the user.feature parameter. To install addons, add a data and specify the short name on the user.addon parameter.
The following example installs the Portlet Container feature using the symbolic name, the Portlet Serving feature using the short name, and the Extended Programming Models addon.
```
<data key='user.feature' value='com.ibm.websphere.appserver.portlet-2.0,,portletserving-2.0'/>
<data key='user.addon' value='extendedPackage-1.0'/>
<data key='user.accept.license' value='true'/>
```
You can install assets from instances of the Liberty Asset Repository Service or local directory-based repositories with or without internet access. For more information, see Installing assets using Installation Manager. Add the repository URL, directory, or archive path on repository elements. If Installation Manager does not recognize the repository, point directly to the repository.config file. When you install assets, the repositories are accessed in the order that you specify them.
```
<server>
<repository location="http://www.ibm.com/software/repositorymanager/com.ibm.websphere.liberty.ND.v85" />
<repository location="https://your_onprem_asset_repo_url" />
<repository location="D:\IBM\LocalAssetRepo" />
<repository location="D:\IBM\LocalAssetRepo2.zip" />
</server>
```
To enable access to the Liberty Repository, on a data element, set the user.useLibertyRepository parameter to true. The Liberty Repository is the last of the repositories that are accessed during installation.
```
<data key='user.useLibertyRepository' value='true'/>
```
To learn more about the Liberty Repository and the assets it contains, see Liberty Repository.
To add the optional embeddable EJB container and JPA client feature (embeddablecontainer), add the feature in the offering. For example:
```
<offering id='com.ibm.websphere.liberty.ND' 
  profile='WebSphere Liberty'
  features='embeddablecontainer' installFixes='none'/>
```
If the feature is installed in your existing installation, your response file must contain the feature when you update. If you do not add the feature to your response file, Installation Manager removes it.