After the installation of a FixPack for Lotus Notes 8.5.1, once can find zip files, like…\framework\rcp\deploy\installhistory\IBMLotusNotes8.5.1FP2_1.00.0001_HOTFIX_INSTALL_…zip
Are these files critical for future upgrades, e.g. when upgrading to 8.5.1FP3 from 8.5.1FP2?
What are these zip file used for?
Subject: These files are used to keep track of the installation history of the product for servicability.
These zip files are snapshots of the results of a product install based action (hotfix, upgrade, fixpack, addon, install, uninstall).
These files are critical for servicability in order to diagnose issues that occur between upgrades of the platform as well as to determine the product history. Without these files, the installation history of the product would be lost over time making upgrade issues more difficult to diagnose. It is recommended to leave these files on the disk unless it is absolutely necessary to remove them for space purposes.
Subject: But, these file are not necessary for future FP installations, only valuable for support, then?
Thanks for the info :-)So, I would be able to delete them, without negatively affecting Upgrades.
In constrast to this, the removal of RCHBackup, Hotfix.ini would afftect the functionality of future FP installations, right?
Another info:
When done a normal installation of FP2 over 8.5.1 Multi-User, no zip files were created.
When using setup /V"/qn" on the same machine with the same 8.5.1 Multi-User Installation (using a VM Snapshot to guarantee identical systems), a zip file was created.
Subject: Yes, these are support only files and deleting them will not cause any issues for future upgrades
I’d still recommend keeping them if you can as even though it was a successful install, it would be valuable for support to have in the future if FP3 or a later upgrade failed. But in general these zip files are not necessary for Notes to run or upgrade so they would be safe to delete.
I have not seen the problem you mentioned about not having a zip file after installing FP2 without using the silent flags. This serviceability functionality was first added in FP1 so there would be no directory or zip files before applying FP1 or FP2 but after applying a fixpack, it should create zip files regardless of the installation method.
Subject: Thx4nfo. On my tests machines, these files are not created in every case
While analyzing install failures of FP2 (see ) I am using a VM test machine with snap shots to easily revert back to 8.5.1 and to guarantee identical test environments.When I use setup /s /v/qn, a ZIP file is created, but when I use setup /V"/qn", no ZIP is created.
And as far as I remember, if using setup.exe only, no zip as created, too.
All tests were done starting from the same 8.5.1 snapshot and were reverted back after FP1/FP2 instllation.