PM62130: The documentation about update in silent mode is unclear

APAR status

• Closed as program error.

Error description

• Abstract: The documentation should explain that attempts to
  update an offering in silent mode with the 'install' command may
  downgrade existing installations, if the version is specified.
  
  Problem: You want to update an offering in silent mode, using
  the 'install' command.
  
  If you record the silent installation script, it will include
  the version of the offering you are updating to.
  
  If you playback such installation script on a different
  installation that has already a higher version of that offering
  installed, the installed offering will be downgraded to the
  version specified in the silent installation script.
  
  In order to avoid the above, the InfoCenter page:
  
  http://publib.boulder.ibm.com/infocenter/install/v1r4/index.jsp?
  topic=%2Fcom.ibm.silentinstall12.doc%2Ftopics%2Fr_silent_inst_co
  mmands12.html
  
  should highlight two aspects:
  
  1. The update in silent mode is performed using the 'install'
  command. This should be listed as a note to the 'update' command
  section, because users who want to perform an update will most
  likely read that section first.
  
  2. In order to avoid that the 'install' command potentially
  performs a downgrade of an existing installation, you must use
  an 'offering' command without any specified version number. In
  that case, the 'offering' version will be the highest version
  selected among the specified repositories and the already
  installed version.
  
  
  Local fix:
  For example, to install Product A version 1.0.1, with the option
  of leaving version 1.0.2 installed if it was already present,
  you could use a response file like the following:
  
  <server>
  <repository location=?http://productA/version101/repository/'>
  </server>
  
  <install>
  <offering profile= 'IBM Software Development Platform' features=
  'main_feature' id= 'com.ibm.productA'</offering>
  </install>
  
  Note that the 'offering' tag does not include the 'version'
  attribute.
  

Local fix

Problem summary

• ****************************************************************
  * USERS AFFECTED:                                              *
  ****************************************************************
  * PROBLEM DESCRIPTION:                                         *
  ****************************************************************
  * RECOMMENDATION:                                              *
  ****************************************************************
  The existing IBM Installation Manager silent install
  documentation did not warn about some install and update
  cases that may result in a roll back of the package version.
  

Problem conclusion

• The IBM Installation Manager documentation about silent
  install has been enhanced.  We now document that, in some
  cases, a package might be rolled back to a lower version if
  the version specified is lower than the currently installed
  version or if a version is not specified and the latest
  version found in the repository is lower than the currently
  installed version.
  This documentation will be available starting with version
  1.5.3 of the IBM Installation Manager.
  

Temporary fix

Comments

APAR Information

• APAR is sysrouted FROM one or more of the following:

• APAR is sysrouted TO one or more of the following:

Fix information

• Fixed component name

  IBM INSTALL MGR

• Fixed component ID

  RATLIMG00

Applicable component levels

• R150 PSN

     UP