Performing IBM i Upgrades on Power Virtual Servers

Steps

Performing IBM i Upgrades in PowerVS

There are two options when upgrading your IBM i in PowerVS. 

Creating the COR IBM i instance

Refer to the section in the following document titled, “Configuring a Power Systems Virtual Server Instance.” When selecting the IBM i boot image, select the IBMi_COR-7x-xx-x image.  There will be only one COR image listed, create a virtual server instance using this image.    

https://cloud.ibm.com/docs/power-iaas?topic=power-iaas-creating-power-virtual-server

Note: When creating the instance, attach a private network. The VLAN (existing network) that is created is the same one that will be utilized from the CLIENT side when performing a network install. 

Figure 1

More information about VLANs in the IBM Cloud: https://cloud.ibm.com/docs/vlans?topic=vlans-getting-started

When the IBM i COR instance has been created, you are ready to proceed to:

   Option 1: FTP install image to the client partition.

                                        or

   Option 2: Set up an IBM i network install server.

Option 1:  FTP install image to the client partition.

FTP from the client partition to the IBM i COR instance and get the required install images from the /install directory in the IFS.  There will be a subdirectory for all supported releases that contain the install images. 

From this point proceed as you would have if the images were downloaded from ESS. 

Option 2: Set up an IBM i Network Install Server.

Refer to Setting up an IBM i network install server  

From the IBM Cloud UI

The Network File System (NFS) is already set up on the NFS server (COR) system.  The IFS directories containing the media are in the IFS directory /install

Use WRKLNK ‘/install’ to verify the directory exists on the NFS server.      

Figure 2

Within each release directory (V7RxM0) are the necessary files for standard upgrades, language changes, etc.

All the directories (Figure 2) have been exported to /install

Identify the VLAN IP address of the NFS server instance from your Cloud GUI

Figure 3

IBM i NFS client setup

Deploy another IBM Cloud Virtual server instance or use an existing one. This will be your CLIENT

system.

There are two ways to assign an adapter to the Client.

Option 1: Add a new adapter to the VM

Option 2: Re-use an existing an adapter

Option 1: Add a new adapter to the VM

When setting up the Client instance, select the option for ‘Private network’ use the “Attach existing +”

to add VLAN.

Figure 4

Select the same network the NFS Server is on.

After signing into the Client instance, sign-on and accept licenses if it is a newly deployed instance. 

Verify the interfaces are configured (via CFGTCP, option 1), go back to the UI screen for the Client instance, add another adapter to the same network the NFS Server is on.

For the NFS set up, it’s not necessary to configure this new IP address in CFGTCP, option 1

Figure 5

Now it shows a second IP address on VLAN2. Make note of it, along with the Gateway IP address.

Figure 6

Use Alternate method to select LAN resource for an online reference to the following directions.

Use the UI to access IBM i operations, Action (21) Activate dedicated service tools, ‘run action’ to access the ‘Dedicated Service tools’ sign-on. Or, alternately, use STRSST.

Figure 7

* You may need to change the Service Tools password if this is your first time into the Service Tools

Option 5. Work with DST environment

Option 2. System Devices

Press F13= Select STS Lan Adapter

A new resource is listed.

1= select

Fill in ‘Internet address’ of the new client IP address that was created (ex. 172.2.2.65 in figure 6).

Fill in ‘Gateway router address’ to match the VLAN Gateway (ex. 172.2.2.2 in figure 6)

Fill in Subnet mask

Figure 8

F7 = Store

F17 = Deactivate followed by activate

F3 = exit

Example:

CRTDEVOPT DEVD(COR_IMG) RSRCNAME(*VRT) LCLINTNETA(*SRVLAN)

RMTINTNETA('172.2.2.47') NETIMGDIR('/INSTALL/V7R4M0/LATEST/LANGGRP3') UID(0)

GID(0)

RMTINTNETA = IP address of the COR server (figure 3)

NETIMGDIR = point to whichever COR server directory that is appropriate for the task that you     are performing.

               the NFS server, the virtual optical device must be varied off and then varied back on to use the

virtual images.

VRYCFG CFGOBJ(COR_IMG) CFGTYPE(*DEV) STATUS(*ON)

* Verify that a ping is successful from the Server to client.

LODIMGCLGE IMGCLG(*DEV) DEV(COR_IMG) IMGCLGIDX(*FIRST)

After the optical device has been created and varied on, specify this device description

name when performing the intended operation (i.e. upgrade, language change, etc.).

Option 2: Re-use an existing adapter

From the UI, deploy a new VM and use the option to ‘Attach existing network’ to create an adapter

that is on the same network as the NFS server.

Figure 9

Accept the Software Agreements after signing on for the first time.

Figure 9

VRYCFG CFGOBJ(CLOUDINIT1) CFGTYPE(*LIN) STATUS(*OFF)

action’ to access the ‘Dedicated Service tools’ sign-on. Or, alternately, use STRSST.

Figure 10

Option 5. Work with DST environment

Option 2. System Devices

Press F13= Select STS Lan Adapter

Option 1. Select resource name

Figure 11

F7 = Store

F17 = Deactivate followed by activate

F3 = exit

Example:

CRTDEVOPT DEVD(COR_IMG) RSRCNAME(*VRT) LCLINTNETA(*SRVLAN)

RMTINTNETA('172.2.2.47') NETIMGDIR('/INSTALL/V7R4M0/LATEST/LANGGRP3') UID(0)

GID(0)

RMTINTNETA = IP address of the COR server

NETIMGDIR = point to whichever COR server directory that is appropriate for the task

that you are performing.

the NFS server, the virtual optical device must be varied off and then varied back on to use

the virtual images.

VRYCFG CFGOBJ(COR_IMG) CFGTYPE(*DEV) STATUS(*ON)

* Verify that a ping is successful from the Server to client.

Additional resources:

Media labels and their contents can be found here :

https://www.ibm.com/docs/en/i/7.4?topic=reference-media-labels-their-contents -

rzahcswsmedialabel

Tips and Techniques:

• From the client type in "WRKIMGCLGE *DEV < virtual_device_name >". This should

display the "Work with Image Catalog Entries" panel showing a catalog of type *RMTCLG

and show all the volumes. If all the volumes are displayed, this means the prep work on

the server consisting of ensuring NFS servers were running, exporting the correct

directory, and proper authorizations of the catalog directory contents.

• When displaying the ‘Configure Service Tools LAN adapter’ (figure 11), confirm the

Internet Address field contains the IP address of the client’s private network IP address.

• For OPT1605 RC1, Prior to activating the DST Service Tools server, ensure that the IP

address cannot be pinged. After the activate of the DST service tool server, verify that the

IP address assigned can be pinged.

To check and see if NFS is up and running properly, do the following:

WRKACTJOB SBS(QSYSWRK) JOB(QNFS*)

If you see the following active, all is good:

QNFSMNTD QUSER BCH .0 SELW <=== *Mnt

QNFSNFSD QUSER BCH .0 TIMW <=== *SRV

QNFSNFSD QUSER BCH .0 DEQW <=== *SRV

QNFSRPCD QUSER BCH .0 SELW <=== *RPC

• On the COR (Server instance), to verify the image catalog directory has been exported,

do the following:

CALL QZNFRTVE and then press F10 to confirm this message is displayed:

CPIB41A - /INSTALL currently exported

OPT1860 will be logged if the NFS backed virtual optical device is not varied on.

• Verify the Server and Client instances are on the same private network.

• Ensure PING ‘x.x.x.x’ from the Server to Client instance is successful.