Step 2: Preparing the system to install fixes
To ensure a successful installation of IBM® i fixes on your system, perform these preparation steps.
Read the special instructions to determine how to install your fixes. Some fixes can be applied without requiring an IPL. These fixes are called immediate fixes. Some fixes can be applied only during an IPL. These are called delayed fixes. Immediate fixes can also be applied during an IPL. You need to determine if you are installing any delayed fixes and when it is convenient for you to IPL your system to apply the fixes. The cover letter tells you if the fix is immediate or delayed.
Before you begin to install fixes, complete these tasks:
- Have a current backup of your user data, operating system, and licensed programs. If you have backed up the operating system and licensed programs since the last time you applied fixes, that backup is acceptable.
- Have all users sign off the system only if you are doing an IPL when you install the fix.
Before applying a fix to the primary partition
of a system with primary and secondary logical partitions, power down
the secondary partitions. See Installing fixes on systems with logical partitions for further
information. For information about POWER5, POWER6®, and POWER7® models, see the Customer service, support, and troubleshooting and
the Installing fixes on systems managed by Hardware Management Console topics.
- Be sure you have security officer (*SECOFR) user class authority. You need it to do the rest of the install steps.
- To ensure a successful installation of PTFs for immediate
apply or during an IPL, the following settings are recommended
for those system values that affect the PTF processing:
Table 1. Recommended settings for system values that affect PTF processing System value Recommended setting QALWOBJRST *ALL or *ALWPTF QFRCCVNRST 1 or 0 QIPLTYPE 0 QVFYOBJRST 3 or lower - Verify that your system is running on the B storage area. Your system maintains two copies of all Licensed Internal Code: a permanent copy and a temporary copy. Instructions for this are included in Determining the storage area before installing fixes.