Below is a table of the major group PTFs for the last few releases. This is what we are installing for our customers on iTech Solutions Quarterly Maintenance program.
| 7.4 | 7.3 | 7.2 | 7.1 | 6.1 | V5R4 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cumul Pack | 21238 | 21245 | 21084 | 17192 | 15063 | 12094 |
| Tech. Refresh | 5 | 11 | 9 | 11 | – | – |
| Grp Hipers | 75 | 153 | 211 | 282 | 210 | 204 |
| DB Group | 19 | 27 | 27 | 43 | 33 | 33 |
| DB2 Mirror | 18 | – | – | – | – | – |
| Java Group | 13 | 24 | 34 | 48 | 41 | 34 |
| Print Group | – | – | 3 | 13 | 31 | 49 |
| Backup/Recov. | 29 | 55 | 74 | 75 | 61 | 57 |
| Blade/IXA/IXS | – | – | 1 | 16 | 30 | 15 |
| HTTP | 19 | 38 | 50 | 53 | 46 | 36 |
| TCP/IP | 5 | 9 | 11 | 11 | 17 | 22 |
| Security | 30 | 70 | 103 | 110 | 60 | 33 |
| High Availability | 8 | 16 | 19 | 18 | 5 | |
| Hardware | 2 | 18 | 35 | 44 | 17 | |
| Open Source | – | 6 | 6 | 6 | – |
The easiest way to check your levels is to issue the command WRKPTFGRP. They should all have a status of installed, and you should be up to the latest for all the above, based upon your release. Now there are more groups than the ones listed above, but these are the general ones that most people require. We can help you know which group PTFs you should be installing on your machine based upon your licensed programs. Here is a nice tidbit. The Cumulative PTF package number is broken down as YDDD, where Y is the year and DDD is the day it was released. Therefore, if we look at the cumulative package for 7.3, the ID is 21245. We can determine that it was created on the 245th day of 2021, which is September 2, 2021. Look at your machine and this will give you a quick indication of just how far out of date in PTFs you may be.
HMCs
Fixes are listed below in the order in which they should be installed for each software version. If you are upgrading to a new release, install the base version from recovery media or network image and then apply updates in the order listed. If you already have fixes applied and your current fix level is not in this list, just start with the next higher-numbered fix pack in the list. Be sure to read the release notes for each HMC version, service pack, and PTF for installation instructions and prerequisites.
Not all software versions are supported on all HMC models. Check IBM’s Supported HMC Hardware Matrix to see which versions your HMC can run. Attempting to install an unsupported version can result in an unusable HMC.
| HMC Version | Fixes (recommended install order) | End of Service |
|---|---|---|
| V10.1 for POWER-based (7063-CRn) HMCs and HMC Virtual Appliances |
|
Not Announced |
| V9.2 for POWER-based (7063-CRn) HMCs and HMC Virtual Appliances |
|
April 30, 2023 |
| V9.1 for POWER-based (7063-CRn) HMCs and HMC Virtual Appliances |
|
September 30, 2021 |
| V8.870 for POWER-based (7063-CRn) HMCs and HMC Virtual Appliances |
|
August 31, 2019 |
| V10.1 for x86-based HMC
Virtual Appliances ONLY |
|
Not Announced |
| V9.2 for x86-based HMC
Virtual Appliances ONLY |
|
April 30, 2023 |
| V9.2 for x86-based HMC
Model 7042-CR9 ONLY |
|
April 30, 2023 |
| V9.1 for x86-based (7042-CRn) HMCs and HMC Virtual Appliances |
|
September 30, 2021 |
| V8.870 for x86-based (7042-CRn) HMCs and HMC Virtual Appliances |
|
August 31, 2019 |
| V8.860 |
|
October 31, 2018 |
| V8.850 |
|
May 31, 2018 |
| V8.840 |
|
November 30, 2017 |
| V8.830 |
|
July 31, 2017 |
| V8.820 |
|
October 31, 2017 |
| V8.810 |
|
June 30, 2016 |
| V7.790 |
|
December 30, 2016 |
| V7.780 |
|
October 31, 2015 |
| V7.770 |
|
February 28, 2015 |
| V7.350 |
|
May 31, 2014 |
Important notes:
- HMC v9+ is required to manage a POWER9 system. The new POWER9 “G” model firmware requires service pack 941 to be installed on the HMC. HMC v9 cannot manage POWER6 or older.
