Installing IBM i fixes from an image catalog

To install PTFs that you receive on physical media, that you receive as images (using SNDPTFORD DLVRYFMT(*IMAGE), or by downloading the images from Fix Central using either Download Director or FTP, follow these steps.

Note: You cannot install PTFs directly from an image catalog with Management Central, but you can use the copy from media function to copy PTFs into save files from an image catalog associated with a virtual optical device. For instructions, see Copying fixes from media.

To install your fixes from an image catalog, do the following steps:

  1. Create a virtual optical device

    It is possible that you used an image catalog that is associated with a virtual optical device to perform a software upgrade. If you did, you do not need to perform this step. If you do not have a virtual optical device, you must create one.

    • To create a device description, type the following on any command line: 
      CRTDEVOPT DEVD(OPTVRT01) RSRCNAME(*VRT) ONLINE(*YES) TEXT(text-description)
    • To determine whether a virtual optical device exists, type the following: 
      WRKDEVD DEVD(*OPT)

      A virtual optical device is indicated by a device type of 632B.

      To ensure that the device is active, press F14 (Work with configuration status). If the device is not active, type 1 to vary it on.

  2. Create an image catalog

    Create an image catalog for the set of PTFs that you want to install. The Create Image Catalog (CRTIMGCLG) command associates an image catalog with a target directory where the preloaded images are loaded.

    CRTIMGCLG IMGCLG(ptfcatalog) DIR('/MYCATALOGDIRECTORY') 
  CRTDIR(*YES) TEXT(text-description)
    Note: A directory can be associated with only one image catalog.

    As of IBM® i 7.2, users can automatically add all images found in the image catalog directory as follows:

    CRTIMGCLG IMGCLG(ptfcatalog) DIR('/MYCATALOGDIRECTORY') 
  ADDVRTVOL(*DIR) TEXT(text-description)

    If you use this method, skip to step 4.

  3. Add an image catalog entry

    You can add an image catalog entry for each physical media that you have. You can also add an image catalog entry for fixes that you received using FTP, for example, you downloaded fixes from Fix Central.

    • Add an image catalog entry for each physical media that you have. You need to repeat this step for each volume of media. You should add the images in the same order as if you were going to install from them. 
      ADDIMGCLGE IMGCLG(ptfcatalog) FROMDEV(OPT01) TEXT(text-description)
    • Add an image catalog entry for fixes that you downloaded from Fix Central into an IFS directory. You can add the directory into an image catalog in either of the following ways:
      • Into the same directory that is associated with the image catalog directory. 
        ADDIMGCLGE IMGCLG(PTFCATALOG) FROMFILE(iptfxxx_x.bin) 
  TOFILE(iptfxxx_x.bin)
      • Into a different directory. 
        ADDIMGCLGE IMGCLG(PTFCATALOG) 
 FROMFILE('/differentdirectory/iptfxxxx_x.bin') 
 TOFILE(iptfxxx_x.bin)
  4. Load the image catalog

    This step associates the virtual optical device to the image catalog. Only one image catalog can be associated with a specific virtual optical device. Type the following command to load the image catalog:

    LODIMGCLG IMGCLG(ptfcatalog) DEV(OPTVRT01) OPTION(*LOAD)
  5. Verify that the images are in the correct order 
    VFYIMGCLG IMGCLG(ptfcatalog) TYPE(*PTF) SORT(*YES)

    The system puts the images in the correct order. By default, the volume with the lowest index is mounted; all the other volumes are loaded. Use the Work with Catalog Entries (WRKIMGCLGE) command to see the order of the images.

    Note: If you are attempting to load individual PTFs with the Load PTF (LODPTF) command, only the PTFs on the volume set that is mounted can be loaded.
  6. Install PTFs from virtual optical device

    To install PTFs from an image catalog associated with a virtual optical device, see Installing fixes from media or Installing cumulative PTF packages. For the device name, enter the name of the virtual optical device that is associated with your image catalog. All the PTFs from the images that are either mounted or loaded will be installed.

  7. Delete images from image catalog

    Once you have successfully installed the fixes, you should remove the images from the catalog with the Remove Image Catalog Entries (RMVIMGCLGE) command. If you continue to add new images to the same image catalog without removing the old images, PTF install processing will attempt to install the fixes from all of the loaded images in the catalog.