Shortening software maintenance and upgrading windows
You can keep your system available by effectively planning and managing fixes and installing new releases.
Managing fixes
To reduce the amount of time your system is unavailable, you should ensure that you have a fix management strategy in place. If you stay current on what fixes are available and install them on a routine basis, you will have fewer problems. Be sure that you apply fixes as frequently as you have decided is appropriate for your business needs.
Individual fixes can be delayed or immediate. Delayed fixes can be loaded and applied in two separate steps. They can be loaded while your system runs and then applied the next time you restart your system. Immediate fixes do not require you to restart your system for them to take effect, which eliminates the need for downtime. Immediate fixes might have additional activation steps that are described in full in the cover letter that accompanies the fix.
Upgrading to a new release
You are required to turn off your system when you upgrade to a new version of i5/OS®. To minimize the amount of time a software upgrade takes, it is important that you plan your installation carefully.
Parent topic:
Shortening planned outages