- HMC v8+ is required to manage a POWER8 system. HMC v8 cannot manage POWER5 or older.
- An update to HMC v9.2 for the x86-based physical HMC type-model 7042-CR9 *only* was released in March 2021.
- For all other x86-based physical HMCs with machine type 7042, HMC v9.1 will be the final supported release.
- Support will continue for x86-based virtual HMCs.
- HMC v8.8.6 was the last release to include the “Classic” interface.
- Beginning with HMC v8, the upgrade process supports a maximum span of two releases. Some examples:
- HMC v8.8.1 supports upgrading from v7.7.8 and v7.7.9.
- HMC v8.8.2 supports upgrading from v7.7.9 and v8.8.1.
- HMC v9.1 supports upgrading from v8.8.6 and v8.8.7.
- When upgrading to v8.8.6 or v8.8.7, carefully read the installation notes in the readme file before you begin. There is a step during the upgrade process which can fail without warning, leaving the HMC unusable. The only option when this occurs is to perform a fresh install of the HMC software and reconfigure the appliance from scratch. To that end, IBM provides a list of settings you should make note of before beginning the upgrade in case they are needed.
If you have a Flexible Service Processor (FSP) your firmware should be:
| Machine Processor | Model | Version | End of Service |
|---|---|---|---|
| POWER9 | 9009-22G, 9009-41G, 9009-42G, or 5105-22E | VL950_092_045 | October 1, 2025 |
| 9008-22L, 9009-22A, 9009-41A, or 9009-42A | VL950_092_045 | October 1, 2025 | |
| POWER8 | 8408-E8E, 8284-21A, 8284-22A, 8286-41A, or 8286-42A | SV860_240_165 | February 1, 2022 |
| 9119-MHE or 9119-MME | SC860_240_165 | February 1, 2022 | |
| POWER7+ | 8231-E1D, 8202-E4D, 8231-E2D, 8205-E6D | AL770_126_126 | 05/31/2018 |
| 8408-E8D, 9109-RMD | AM770_126_126 | 05/31/2018 | |
| 9117-MMD, 9179-MHD | AM780_100_100 | 05/31/2018 | |
| POWER7 | 8231-E1B, 8202-E4B, 8231-E2B, 8205-E6B, 8233-E8B, 8236-E8C | AL730_159_159 | 05/31/2018 |
| 9117-MMB, 9179-MHB | AM780_100_100 | 05/31/2018 | |
| 8231-E1C, 8202-E4C, 8205-E6C | AL740_167_167 | 05/31/2018 | |
| 9117-MMC, 9179-MHC | AM770-126_126 | 05/31/2018 | |
| POWER6 | 9407-M15, 9408-M25, 9409-M50, 8204-E8A, 8203-E4A | EL350_176_038 | 01/31/2017 |
| 9406-MMA, 9117-MMA, 9234-EMA | EL350_176_038 | 01/31/2017 | |
| 9119-FHA | EH350_176_038 | 01/31/2017 | |
| POWER5 or 5+ | 520, 515, 525, 550, 570 | SF240_418_382 | 11/30/2012 |
Important note: For HMC-managed systems, POWER9 firmware level 950 requires HMC v9.2 M950 or higher. This HMC version will not run on x86-based HMC hardware (7042-CRn). If you have an Intel-based HMC, do not update your system to 950 firmware.
If you need help with upgrading your HMC or FSP just give us a call. We will be happy to perform the function for you or assist you in doing it. Contact us here.
More from this month:
- Perform VIOS Backups to Your HMC
- Lock Into the Future of Power10
- What is a “UAK”, Why Do I Need One, and How Do I Update It?
- iTech iTip Videos
- Sips & Tricks: Coffee with iTech
- iBasics: IBM i Education for the Beginner System Administrator
- Let iTech Take You Out to the Ballgame
- Upcoming Events
- iAdmin Spring 2022 – Register Now!
- iTech Spotlight
- IBM i, FSP, and HMC release levels and PTFs (March 2022)
