Adjusting the cluster version of a cluster

The cluster version defines the level at which all the nodes in the cluster are actively communicating with each other.

Cluster versioning is a technique that allows the cluster to contain systems at multiple release levels and fully interoperate by determining the communications protocol level to be used.

To change the cluster version, all nodes in the cluster must be at the same potential version. The cluster version can then be changed to match the potential version. This allows the new function to be used. The version can only be increased by one. It cannot be decremented without deleting the cluster and re-creating it at a lower version. The current cluster version is initially set by the first node that is defined in the cluster. Subsequent nodes added to the cluster must be equal to the current cluster version or the next level version; otherwise, they cannot be added to the cluster.

If you are upgrading a node to a new release, you must ensure that the node has the appropriate cluster version. Cluster only supports a one version difference. If all the nodes in the cluster are at the same release, you should upgrade to the new release, before changing the cluster version. This ensures that all functions associated with the new release are available. See the topic, Scenario: Upgrading operating system in a high-availability environment for detailed actions for upgrading to a new release.

To adjust the cluster version using the PowerHA graphical interface, follow these steps:

  1. In a Web browser, enter http://mysystem:2001, where mysystem is the host name of the system.
  2. Log on to the system with your user profile and password.
  3. Click PowerHA from the IBM Navigator for i window.
  4. On the PowerHA page, select Properties ... from the Select Action menu next to the cluster name.
  5. Click Edit in the General section.
  6. Select a new cluster version and click Save .