One of the essential tasks for WebSphere administrator is to ensure technology stack in a production environment is up-to-date.
There are many including security, feature enhancements & bug fixes are released by IBM as a fix pack, and in this guide, I will explain how to upgrade the fix pack in IBM WebSphere Application Server 8.5.5 version.
My current version is 8.5.5.0, and I will upgrade Fix Pack 6 using IBM Installation Manager so, in the end, my WAS will be upgraded to 8.5.5.6.
Download WebSphere Application Server Fix Pack 6
- Go to following URL
http://www-01.ibm.com/support/docview.wss?uid=swg24040035
- Select the zip file for your desired platform. I am using Linux so that I will proceed with the download for “Distributed” platform.
- Fix Pack 6 is available in two parts, so you got to download both of them as shown below and click on Continue
- Log in with your IBM ID to download the fix pack
- Click on each file (part 1 & part 2) to download
- Transfer the downloaded file to your server
- You should have following two files on WAS server where you wish to upgrade the fix pack
-rw-rw-r--. 1 chandan chandan 901272378 Aug 30 02:18 8.5.5-WS-WAS-FP0000006-part1.zip -rw-rw-r--. 1 chandan chandan 1762272953 Aug 30 02:53 8.5.5-WS-WAS-FP0000006-part2.zip
- Extract the file using unzip command
# unzip 8.5.5-WS-WAS-FP0000006-part1.zip # unzip 8.5.5-WS-WAS-FP0000006-part2.zip
- It will take a minute or two, and you will have following extracted files/folders.
[root@localhost fixpack]# ls -ltr total 2604656 drwxr-xr-x. 3 root root 30 Jun 12 16:44 atoc -rw-r--r--. 1 root root 376411 Jun 12 16:44 update_com.ibm.websphere.ND.v85_8.5.5006.20150529_0536_from_8.5.0.20120501_1108.xml -rw-r--r--. 1 root root 375954 Jun 12 16:45 update_com.ibm.websphere.NDTRIAL.v85_8.5.5006.20150529_0536_from_8.5.0.20120501_1108.xml -rw-r--r--. 1 root root 358020 Jun 12 16:45 update_com.ibm.websphere.BASE.v85_8.5.5006.20150529_0536_from_8.5.0.20120501_1108.xml -rw-r--r--. 1 root root 357755 Jun 12 16:45 update_com.ibm.websphere.BASETRIAL.v85_8.5.5006.20150529_0536_from_8.5.0.20120501_1108.xml -rw-r--r--. 1 root root 357957 Jun 12 16:45 update_com.ibm.websphere.DEVELOPERS.v85_8.5.5006.20150529_0536_from_8.5.0.20120501_1108.xml -rw-r--r--. 1 root root 357763 Jun 12 16:45 update_com.ibm.websphere.DEVELOPERSILAN.v85_8.5.5006.20150529_0536_from_8.5.0.20120501_1108.xml -rw-r--r--. 1 root root 358185 Jun 12 16:45 update_com.ibm.websphere.EXPRESS.v85_8.5.5006.20150529_0536_from_8.5.0.20120501_1108.xml -rw-r--r--. 1 root root 357817 Jun 12 16:45 update_com.ibm.websphere.EXPRESSTRIAL.v85_8.5.5006.20150529_0536_from_8.5.0.20120501_1108.xml -rw-r--r--. 1 root root 128376 Jun 12 16:45 update_com.ibm.websphere.NDDMZ.v85_8.5.5006.20150529_0536_from_8.5.0.20120501_1108.xml drwxr-xr-x. 2 root root 159744 Jun 12 16:45 files -rw-r--r--. 1 root root 128313 Jun 12 16:45 update_com.ibm.websphere.NDDMZTRIAL.v85_8.5.5006.20150529_0536_from_8.5.0.20120501_1108.xml -rw-r--r--. 1 root root 1284 Jun 12 16:45 repository.config drwxr-xr-x. 2 root root 4096 Jun 12 16:45 plugins drwxr-xr-x. 2 root root 4096 Jun 12 16:45 Offerings drwxr-xr-x. 2 root root 53248 Jun 12 16:45 native -rw-r--r--. 1 root root 149645 Jun 12 16:45 repository.xml
Now, it’s time to use IBM Installation Manager to apply the fix pack.
