How To Apply a Patch

Last updated on Nov. 16, 2023

About Access Anywhere Server Patches

Patches are small changes that are confined to one or a few pieces of the Access Anywhere Server code. They are almost always issued for the purpose of resolving an issue that is affecting one or a small number of customers. The patches are only provided to the affected customers. Customers who are not affected by the issue that a patch resolves need not concern themselves with the patch.

Nasuni seldom issues patches, preferring to combine sets of changes into service packs which we release frequently. On those occasions when we do see fit to issue a patch, the changes included in the patch are always included in a subsequent service pack. In most cases this will be the next service pack to be released after the patch was developed.

How Patches are Provided

If a patch is appropriate then Nasuni will provide you with a link to a compressed tar file <patch_name>.tgz containing the patch.

Prerequsites

  • Check the applicability of the patch. Patches are only provided for specific releases.
  • Test first on a non-production system if you have one available.
  • Patches should be applied to production systems during a service window.
  • A backup of the server should be made during the service window and prior to applying the patch.
  • If the database is external to the appliance then the database should also be backed up.
  • A confidence test of the patched system should be conducted within the service window. If the confidence test exposes an issue and a rollback is required, the appliance backup should be restored. If the database is external, the database backup should be restored.

Patching Steps

Note that these steps should be completed for each appliance in a multi-node (HA) system.

Copy the patch file PATCH_FILE.tgz to the appliance using scp or any other tool

Login into the appliance as smeconfiguser

Become root

su - root

cd to var/www/smestorage/patches

cd /var/www/smestorage/patches

move the copied patch file to /var/www/smestorage/patches

mv /home/smeconfiguser/PATCH_FILE.tgz .

change the owner of the file to smestorage

chown smestorage:smestorage PATCH_FILE.tgz

su to smestorage

su - smestorage

cd to patches

cd patches

Apply the patch

./patch -patch PATCH_FILE.tgz

If you encounter any issues during these steps, please contact Support.

To Roll Back a Patch

Change to the smestorage user by first logging in as smeconfiguser and becoming root

su - root
su - smestorage

cd to patches

cd patches

Roll back the patch

./patch -rollback