Checklist: IBM i software upgrade or replacement readiness
Use this checklist to help consolidate and verify that the preparation tasks for a software upgrade are completed.
If you plan to browse this checklist online, it might help to open this topic in a new window. This checklist summarizes the major tasks that you need to do before you begin to upgrade or replace your software.
Before you begin
- Use the following website links to verify that your server model
meets the requirements to support the new release.
- The IBM® Prerequisite website at http://www-912.ibm.com/eserver/e_dir/eServerPreReq.nsf has the operating system compatibility information for hardware features.
- The Upgrade planning website at http://www.ibm.com/systems/support/i/planning/upgrade/osmapping.html has a table that indicates which releases of the operating system are supported by each of the server models.
- Know your current strategy for connecting a console to your system or logical partition. Your current connection strategy influences your planning activities. For more information about managing IBM i consoles, search for a specific model from IBM i consoles in Knowledge Center.
- Plan for extra time after the upgrade to IPL the server. This task is described in the Checklist: Completing the IBM i upgrade or replacement.
- Understand system administration tasks (basic system operations). To perform software installation tasks, you need to be able to restart your system, sign on and off, use the command interface, install fixes, change the system operation mode and initial program load (IPL) source on the system unit control panel, and analyze system problems.
- Understand the different Types of software installation devices. The installation tasks are different based on the device type and media type that you use.
Software preupgrade or replacement tasks
Follow the checklist tasks that are appropriate for your system. Required steps are noted.
- Verifying the contents of your software order
- Preparing the system for IBM i software upgrade or replacement
- Performing initial upgrade or replacement tasks
- Choosing a software installation method and device
- Preparing for globalization
- Preparing the upgrade device and media
- Preparing to upgrade or replace software using an image catalog
- Preparing to upgrade or replace software with virtual optical storage using the Network File System
- Requirements for virtual optical storage within a Network File System network
- Preparing an optical image catalog to install software
- Setting up the server to share virtual optical image files with the client system for installing IBM i
- Setting up the virtual optical device on the client system for installing IBM i
- Using images on the client system
- Required: Creating a custom list of software to install
- Required: Accepting software agreements
- Ensuring the system meets disk storage requirements for upgrades
- Required (If upgrading from IBM i 7.1): Allocating additional space for Licensed Internal Code
- Choosing disk configuration
- Estimating upgrade or replacement time
- Preparing your console for software installation
- Stopping the integrated server and other application servers
- Saving the system
- Optional: Running the IBM Pre-Upgrade Verification tool
After you finish
After the tasks in the preceding checklist and your upgrade are completed, consider the following tasks.
- Develop a strategy for managing and maintaining your software. For information about software fixes (or program temporary fixes, PTFs), and software licenses and license keys, go to the Maintaining and managing IBM i and related software topic.
- For information about software distribution of supported products, go to the Distributing software topic.