Originally posted by: c_k_3

I'm having a bit of a difficult time finding an answer to what I realize may be a stupid question. I'm trying to install Oracle 11g R2 on AIX 5.3. One of the requirements is "patch IZ49516". I'm assuming that IZ49516 in this case is an APAR number. I have confirmed it is not addressed on my system:
bash-3.00# /usr/sbin/instfix -i -k "IZ49516"
There was no data for IZ49516 in the fix database.

Now, here's where my issue comes in. When I punch that into Fix Central, and tell it my Technology Level (5300-11), It offers me the following file:
devices.pciex.7710322577106601.rte.5.3.9.0

That isn't going to do me any good, as TL 5300-11 already seems to include that fileset at level 5.3.11.

Am I missing something? Are APARs only relevant to particular TLs? Can I safely assume I do not need this fix on account of my TL? I'm a little confused by the implications.

Thanks for any information you may be able to provide.

-Charles
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Originally posted by: unixgrl

APARs are specific to a TL. However, if you search for the APAR at the IBM support website it
will show other APAR numbers for the same problem with other TL levels.

It looks like your system is fine for the Oracle install. Since you found that the APAR
is associated with base-level TL9 fileset, it would already be in TL11. I've had many
DBAs over the years insist that I needed some APAR installed when it wasn't needed due
to a newer TL level like yours.
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Originally posted by: c_k_3

Ok, so just to make sure I've got it... Once I've upgraded to a Technology Level above the one against which a particular APAR was filed, I can assume any APARs opened against the earlier tech level are fixed, even though I can't see that with instfix?

So, to determine whether I need a fix for an APAR I need to take it over to Fix Central and see what TL it was relevant to?

Thanks

-Charles
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Originally posted by: dukessd

Sadly it has become a lot more complicated than that recently.

IBM maintain several TLs, so for instance, maybe your APAR number was released in AIX 5.3 TL07 SP10, then it is also likely to be, under a different APAR number, in AIX 5.3 TL08 SP8 and again with a different APAR number in AIX 5.3 TL 09 in SP5 and in AIX 5.3 TL 10 SP2 and it would probably be in AIX 5.3 TL11 SP1.

The build date is the key here as when you move to a newer TL you can not move to an earlier build date, because you may actually be removing newer fixes if you did this.

Here is a graphic that gives you an idea of which TL and SP is likely to have the same build date and so the same fixes.

http://www-933.ibm.com/eserver/support/fixes/fixcentral/pfixpacks/53

Then the next tricky part is that the people who write the APAR reports are not very consistent in their working practices.

Some list the AIX TL, SP and APAR number for you, some just give you a bunch of APAR numbers and let you do the leg work.

Sadly yours is in the latter camp:

http://www-01.ibm.com/support/docview.wss?uid=isg1IZ49516

It tells us the fileset (and they don't all do even that for you) is:
U829417 bos.rte.streams 5.3.9.2

So we can guess it was somewhere near AIX 5.3 TL09 SP2.

For older filesets you may click on the fileset name and get a nice list of all the releases but in your case it is no help, even though they did actually make it a link on your APAR, it does not contain any information for AIX 5.3 past TL09.

So next you follow the links to each APAR number until you find one at your TL.

Of the 13 listed you will eventually get to the 12th one and find your APAR was included in AIX 5.3 TL11 as APAR IZ55804 and the fileset is bos.rte.streams 5.3.11.0, so it is probably in TL11 SP0 but you can check on your system with either:
lslpp -hac | grep bos.rte.streams
or
instfix -i | grep IZ55804

Interestingly in Fix Central if you ask to download IZ55804 for TL11 it still offers you the devices.pciex.7710322577106601.rte.5.3.9.0 fileset but if that is already installed at the 5.3.9.0 or a later level then you should be OK.

The next problem you may face is whether the Oracle installer will actually check for the IZ49516, or the installed IZ55804, to allow you to install it...

Good luck and HTH
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Originally posted by: jklotz

"Then the next tricky part is that the people who write the APAR reports are not very consistent in their working practices."

Thank you for expressing what I've been thinking for years but didn't tell as I always wondered if there wasn't a big picture I just didn't figure :)
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Originally posted by: dukessd

Rant time...

"Then the next tricky part is that the people who write the APAR reports are not very consistent in their working practices."

I have to deal with these on a daily basis and it drives me mad, the above comment was about as polite as I could have been about this "problem"

Some APAR reports are great, each APAR number nicely listed against its associated AIX level, others just give a bunch of APAR numbers and some of those do not even give you a link to a fileset or level, just some cryptic message and the option to subscribe to an APAR that will probably never be updated or closed. And it has got so much worse since each TL now has its own APAR number for the same problem.

Knowing IBM they will come up with some new plan soon that will be even worse, like the hardware feature code that is reported in the device firmware lscfg output that bears no relation to the feature code on the microcode update website (now badly integrated into Fix Central) or the associated microcode level reported by the adapter or device lscfg output that bears no relation to the levels listed on the same site.

I have a card reporting it is a 280B so I search this, no result, I have to some how know it is actually a 5716

Or I have a 5758 with firmware 2.10x8 but Fix Central rather unhelpfully lists this adapters latest as Version 271304 so I have to go into the doc to check if it is the latest.

Or having to pick a p Series or POWER machine type to download HMC code - what is that all about?

Or how SLOW this and other IBM sites are!!!!!!!!!!

It is so nice to work with just about any other company's web support tools but with IBM every step seems to bring a whole load of hassle...

IBM kit is great but their on-line support is a real mess.

Rant over, good luck to all the other sufferers out there.
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