How to patch IBM Sterling B2B integrator – step by step guide

This step by step guide will explain how to install a Fix pack (patch) on IBM Sterling B2B Integrator 5.2.6.x and higher using the IBM Installation Manager IIM. In this article we used iFix (interim fix) 5.2.6.3_8. This same procedure can be used for other patch installations.

1. Download the patch from IBM Fix Central or IBM Passport Advantage and save it to your target server.
2. Before patching:
   • Stop the application and all the related JVMs like External Purge and Adapter Containers.
   • Make a copy of your cdinterop* properties as they can be overwritten if in use.
   • Remove or move old log and properties backups.
   • Remove old system dumps, heap dumps, javacores from /noapp/bin.
   • Remove old installation packages, patches, unzipped fixes.
   • Backup your B2B Integrator filesystem,
     • B2BINSTALL>tar -zcvf installbackup_201904.tar.gz
   • Backup your IIM (IBM Installation Manager) folder.
     • IIM files are under $HOME/etc/IBM and $HOME/var/IBM
   • Backup you Database.
   • Check you have enough space in your filesystem.
3. Unzip the patch media:
   • $unzip Media_IM_5020603_8.zip

Archive:  Media_IM_5020603_8.zip
   creating: ResponseFiles/
   creating: ResponseFiles/SampleResponseFiles/
   creating: packages/
  inflating: Common_Repo.zip
  inflating: IBMUpgradePreCheck.jar
  inflating: ResponseFiles/SampleResponseFiles/responseFile_iFix_B2Bi.xml
  inflating: ResponseFiles/SampleResponseFiles/responseFile_iFix_B2Bi_GM.xml
  inflating: ResponseFiles/SampleResponseFiles/responseFile_iFix_GM.xml
  inflating: packages/b2biAPIs_1000603_8.jar

4. Unzip the Common_Repo.zip

$unzip Common_Repo.zip

Archive:  Common_Repo.zip
   creating: b2bifixrepo/
   creating: b2bifixrepo/Fixes/
   creating: b2bifixrepo/atoc/
   creating: b2bifixrepo/atoc/nq/
   creating: b2bifixrepo/files/
   creating: b2bifixrepo/native/
   creating: b2bifixrepo/plugins/
   .........

5. Prepare the response file used to install the patch

• The sub folder ResponseFiles/sampleResponseFiles/ contains a responseFile sample that can be used: responseFile_iFix_B2Bi.xml

• Make a copy of this sample file. let’s call is responseFile_5.2.6.3_8.xml

• Change the 4 Response file values between $$..$$ :

variable name='sharedLocation' value='$$/home/username/IBM/IBMIMShared$$'/>
variable name='offeringProfile' value='$$My Sterling Integrator$$'/>
variable name='b2biFixNum' value='$$b2biFixNum$$'/>
repository location='$$/fullpath/to/Common_Repo/b2bifixrepo$$'/>

• Replace with your values:

variable name='sharedLocation' value='/home/username/IBM/IBMIMShared'/>
variable name='offeringProfile' value='Sterling B2B Integrator'/>
variable name='b2biFixNum' value='5.2.6.3_8'/>
repository location='/fullpath/to/526308/Common_Repo/b2bifixrepo'/>

• To find the first two variables in the responsefile i.e. the sharedLocation and profile ID (offering profile):

Go to /home/si/IBM/InstallationManager/eclipse/tools and run:

• [tools]$ imcl listInstalledPackages -verbose

Look in the output for the following two variables:

[Shared]

Shared resources directory: /home/username/IBM/IBMIMShared

[Package group]

Name: Sterling B2B Integrator
Installation directory: /your/SterlingIntegrator/install

Name: Sterling B2B Integrator

6. Launch the iFix install:

Go to ~/IBM/InstallationManager/eclipse/tools/

Finally, run the patch install command :

$ cd $HOME/IBM/InstallationManager/eclipse/tools/
$ ./imcl input /home/si/responseFile_5.2.6.3_8.xml
 -log /home/si/installLog_5263_8.log -acceptLicense

Check the logs for any errors. The fix installation log can be found under ~/var/ibm/InstallationManager/logs

After patching (optional):

A- With iFix media you find fixes for different optional modules like the B2B REST API, Perimeter Server.

If you are using these optional modules, you will need to install package fixes with the install/bin/InstallService.sh command . Example:

./InstallService.sh /fullpath/Media_IM_5020603_8/packages/
b2biAPIs_1000603_8.jar

B- In a cluster environment run the following command on each node after the patch installation:

 install/bin>./startCluster.sh nodeNumber false 

Example for node 1 and 2:

install/bin>./startCluster.sh 1 false
install/bin>./startCluster.sh 2 false

C- If you use Connect:Direct custom cdinterop properties, restore them as they cannot be put in customer_overrides.properties and will be lost. If you have never changed the following properties, please ignore this note. This is the list of un-override-able property files:

    cdinterop-spoe-auth.properties
    cdinterop-spoe-policy.properties
    cdinterop-proxy-records.properties
    cdinterop-user-records.properties
    cdinterop-xlate.properties
    cdinterop-bp-timeouts.properties
    cdinterop-log.properties
    cdinterop-copy-defaults.properties

D- Remote PS servers are not automatically patched. You need to Patch the external Perimeter Servers when applicable. Procedure here.

Verify if the patch was installed successfully:

• View the <install>/properties/dynamicclasspath.cfg to ensure the installed iFix jar from is at the top of the classpath.

• If Filegateway is installed then the ifix jar from that should also be at the top of the classpath in <install>/properties/dynamicclasspath.cfg
• Run dump_info.sh to ensure it shows the correct iFix version.
• View the support page on the UI to ensure it shows the correct iFix version.

Something not mentioned here? please leave a comment.

Further reading:

How to upgrade IBM Sterling B2B Integrator using IIM.