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Uninstall fix packs using response files

We can roll back this product to an earlier version using Installation Manager response files.

During the rollback process, Installation Manager must access files from the earlier version of the package. By default, these files are stored on your computer when we install a package. If we change the default setting or delete the saved files, Installation Manager requires access to the repository used to install the earlier version.

For more information about using Installation Manager, read the IBM Installation Manager documentation.


Tasks

  1. Log on to the system.

    (iSeries) Log on to the IBM i system with a user profile that has *ALLOBJ and *SECADM special authorities.

  2. Create a response file to roll back the product.

    A response file is an XML file containing the data required to update the product, such as the offerings to update and the installation directory.

    If our rollback requires access to an authenticated repository, we must also have a credential storage file and optionally a master password file. See Storing credentials.

    For a sample response file that updates the WebSphere Application Server offering, see the examples.

  3. Verify the product that we are rolling back is not running.

  4. Start the command line.

    (iSeries) On a CL command line, run the STRQSH command to start the Qshell command shell.

  5. Verify that we have the necessary permissions to install the fix pack in our chosen directories.

  6. Change to the eclipse/tools subdirectory in the directory where we installed Installation Manager.

  7. Run the imcl command with the location of the response file specified on the input parameter.

    For example:

    • (Windows) Administrator or non-administrator: 
      imcl.exe
  input C:\temp\rollback_response_file.xml 
  -log C:\temp\rollback_log.xml 
  -secureStorageFile C:\IM\credential.store 
  -masterPasswordFile C:\IM\master_password.txt
    • (UNIX) Administrator: 
      ./imcl
  input /var/temp/rollback_response_file.xml
  -log /var/temp/rollback_log.xml
  -secureStorageFile /var/IM/credential.store 
  -masterPasswordFile /var/IM/master_password.txt
    • (UNIX) Non-administrator: 
      ./imcl
  input user_home/var/temp/rollback_response_file.xml 
  -log user_home/var/temp/rollback_log.xml
  -secureStorageFile user_home/var/IM/credential.store 
  -masterPasswordFile user_home/var/IM/master_password.txt

    • (iSeries) 
      ./imcl -acceptLicense 
  input $HOME/WASFiles/temp/rollback_response_file.xml 
  -log $HOME/WASFiles/temp/rollback_log.xml
  -secureStorageFile $HOME/WASFiles/temp/credential.store 
  -masterPasswordFile $HOME/WASFiles/temp/master_password.txt

    The program might write important post-installation instructions to standard output.

  8. Optional: List all installed packages to verify the rollback.

    (UNIX) (iSeries)

      ./imcl listInstalledPackages -long

    (Windows)

      imcl.exe listInstalledPackages -long


Example

The following sample response file shows rolling back the WAS ND product to an earlier version on the Windows operating system. 

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<agent-input>
<server>
  <repository location='https://www.ibm.com/software/repositorymanager/com.ibm.websphere.ND.v90'/>
</server>
<profile id='IBM WAS V9.0' installLocation='C:\IBM\WebSphere\AppServer'>
  <data key='eclipseLocation' value='C:\IBM\WebSphere\AppServer'/>
</profile>
<rollback>
  <offering profile='IBM WAS V9.0' id='com.ibm.websphere.ND.v90' version='9.0.0.20161025_2108'/>
</rollback>
</agent-input>

Find the profile ID

To find the profile ID (<profile . . . id='profile_ID' . . . .> and <offering . . . profile='profile_ID' . . . .>), from the eclipse/tools subdirectory in the directory where we installed Installation Manager: 

imcl listInstallationDirectories -verbose
The profile name is the same as the package group name.

Rolling back offerings with optional features

To find the installed offering ID (<offering . . . id='offering_ID' . . . .>), run the historyInfo or genHistoryReport command from the app_server_root/bin directory.

When we roll back a product, your response file must contain the features that were used in the previous product installation. If we do not add these features to your response file, Installation Manager removes them.

The offering IDs, optional features for each offering, and default features are shown in the following table:

Offering ID Optional feature ID Default features
WAS ND

com.ibm.websphere.ND.v90

  • core.feature: WAS

    This feature must be specified to specify the following optional subfeatures:

We cannot use Installation Manager to modify, update, or roll back functions to later add or remove core.feature. Only the subfeatures can be added or removed.

  • core.feature

    • thinclient
    • embeddablecontainer
    • ejbdeploy

Application Client for WAS

com.ibm.websphere.APPCLIENT.v90

  • samples: Samples
  • standalonethinclient.resourceadapter.runtime: Standalone Thin Clients Runtime
  • standalonethinclient.resourceadapter.samples: Standalone Thin Clients Samples
  • embeddablecontainer: Embeddable EJB Container

embeddablecontainer
DMZ Secure Proxy Server for IBM WAS

com.ibm.websphere.NDDMZ.v90

No default features
Web Server Plug-ins

com.ibm.websphere.PLG.v90

No optional features N/A
WebSphere Customization Toolbox

com.ibm.websphere.WCT.v90

All optional features are installed by default

Specify an offering version

The offering_version, which optionally can be attached to the offering ID with an underscore, is a specific version of the offering to roll back to, such as9.0.0.20160503_0200.

  • If offering_version is not specified, the installation rolls back to the previously installed version of the offering and all interim fixes for that version are installed.

  • If offering_version is specified, the installation rolls back to the specified earlier version of the offering and no interim fixes for that version are installed.

The offering version can be found attached to the end of the offering ID with an underscore when we run the following command against the repository: 

imcl listAvailablePackages -repositories source_repository


  • Install fix packs on distributed operating systems using the GUI
  • Install fix packs using the command line
  • Install fix packs using response files
  • Uninstall fix packs using the command line
  • Install and uninstall interim fixes
  • Update the product on distributed and IBM i operating systems