Package Information

PACKAGE: Update Release 3.1.1.25
IOSLEVEL: 3.1.1.25

VIOS level is	NIM Master level must be equal to or higher than
Update Release 3.1.1.25	AIX 7200-04-02

In June 2015, VIOS introduced the minipack as a new service stream delivery vehicle as well as a change to the VIOS fix level numbering scheme. Please refer to the VIOS Maintenance Strategy here for more details regarding the change to the VIOS release numbering scheme.

General package notes

Be sure to heed all minimum space requirements before installing.

Review the list of fixes included in Update Release 3.1.1.25

To take full advantage of all the functions available in the VIOS, it may be necessary to be at the latest system firmware level. If a system firmware update is necessary, it is recommended that the firmware be updated before you update the VIOS to Update Release 3.1.1.25.

Microcode or system firmware downloads for Power Systems

The VIOS Update Release 3.1.1.25 includes the IVM code, but it will not be enabled on HMC-managed systems. Update Release 3.1.1.25, like all VIOS Update Releases, can be applied to either HMC-managed or IVM-managed VIOS.

Update Release 3.1.1.25 updates your VIOS partition to ioslevel 3.1.1.25. To determine if Update Release 3.1.1.25 is already installed, run the following command from the VIOS command line.

$ ioslevel

If Update Release 3.1.1.25 is installed, the command output is 3.1.1.25.

Installation Information

Pre-installation Information and Instructions

Please ensure that your rootvg contains at least 30 GB and that there is at least 4GB free space before you attempt to update to Update Release 3.1.1.25. Run the lsvg rootvg command, and then ensure there is enough free space.

Example:

$ lsvg rootvg 
VOLUME GROUP: rootvg VG IDENTIFIER: 00f6004600004c000000014306a3db3d
VG STATE: active PP SIZE: 64 megabyte(s)
VG PERMISSION: read/write TOTAL PPs: 511 (32704 megabytes)
MAX LVs: 256 FREE PPs:  64 (4096 megabytes)
 
LVs: 14 USED PPs: 447 (28608 megabytes)
OPEN LVs: 12 QUORUM: 2 (Enabled)
TOTAL PVs: 1 VG DESCRIPTORS: 2
STALE PVs: 0 STALE PPs: 0
ACTIVE PVs: 1 AUTO ON: yes
MAX PPs per VG: 32512 
MAX PPs per PV: 1016 MAX PVs: 32
LTG size (Dynamic): 256 kilobyte(s) AUTO SYNC: no
HOT SPARE: no BB POLICY: relocatable 
PV RESTRICTION: none INFINITE RETRY: no
 
 

Upgrading from VIOS Version 3.1.1.20 or 3.1.1.21

VIOS Minipack Update Release 3.1.1.25 may ONLY be applied directly to any VIOS that is at level 3.1.1.20 or 3.1.1.21.

Before installing the VIOS Update Release 3.1.1.25

Warning: The update may fail if there is a loaded media repository.

Instructions: Checking for a loaded media repository

To check for a loaded media repository, and then unload it, follow these steps.

1. To check for loaded images, run the following command:

$ lsvopt
The Media column lists any loaded media.

2. To unload media images, run the following commands on all Virtual Target Devices that have loaded images.

$ unloadopt -vtd <file-backed_virtual_optical_device >

3. To verify that all media are unloaded, run the following command again.

$ lsvopt
The command output should show No Media for all VTDs.

Instructions: Migrate Shared Storage Pool Configuration

The Virtual I/O Server (VIOS) Version 2.2.2.1 or later, supports rolling updates for SSP clusters. The VIOS can be updated to Update Release 3.1.1.21 using rolling updates.

A non-disruptive rolling update to VIOS 3.1 requires all SSP nodes to be at VIOS 2.2.6.31 or later. See detailed instructions in the VIOS 3.1 documentation.

The rolling updates enhancement allows the user to apply Update Release 3.1.1.21 to the VIOS logical partitions in the cluster individually without causing an outage in the entire cluster. The updated VIOS logical partitions cannot use the new SSP capabilities until all VIOS logical partitions in the cluster are updated.

