Whenever you need to perform an upgrade of SDD (and it is wise to keep it up-to-date), make sure you check the SDD documentation before doing this. Here's the quick steps to perform to do the updates.

• Check for any entries in the errorlog that could interfere with the upgrades:

  # errpt -a | more

• Check if previously installed packages are OK:

  # lppchk -v

• Commit any previously installed packages:

  # installp -c all

• Make sure to have a recent mksysb image of the server and before starting the updates to the rootvg, do an incremental TSM backup. Also a good idea is to prepare the alt_disk_install on the second boot disk.
• For HACMP nodes: check the cluster status and log files to make sure the cluster is stable and ready for the upgrades.
• Update fileset devices.fcp.disk.ibm to the latest level using smitty update_all.
• For ESS environments: Update host attachment script ibm2105 and ibmpfe.essutil to the latest available levels using smitty update_all.
• Enter the lspv command to find out all the SDD volume groups.
• Enter the lsvgfs command for each SDD volume group to find out which file systems are mounted, e.g.:

  # lsvgfs vg_name

• Enter the umount command to unmount all file systems belonging to the SDD volume groups.
• Enter the varyoffvg command to vary off the volume groups.
• If you are upgrading to an SDD version earlier than 1.6.0.0; or if you are upgrading to SDD 1.6.0.0 or later and your host is in a HACMP environment with nonconcurrent volume groups that are varied-on on other host, that is, reserved by other host, run the vp2hd volume_group_name script to convert the volume group from the SDD vpath devices to supported storage hdisk devices. Otherwise, you skip this step.
• Stop the SDD server:

  # stopsrc -s sddsrv

• Remove all the SDD vpath devices:

  # rmdev -dl dpo -R

• Use the smitty command to uninstall the SDD. Enter smitty deinstall and press Enter. The uninstallation process begins. Complete the uninstallation process.
• If you need to upgrade the AIX operating system, you could perform the upgrade now. If required, reboot the system after the operating system upgrade.
• Use the smitty command to install the newer version of the SDD. Note: it is also possible to do smitty update_all to simply update the SDD fileset, without first uninstalling it; but IBM recommends doing an uninstall first, then patch the OS, and then do an install of the SDD fileset.
• Use the smitty device command to configure all the SDD vpath devices to the Available state.
• Enter the lsvpcfg command to verify the SDD configuration.
• If you are upgrading to an SDD version earlier than 1.6.0.0, run the hd2vp volume_group_name script for each SDD volume group to convert the physical volumes from supported storage hdisk devices back to the SDD vpath devices.
• Enter the varyonvg command for each volume group that was previously varied offline.
• Enter the lspv command to verify that all physical volumes of the SDD volume groups are SDD vpath devices.
• Check for any errors:

  # errpt | more
  # lppchk -v
  # errclear 0

• Enter the mount command to mount all file systems that were unmounted.

# dpovgfix vg_name

• Quick setup guide for HACMP
• Compare_report
• Emulex hbanyware
• Power 5 color codes
• Vpath commands