Few pointers…
- Stop the WAS if it’s still running
- Take a backup of entire WAS
Apply WAS Fix Pack using IBM IM
- Open IBM Installation Manager
- Click on File >> Preferences
- Click on Add Repository
- Click on Browse and select repository.config which you got above after extracting fix pack
- Click on OK
- You should have something like below, click on OK to continue
- Click on Next on select package group window
- It will give you confirmation that Version 8.5.5.6 is recognized in a repository.config file. Click on Next
- Accept the terms and click on Next
- Here you can customize the features if you wish. Click on Next
- Review the summary information and click on Update to apply the fix pack
- It will take few minutes and at the end, you will have success message as shown below.
Well done! This indicates you have applied Fix Pack 6 on 8.5.5 version and now WAS version should be 8.5.5.6. Let’s verify them.
- Go to $PROFILE_HOME/bin folder
- Execute versionInfo.sh to see the installed WAS
[root@localhost bin]# ./versionInfo.sh WVER0010I: Copyright (c) IBM Corporation 2002, 2012; All rights reserved. WVER0012I: VersionInfo reporter version 1.15.1.48, dated 2/8/12 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- IBM WebSphere Product Installation Status Report -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Report at date and time August 31, 2015 4:52:31 AM PDT Installation -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Product Directory /opt/IBM/WebSphere/AppServer Version Directory /opt/IBM/WebSphere/AppServer/properties/version DTD Directory /opt/IBM/WebSphere/AppServer/properties/version/dtd Log Directory /var/ibm/InstallationManager/logs Product List -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- NDTRIAL installed Installed Product -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Name IBM WebSphere Application Server Network Deployment Version 8.5.5.6 ID NDTRIAL Build Level cf061521.02 Build Date 5/29/15 Package com.ibm.websphere.NDTRIAL.v85_8.5.5006.20150529_0536 Architecture x86-64 (64 bit) Installed Features IBM 64-bit WebSphere SDK for Java WebSphere Application Server Full Profile Sample applications -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- End Installation Status Report -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [root@localhost bin]#
You may also use historyInfo.sh to see previous and current installed version.
[root@localhost bin]# ./historyInfo.sh WVER0210I: Copyright (c) IBM Corporation 2002, 2012; All rights reserved. WVER0212I: HistoryInfo Reporter Version 1.7.1.28, Dated 10/18/11 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- IBM WebSphere Product History Report -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Report at date and time August 31, 2015 4:52:57 AM PDT Installation -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Product Directory /opt/IBM/WebSphere/AppServer Version Directory /opt/IBM/WebSphere/AppServer/properties/version DTD Directory /opt/IBM/WebSphere/AppServer/properties/version/dtd Log Directory /var/ibm/InstallationManager/logs Installation Event -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Install Manager Offering ID com.ibm.websphere.NDTRIAL.v85 Action install Version 8.5.5.0 Package com.ibm.websphere.NDTRIAL.v85_8.5.5000.20130514_1044 Log File Name 20150812_0525.xml Timestamp 2015-08-12 06:18:25-0700 Result success Installed Features Sample applications IBM 64-bit WebSphere SDK for Java Installation Event -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Install Manager Offering ID com.ibm.websphere.NDTRIAL.v85 Action update Version 8.5.5.6 Package com.ibm.websphere.NDTRIAL.v85_8.5.5006.20150529_0536 Log File Name 20150831_0419.xml Timestamp 2015-08-31 04:25:16-0700 Result success Installed Features IBM 64-bit WebSphere SDK for Java Sample applications -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- End History Report --------------------------------------------------------------------------------[root@localhost bin]#
So that was all for today, and I hope you have an idea how to apply Fix Pack on IBM WebSphere Application Server environment.
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