2    Preparing for the Installation

This chapter describes information you need to be aware of before you install a patch kit. It also describes the steps to take for tasks such as performing a preinstallation check and a baselining operation.

2.1    Performing a Patch Preinstallation Check

To minimize system down time, you can perform the preinstallation check on a system running in multiuser mode, even if you will perform the actual installation in single-user mode.

The example in this section shows a preinstallation check that results in a patch that fails the check and is prevented from being installed. If this occurs, you would set the system patch baseline, as described in Section 2.2. If patches are prevented from being installed because dependent patches were not selected, choose the select patches again item and add the required patches that are missing.

If no patches are blocked, you can proceed to the installation phase, as described in Chapter 3.

Note that the menu you see will differ slightly, depending upon whether you log in from a pseudo-terminal or a system console. The following steps assume you logged in from a pseudo-terminal.

  1. Log in as root.

  2. From the main dupatch menu, enter 1 at the Enter your choice prompt:

    Tru64 UNIX Patch Utility (Rev. 48-00)
    ==========================
    	- This dupatch session is logged in /var/adm/patch/log/session.log
     
        Main Menu:
        ---------
     
        1)  Patch Kit Installation
        2)  Patch Kit Deletion
        3)  Patch Kit Documentation
     
        4)  Patch Tracking
        5)  Patch Baseline Analysis/Adjustment
     
        h)  Help on Command Line Interface
     
        q)  Quit
     
    Enter your choice: 1
    

  3. The program responds with the Patch Installation Menu. Enter 1 at the Enter your choice prompt:

                  Patch Installation Menu:
                 ------------------------
     
                 1)  Pre-Installation Check ONLY
                 2)  Check & Install in single-user mode w/ network services
                 3)  Check and Install in Multi-User mode
     
                 b) Back to Main Menu
                 q) Quit
     
             Enter your choice: 1
     
    Enter path to the top of the patch distribution, 
    or enter "q" to get back to the menu : ./patch_kit
     
     
     
    Tru64 Unix License Agreement
    
    .
    .
    .
    To read the license again, type 'license'. Do you accept the license agreement? (y/n) : y   Checking patch kit for transmission errors during download...   Finished Checking patch kit checksums   Gathering patch information... (depending upon the size of the patch kit, this may take awhile)   *** Start of Special Instructions ***  
    .
    .
    .
    *** End of Special Instructions ***   Press RETURN to proceed...

  4. You have the option to make the patches reversible so you can revert the system to its state prior to the installation of a patch. The dupatch utility lists the following information. Press Return at the prompt to make the patches reversible. This is the recommended action.

         ------------------------------------------------------------------------
         To Make Patches Reversible - PLEASE READ THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION:
     
       - You have the option to make the patches reversible so you can 
         revert the system to its state prior to the installation of a patch.  
     
       - Reversibility is achieved by compressing and saving a copy of the 
         files being replaced by the patches. These files would be restored 
         to the system if you choose to delete a patch.
     
       - If you choose to make patches NON-reversible, then the system cannot 
         be restored to the state prior to the installation of a patch; you 
         will not be able to delete the patches later.
     
       - This patch kit may force a small set of patches to be reversible to 
         ensure your upgrades to future versions of Tru64 UNIX are successful. 
         The Patch Utility will make those patches reversible automatically. 
     
         Refer to the Release Notes / Installation Instructions provided with
         this patch kit.
     
    Do you want the patches to be reversible? [y]: y
     
         By default, the backup copies of the installed patches will be saved in
         "/var/adm/patch/backup".
     
         If you have limited space in /var, you may want to make the backup
         directory the mount point for a separate disk partition, an NFS mounted
         directory, or a symbolic link to another file system.
     
         You must ensure the backup directory is configured the same way during
         any patch removal operations.
     
    Your current setup of "/var/adm/patch/backup" is:
     
    	* A plain directory (not a mount point or a symbolic link)
    

    By default, the backup copies of the installed patches will be saved in /var/adm/patch/backup. If you have limited space in /var, you may want to make the backup directory the mount point for a separate disk partition, an NFS-mounted directory, or a symbolic link to another file system.

  5. Answer yes when asked if you want to perform the preinstallation check with this setup:

    Do you want to proceed with the pre-installation check with this setup? [y]: y
    

  6. Enter your name and any information that you want to appear in the preinstallation check log:

    Your name: Betty
     
    Enter any notes about this operation that you would like stored for
    future reference (To end your input, enter a "."):
     
    : preinstall check for patch kit 5
    : .
     
