Stratus® ftServer®hardware platforms use operating system software provided by Microsoft®, Red Hat®, and VMware®. Stratus customers may wish to install vendor-provided software updates or patches for these operating systems. This document summarizes the update mechanisms suggested by each software vendor; and gives Stratus recommendations for safely applying those updates without compromising the fault tolerant capabilities of the ftServer system.
Microsoft Windows
Windows Hot Fixes
Microsoft Windows patches are called hot fixes. These may be released as a hot fix documented in a Microsoft Knowledgebase (KB) article; or as a hot fix or security bundle released on the Microsoft Download Center support page.
All ftServer systems running Microsoft Windows operating systems may download and install the latest KB article hot fixes without having to check with Stratus first.
All ftServer systems running Microsoft Windows operating systems may apply a Microsoft Hot Fix or Security Bundle as documented on the Microsoft Download Center support page without Stratus approval, and without any ftSSS updates.
Windows Service Packs
To install a Microsoft Service Pack update, you MUST also install a Stratus ftSSS update release that supports the new Service Pack. You will find a listing of Service Packs and supporting ftSSS releases on our Operating System Release Information for ftServer web page. Select the ftServer Windows Support Matrix to see the detailed listing.
ftServer System Software for Windows
Stratus-provided ftSSS for Windows software updates are available on DVDs. These may be ordered from the Stratus CAC, and are free of charge for a customer holding a valid support contract. Non-contract customers can order ftSSS upgrades for a fee, by contracting their local Stratus CAC support center.
Red Hat Linux
Red Hat Enterprise Linux™ 6
Linux systems running Red Hat Enterprise Linux™ 6, or RHEL 6, can download and install the latest kernel errata and non-kernel RPMs released on the Red Hat Network™, or RHN, by using the yum(8) command line interface, or Program UPdater (PUP) graphical interface. The RHN provides a single update channel which offers RPMs for the latest RHEL 6 update release (as of this writing that would be RHEL 6.2).
Stratus provides a similar update channel which offers RPMs issued after the latest AUL (Automated Uptime Layer) 8.0.x maintenance release (as of this writing, the latest would be AUL 8.0.2.0). These RPMs can be installed to upgrade your system to the latest bug fix release beyond the given maintenance release (for example, to bug fix release AUL 8.0.2.1 for Linux). Configuring the YUM updater to include this Stratus update channel described in the following manual:
- For AUL 8.0.x and 9.0.x Releases:
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- Release Notes: Automated Uptime Layer for the Linux Operating System (R005L-14)
In the Documentation section of this manual, refer to Adding Stratus RPM Repositories to the Software Updater Configuration. See the latest published Release Notes manual at our StrataDoc for Linux web page.
The AUL 8.0.x release and 9.0.x release for Linux software has dependencies on particular versions of the Linux kernel, because Stratus modifies drivers in this kernel software to ensure their fault tolerant operation. For example, AUL 8.0.1.0 depends on the kernel-2.6.32-131.el6 RPM available for RHEL 6.1. The AUL 8.0.2.0 release depends on the Linux kernel-2.6.32-220.4.2.el6 errata that was delivered with RHEL 6.2.
The Stratus kernel dependencies permit errata kernels to be installed (for example, kernel-2.6.32-220.4.2.el6 is errata 4.2 for the RHEL 6.2 kernel 2.6.32-220.el6). These later RHEL kernel errata can safely be installed on a Stratus system. But you may not install a RHEL 6.3 kernel such as kernel-2.6.32-279.el6 on a system running AUL 8.0.2.0; AUL 8.0.2.x releases support only RHEL 6.2 kernels having a version that begins: kernel-2.6.32-220…
To support a later RHEL 6 update release, you must obtain a Stratus AUL maintenance release installation DVD for the AUL release that supports the target RHEL 6 update release. As shown in the table below, there is a correspondence between release numbers for the RHEL and AUL releases.
| AUL Maintenance Release | Supports RHEL Update Release |
|---|---|
| 8.0.2.0 for Linux | RHEL 6.2 |
| 8.0.3.0 for Linux | RHEL 6.3 |
| 8.0.4.0 for Linux | RHEL 6.4 |
| 9.0.3.0 for Linux | RHEL 6.3 |
The third digit of the AUL release must match the second digit of the RHEL update release as illustrated above.
