Software updates for integrated servers
There are several types of software updates for integrated servers.
Updates to IBM i and firmware
You should update the following software and firmware for integrated servers.
| Component | Methods for applying software updates |
|---|---|
| IBM® i, and related licensed products | Apply PTFs. See  IBM i PTF group SF99369  for the latest
PTFs. |
| IBM i Integrated Server
Support software that runs on the integrated Windows server (for both
Windows and VMware ESX integration) |
Apply IBM i PTFs
and then run a utility from the integrated Windows server. See the IBM i iSCSI Solution Guide. |
| iSCSI initiator BIOS and firmware | To update the iSCSI initiator firmware in a System
x or blade server, see
the IBM i iSCSI Solution Guide. |
| System x or BladeCenter updates | You might need to update the firmware for the System x, blade, or BladeCenter hardware. See
the IBM i iSCSI Solution Guide. |
| Integrated server operating system | Apply updates at the integrated server console using the normal procedures for the operating system. |
Updates for integrated Windows servers
The updates for the IBM i Integrated Server Support software that enables Microsoft Windows server to run on the integrated server are separate from the service packs for Windows itself, which you must get from Microsoft.
The process of installing Integrated Server Support software fixes on your integrated Windows server is called synchronization. When you synchronize an integrated Windows server, the integration software on the integrated server is updated to the same release level and service pack level that is on IBM i. The level of code on the Windows side is dependent on the level of code on the IBM i side.
When you synchronize an integrated server, there are four things that can happen:
- If IBM i has been upgraded to a new release, for example, from i 6.1 to i 7.1, the integration software for the new release will replace that of the old release on the integrated Windows server.
- If a new IBM i Integrated Server Support service pack has been installed on IBM i, it will be copied over to the integrated Windows server.
- If an IBM i Integrated Server Support service pack has been removed from IBM i, it will be removed from the integrated Windows server as well, and replaced with the integration software currently existing in IBM i.
- If the IBM i integration software and integrated Windows server integration software are at the same level, the synchronization operation can still be performed. This allows for recovery of a deleted or damaged integration software file on the integrated Windows server.
In all cases the integrated Windows server will be brought
to the same level of integration software which exists in IBM i. See the IBM i iSCSI Solution Guide.
Updates for integrated VMware ESX servers
Install Integrated Server Support software updates
to the integrated Windows server that
serves as the management server for the integrated VMware ESX server.
See the IBM i iSCSI Solution Guide.