     
    

  7. The program lists any patches that fail the prerequisite and applicability checks, and asks how you want to proceed. You have the following choices:

    Checking patch prerequisites and patch file applicability...
      (depending upon the number of patches you select, this may take awhile)
     
       *** The Patch Kit will install 80 patches ***
    -------------------------------------------------------------------------
     
    Problem installing:
     
     - Tru64_UNIX_V5.1B / Kernel Patches:
            Patch 26009.00 - SP05 OSFBASE540 (SSRT3631 SSRT3469 SSRT2439 ...)         
    	./usr/sbin/cron: 
    		is installed by Customer Specific Patch (CSP):
     
     
     - Tru64_UNIX_V5.1B:
            Patch C 00981.00                                                        
     
    		and can not be replaced by this patch. To install this patch,
    		ideally, you must first remove the CSP using dupatch.
    		Before performing this action, you should contact your 
    		HP Service Representative to determine if this patch kit 
    		contains the CSP. If it does not, you may need to obtain a new
    		CSP from HP in order to install the patch kit and retain the 
    		CSP fix.
    		or
    		you may use dupatch baselining to enable the patch installation.
     
    This patch will not be installed. 
    -------------------------------------------------------------------------
     
       * The following 1 patch(es) failed in prerequisite/file applicability check:
     
     - Tru64_UNIX_V5.1B / Kernel Patches:
            Patch 26009.00 - SP05 OSFBASE540 (SSRT3631 SSRT3469 SSRT2439 ...)       
     
       * There were 1 patch(es) which failed in prerequisite/file applicability check:
     
    Press Return to go back to the previous menu
     
     
    

2.2    Creating a Baseline

The dupatch baselining process looks at the files installed on a system, compares them to the files it expects to find, and prevents the installation of any patch files that might cause an incompatibility among system files. This section provides an overview of the baselining process. See Section 2.2 for instructions on setting a baseline.

Unknown system files occur when the files are replaced through non-standard system file installation methods such as the following:

Missing system files result from a root user manually deleting system files that were installed during a standard full or update installation procedure or with the dupatch utility. The file is removed but the system inventory records are still in place.

Unknown and missing system files will block patch installations until you take corrective action. However, before taking any action, it is important that you understand the origin of the unknown system files or why missing files are no longer present on your system. Changing the system without this knowledge could leave your operating system or layered product software environment in an inconsistent and nonoperational state.

For example, a file whose origin is unknown that is blocking the installation of a Release patch could be part of a manually installed Customer-Specific Patch (CSP) that is not contained in the Release patch. Removing that one file will disrupt the operation of your CSP and possibly the operation of the system.

When you run the dupatch system baseline feature, a baseline log file is captured in /var/adm/patch/log/baseline.log. (See Appendix A for information about log files.)

You may need to set the patch baseline for your system if you have manually installed system files or if dupatch informs you that patch installation is blocked by system files that are missing or unknown.

Warning

Misusing the baselining feature can cause serious problems with your system. It is important to be aware of the following potential problems:

Baselining is divided into seven phases that provide system information and optionally allow you to take actions that change the patch baseline of your system. You can run through all phases of baselining to get the system analysis without enabling changes to your system. You can run baselining in multiuser mode when you are the root user.

2.2.1    Phase 1 - System Evaluation

The primary goal of Phase 1 is to evaluate your system relative to the patch kit that is being installed. However, the baselining feature will report all missing and unknown files to assist you in better understanding the state of the changed files on the system.

The rest of the baselining phases use the information gathered in Phase 1 to inform you of any installation conflicts for patches contained in the patch kit.

The amount of time needed to evaluate the state of the system varies depending on the size of the patch kit, the version of the software product, and the performance of the system.

2.2.2    Phase 2 - Patch Layered Product Conflicts

Phase 2 reports information for patches whose installation is blocked by system files that were installed by layered products.

Baselining will not override layered product patch installation collision detection mechanisms as it is likely that the layered product or application customizations are not contained in the patch. Installation of the patch in this situation would leave the layered product or application nonoperational.

To resolve this situation, contact your layered product or application Customer Services or HP Services if you have purchased Business Critical Services.

2.2.3    Phase 3 - Identifying Manually Installed Patches

Phase 3 reports patches that exactly match existing files on your system that are not marked as installed by the system inventory. For example, in earlier kits, TruCluster software Release patches were installed manually. This phase will report any manually installed Release patch files that exactly match a patch contained in the current dupatch-based TruCluster software patch kit.

You can optionally enable dupatch to mark these patches as installed, which involves copying valid setld database information to your system. The dupatch utility will copy the appropriate patch_subset.inv, patch_subset.scp, and patch_subset.ctrl files into place for these patches.

If you do not want to enable dupatch to mark these patches as installed, you must manually remove the patched system files so the normal dupatch installation can install the affected patches.

