Online fix pack updates in Db2 pureScale environments

Use an online fix pack update on members or cluster caching facilities (CFs) to update a Db2 pureScale instance to a new fix pack level or special build while the instance remains available. Members and CFs that are not being updated remain available for processing.

Db2 releases have an architecture level and a code level. When you apply an online update, your Db2 pureScale instance must be at the required minimum committed code level. A new fix pack level has a different code level than an earlier fix pack release. However, the architecture level can be the same or different from an earlier fix pack release. Figure 1 shows the architecture level and code level for a fix pack release.

In a Db2 pureScale instance, the Current Effective Code Level (CECL), and Current Effective Architecture Level (CEAL) enforce the level at which all members and CFs must operate, even if some of those members or CFs are updated to a newer level of code.

The curr_eff_arch_level database manager configuration parameter displays the CEAL for a Db2 pureScale instance and the curr_eff_code_level database manager configuration parameter display the CECL for the instance.

Each fix pack release or special build has a required minimum committed code level. Online updates to a specific fix pack release are supported from a required minimum committed code level. You can run the installFixPack -show_level_info command to know the minimum committed code level information for online updates. The sample output of the command is provided below:

installFixPack -show_level_info :

/devinst/db2_kepler/aix64/s130528/server> ./installFixPack -show_level_info

Code level = Version:10 Release:5 Modification:0 Fixpack:0
Architecture level = Version:10 Release:5 Modification:0 Fixpack:0
Section level = Version:10 Release:5 Modification:0 Fixpack:0

Supports online update = Yes

Minimum committed code level required for online install =
Version:10 Release:5 Modification:0 Fixpack:0

The execution completed successfully.

For more information see the Db2 installation log at "/tmp/installFixPack.log.$PID".
DBI1070I Program installFixPack completed successfully.

If you want to update an instance from a fix pack level that is earlier than the required committed code level, you can apply an offline update. Alternatively, you can apply an online update to the required minimum committed level followed by an online update to the specific fix pack level.

Online fix pack updates are always supported provided the new level of code (fix pack or special build) supports online updates. You can run the installFixPack -show_level_info command to know the new level of code.

Note: For special builds with a different architecture level, performing an online update requires a service password to be set.

During an offline or online fix pack update of a Db2 pureScale instance, you can have members and CFs at a code level that is different from the CECL. Here, the instance is in a heterogeneous state. You cannot update members or CFs to multiple code levels that are different from the CECL. After all the members and CFs are updated and the instance is committed, the instance returns to a homogeneous state as described in the following example:

Start with all members at FP1. Here CECL = FP1.
Update first member to FP2. Here the instance is in heterogeneous state.
Update all other members and CFs to FP2. Here the instance is still in heterogeneous state because CECL = FP1.
Note: You can run your workloads for the new fix pack before committing to it, in order to validate its functionality. If this validation is not satisfactory, you can cancel the new fix pack update, and move back to the previous fix pack. For more information, see Canceling online fix pack updates.
Commit the instance at FP2. Here the instance returns to homogeneous state.

Example of updating a Db2 pureScale instance to a fix pack with a higher code level

This example uses an online fix pack update to apply Db2 version 12.1 FPy on an instance that has version 12.1 FPx. The version 12.1 FPy has the following characteristics:

The architecture level is version 12.1 FPy.
The code level is version 12.1 FPy.
The minimum committed level is version 12.1 FPw. Because version 12.1 FPx is a later release than version 12.1 FPw, online update from version 12.1 FPx to version 12.1 FPy is supported.

The following figure shows the architecture level and code level for Instance1 and members before Instance1 is updated to version 12.1 FPy:

Architecture and code level values before Instance1 is updated to version 12.1 FPy. — Figure 1. Architecture and code level values before `Instance1` is updated to version 12.1 FPy.

After an online fix pack update is applied on member2 to version 12.1 FPy, note that the code level and architecture level for member2 changed. However, the CECL and CEAL remain unchanged. The instance is in a heterogeneous state. The following figure shows the architecture level and code level for Instance1 and members:

Architecture and code level values after member2 is updated to version 12.1 FPy. — Figure 2. Architecture and code level values after `member2` is updated to version 12.1 FPy

After an online fix pack update is applied on member1 to version 12.1 FPy , note that the code level and architecture level for member1 changed. However, the CECL and CEAL remain unchanged. The instance remains in a heterogeneous state. The following figure shows the architecture level and code level for Instance1 and members:

Architecture and code level values after member1 is updated to version 12.1 FPy. — Figure 3. Architecture and code level values after `member1` is updated to version 12.1 FPy

After the online update is committed to version 12.1 fix pack FPy, the instance CEAL and the CECL changed. The instance is in a homogeneous state again. The following figure shows the architecture level and code level for Instance1 and members:

Architecture and code level values after online update is committed to FPy. — Figure 4. Architecture and code level values after online update is committed to version 12.1 FPy

Suppose that you have a special build with a code level of version 12.1 FPy and an architecture level of version 12.1 FPx, then after committing the online update the CEAL remains unchanged. The following figure shows the architecture level and code level for Instance1 and members:

Architecture and code level values after online update is committed to version 12.1 FPy. — Figure 5. Architecture and code level values after online update is committed to FPy.