AIX update access key

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IBM® Power10, or later processor-based servers include an AIX® update access key (UAK) that is checked when you update the AIX operating system. The UAKs has an expiration date. Informational messages are generated when the release date for the AIX operating system passed the expiration date of the UAK. Informational messages are generated when the server starts or during the live partition mobility (LPM) operation and the current AIX operating system level passed the expiration date of the UAK. In addition, the server periodically checks and informs the administrator about UAKs that are about to expire, that are expired, or that are missing.

The AIX UAK indicates whether the server has an active Software Maintenance Agreement (SWMA). Once the UAK expires, replace the UAK to suppress the informational messages.

Note: Starting from AIX 7.3 Technology Level 4 (TL4), along with the informational messages, AIX updates, and the migrations are blocked if the operating system level of the AIX passed the expiration date of the AIX UAK.

You can check the UAK expiration date and the image date of the AIX operating system by using the lparstat -u command as shown in the following example:

$ lparstat -u
FW Update Access Key Expiration  (YYYYMMDD): 20201111
AIX Update Access Key Expiration (YYYYMMDD): 20201111
AIX Image Date                   (YYYYMMDD): 20210326

Note: The lparstat -u command displays the expiration date of the firmware UAK and other details.

If the AIX operating system that runs on an LPAR is not an UAK-aware, and if you run the lparstat -u command on the LPAR, an error message that is similar to the following example is displayed:

# lparstat -u
lparstat: illegal option -- u
lparstat { -i [-W | -s | -P] | -W | -s | -P | -x | -d |-m [-e [ r | R ] [-p [w]]] | [-H | -h] | [-c] | [-X [-o filename]]| [-E [w]] [-t] [Interval [Count]] }
        Function: Reports LPAR related information and statistics.

You can view the UAK expiration date and image date of the AIX operating system that is installed on an LPAR from the Hardware Management Console (HMC) by accessing the General Properties page of the LPAR.

If the AIX operating system that runs on an LPAR is not an UAK-aware, the HMC displays Unknown in the OS Image Date field on the General Properties page of the LPAR.

The HMC displays a console message when the AIX UAK is about to expire or when the AIX UAK expires. An error message is logged in the AIX error log when the UAK expires. You can view the error log by using the errpt command as shown in the following example:

# errpt
IDENTIFIER TIMESTAMP  T C RESOURCE_NAME  DESCRIPTION                                                            
D22852C1   0225103821 P H sysplanar0     The AIX Update Access Key has expired

If the Electronic Service Agent (ESA) is configured by using the HMC, the ESA automatically obtains and applies the new UAKs to your system when UAKs are about to expire.

Choose one of the following procedures to manually obtain and apply a new UAK to the server:

Perform the following steps for a system that is connected to HMC:
1. Obtain a new UAK key manually. For more information about obtaining a new UAK, refer Entitled Systems Support.
2. After you obtain a new UAK, apply the UAK through the HMC by performing the Enter COD Code task.
  Note: After the UAK is successfully applied, you might receive a message that indicates that the UAK is accepted.
3. Verify whether the UAK expiration date is updated by using the General Properties page of the LPAR or by using the lparstat -u command.
For systems that are not connected to an HMC, enter the UAK in the Advanced System Management Interface (ASMI) menu through the COD Activation window.