Determining storage space required for a software upgrade

Before you schedule a time to install the IBM® i release, determine the available storage space and the storage space that is required.

Load-source disk unit requirements
  • Start of changeIBM i 7.3 load-source disk size needs to be at least 35-70 GB depending on the type of disk being used.
    • Minimum of 35 GB for 520-byte sectors (DS8000, virtual disks with VIOS as server)
    • Minimum of 40 GB for 512-byte sectors (SVC, Storwize, virtual disks with VIOS, VSCSI, or IBM i as server)
    • Minimum of 70 GB for Native-attached SAS/SCSI (520-byte or 4K sectors)
    For the latest information on the minimum load-source size required for your environment, see the Start of changeIBM i and Related SoftwareEnd of changeLink outside information center.End of change
  • Start of changeTo upgrade to IBM i 7.3, you must allocate additional space for Licensed Internal Code. See Required (If upgrading from IBM i 7.1): Allocating additional space for Licensed Internal Code for steps to allocate the additional space.End of change

The procedures in this topic might not include all requirements for storage that you have on your system. If you are preparing to upgrade or replace software using an image catalog, ensure that you reveiw the topic, Determining storage requirements for image catalog installation.

To determine if you have enough storage space for the new release, perform the following steps:

  1. Type GO LICPGM. The Work with Licensed Programs display appears.
  2. Choose option 5 (Prepare for Install).
  3. Type 1 next to Estimated storage requirements for system ASP. The Estimated Storage Requirements for System ASP display appears.

    Enter the total storage that is needed for additional applications. Include storage for single licensed programs that were not included on your customized installation list, and storage for Programming Request for Price Quotations (PRPQs), licensed program offerings (LPOs), or independent software.

    Round up to the nearest whole number. Refer to the product documentation to determine how much additional storage is required. The system uses this number to calculate the disk storage that is required to install the target release.

    Include independent software only when you intend to store it in the system ASP. Refer to Backup and recovery for more information about system ASPs.

  4. Press Enter to continue to the next display. The second Estimated Storage Requirements for System ASP display appears.

    This display shows you information that you will need to determine whether enough disk storage is available to complete the installation.

  5. Compare the value for Storage required to install target release with the value for Current supported system capacity. If the value for Current supported system capacity is greater than the value for Storage required to install target release, you can continue with the installation process. If the system capacity is less than the storage required, you might need to add additional disk units or install fewer optional programs.
  6. Press Enter to return to the Prepare for Install display.

Repeat this process whenever you make any changes to your system that affect the available disk storage space.