APARs, PTFs, MLs

Confused with the following terms?

Fileset

Relates to a specific software product or part of the operating system. For example, bos.mp64.5.2.0.60 is the 64-bit kernel in AIX 5.2, at fix level 60. The 5.2.0.60 is the VRMF, or Version, Release, Modification/Maintenance level, and Fix.

PTF

Program Temporary Fix. Appears to map to a Fileset, which may include fixes for part or all of one or more APARs. Usually seen in the format U9999999. That is, a U followed by six digits.

PMR

Problem Management Record. Used to track a specific customer or internally reported problem.

APAR

Authorized Program Analysis Report. This associates a fix/patch with a PMR. Initially, a temporary Emergency Fix (efix) may be released, followed by a PTF and its dependencies. These then periodically get rolled into an ML release. APARs are in the form IX99999 or IY99999.

ML

Maintenance Level. A bundle of PTFs to bring AIX up to a known level. E.g. 5300-04 is AIX 5.3 ML 4. Now also called a Technology Level.

Service Pack

A group of "important fixes" delivered between Technology Levels. E.g. 5300-04-01 is AIX 5.3 ML 4 Service Pack 1.

When tracking requirements and susceptibility, it is best to either track filesets, APARs or MLs. PTFs may not be tracked by LPP, and so are not as useful.

The following are some examples to display Fileset, APAR and ML details.

# lslpp -L bos.mp64 | head -4
  Fileset                      Level  State  Type  Description (Uninstaller)
  ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
  bos.mp64                  5.2.0.60    C     F    Base Operating System 64-bit
                                                   Multiprocessor Runtime
# instfix -ik IY64737 
    All filesets for IY64737 were found.
# instfix -ivk IY64737
IY64737 Abstract: knot lock not released properly

    Fileset bos.rte.aio:5.2.0.51 is applied on the system.
    All filesets for IY64737 were found.
# oslevel -r
5200-05
# oslevel -l 5200-06 -r
Fileset                                 Actual Level           Recommended ML
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
X11.Dt.ToolTalk                         5.1.0.35               5.2.0.30       
X11.Dt.helprun                          5.1.0.0                5.2.0.30       
X11.Dt.lib                              5.1.0.35               5.2.0.51       
X11.Dt.rte                              5.1.0.35               5.2.0.51       
#

See Also

• Managing Interim Fixes on AIX. IBM article describing the terminology in some detail.