Manually update IBM Spectrum Scale to meet Db2 pureScale Feature requirements (AIX®)

IBM Spectrum Scale is installed as part of Db2 pureScale Feature installation. However, during a Db2 pureScale Feature installation, if a IBM Spectrum Scale cluster already exists but was not created by the Db2® installer, or, you manually updated the IBM Spectrum Scale level, a failure can occur when you install the Db2 pureScale Feature. A failure occurs if the already installed IBM Spectrum Scale level does not match the release or efix level that is required by the Db2 installer.

Before you begin

  • If an efix is required, make the IBM Spectrum Scale efix available to all IBM Spectrum Scale hosts on a local or Network File System (NFS). The fix has the file extension *.epkg.Z and is located on the Db2 pureScale Feature installation image in the following directory: <DB2-image-directory>/db2/aix/gpfs/efix

About this task

IBM® Spectrum Scale is currently the only supported file system in a Db2 pureScale environment. Prior to installing Db2 pureScale Feature, if a IBM Spectrum Scale cluster is not already on your system, the Db2 installer automatically installs IBM Spectrum Scale, and creates a IBM Spectrum Scale cluster and filesystem. When the Db2 installer creates a IBM Spectrum Scale cluster and filesystem, this is referred to as a Db2 managed cluster. However, if a IBM Spectrum Scale cluster already exists on your system, this is referred to as a user-managed cluster.

After a Db2 managed cluster is installed on your system, you must not manually update the IBM Spectrum Scale level, or manually apply a non-security related efix. If you do manually update the IBM Spectrum Scale level, or manually apply a non-security efix, problems can occur when you upgrade to a new Db2 version. (The problem occurs when you attempt to install the new Db2 version.) You receive an error message indicating IBM Spectrum Scale is already installed and you must manually update your IBM Spectrum Scale cluster. If this error occurs, before you can continue, you must follow the steps in this topic.

For instructions on manually updating a security efix, please refer to the "Online upgrade of IBM Spectrum Scale level with a security-related efix" topic. When upgrading to a new Db2 version at a later time, you may receive an error message indicating IBM Spectrum Scale is already installed and you must manually update your IBM Spectrum Scale cluster. If this error occurs, before you can continue, you must follow the steps in this topic.

Procedure

Perform these steps on one host at a time, until all hosts are updated.

Note: To avoid cluster failover and reelecting a cluster manager, update the cluster manager last.

  1. Log on as root.
  2. Compare the existing IBM Spectrum Scale release and efix level already installed, to the levels on the installation media.
    To verify the IBM Spectrum Scale release already installed on the system, run: 
    <DB2-image-directory>/db2/aix/gpfs/db2ckgpfs -v install
    To verify the IBM Spectrum Scale release on the installation media, run: 
    <DB2-image-directory>/db2/aix/gpfs/db2ckgpfs -v media
    If the IBM Spectrum Scale release level already installed is at a lower level than the level on the installation media, a IBM Spectrum Scale release level update is required. Otherwise, continue to verify the IBM Spectrum Scale efix level.
    To verify a IBM Spectrum Scale efix level already installed on the system, run:
    <DB2-image-directory>/db2/aix/gpfs/db2ckgpfs -s install
    To verify the IBM Spectrum Scale efix level on the installation media, run: 
    <DB2-image-directory>/db2/aix/gpfs/db2ckgpfs -s media
    If the installed IBM Spectrum Scale efix level is at a lower level than the level on the installation media, an IBM Spectrum Scale level update is required.
  3. The remaining steps must be performed one host at a time on all hosts.
    Stop IBM Spectrum Scale on the current host: 
    /usr/lpp/mmfs/bin/mmshutdown
  4. Verify that IBM Spectrum Scale has shutdown properly.
    The IBM Spectrum Scale state on the host must indicate down.
    /usr/lpp/mmfs/bin/mmgetstate -a
  5. Unload the Monitoring Multimedia File System (MMFS) kernel extension: 
    /usr/lpp/mmfs/bin/mmfsenv -u
    Note: If the command indicates that kernel extensions are busy, to ensure that the updated kernel extension is loaded, the host must be rebooted after upgrading IBM Spectrum Scale. Alternatively, identify and kill processes that have a current working directory or open file handles on the IBM Spectrum Scale cluster. If after terminating the processes, and rerunning the command no longer indicates a busy state, a reboot can be avoided.
  6. Update either the IBM Spectrum Scale release level or IBM Spectrum Scale modification level. Perform one of these steps:
    • To update the IBM Spectrum Scale release level (for example, from 3.3 to 3.4), run:
      <DB2-image-directory>/db2/aix/gpfs/installGPFS -g
    • To update the IBM Spectrum Scale modification level (for example, from 3.3.1 to 3.3.4), run:
      <DB2-image-directory>/db2/aix/gpfs/installGPFS -u
  7. Start IBM Spectrum Scale on the host: 
    /usr/lpp/mmfs/bin/mmstartup
  8. Verify that IBM Spectrum Scale has started properly.
    The IBM Spectrum Scale state on the host must indicate active.
    /usr/lpp/mmfs/bin/mmgetstate -a
  9. Mount all IBM Spectrum Scale file systems: 
    /usr/lpp/mmfs/bin/mmmount all
  10. Verify the IBM Spectrum Scale level now matches the release or efix level that is required by the Db2 installer.
    Verify the IBM Spectrum Scale release installed on the system matches the IBM Spectrum Scale release on the installation media: 
    <DB2-image-directory>/db2/aix/gpfs/db2ckgpfs -v install
<DB2-image-directory>/db2/aix/gpfs/db2ckgpfs -v media
    Verify a IBM Spectrum Scale efix level installed on the system matches the IBM Spectrum Scale efix level on the installation media: 
    <DB2-image-directory>/db2/aix/gpfs/db2ckgpfs -s install
<DB2-image-directory>/db2/aix/gpfs/db2ckgpfs -s media
  11. Repeat steps 3 to 10 on the next host until all hosts are updated.

Results

All IBM Storage Scale hosts are now at the required code level for Db2 pureScale Feature.

What to do next

Continue installing Db2 pureScale Feature.