What is INZSYS, and Why Should I Care?
April 23, 2008 Hey, Joe
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When we upgraded our i550 box from V5R3 to V5R4, we had to check for the completion of the Initialize System (INZSYS) command before we could do anything else after an IPL. What is the INZSYS command and why do I have to worry about it? –Jim The Initialize System (INZSYS) command is a special command that i5/OS uses to perform initialization conversions during a software package installation. What you may not realize is that a licensed program installation (such as an i5/OS upgrade) really consists of two different steps.
The strange thing about INZSYS is that it’s difficult to find an IBM reference that clearly explains what INZSYS actually does, even though most IBM documentation about software upgrades specifically states that INZSYS needs to run and complete cleanly after an installation. I’ve generally seen references to running INZSYS after performing one of the following procedures:
Note: If any readers have any additional references about what INZSYS does or have inside information about the process that they want to share, please send me a note through IT Jungle’s Contacts Page and I’ll print any relevant information in an upcoming column. So while the whys of the INZSYS command can be somewhat murky, the procedures for performing the command are not. Here’s a quick primer on what to look for after installing a system upgrade or a software package. After performing an upgrade that installs the QUSRSYS library, the INZSYS process is initiated during the IPL process. Among other things, i5/OS uses QUSRSYS to store configuration information for system applications (things like the entries in the System Distribution Directory, certain system data areas, output from system commands, and other user-defined system objects). To check on INZSYS progress, you’ll want to look for two messages in your history log. The first message is message ID CPI3D81, which simply states that INZSYS has started running. CPI3D81 - Initialize System (INZSYS) started Although you can also find this message by using the Display Log (DSPLOG) command, the best place to look for INZSYS messages is by taking Option 50, Display Log for Messages, off the Work with Licensed Programs (GO LICPGM) menu. This option shows you all the recent messages that were generated when system software packages are installed. When you take Option 50 after a system upgrade IPL, you should immediately see the CPI3D81 message for INZSYS startup. The trick here is that you shouldn’t do anything else that changes your system until you see the following INZSYS completion message. CPC37A9 - Initialize System (INZSYS) processing completed successfully Don’t start applying PTFs or perform any other system functions until you see the CPC37A9 message, and IBM also warns customers not to save their systems until the INZSYS process has completed normally. Be aware that it can sometimes take INZSYS a very long time to complete, particularly after a system upgrade, so don’t be surprised if this message doesn’t pop up for several minutes to an hour. If you get a message that states “Initialize System (INZSYS) failed,” check your job log if the message occurred as a result of an installation command that you entered from the command line. If the “failed” command occurred after a system upgrade IPL, look for other messages that explain the failure. You can find these messages in Option 50, the system log, or the QSYSOPR message queue. If you need help troubleshooting a failed installation, you can also consult the i5/OS Troubleshooting Software Installation problems page in the i5/OS Information Center. If an INZSYS fails, you’ll have to restart INZSYS manually. A manual INZSYS can be started either from the command line or it can be submitted to batch, but there are some tricks to manually running it in either environment. If you run INZSYS manually, IBM recommends that you place i5/OS into a restricted state before starting the command, meaning that no other processes can be running while the command is performing. However, if you want to run the command in batch, IBM says that you can do so without having the server in a restricted state. Hope this helps. –Joe
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