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Hi Jim

I've done a quite a few V5R4 installs now including couple of upgrades that
were 270's running V5R2. If you are going to do the installs remotely you
could consider using image catalogs to do most of the grunt work for you. In
combination with an automatic install they make it a pretty "hands off"
experience if everything goes as planned.

You should have a hard copy of the V5R4 upgrade book with the CD's. Find
this book and read it :)

This topic in the Information Centre has a good guide as to the steps
required:
http://publib.boulder.ibm.com/infocenter/iseries/v5r4/topic/rzahc/rzahc1.htm

The installation guide PDF can also be found here:
http://publib.boulder.ibm.com/infocenter/iseries/v5r4/topic/rzahc/rzahc.pdf

V5R4 Memo to Users PDF:
http://publib.boulder.ibm.com/infocenter/iseries/v5r4/topic/rzaq9/rzaq9.pdf

V5R3 Memo to Users PDF:
http://publib.boulder.ibm.com/infocenter/iseries/v5r3/topic/rzahg/rzaq9.pdf

Ignoring application requirements, here is my list of things to do:
(apologies in advance for the length of the email, but there's a few things
to consider).

1. Hardware

The first thing to consider with the 270's is the hardware requirements.
V5R4 requires a minimum of a 17.5gb drive for the load source disk. If you
have smaller drives you will need to replace at least the load source drive.
You should also make sure you have enough space to load the image catalogs
onto disk if you are going to go that way. From memory you are going to need
about 10gb all up, but don't run your storage too high as it can cause
issues. You should probably consider memory as well depending on how much is
installed in the box.

2. License keys.

I found having the license keys entered in advance made the upgrades a lot
simpler. I had at least one that failed on a "license key not found" error,
but others that worked fine without keys. Entering them before hand reduces
this risk.

3. Image catalog support PTF

You need some PTF's to allow for upgrading from V5R2 to V5R4 via image
catalog. Ordering PTF SI19886 will get the required PTF's for you. You can
load these PTF's via image catalog, the PTF is required to allow the machine
to be IPL'ed from image catalog for an automatic install.

3. Create Image catalogs

Create an image catalog for:
- Installation CD
- Upgrade CD's (LIC, OS400, LPP's, etc)
- Cumulative PTF's
- Group PTF's (I create separate image catalogs for each group but it can be
done using one catalog I'm told)
You can give them any names you like but we mostly stuck with the PTF group
names as it saved us thinking about it.

Add image catalog entries into the IFS for each CD. This is a longish but
simple process.

We used a structure like this:
/imgcat
/imgcat/V5R4
/imgcat/V5R4/RO02401
/imgcat/V5R4/SI19886
/imgcat/V5R4/Upgrade
/imgcat/V5R4/C7107540
/imgcat/V5R4/SF99291
etc

When you're done with your image catalogs cut them to tape and ship it to
the site or send them over the wire if it is practical.
You need to send the *IMGCLG objects from QUSRSYS and also the associated
IFS directories so two saves and restore operations will be required.

You'll also need to create a Virtual Optical device and vary it on:

CRTDEVOPT DEVD(OPTVRT01) RSRCNAME(*VRT) ONLINE(*YES)

3. Preparation PTF's and IPL

Load and the preparation PTF's and the image catalog PTF's; depending on
your PTF level you may have many of the PTF's and may not require an IPL,
but allow for an IPL anyway. IPL the machine to get the PTF's applied.

4. Reserve LIC space and IPL

You need to run a procedure to reserve space on the load source drive. The
manual indicates you can do this using the prepare for upgrade option on the
Licensed programs menu (GO LICPGM) but I found it didn't work for V5R2 to
V5R4 upgrades. My guess is it prepared the load source for V5R3 but you can
bypass the menu option and call the program to reserve it directly:

CALL PGM(QLPALCSP) PARM('V5R4M0' '0')

The hard copy reference to this was on page 51 of my copy of the
installation guide.

IPL the box for the space to be reserved.

5. Do the required checking of system values and objects (QSYSLIBL, user
profiles etc)

In particular you want to check and change QALWOBJRST and QVFYOBJRST.

Page 33 in my copy of the installation guide

6. Create the Time Zone data area

This will set new the Time Zone value as part of the upgrade process. You
can do it manually after the upgrade if you want.