To upgrade the VIOS logical partitions to use the new SSP capabilities, ensure that the following conditions are met:

· All VIOS logical partitions must have VIOS Update Release version 2.2.6.31 or later installed.

· All VIOS logical partitions must be running. If any VIOS logical partition in the cluster is not running, the cluster cannot be upgraded to use the new SSP capabilities.

Instructions: Verify the cluster is running at the same level as your node.

1. Run the following command:
$ cluster -status -verbose

2. Check the Node Upgrade Status field, and you should see one of the following terms:

UP_LEVEL: This means that the software level of the logical partition is higher than the software level the cluster is running at.

ON_LEVEL: This means the software level of the logical partition and the cluster are the same.

Installing the Update Release

There is now a method to verify the VIOS update files before installation. This process requires access to openssl by the 'padmin' User, which can be accomplished by creating a link.

Instructions: Verifying VIOS update files.

To verify the VIOS update files, follow these steps:

1. $ oem_setup_env

2. Create a link to openssl
# ln -s /usr/bin/openssl /usr/ios/utils/openssl

3. Verify the link to openssl was created
# ls -alL /usr/bin/openssl /usr/ios/utils/openssl

4. Verify that both files display similar owner and size

5. # exit

Use one of the following methods to install the latest VIOS Service Release. As with all maintenance, you should create a VIOS backup before making changes.

If you are running a Shared Storage Pool configuration, you must follow the steps in Migrate Shared Storage Pool Configuration.

Note: While running 'updateios' in the following steps, you may see accessauth messages, but these messages can safely be ignored.

Version Specific Warning: Versions between 3.1.0.0 and 3.1.1.0.

You must put fix pack 3.1.1.10, service pack 3.3.1.21, and minipack 3.3.1.25 in the same location to apply updates in single step. The single step approach fixes an update problem with the builddate on bos.alt_disk_install.boot_images fileset.

Version Specific Warning: Version 2.2.2.1, 2.2.2.2, 2.2.2.3, or 2.2.3.1

You must run updateios command twice to get bos.alt_disk_install.boot_images fileset update problem fixed.

Run the following command after the step of "$ updateios –accept –install –dev <directory_name >" completes.

$ updateios –accept –dev <directory_name >

Depending on the VIOS level, one or more of the LPPs below may be reported as "Missing Requisites", and they may be ignored.

MISSING REQUISITES:

 X11.loc.fr_FR.base.lib 4.3.0.0 # Base Level Fileset
 bos.INed 6.1.6.0 # Base Level Fileset
 bos.loc.pc.Ja_JP 6.1.0.0 # Base Level Fileset
 bos.loc.utf.EN_US 6.1.0.0 # Base Level Fileset
 bos.mls.rte 6.1.x.x # Base Level Fileset

Warning: If VIOS rules have been deployed.

During update, there have been occasional issues with VIOS Rules files getting overwritten and/or system settings getting reset to their default values.

To ensure that this doesn’t affect you, we recommend making a backup of the current rules file. This file is located here:

/home/padmin/rules/vios_current_rules.xml

First, to capture your current system settings, run this command:

$ rules -o capture

Then, either copy the file to a backup location, or save off a list of your current rules:

$ rules -o list > rules_list.txt

After this is complete, proceed to update as normal. When your update is complete, check your current rules and ensure that they still match what is desired. If not, either overwrite the original rules file with your backup, or proceed to use the ‘rules -o modify’ and/or ‘rules -o add’ commands to change the rules to match what is in your backup file.

Finally, if you’ve failed to back up your rules, and are not sure what the rules should be, you can deploy the recommended VIOS rules by using the following command:

$ rules -o deploy -d

Then, if you wish to copy these new VIOS recommended rules to your current rules file, just run:

$ rules -o capture

Note: This will overwrite any customized rules in the current rules file.

Applying Updates

Warning:

If the target node to be updated is part of a redundant VIOS pair, the VIOS partner node must be fully operational before beginning to update the target node.

