What's new in this update release
BigFix Patch for AIX provides several features and enhancement in this application update.
| Feature or Enhancement | Description | Resources |
|---|---|---|
| IBM Java support | BigFix Patch for AIX extends its support for IBM Java across the supported AIX
versions. Fixlets are available for the following IBM Java versions:
|
N/A |
| Feature or Enhancement | Description | Resources |
|---|---|---|
| Third-party application support | BigFix Patch for AIX now support for the following third-party applications
across the supported AIX versions:
|
Using the download plug-in |
| NFS Repository Management | The AIX Advanced Deployment Wizard provides you a solution to manage the technology level and service pack fix packs on NFS repositories. This includes features such as pre-caching downloads of the fix packs, verifying, and deleting of downloaded fix packs on registered NFS repositories. | |
| Multibos support |
Multibos is an efficient way to apply updates on endpoints that might not have any free alternate disks, but has only one disk available on rootvg. With multibos, you can deploy technology level (TL) or service pack (SP) updates to an endpoint's standby base operating system (BOS) instance without impacting the active BOS instance. Multibos can help manage downtime and risk during an upgrade, ensuring continuous operation of the AIX operating system on the endpoint. |
Multibos support |
| AIX Deployment Wizard enhancements | The AIX Deployment Wizard now includes more options for deploying fileset
updates to endpoints. You can now specify if you want to update only the previously installed filesets on the endpoint, which means that other filesets that are in the source media are not included in the update. You can also specify whether you want to remove all the interim fixes upon the deployment of an update. |
Creating Fixlets for AIX fileset updates |
| AIX Deployment Health Check Dashboard enhancements |
The Deployment AIX Health Check Dashboard includes a listing of all the filesets that are locked, which would prevent a patch from successfully installing on an endpoint. You can check the locked fileset list before deploying any patches so you can cut down your time in troubleshooting for dependencies when a patch failure occurs. |
Deployment AIX Health Checks Dashboard overview |
| Interim fix support | BigFix provides Fixlets for Security Advisories (SA) and High Impact/Highly Pervasive Fixes (HIPER) interim fixes. Use these Fixlets to install interim fixes on AIX endpoints from the BigFix console. | |
| AIX 7.2 support | An upgrade Fixlet for AIX 7.2 Recommended Service Pack (7200-00-01) is released. Inventory-only (audit) Fixlets are also made available for AIX Security Advisories, Critical Fixes, High Impact/Highly Pervasive Fixes and Program Temporary Fixes (PTFs) that are released since the last Maintenance Level Package update. | Supported platforms and updates |
| AIX Download Plug-in update |
The AIX download plug-in is updated to use the Electronic Customer Care (ECC) services to retrieve AIX updates. Using ECC instead of fixget tool provides a centralized access point to access code updates for different IBM systems, which significantly impacts the supported protocols that are utilized for server communication and patch downloads. |
Using the download plug-in |
| NFS support | You can now deploy fileset updates and program temporary fixes (PTFs) from an Network File System (NFS) share. The AIX Deployment Wizard recognizes NFS paths as the source location of these updates therefore allowing you to access the files remotely. Deploying updates from an NFS share shortens the installation time, decreases bandwidth usage, and reduces storage costs. | |
| Mirror management | You can break two-way mirrors before creating an alternate disk clone from the AIX Advanced Deployment Wizard. Breaking mirrors before patching is a common practice and is typically in a failback plan. When the patch installation or the upgrade is verified, you can use the Re-mirror disk back to rootvg task (ID #83) to resume disk mirroring. | Mirror management |
| Technology level and service pack deployment on existing rootvg clones | You can use the options in the AIX Advanced Deployment Wizard to create a custom content for deploying technology level and service pack updates to an existing rootvg clone. | Deploying technology levels and service packs to a new or existing alternate disk clone |
| Alternate disk clone creation | You can use the options in the AIX Advanced Deployment Wizard to create an alternate disk clone of the current rootvg on targeted AIX systems without deploying any updates to the clone. | Creating a new alternate disk clone |
| Deployment previews | You can use the options in the AIX Advanced Deployment Wizard to create a Fixlet to run installation previews for technology level or service pack patches for a selected fix pack. The preview can help you identify the installation commands that are used and if there are any missing filesets. | Creating preinstallation verification checks |
| Fileset rejection | As a rollback feature, you can use the AIX Advanced Deployment Wizard to reject filesets, which are in the applied state, and restore the previous version of the update . You can reject filesets individually or by fix pack. You can also preview the fileset rejection process before actually rejecting any filesets. | Rejecting applied filesets |
| AIX Deployment Health Check Dashboard |
You can use the Deployment AIX Health Check Dashboard to view a listing of all the filesets that are installed on an endpoint and the results of running preview deployments. |
Deployment AIX Health Checks Dashboard overview |
| AIX Advanced Deployment Wizard | The AIX Advanced Deployment Wizard supplements existing patch management content. This wizard provides more functions such as alternate disk operations. | AIX Advanced Deployment Wizard overview |
| Installation action enhancements | Updates to the installation action that is used by the existing technology level and service pack Fixlets. | |
| Network Installation Management (NIM) integration | Network Installation Management (NIM) integration that focuses on the patch
management features that NIM provides. The following dashboards are available to help run
NIM-related tasks in an Endpoint Manager environment:
|
Network Installation Management (NIM) integration |