What's new for V5R4
This topic highlights V5R4 changes for the upgrade, installation, and deletion information for i5/OS® and related software.
Server firmware requirements before you install V5R4
To determine the minimum firmware requirements for your system,
understand both the hardware and software requirements. The IBM Prerequisite
Requirements before you install V5R4 Licensed Internal Code
The V5R4 Licensed Internal Code requires more storage space on the load-source disk unit than V5R2M0 or V5R3M0 Licensed Internal Code. (Your load-source disk unit has enough storage if you have V5R3M5 Licensed Internal Code installed.) To upgrade to the V5R4 Licensed Internal Code, have a load-source disk unit of 17 GB or larger. Steps for determining if you have enough storage space are included in Preparing to upgrade or replace i5/OS software.
In addition, all systems with V5R2 or V5R3 installed require up to approximately 4 gigabytes of system ASP free space before V5R4 can be installed. Your upgrade will stop during the installation of Licensed Internal Code if you do not have this space. Steps for determining storage space are included within the topic Determining storage space required.
Information on conversions
The number and type of conversions that occur either during a software upgrade or during normal operations after an upgrade are now shown together under a single topic, Times for conversions.
Review this information to determine the affects that conversions might have on your system. Topics include Integrated file system conversions, Conversion of objects that contain SQL statements, Database file conversions,
and IBM Backup Recovery and Media Services for i5/OS conversions.
Electronic software delivery
You can receive IBM i5/OS software online through electronic software delivery. The IBM i5/OS operating system and most related licensed programs support this new delivery method.
When you order i5/OS licensed programs, you can select electronic software delivery as the method of delivery.
If you select electronic software delivery, you receive information on how to access your ordered licensed programs from the Entitled software support Web site. Associated publications and other documentation are also available from the same Web site.
Instructions on how to download and prepare to install your software are available at the Electronic software delivery Web site
Software keys available online
You can view, print, or download the software license keys from the Entitled software support Web site. Printed copies of software keys are no longer sent with your i5/OS order. You need to have your customer number and either your order number or system number that is listed on your software packing list available. For further instructions on how to access your online software license keys, refer to the Customer Notice that is included with your software order.
Procedures for replacing Licensed Internal Code and i5/OS of the same version and release
If you order feature code 2693, use this procedure to install a new modification of Licensed Internal Code and a more recent update of i5/OS to support new hardware. Procedures are in the topic Replacing Licensed Internal Code and i5/OS of the same version and release.
Licensed programs require the acceptance of their software agreements before you install
If you are upgrading from V5R2 to the V5R4 release, the information regarding software agreements is new to you. For IBM licensed programs that have an online software agreement for V5R4, you will need to accept the agreement through the Prepare for Install menu before you can upgrade the programs.
You must install a PTF (steps to do this are included in the topic Required: Installing the Prepare for Install PTFs for V5R2 and V5R3)
to be able to accept the software agreements for Licensed Internal Code and the i5/OS operating system.
You will not be allowed to continue the i5/OS upgrade if you do not accept these software agreements.
If you do not accept the agreements for any other licensed program, these licensed programs will not be installed automatically during the upgrade. You can also accept new licensed programs before an upgrade. Required: Accepting software agreements describes how to accept the agreements for an upgrade.
The topic Maintaining and managing i5/OS and related software describes how to use, manage, and generate software agreements.
Allocating additional space for Licensed Internal Code
All systems with V5R2 Licensed Internal Code require additional reserved storage before the V5R4 Licensed Internal Code can be installed. Your upgrade will stop during the installation of Licensed Internal Code if you do not allocate the additional space.
It is required that you use the Allocate Licensed Internal Code Space (QLPALCSP) API rather than the Prepare for install menu option to give you a complete analysis of your storage space and to enforce the handling of potential error situations. With the QLPALCSP API, you can find out if enough reserved storage is available, allocate the additional space when necessary, and correct other possible errors. The Prepare for install option does not allocate enough space for the V5R4 Licensed Internal Code.
The steps for using the QLPALCSP API are discussed in Required: Allocating additional space for Licensed Internal Code.
Cumulative PTF package is not included in software orders
The cumulative PTF package does not come with your software order. About a week or two before you upgrade, order the most recent cumulative PTF package and also order PTF groups that pertain to your environment. These tasks are discussed in Reviewing software PTF (fix) requirements.
Console mode value and console takeover options
Because the console mode value is honored for V5R3 or later installations, check that it is set correctly before you upgrade. A value of zero means that the console mode has not been set and might interfere with the automatic installation process. In addition, you can choose to allow an i5/OS LAN console or Hardware Management Console to be taken over by another console in the event your console is disconnected. When this option is turned on,
the system does not stop with a failure but continues to run uninterrupted.
Steps for verifying the console mode value are included in the upgrade and installation tasks. For more information on the console takeover option, see the topic Console takeover and recovery .
Additional primary languages can be ordered
For V5R4, you can order additional primary language media (feature code 82xx) and receive the standard set and keyed set for each of those languages. Secondary languages, if ordered, come on separate optical media.
Server firmware
IBM System i5, System p5, and IBM eServer i5 and p5 systems, the level of the server firmware needs to be managed. Server firmware is the code that resides in system flash memory, and includes a number of subcomponents,
including power control code and the logical partition firmware that is loaded into AIX® or Linux® logical partitions. The server firmware is installed on your system as part of the Licensed Internal Code. If your system is defined as the service partition and it is not managed by a Hardware Management Console (HMC), the level of the server firmware that is on the service partition is used. A service partition is one partition on a system that must be set up to report hardware status and software errors to IBM. Installing a new level of the Licensed Internal Code might change the level of the server firmware and require a server IPL to be performed. A server IPL is an initial program load where all logical partitions on a system are shut down at the same time and then restarted.
If your system is managed by an HMC, the level of the server firmware that is part of the Licensed Internal Code on the service partition is not used. The level of the server firmware is managed by the HMC. For more information about fixes and the HMC, refer to the topic Fixes and upgrades .
This online PDF is available online through Printable PDF.
A printed version of this PDF (SC41-5120; feature code 8006) can also be ordered with i5/OS software upgrade orders or new hardware orders. The default is to receive this feature code with your order.
To find other information about what's new or changed this release, see the Memo to users.
Web page provides the prerequisite information for features that you currently have or plan to add to your system. If you have an IBM® System i5™, System p5™, or IBM eServer™ i5 or p5 system that is managed by Hardware Management Console (HMC), your server firmware must be at the SF235_160 level at a minimum to be able to support V5R4 on logical partitions that are in full-production mode. A server firmware level of SF230_145 is sufficient for logical partitions that are in test mode and do not contain any hardware that requires a more current level of firmware. For systems that do not have logical partitions, the V5R4 Licensed Internal Code contains the minimum level of firmware that is required.
What's new for V5R2-to-V5R4 upgrades
Printed version of this PDF
What's new as of 14 September 2007
What's new as of 24 July 2007
What's new as of 30 November 2006
What's new as of 30 April 2006
What's new as of 31 January 2006
How to see what's new or changed
Parent topic:
Installing, upgrading, or deleting i5/OS and related software