Installing optional software and service updates using SMIT

Use SMIT to install optional software and service updates.

The following installation paths are available in SMIT:

Install Software: Install or update software from the latest levels of software available on the media. To shorten the list of software displayed, message and locale software are omitted from the list. To use this option, type smit install_latest on the command line.
Update Installed Software to Latest Level: Update all currently installed software to the latest level available on the installation media. To use this option, type smit update_all on the command line.
Update Software to the Latest Level (Live Update): Beginning with AIX® 7.2 Technology Level 1, you can perform the same operation as the smitty update_all command, except that a Live Update operation is performed, and this operation does not require a system reboot. To use this option, enter smit lu_update_all from the command line.
All updates to the system must be committed before you perform the Live Update operation. All updates that are applied during the operation are committed, the file systems are expanded if necessary, and additional requisites are installed. This operation requires a completed /var/adm/ras/liveupdate/lvupdate.data file, except when you use the Preview option. The output from the installation part of the operation is available in the /var/adm/ras/install_all_updates.log file.
Install Software Bundle: Install complete bundles of software simply by specifying the input device and which bundle you are installing. You can also preview a bundle installation to see what software will be installed and how much space is required in the file system to install the bundle. To use this option, type smit install_bundle on the command line.
Update Software by Fix: Install a specific fix for a problem. This menu allows you to list all service fixes on the media and select a fix to install. You can also preview the installation to see what software will be updated and how much space is required in the file system to apply the fix. To use this option, type smit update_by_fix on the command line.
Install and Update from ALL Available Software: Install or update software from all software available on the media. To use this option, type smit install_all on the command line.

The following option is available in the Install Software, Install Software Bundle, and

Install and Update from ALL Available
Software

SMIT menus:

INVOKE live update?                          no
  Requires /var/adm/ras/liveupdate/lvupdate.data.

If you change this value to yes, the SMIT fast path runs the geninstall command with the -k flag to start the Live Update operation. If interim fixes are being installed, it must be marked as LU CAPABLE. You can use the Preview option to determine whether an interim fix is marked as LU CAPABLE. In AIX® 7.2 Technology Level 1, or later, you can select updates for installation when you perform a Live Update operation. If you are installing updates, you are responsible for having a viable backup of the system. Before the Live Update operation starts, you must commit all existing updates on the system. Any new updates that are installed during the Live Update operation will be committed.

To use the Live Update operation, the bos.liveupdate.rte fileset must be installed, and the /var/adm/ras/liveupdate/lvupdate.data file must be available. For more information about the lvupdate.data file, see the /var/adm/ras/liveupdate/lvupdate.template file.

Note: If a problem occurs during the installation of optional software that causes the installation process to halt abnormally, you might have to complete a cleanup procedure to remove the partially installed software from the system before attempting to reinstall it. If the system instructs you to do a cleanup, go to Cleaning up optional software products and service updates

Some installed software must ship new installation images instead of service updates in new technology levels or service packs of the AIX operating system. For instance, a new installation image is required if the requisites of the installation image changes. When filesets are updated by using the smitty update_all or install_all_updates command, the most current version of the fileset is installed irrespective of whether filesets are updated by using the installation image or service update in the software source.

When a new installation image is installed, the history of the fileset in the system, which is the output of the lslpp -ah <fileset> command, is reset. The output of the lslpp -ah <fileset> command lists the new level of the fileset instead of original installation that was installed and all changes after that installation. . The following examples show the history of the bos.ecc_client.rte file before and after the installation image is installed.

Before a new installation image for the bos.ecc_client.rte file is shipped, the following output is displayed:

# lslpp -ah bos.ecc_client.rte 
       Fileset         Level       Action       Status       Date       Time  
       ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
       Path: /usr/lib/objrepos  bos.ecc_client.rte                  
                       6.1.9.0     COMMIT       COMPLETE     04/26/17     16:49:31  
                       6.1.9.0     APPLY        COMPLETE     04/26/17     16:49:31   
                       6.1.9.15    APPLY        COMPLETE     04/26/17     21:02:55
                       6.1.9.45    APPLY        COMPLETE     04/27/17     08:11:05
       Path: /etc/objrepos  bos.ecc_client.rte                 
                       6.1.9.0     COMMIT       COMPLETE     04/26/17     16:49:42
                       6.1.9.0     APPLY        COMPLETE     04/26/17     16:49:42   
                       6.1.9.15    APPLY        COMPLETE     04/26/17     21:03:07  
                       6.1.9.45    APPLY        COMPLETE     04/27/17     08:11:19

After a new installation image for the bos.ecc_client.rte file is shipped and installed on the system, the following output is displayed:

# lslpp -ah bos.ecc_client.rte
       Fileset         Level        Action       Status       Date         Time
       ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Path: /usr/lib/objreposbos.ecc_client.rte
                       6.1.9.100    COMMIT       COMPLETE     04/27/17     09:19:12
                       6.1.9.100    APPLY        COMPLETE     04/27/17     09:19:12

Path: /etc/objreposbos.ecc_client.rte
                       6.1.9.100    COMMIT       COMPLETE     04/27/17     09:19:22
                       6.1.9.100    APPLY        COMPLETE     04/27/17     09:19:22