IBM BS029ML Self Help Guide - Page 231

Table B-2 Distribution channels by fix type Fix type Delivered only by IBM support to specific customers Download linked from documentation on the product support page Fix delivered by Fix Centrala Delivered from the portlet catalog Integrated into later Fix Packs (or higher MDV) Test fix Yes No No No No Interim fix No Yes Yesb No Yes Cumulative fix No Yes Yesb No Yes Business Portlet No update Yes No Yes No (refer to the MDV's documentation for confirmation) a. Fix Central (http://www.ibm.com/support/fixcentral) is a new service available from IBM support. Fixes available from Fix Central are identified by APAR number, Fix ID, version, platform, and other means, and the downloads can also include a fix's entire prerequisite chain (if it exists). This enhanced function improves the way we provide fixes and reduces the trouble we find when a fix requires another to be installed before it can be applied, and in many cases, that fix also requires others before it. When getting the fix from Fix Central, this complexity is handled by IBM by putting all of the required fixes together in one package for easy retrieval and installation. b. WebSphere Portal is moving its entire fix repository over to Fix Central in the coming months, so until that is complete, we suggest that customers continue to use the product support page to locate and retrieve fixes to avoid having to look in multiple places. An announcement will be posted on the support page when the transition is complete. When a fix is needed to correct a problem you have encountered, it rarely happens at a good time. IBM continues to invest resources into ensuring that such a fix is well tested, installs properly, and does what it is intended to do: fix the problem without introducing more problems. Many times there is urgency associated with the need for a fix especially if it is affecting a production environment. Nearly all of WebSphere Portal's test, interim, and cumulative fixes are installed with the Portal Update Installer (PUI) utility, which is available with a command-line interface as well as a graphical interface. Administrators familiar with the PUI (http://www.ibm.com/support/docview.wss?rs=688&uid=swg24006942) and its documentation in Information Center Version 6.0 can save time by familiarizing themselves with the utility by practicing on a QA, development, or "sandbox" system before having to use it in an emergency. There is a variation in this design for the WebSphere Portal Enable for z/OS® editions, since it does not use the Portal Update Installer or installation routines designed for the other distributed platforms. Updates and fixes for the z/OS platform (OS/390®) are released as ++ APARs (for emergency fixes) and PTFs, both of which are SMP/E installables and made generally available to those customers through their normal ordering and distribution channels. This section does not cover WebSphere Portal deployed on OS/390. It does, however, apply to the portal installed on the supported distributions of Linux on System z™ (SUSE and Red Hat), because the operating system is so similar to the distributions installed on x86 or RISC platforms and hardware. Appendix B. Maintenance: Fix strategy, backup strategy, and migration strategy 217