1    Introduction

This chapter provides an overview of the concepts and features of the patch kits for the Tru64 UNIX operating system and TruCluster software products.

1.1    Overview

A patch is a collection of files that contain fixes to problems. When possible, patches are merged together, into one patch, if they have intersecting files or codependencies. A patch may correct more than one problem.

The Tru64 UNIX and TruCluster software patch kits contain patches for critical problems for those software products. These kits, which are distributed as needed, provide interim maintenance that prevents the occurrence of known critical problems. The patch kits contain the following elements:

Patch kits are not intended to provide general maintenance and new functions; applying them to your system does not eliminate the need to upgrade to later versions of Tru64 UNIX and TruCluster software.

Patches are applicable to a specific version of the software products, unless stated otherwise in the patch kit release notes. You cannot install version-specific kits on other software versions. Compaq recommends that you install all of the patches included in the kits and that you update the TruCluster software products (if applicable) at the same time you update your operating system.

To install Tru64 UNIX and TruCluster software patches, your system must meet the following requirements:

After you install the patches, the following items are left on the system:

1.2    Types of Patches

Compaq provides two kinds of patches for its Tru64 UNIX and TruCluster software products — release kits and customer-specific kits:

1.3    Patch Kit Distribution and Naming

Tru64 UNIX patches for specific operating system and TruCluster software releases and customer-specific patches are packaged together in tar files. Each patch kit contains the following components:

The contents of the tar file varies, depending on the type of kit. For example, a CSP kit might contain patches for several operating system versions, while release patch kits always contain patches for only one operating system version. Also, the tar file may or may not contain TruCluster software patches. However, the structure of the tar file is the same for each type of kit. Figure 1-1 illustrates the contents of a patch tar file.

Figure 1-1:  Structure of a Patch Kit Tar File

The following sections describe release and customer-specific patch kits.

1.3.1    Release Patch Kits

Tru64 UNIX and TruCluster software release patch kits are available from the Internet and on CD-ROM.

Release patch kit names have the following syntax:

OS Product|Version|BaseLevel|KitType|Kit#|-MfgDate

For example, a file named T64V51B18AS0003-20011020.tar contains Patch Kit 0003, built in base level 18 for Tru64 UNIX Version 5.1 and TruCluster Server Version 5.1, and manufactured on October 20, 2001.

The following list describes the attributes currently used in patch kit names:

OS Product

T64 = Tru64 UNIX

DU = DIGITAL UNIX

Version

51A

V51

V50A

V50

V40G

V40F

V40D

BaseLevel

The support pool in which the kit was built. This formerly internal number has become a common way of identifying kits.

KitType

AS = Aggregate Selective installation patch kit

SS = A patch kit containing a single patch

Kit#

The numeric identifier that Compaq uses to track the kit contents

-MfgDate

The year, month, and day the kit was built in the form of YYYYMMDD

1.3.2    Customer-Specific Patch Kits

Customer-specific patch kits (CSPs) provide interim patches for a specific customer's problem and computing environment. Customer-specific patch kit names have the following syntax:

Product|Version|BaseLevel|-C|PatchID|-UniqueID|-OptionalField|-MfgDate

For example, a file named T64V50AB13-C9999900-1110746-M-20010531.tar contains a customer-specific patch for Tru64 UNIX Version 5.0A, built in base level 13, containing a patch identified as number 9999900 from a unique kit numbered 1110746, which was built on May 31, 2001.

The following list describes the attributes currently used in patch kit names:

Product

T64 = Tru64 UNIX

DU = DIGITAL UNIX

TC = TruCluster

Version

V51A

V51

V50A

V50

V40G

V40F

V40D

BL

The release patch base level the customer-specific patch is built against, for example, 13. This field is used by the service provider.

C

Indicates a customer-specific patch.

PatchID

The numeric identifier used to track patches that are relative to the product version patch kit. Patch identifiers have the following format:

MajorID

Five numeric digits, for example 00223.

MinorID

Two numeric digits, for example, 00.

-UniqueID

A unique kitting ID for the patch, for example, 1875.

-OptionalField

A field that provides information about the type of patch and its installation method.

Type:

E = Early release

S = Security

M = Manual installation

Valid Optional Field combinations:

E = Early release patch — dupatch installation

EM = Early release patch — Manual installation

ES = Early release patch — Security

EMS = Early release patch — Manual installation — Security

M = Manually installed CSP

-MfgDate

The year, month, and day the kit was built, in the form of YYYYMMDD.

1.4    Patch Process Resources

Compaq provides Web sites to help you with the patching process: