Section 3.8. Installing DB2 FixPaks

3.8. Installing DB2 FixPaks

A DB2 FixPak provides fixes to program defects. A fix to a program defect is also known as an Authorized Program Analysis Report (APAR). A FixPak may also provide new functionality. FixPaks are normally available every three months. There are two kinds of DB2 FixPaks: regular and alternate FixPaks. We will describe these in the next sections.

3.8.1. Applying a Regular DB2 FixPak (All Supported Platforms and Products)

Regular FixPaks provide cumulative fixes that are applied on top of other regular FixPaks, or the base DB2 code also known as the generally available (GA) code.

When you apply a DB2 regular FixPak, you are in fact refreshing the DB2 code by overwriting some or all of the DB2 programs. You then need to reestablish the links to an existing instance using the db2iupdt program on Linux/UNIX (but not on Windows). Figure 3.26 shows an example of what happens after applying FixPak 8 to DB2 UDB Version 8.2.

Figure 3.26. Applying a DB2 FixPak

After applying a new FixPak, the code in the DB2 installation directory is replaced with the new code from the FixPak. All the instances should be updated using db2iupdt to reestablish their links to the new code. However, the data in the databases remains unchanged.

3.8.2. Applying an Alternate FixPak (Available on DB2 ESE and on UNIX Platforms Only)

For each regular FixPak x, there is an alternate FixPak x. You can download the alternate FixPaks from the same location as regular FixPaks. Let's look at the following example to understand the purpose of an alternate FixPak.

Your production environment is running DB2 Version 8 FixPak x and has been running with no problems. Now a new FixPak y has just been released. You would like to upgrade your system to the FixPak y level. However, without having tested it, you cannot be sure FixPak y will work with your current applications. You have no spare system on which to test this new FixPak. What can you do?

With alternate FixPaks, you can install the new FixPak on the same system without having to remove your current FixPak. You can now test the new features in FixPak y while FixPak x continues to support your production environment. This is referred to as DB2's Multiple FixPak (MFP) support.

An alternate FixPak contains the same cumulative fixes as a regular FixPak, but they are built into the product. You do not apply an alternate FixPak on top of any existing FixPak, regular or alternate. Instead, you install alternate FixPaks on a different path than the existing DB2 installation; therefore, an alternate FixPak is treated as a different version of the product.

NOTE

Each DB2 FixPak comes with a README file and Release Notes. The README file contains installation instructions. The Release Notes contain detailed information about what has changed in the FixPak, including any new functionality.