Upgrading clients (Linux and UNIX)

Upgrading existing clients to Db2® version 12.1 requires that you install a Db2 version 12.1 client copy and then upgrade your existing client instances to retain your client configuration and to connect to all your previously cataloged databases.

Before you begin

Ensure that you have root user authority.
Ensure that you have SYSADM, SYSCTRL, or SYSMAINT authority and root access to run the db2iupgrade and the db2icrt commands.
Ensure that you meet the installation requirements for Db2 database products. Some operating systems require a 64-bit kernel.
Review supported connectivity between clients and Db2 database servers in Upgrade essentials for clients.
Perform pre-upgrade tasks for clients. Refer to Pre-upgrade tasks for clients.

Restrictions

You can only upgrade from a version 11.1, or version 10.5 to a version 12.1 Data Server Client.
You can only upgrade from a version 11.1, or version 10.5 to a version 12.1 Data Server Runtime Client.
On Linux® and UNIX except for Linux on x64, your existing 32-bit or 64-bit client instances are upgraded to Db2 version 12.1 64-bit client instances. The bit size of the client instance is determined by the operating system where you install the Db2 version 12.1 client. Refer to Table 1 for details.
On Linux and UNIX operating systems, you must not setup the instance environment for the root user. Running the db2iupgrade or the db2icrt command for a root user is not supported.

Procedure

To upgrade existing clients to Db2 version 12.1 clients:

Install the appropriate Db2 version 12.1 client as a new copy by running the db2setup command and select Install New on the Install a Product panel:
- If you are upgrading from a version 11.1, or version 10.5 Data Server Client, install a new version 12.1 Data Server Client.
- If you are upgrading from a version 11.1, or version 10.5 Data Server Runtime Client, install a new version 12.1 Data Server Runtime Client copy.
Log on to the system with root user authority.
Upgrade your existing client instances by running the db2iupgrade command:
```
$DB2DIR/instance/db2iupgrade InstName
```
where
- DB2DIR is set to the location that you specified during the Db2 version 12.1 client installation. The default installation path for UNIX is /opt/IBM/db2/V11.5 and for Linux is /opt/ibm/db2/V11.5.
- InstName is the login name of the client instance owner.
Optional: You can also create a new Db2 version 12.1 client instance instead of upgrading the existing client instance. You only need to create a new version 12.1 client instance when you want to keep multiple client copies running on the same machine. To create a new version 12.1 client instance, run the db2icrt command with the option -s:
```
$DB2DIR/instance/db2icrt -s client InstName
```
where
- DB2DIR is set to the location that you specified during the Db2 version 12.1 client installation.
- InstName is the login name of the instance owner.
To create the same client connectivity environment you had, including the database manager configuration parameter and Db2 profile registry settings, run the db2cfimp command with the configuration profile that you backed up in the pre-upgrade tasks.
Compare the upgraded database manager configuration parameter values with the pre-upgrade values to ensure that the changed values are compatible with your database applications.

What to do next

After upgrading your client, perform the recommended post-upgrade tasks for clients, especially verifying upgrade for clients to ensure that your client upgrade was successful. Refer to Post-upgrade tasks for clients and Verifying your client upgrade.