Note:

For VIOS nodes that are part of an SSP cluster, the partner node must be shown in 'cluster -status ' output as having a cluster status of OK and a pool status of OK. If the target node is updated before its VIOS partner is fully operational, client LPARs may crash.

Instructions: Applying updates to a VIOS.

1. Log in to the VIOS as the user padmin.
2. If you use one or more File Backed Optical Media Repositories, you need to unload media images before you apply the Update Release. See details here.
3. If you use Shared Storage Pools, then Shared Storage Pool Services must be stopped.
   
   $ clstartstop -stop -n <cluster_name > -m <hostname >
   
   
   
4. To apply updates from a directory on your local hard disk, follow the steps:
1. Create a directory on the Virtual I/O Server.
   $ mkdir <directory_name >

2. Using ftp, transfer the update file(s) to the directory you created.

To apply updates from a remotely mounted file system, and the remote file system is to be mounted read-only, follow the steps:

1. Mount the remote directory onto the Virtual I/O Server:
   $ mount remote_machine_name:directory /mnt
   
   
   

The update release can be burned onto a CD by using the ISO image file(s). To apply updates from the CD/DVD drive, follow the steps:

1. Place the CD-ROM into the drive assigned to VIOS.
   
   
   

5. Commit previous updates by running the updateios command:
   $ updateios -commit
   
   
   
6. Verify the updates files that were copied. This step can only be performed if the link to openssl was created.
   $ cp <directory_path >/ck_sum.bff /home/padmin
   $ chmod 755 </home/padmin>/ck_sum.bff
   $ ck_sum.bff <directory_path >
   If there are missing updates or incomplete downloads, an error message is displayed.
   
   To see how to create a link to openssl, click here.
   
   
   
7. Apply the update by running the updateios command
   $ updateios -accept -install -dev <directory_name >
   
   
   
8. To load all changes, reboot the VIOS as user padmin .

$ shutdown -restart

Note: If shutdown –restart command failed, run swrole –PAdmin in order for padmin to set authorization and establish access to the shutdown command properly.

9. If cluster services were stopped in step 3, restart cluster services.

$ clstartstop -start -n <cluster_name > -m <hostname >

10. Verify that the update was successful by checking the results of the updateios command and by running the isolevel command, which should indicate that the ioslevel is now 3.1.1.21.

$ ioslevel

Post-installation Information and Instructions

Instructions: Checking for an incomplete installation caused by a loaded media repository.

After installing an Update Release, you can use this method to determine if you have encountered the problem of a loaded media library.

Check the Media Repository by running this command:
$ lsrep

If the command reports: "Unable to retrieve repository data due to incomplete repository structure," then you have likely encountered this problem during the installation. The media images have not been lost and are still present in the file system of the virtual media library.

Running the lsvopt command should show the media images.

Instructions: Recovering from an incomplete installation caused by a loaded media repository.

To recover from this type of installation failure, unload any media repository images, and then reinstall the ios.cli.rte package. Follow these steps:

1. Unload any media images

$ unloadopt -vtd <file-backed_virtual_optical_device>

2. Reinstall the ios.cli.rte fileset by running the following commands.

To escape the restricted shell:
$ oem_setup_env
To install the failed fileset:
# installp –Or –agX ios.cli.rte –d <device/directory >
To return to the restricted shell:
# exit

3. Restart the VIOS.

$ shutdown –restart

4. Verify that the Media Repository is operational by running this command:

$ lsrep

Additional Information

For additional details, including known capabilities, limitations, and additional install considerations, as well as some additional instructions, please reference the readme for 3.1.1.10 located here.

Fixes included in this release

This version will include all fixes from minipack 3.1.1.21 in addition to the fixes listed below. The fixes for the previous release can be found here.

The list of fixes in 3.1.1.25

APAR	Description
IJ25022	A potential security issue exists
IJ25962	NVMe Download microcode fails on new adapters.
IJ26013	NVMe Product Specific field altered after download microcode
IJ25390	Slow TCP performance VLAN tagged Platform Large Send packets
IJ24885	VHOST OR VFCHOST ADAPTER MAY HANG OR CRASH