Follow the instructions in the Stratus Release Notes manual (referenced above) to upgrade to the latest AUL Maintenance Release and its corresponding RHEL Update Release.
Refer to our Operating System Release Information for ftServer web page for up to date information on the latest AUL for Linux releases that are available, and the RHEL update and kernel revision supported by each AUL release.
Red Hat Enterprise Linux™ 5
Linux systems running Red Hat Enterprise Linux™ 5, or RHEL 5, can download and install the latest kernel errata and non-kernel RPMs released on the Red Hat Network™, or RHN, by using the yum(8) command line interface, or Program UPdater (PUP) graphical interface. The RHN provides a single update channel which offers RPMs for the latest RHEL 5 update release (as of this writing, that would be RHEL 5.4).
Stratus provides a similar update channel which offers RPMs issued after the latest ftSys (ftServer System Software Release) 6.0.x maintenance release (as of this writing, the latest would be ftSys 6.0.3.0). These RPMs can be installed to upgrade your system to the latest bug fix release beyond the given maintenance release (for example, to bug fix release ftSys 6.0.3.1 for Linux). Configuring the YUM updater to include this Stratus update channel described in the following manual:
- For ftSys 6.0.x and 7.1.x Releases:
- Release Notes: ftServer System Software for the Linux Operating System (R005L-11)
In the Documentation section of this manual, refer to Adding Stratus RPM Repositories to the Software Updater Configuration. See the latest published Release Notes manual at our StrataDoc for Linux web page.
The ftSys 6.0.x and 7.1.x for Linux software has dependencies on particular versions of the Linux kernel, because Stratus modifies drivers in this kernel software to ensure their fault tolerant operation. For example, ftSys 6.0.2.0 depends on the kernel-2.6.18-92.1.10.el5 errata available for RHEL 5.2. The ftSys 6.0.3.0 release depends on the Linux kernel-2.6.18-128.el5 RPM that was delivered with RHEL 5.3.
The Stratus kernel dependencies permit errata kernels to be instlled (for example, kernel-2.6.18-92.5.el5 is errata 5 for the RHEL 5.2 kernel 2.6.18-92.el5). These later RHEL kernel errata can safely be installed on a Stratus system. But you may not install a RHEL 5.3 kernel such as kernel-2.6.18-128.el5 on a system running ftSys 6.0.2.0; ftSys 6.0.2.x releases support only RHEL 5.2 kernels having a version that begins: kernel-2.6.18-92…
To support a later RHEL 5 update release, you must obtain a Stratus ftSys maintenance release installation DVD for the ftSys release that supports the target RHEL 5 update release. As shown in the table below, there is a correspondence between release numbers for the RHEL and ftSys releases.
| ftSys Maintenance Release | Supports RHEL Update Release |
|---|---|
| 6.0.2.0 for Linux | RHEL 5.2 |
| 6.0.3.0 for Linux | RHEL 5.3 |
| 6.0.4.0 for Linux | RHEL 5.4 |
| 7.1.7.0 for Linux | RHEL 5.7 |
| 7.1.8.0 for Linux | RHEL 5.8 |
The third digit of the ftSys release must match the second digit of the RHEL update release as illustrated above.
Follow the instructions in the Stratus Release Notes manual (referenced above) to upgrade to the latest ftSys Maintenance Release and its corresponding RHEL Update Release.
Refer to our Operating System Release Information for ftServer web page for up to date information on the latest ftSys for Linux releases that are available, and the RHEL update and kernel revision supported by each ftSys release.
