ZFS Patching with Zones using LU (Liveupgrade) in Solaris. 

SOLARIS LIVE UPGRADE:

Solaris Live Upgrade software enables the operating system to continue to run while upgrades, patch installations, or routine maintenance operations are performed. System administrators can patch a system image rapidly without impacting the boot environment needed by the Solaris OS to run. Administrators simply create a copy of the active boot environment, make changes to the copy, and reboot to the updated boot environment when appropriate. In the event of a problem, administrators can revert to a previous environment with a simple reboot. The result a simplified way to update systems that minimizes the downtime and risk often associated with patching efforts.

ZFS Patching + Zones with Liveupgrade:

We have performed patching for Solaris OS under ZFS with Zones using Live upgrade successfully without any downtime of the box. We have done this using traditional patching method i.e downloaded patchbundle from Oracle site and placed that in the server. Full Story

For servers with Solaris 10 OS at, or near, update 1 (1/06) or update 2 (6/06), if non-global zones are already configured and running, patching these servers at single user mode will encounter issues.  Patches may only be loaded on the global zone but not on the non-global zones. One should pay attention to the following:

1. If non-global zones have their own separate root file systems, make sure all of them are mounted.
2. Patches 119254-52 (or later) and 122660-10 need to be loaded on the global zone and all non-global zones first.
3. If a non-global zone has its own separate /var file system, both 119254-52 (or later) and patch 122660-10 must be loaded on all zones. Otherwise, the following error will appear:
…
Patch 1xxxxx-xx failed to install due to a failure produced by pkgadd.
…

Resolution
Patching procedure
As global zone is in single user mode, by default all non-global zones are halted  in “installed” state. Patches 119254-52 (or later) and 122660-10 cannot be installed in this mode. All non-global zones need to be booted to single user mode first. Once patches 119254-52 (or later) and 122660-10, along with their required patches have been installed, all other patches can then be installed as non-global zones in halted state. The proper procedure is as follows:

1. Boot server in single user mode

2. Mount all zone root file systems

3. Boot all non-global zones to single user mode
# zoneadm -z zone boot -s

4. Load patch 119254-52 (or later), required patch 121133-02

5. Load kernel patch 118833-36 if needed, required patches 118913-13, 119042-09, 119254-14, 119578-30; then do a reconfiguration boot

6. Make sure the global zone and all non-global zones are in single user mode – repeating steps 1 – 3

7. Load patch 122660-10, required patches 118731-01, 118833-33 (or later), 120900-04, 121133-02, 122640-02, 124204-04; then do a reconfiguration boot

8. Load all other patches as the global zone in single user mode, and all non-global zones halted in “installed” state (by default), all zone root file systems still need to be mounted