2.2.4    Phase 4 - Handling Missing or Unknown Files on Your System

Phase 4 reports information about any unknown and missing system files. These files should be considered as intentional customizations which are important to correct system operation. As such, care should be taken to understand why system files have been customized.

Before enabling any patch installations in Phase 5, review the information reported in Phase 4 against your log of manual system changes to ensure you understand why the system was intentionally customized and to determine how to proceed. In some cases you may need to remove customizations to ensure proper system operation.

To assist you in identifying the origin of changed system files, baselining now reports all missing or unknown system files.

The following sections provide general guidance for some of the normal situations where system files are intentionally customized manually.

2.2.4.1    Manually Installed CSPs

In response to a problem report, you may receive a manually installable CSP from your service provider. CSPs are a set of compatible files that deliver fixes to the problems you reported. Additionally, the patch may include instrumentation necessary for debugging purposes.

If your system was customized through a manual installation of CSPs, you must ensure that the fixes delivered by the CSPs are included in the current Release Patch Kit before enabling dupatch to overwrite any unknown or missing system files.

Warning

If you are unsure if the CSP is included in the Release Patch Kit, do not enable dupatch to overwrite the manually installed CSP. If you must install the Release patch being blocked by a CSP, contact your service provider for assistance.

If the unknown or missing files are attributable to manually installed CSPs that are included in a Release Patch Kit, perform one of the following steps:

To determine if your CSP is included in the Release Patch Kit, refer to the Patch Summary and Release Notes for the Release Patch Kit. See Patch Process Resources and Related Documentation for information about viewing patch documentation on the Web.

2.2.4.2    Manually Installed Release Patches

For some software products, manual installation has been the practiced method for patch installation. For example, patches for TruCluster software used to be installed manually.

You must determine whether the fixes delivered by the manually installed Release patches are included in the current dupatch-based Release Patch Kit before enabling dupatch to overwrite any unknown or missing system files. Once you have made this determination, proceed as follows:

2.2.4.3    User Customized Commands and Utilities

Periodically, system administrators of production computing environments replace Tru64 UNIX commands or utilities with freeware or their own customized version of the command or utility. In this situation you must ensure the unknown or missing files are attributable to intentional replacement of commands, utilities, or other system files.

If the unknown or missing system files are attributable to the replacement of commands, utilities, or other system files with customized versions for the computing environment, do not enable dupatch to overwrite the manually installed customized files. Instead, determine the reason for the customization and then decide how to proceed.

2.2.5    Phase 5 - Enabling dupatch to Overwrite Changed System Files

Phase 5 reports patches that are blocked due to missing or unknown system files, and optionally allows you to override the dupatch conflict management mechanism so the dupatch-based patch may be installed.

For each patch that is blocked by a missing or unknown system file you are presented with the following information:

Optionally, you can enable dupatch to override the collision detection mechanisms and install any of these patches. Use the missing and unknown file information presented in Phase 4 and your system administration log of manual system changes to make Phase 5 patch installation enabling decisions.

We recommended that you do not enable dupatch to install patches over missing or unknown system files for which you do not know the origin. Doing so may leave your operating system and TruCluster software environment in an inconsistent and nonoperational state.

We also recommend that you backup your operating system prior to the actual patch installation.

2.2.6    Phase 6 - Report CSPs with Inventory Conflicts

Phase 6 provides the information about patches that have inventory conflict due to certain CSPs that are installed on the system. You will use this information when considering your decision in Phase 7.

2.2.7    Phase 7 - Enable patches with File Applicability Conflicts

Phase 7 allows you to install patches whose inventory does not match the installed system when the system file changed originates from a CSP.

Failing to determine the origin of the files that are in conflict can cause your operating system to be compromised. We therefore recommend that you track down the origin of those files.

To assist you in this effort, this phase lists the additional files that have been installed with the files that cannot be superseded. You can run through this phase to get the analysis without enabling the installation of any of the listed patches.

2.2.8    Steps for Running the Baseline Procedure

The following steps begin the baseline procedure:

  1. Log in as root.

  2. Run dupatch and enter 5 in response to the Enter your choice prompt of the Main Menu:

    Tru64 UNIX Patch Utility (Rev. 48-00)
    ==========================
            - This dupatch session is logged in /var/adm/patch/log/session.log
     
        Main Menu:
        ---------
     
        1)  Patch Kit Installation
        2)  Patch Kit Deletion
        3)  Patch Kit Documentation
     
        4)  Patch Tracking
        5)  Patch Baseline Analysis/Adjustment
     
        h)  Help on Command Line Interface
     
        q)  Quit
     
     Enter your choice: 5
    

  3. Enter the location of the patch distribution:

    Enter path to the top of the patch distribution,
    or enter "q" to get back to the menu [/patches/PK4/patch_kit]:
    

The baselining procedure then runs through it's seven phases as follows: