Installing maintenance packages silently

You can use the IBM® Update Installer for WebSphere® Software to install interim fixes and fix packs, collectively known as maintenance packages. You can run it on all platforms in silent mode with a response file.

Before you begin
Before starting this installation, perform the following tasks:
About this task

The maintenance packages do not update the profiles. Instructions that you receive with your interim fix or fix pack override the instructions in this topic, which are provided for your general reference only. Always follow the installation instructions you receive with your specific maintenance package.

  1. Change directories to the Update Installer directory. The Update Installer directory is located in one of the following default locations:
    • For AIX operating systems: /usr/IBM/WebSphere/UpdateInstaller
    • For i5/OS operating systems: /QIBM/ProdData/WebSphere/UpdateInstaller/V7/UPDI
      Important: Use the Update Installer program from a user profile with *ALLOBJ special authority.
    • For HP-UX, Linux and Solaris operating systems: /opt/IBM/WebSphere/UpdateInstaller
    • For Windows operating systems:C:\Program Files\IBM\WebSphere\UpdateInstaller

    Install the maintenance package on the deployment manager node before installing the maintenance package on each server node that you intend to update.

  2. Create a response file by copying the default install.txt file supplied with the Update Installer. The file is located by default in the following directory:
    • For AIX operating systems:/usr/IBM/WebSphere/UpdateInstaller/responsefiles
    • For i5/OS operating systems:/QIBM/ProdData/WebSphere/UpdateInstaller/V7/UPDI/responsefiles
    • For HP-UX, Linux and Solaris operating systems:/opt/IBM/WebSphere/UpdateInstaller/responsefiles
    • For Windows operating systems:C:\Program Files\IBM\WebSphere\UpdateInstaller\responsefiles
  3. Edit and save your copy of the response file. You can edit any portion of the response file, but be sure to specify the following options:
    • Uncomment the line -W maintenance.package= and set it to the location of the maintenance pack. For example,
      -W maintenance.package="C:\Program Files\IBM\WebSphere\UpdateInstaller\maintenance"
    • Uncomment the line -W product.location= and set it to indicate the location of the feature pack to receive the maintenance. For example,
      -W product.location="C:\Program Files\IBM\WebSphere\ProcServer"

    For more information about the install.txt file, see install.txt topic in the WebSphere Application Server Network Deployment documentation.

  4. Type the update command for your platform, specifying the following attributes and the location of your response file:
    • For AIX, HP-UX, Linux, and Solaris operating systems: ./update.sh -silent -options "responsefiles/file_name"
    • For Windows operating systems: update.bat -silent -options "responsefiles/file_name"
    • For Windows Vista and Windows 2008 operating systems: update.exe -silent -options "responsefiles/file_name"
    • For i5/OS operating systems: update -options responsefiles/file_name
      Important: When using the update command on the i5/OS platform, do not include the -silent option in the command line. The option is included in the response file itself.
    Important: Do not start multiple copies of the Update Installer at one time. Running more than one instance of the Update Installer at a time is not supported and can produce unpredictable results, which might include a failed or faulty update.
    For more information about the update command, see the update command topic in the WebSphere Application Server Network Deployment documentation.
Results
The Update Installer installs the maintenance package. Verify the success of the update by examining the updatelog.txt log file in the following directory:
  • For AIX, HP-UX, Linux, and Solaris operating systems: feature_pack_install_root/logs/update/interim_fix_name or fixpack_name.install/updatelog.txt
  • For Windows operating systems:feature_pack_install_root\logs\update\interim_fix_name or fixpack_name.install\updatelog.txt
  • For i5/OS operating systems:feature_pack_install_root/logs/update/interim_fix_name or fixpack_name.install/updatelog.txt

If this log file contains the string INSTCONFSUCCESS on the last line, then the update was successful. Other terms such as INSTCONFPARTIALSUCCESS or INSTCONFFAILED can occur on other lines within the file, or even on the last line, but if INSTCONFSUCCESS is included in the last line, the update was successful.

If the string INSTCONFPARTIALSUCCESS or INSTCONFFAILED appears in the last line of the file without INSTCONFSUCCESS, problems were detected during the update. INSTCONFPARTIALSUCCESS indicates that the update completed but errors were generated; INSTCONFFAILED means that the update failed completely. In either case, the log file provides information to troubleshoot the problems.

You can also verify that the maintenance is applied by running the command versionInfo -maintenancePackages from the following directory:
  • For AIX, HP-UX, Linux, and Solaris operating systems: feature_pack_install_root/bin
  • For Windows operating systems: feature_pack_install_root\bin
  • For i5/OS operating systems: feature_pack_install_root/bin
What to do next

If a maintenance package affects EAR files, those updated EAR files are not deployed automatically. Deployment requires an extra step, which is described in the maintenance package readme file.