Exploiting IBM AIX Workload Partitions

Chapter 10. Software maintenance 255

10.2.3 Applying an iFix to a detached WPAR

A detached WPAR has its own copy of /usr. When an iFix is applied to the global environment,

it is not applied to the detached WPAR. The syncwpar, inuwpar, and syncroot commands are

not able to manage iFixes. Therefore, the iFix needs to be applied within the WPAR. We can

create scenarios where an iFix is only applied to the global environment or only applied to a

detached WPAR. An additional benefit of detached WPARs is to isolate and test an iFix,

before applying it widely to the global environment, other systems, or WPARs.

This testing capability is particularly important in the case of Versioned Workload Partitions,

because we might encounter situations where we need to apply an iFix that applies only to

the AIX version of WPAR. For example, the Fix IZ72315 was developed for AIX 5.2 to allow a

checkpointable Versioned AIX 5.2 WPAR to be relocated by WPM. This Fix is applied in the

WPAR for its AIX 5.2 filesets.

In Example 10-34, we see how to apply an iFix to a detached WPAR.

Example 10-34 Applying an iFix to a detached WPAR

# uname -W

0

# emgr -l

There is no efix data on this system.

# clogin detached_wpar

*******************************************************************************

* *

* *

* Welcome to AIX Version 7.1! *

* *

* *

* Please see the README file in /usr/lpp/bos for information pertinent to *

* this release of the AIX Operating System. *

* *

* *

*******************************************************************************

Last login: Wed Apr 20 08:06:16 2011 on /dev/Global from 750_1_LPAR_5

# emgr -l

There is no efix data on this system.

# cd /SW

Important: Certain iFixes might contain a root part modification. Applying the iFix in the

global environment updates only the /usr part for the WPAR. At this time, the syncwpar and

syncroot commands do

not update a possible iFix root part modification. While a solution

is being developed, check the iFix content and if it contains any root part modification,

update that root part in the WPAR manually:

# uncompress iFix.epkg.Z

# tar -x iFix.epkg

# grep TARGET_FILE ecfile

TARGET_FILE=/usr/lib/corrals/populate

TARGET_FILE=/usr/sbin/mkcorral

In this example, the iFix contains only two /usr modifications. If you need assistance

updating the root part in the WPAR, contact IBM Support.