My command looked like this:

CRTDTAARA QSYS/QWCTIMZON TYPE(*CHAR) LEN(16) INLVAL("+12:00QP1200NZS3")

You'll need to identify the timezone applicable to your system

7. Verify the integrity of user modified objects

GO LICPGM, Option 5 "Prepare for install", select option "Verify System
Objects"

8. Check QSECOFR profile

Make sure no secondary languages are allocated to the profile at startup

9. Check that all IBM supplied libraries are in the system ASP

Sounds like a tick box but I did get caught on this on one system.

10. Pre-select LPP's to Install

- Load and mount the Upgrade Image catalog
- GO LICPGM, Option 5 again, select option to "Work with LPP's for target
release"
- Reply to the various prompts as follows:
- 1 (Distribution media)
- OPTVRT01 (installation device name with mounted image catalog)
- V5R4 (target release)

You can also check if you have any LPP's which were not found on the media

11. Accept License Agreements

- GO LICPGM, Option 5 again, select option to "Work with software
agreements"

Use F14 and the enter key to accept all agreements. Make sure at least
5722991 and 5722SS1 are on the list.
If no licensed programs need software agreements accepted something is
wrong. Don't continue.

12. Verify Console type

This also caught me on one install, so don't skip this step:

- Access DST menu (manual mode, option 21)
- Work with DST environment
- Select "System Devices"
- Select "Console Mode"

Based on your statement that you use Operations Console this should be set
to 2 or 3.

Be aware LAN Console failed on 2 out of 2 upgrades for me. Operations
Console (direct attach) worked but did lose connection and required
resetting from the front panel. That connection is reputedly flakey, but in
light of the LAN Console experience...

Twinax and HMC systems worked flawlessly so long as they were set right.

13. Upgrade your console to V5R4

Get the client access upgraded to V5R4 and install the latest service pack.

14. Passwords

Make sure you have access to operational SST and QSECOFR passwords (sign on
to verify)

15. Verify the Upgrade image catalog

Do this in advance as if it verifies you are probably food to go. It will
fail with a message if any of the required steps have been missed so it is a
good checkpoint in terms of preparation.

- Load and mount the Upgrade Image catalog
- VFYIMGCLG DEV(OPTVRT01)

16. Do the upgrade

- Load and mount the Upgrade Image catalog
- PWRDWNSYS OPTION(*IMMED) RESTART(*YES) IPLSRC(*IMGCLG) IMGCLG(UPGRADE)

If all goes according to plan, the system will IPL, do the upgrade and load
the LPP's for you, no intervention required.

17. Load and apply the Cume package

After a quick check that the upgrade has worked as intended load the cume
taking the option to do an automatic IPL. This will also run in the INZSYS
process as part of the subsequent IPL

18 Load and Apply the Group PTF packages

Load each group package as delayed without the requirement for an IPL. Set
an automatic IPL on the last one (or if you have them all in one do it then)
I generally do them separate and use Option 8 "Load PTF package: on the GO
PTF menu, but if all the group PTF images are in one catalog you may need to
use another option (the one that refers to loading multiple packages). Also
load any Application or Utility software required PTF's.

19. Post Installation checks and activities

- CHGNETA to set Modem country
- Check time zone value is correct
- Check for any other bad messages
- I generally run a STROBJCVN to touch all objects requiring conversion but
this is not strictly require
- If you have any command defaults that have been altered change them now
- If you have any application things to do (eg. Patches do them now)

There are other steps that may or not be required depending on your
installation but this should get you through most of it with a minimum of
assistance at the other site.

Hope this is of some use.

Regard
Evan Harris


-----Original Message-----
From: midrange-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:midrange-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx]
On Behalf Of Norbut, Jim
Sent: Wednesday, 19 September 2007 7:46 a.m.
To: Midrange Systems Technical Discussion
Subject: Updating a 270 from V5R2 to V5R4

Hi all,

We have a little 270 box that is our test/disaster recovery machine in a
completely different office. It has V5R2 on it currently.

We want to up it to V5R4 (which is the last OS it can handle per IBM)

I have the V5R4 CD's for it and I'm going to send them out there.
But we are going to try and do this remotely with the assistance of The IT
guys in that other office....but they don't really have AS/400 or iSeries
experience.

But we have the Operations Console that I can hook into remotely and do
it.
I'd basically have them there just to swap CD's as needed.

But I've never done a "skip upgrade" before.

Figured I would ask the experts here.....do I need to scour the IBM
Website
for apars or white papers on skipping from V5R2 to V5R4.

Anyone had any recent experience on an upgrade such as this Who wishes to
share.

Thanks in advance.

to review the archives at http://archive.midrange.com/midrange-l.

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