Download as pdf or txt
Download as pdf or txt
You are on page 1of 3

IBM Knowledge Center - Best practices for upgrading DB2 servers http://www.ibm.com/support/knowledgecenter/SSEPGG_11.1.0/com.i...

1 of 3 8/19/2016 3:20 PM
IBM Knowledge Center - Best practices for upgrading DB2 servers http://www.ibm.com/support/knowledgecenter/SSEPGG_11.1.0/com.i...

DB2 11.1 for Linux, UNIX, and Windows

Best practices for upgrading DB2 servers


When planning your DB2® server upgrade, there are a number of best practices to consider. Review these best practices before you
start your upgrade.

Review changes in existing DB2 database product functionality

Changes in existing functionality introduced in DB2 Version 11.1 can potentially impact your applications, scripts, maintenance
processes, and any other aspects related your DB2 server upgrade process.

Changes in existing functionality introduced in pre-DB2 Version 11.1 releases can also have an impact. Review these changes and
plan how to address these changes before the upgrade:
Changed functionality in DB2 Version 9.7
Changed functionality in DB2 Version 10.1
Changed functionality in DB2 Version 10.5

Upgrading in a test environment allows you to learn about possible issues, evaluate the impact on your environment and find a
resolution.

Perform hardware and operating system upgrades before DB2 database product upgrade

The supported UNIX, Linux and Windows operating systems have changed in DB2 Version 11.1. Review the installation requirements
for DB2 database products to determine whether your operating system version is supported and if you need to upgrade your
operating system before installing DB2 Version 11.1. Newer versions of operating systems can also bring new hardware
requirements.

Performing hardware and operating system upgrades separately from DB2 database product upgrade simplifies problem
determination if you encounter upgrade difficulties. If you upgrade your software or hardware before a DB2 database product
upgrade, ensure that your system is operating as expected before attempting to upgrade your DB2 database product.

If you have a DB2 Version 9.7 copy on SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 10, first apply DB2 Version 9.7 Fix Pack 2 or later, before you
upgrade the operating system to SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 11.

If you are upgrading a pre-DB2 Version 11.1 copy on POWER4 processor-based systems, first upgrade to POWER10
processor-based systems before upgrading to DB2 Version 11.1. POWER3 processor-based systems are not supported in DB2
Version 11.1.

Benchmark DB2 server performance

Run a number of performance tests before upgrading your DB2 server. The db2batch benchmark tool helps you to collect elapsed
and CPU times for running queries. You can use this tool to develop performance tests. Record the exact environment conditions
where you run your tests.

Also, keep a record of the db2expln command output for each test query. Compare the results before and after upgrade. This practice
can help to identify and correct any performance degradation that might occur.

Devise a recovery plan for upgrade

For recoverable databases, a database upgrade can be a recoverable operation. Depending on your environment and upgrade
window, it can be possible to take advantage of this recoverability feature to reduce your overall upgrade time and minimize your
downtime. This recoverability feature can impact your need for taking an offline database backup before and after the database
upgrade. See Recovering through a DB2 server upgrade to know whether the feature is applicable for the databases in your
environment. Your recovery plan must consider the following two scenarios:
Reversing an upgrade or fall back from DB2 Version 11.1 to a pre-Version 11.1 release.
Recovering through a database upgrade to a point in time in Version 11.1.
Devise a plan to reverse an upgrade

There is no utility to reverse an upgrade or fall back from DB2 Version 11.1 to a pre-DB2 Version 11.1 release. See Reversing DB2
server upgrade to learn all the required steps to reverse a database upgrade.

Perform pre-upgrade tasks

There are several pre-upgrade tasks outlined in the Pre-upgrade tasks for DB2 servers topic that you should execute for a successful
upgrade, such as backing up DB2 configuration parameters settings, ensure that you have enough disk free space for table spaces
and log files, and verifying that databases are ready for upgrade.

Determine whether to upgrade DB2 servers or clients first

Upgrading your DB2 servers before upgrading your data server clients is the traditional approach to avoid any known restrictions and
limitations such as support of new DB2 database product functionality, network protocols, and connectivity. These restrictions and
limitations are not associated with DB2 Connect™.

Upgrading your data server clients first requires that you manage any incompatibilities between releases. If you must upgrade your
client due to a software requirement, make sure that the software supports the DB2 database product version that you are running on
your DB2 server. In this case, the software manages any incompatibilities between releases. See Best practices for upgrading clients
in the DB2 Version 11.1 documentation for details about incompatibilities.

2 of 3 8/19/2016 3:20 PM
IBM Knowledge Center - Best practices for upgrading DB2 servers http://www.ibm.com/support/knowledgecenter/SSEPGG_11.1.0/com.i...

3 of 3 8/19/2016 3:20 PM

You might also like