Red Hat Enterprise Linux™ 4
Linux systems running Red Hat Enterprise Linux™ 4, or RHEL 4, can download and install the latest kernel errata and non-kernel RPMs released on the Red Hat Network™, or RHN, by using the up2date(8) command or the Red Hat Network Alert Notification Tool. The RHN provides a single update channel which offers RPMs for the latest RHEL 4 update release (as of this writing, that would be RHEL 4.8).
Stratus ftServer System Software(TM), or ftSys software, depends on a particular kernel version and release, because Stratus modifies drivers in this kernel to ensure their fault tolerant operation. For example, ftSys 5.1.7.0 for Linux depends on the kernel-smp-2.6.9-78.0.5.EL errata available with RHEL 4.7.
The Stratus kernel dependencies permit errata kernels to be installed (for example, kernel-smp-2.6.9-78.0.7.EL is errata 7 for the RHEL 4.7 kernel-smp 2.6.9-78.EL). These later RHEL kernel errata can safely be installed on a Stratus system. But you may not install a RHEL 4.8 kernel (such as kernel-smp-2.6.9-89.EL) on a system running ftSys 5.1.7.0; ftSys 5.1.7.x releases support only RHEL 4.7 kernels having a version that begins: kernel-smp-2.6.9-78…
To support a later RHEL 4 update release, you must obtain a Stratus ftSys maintenance release installation DVD for the ftSys release that supports the target RHEL 4 update release. As shown in the table below, there is a correspondence between release numbers for the RHEL and ftSys releases.
| ftSys Maintenance Release | Supports RHEL Update Release |
|---|---|
| 5.1.7.0 for Linux | RHEL 4.7 |
| 5.1.8.0 for Linux | RHEL 4.8 |
The third digit of the ftSys release must match the second digit of the RHEL update release as illustrated above.
Follow the instructions in the Stratus Release Notes manual to upgrade to the latest ftSys Maintenance Release and its corresponding RHEL Update Release.
- For ftSys 5.1.x Releases:
- Release Notes: ftServer System Software for the Linux Operating System (R005L-09C)
- For ftSys 4.7.x Releases:
- Release Notes: ftServer System Software for the Linux Operating System (R005L-05C)
- For ftSys 3.0.x Releases:
- Release Notes: ftServer System Software for the Linux Operating System (R005L-03C)
See the latest published Release Notes manual at our StrataDoc for Linux web page.
Refer to our Operating System Release Information for ftServer web page for information on the latest ftSys for Linux releases that are available, and the RHEL update and kernel revision supported by each release.
ftServer System Software for Linux
Stratus-provided upgrades for ftSys for Linux software are available on DVDs which may be ordered from the Stratus CAC. Follow instructions in the latest Release Notes manual for your major release to apply these maintenance or bug fix releases.
As noted above, bug fix releases for ftSys 6.0.x and above may optionally be installed using the yum(8) command line interface, or the Program UPdater graphical interface. However, maintenance releases for these systems must still be installed from a DVD, since each maintenance release requires installation of a newer RHEL update release.
VMware vSphere
VMware ESXi Patches
Because Stratus supports running Automated Uptime Layer together with standard releases of VMware ESXi, you can download patches for VMware ESXi directly from VMware and install them on your system with standard VMware utilities. Stratus tests the patches that VMware releases to verify that there are no incompatibilities and that they are safe to install on ftServer systems. To determine which patches have been qualified by Stratus for use on ftServer systems, see the following Web site before installing:
Typically, you apply patches to an ESXi host by running VMware Update Manager, which creates a baseline for your host and lists the patches you can install. However, you can also manually download a patch zip file from VMware and install it by executing esxcli commands as described in the software installation guide.
VMware ESXi Update Releases
Before installing a VMware ESXi update release (“VMware ESXi 6.0, Update n”) or point release (“VMware ESXi 6.n.n or higher”), ensure that the release has been qualified by Stratus and determine if the release requires a companion update to Automated Uptime Layer. For a list of supported releases, see the following Web site:
OS release info for Stratus Server
Use caution when applying software updates from any source. Applying updates indiscriminately may introduce serious problems to your system