Netezza Performance Server 11.2.1.6-IF1 release notes

Netezza Performance Server for Cloud Pak for Data SystemNetezza Performance Server for Cloud Pak for DataN_

Version 11.2.1.6-IF1 provides stability fixes for critical issues, introduces support for Red Hat OpenShift 4.10.37, Cloud Pak for Data 4.5.2 or later, storage enhancements, and new installation and upgrade options.

For more information about the upgrade procedure, see Upgrading Netezza Performance Server.
Note:
  1. If you are using custom SSL certificates, learn how to preserve them across Netezza Performance Server upgrade. For more information, see Preserving custom SSL certificates.
  2. If you are on Netezza Performance Server for Cloud Pak for Data, before you upgrade to 11.2.1.6-IF1, you must back up tables with a compression ratio greater than 7.95 and databases that contain these tables. After the upgrade is complete, truncate the tables from their databases and restore them. To identify tables with compression ratio greater than 7.95, see https://supportcontent.ibm.com/support/pages/node/6564067.

    Tables that were identified as having a compression ratio greater than 7.95 before upgrade must not be accessed until they are restored after upgrade.

    Make sure you backed up the listed databases before you upgrade Netezza Performance Server.

  3. Learn about the preferred cipher suites, how to enable, disable the TLS 1.2 ciphers, and create and enable certificates if you are on 11.2.1.6-IF1, 11.2.2.0 and later. For more information, see TLS 1.2 ciphers.
  4. When you are upgrading Netezza Performance Server, the Netezza Performance Server instance is paused automatically when you upgrade Red Hat OpenShift. Also, the Cloud Pak for Data web console is in the maintenance mode and not available during the upgrade. The Netezza Performance Server instance is brought online when you upgrade it, after Red Hat OpenShift, Cloud Pak for Data, and the Netezza Performance Server add-on are already upgraded.
  5. Red Hat OpenShift upgrade on IBM Cloud is not supported with nz-cloud.

New features and enhancements

The nz-cloud --install | -i command
Added two automation options to the nz-cloud command:
ocp
Installs Red Hat OpenShift to a specific version. Only for AWS and Azure.
cpd
Installs Cloud Pak for Data.
The --upgrade | -u command
Added six options to the command for AWS and Azure:
ocp
Updates Red Hat OpenShift to a specific version. Only for AWS and Azure.
cpd
Updates Cloud Pak for Data.
nps-add
Updates the Netezza Performance Server service.
nps-instance
Updates the Netezza Performance Server instance.
Only for AWS and Azure. This option is a successor of the ocp upgrade command.
ocs
Updates Red Hat OpenShift Container Storage. Only for AWS.
See also: The nz-cloud command.
Storage
Added upgrade-only support for Red Hat OpenShift Storage Container on AWS. This feature is not supported for new deployments.
NFS storage
If you use NFS storage for Cloud Pak for Data, you must update the storage before you upgrade Cloud Pak for Data. For more information, see Setting up NFS storage.
Backup and restore
Changed the behavior of the BACKUP DATA OFF functionality. For more information, see Backup and Restore Performance Improvements with Large Numbers of Tables, Views, and Procedures.
  • When backing up a BACKUP DATA OFF table, backup reports the following warning: “Forcing empty backup of table <name> as it has been excluded from backup.”. Forcing an empty backup (with no rows) ensures that restore empties the specific table regardless of its previous contents. Which might have been based on a different value of the table's BACKUP setting. Restore updates the definition and data from earlier restore in the data is not over
  • Because BACKUP DATA OFF no longer causes a table's definition, queries against the table (or against views or synonyms that use the table) on the target database do not have be avoided.

Components

  1. Red Hat OpenShift 4.10.37. For more information, see Red Hat OpenShift 4.10.37 release notes.
  2. Netezza Performance Server 11.2.1.6-IF1 is compatible with Cloud Pak for Data 4.5.2 (zen operand version 4.7.0). For more information, see Operator and operand version.

Resolved issues

Postgres
  1. Removed the max file limit setting.
  2. Added support for Kerberos with a secured connection for the nzsql client 3.
  3. Fixed the drop default constraint issue that occurred with the groom command.
  4. Fixed the following error: “ERROR : unexpected error 12. The error occurred when merge query was run dynamically through a stored procedure.
  5. Fixed the issue with a postmaster crash. The issue was caused by unhandled go runtime signals.
  6. Added system level support to define default remote source for external table.
  7. Fixed the issue with truncating TOAST tables while vacuuming.
Backup and restore
  1. Fixed the issue with duplicate rows that appeared after restore. The issue was caused because the backup data function was set to off.
System management
  1. Corrected the duplicate init call handling to avoid issues when you run the nzstart command.
  2. Removed the maximum limit of data slices to support expansion with larger systems.
Upgrade
  1. Fixed the issue with reloading sysctl values during container upgrade.
Security
  1. Fixed the issue with the nzkey check spukey utility. Now, the correct information for encrypted data drivers is displayed.
Connector
  1. Fixed the issue with locale for the .NET driver.
  2. Fixed the issue with incorrect user for JDBC and Kerberos.

Known issues

ODBC Windows Driver
The ODBC Windows Driver works only with the AES128-GCM-SHA256 cipher and with hostssl set on the Netezza Performance Server host. To change ciphers set on the Netezza Performance Server host, see Enabling and disabling ciphers.
Linux for System z
Linux for System z client works only with the AES128-GCM-SHA256 cipher and with hostssl set on the Netezza Performance Server host. To change ciphers set on the Netezza Performance Server host, see Enabling and disabling ciphers.
The nzrest logs
The nzrest logs might not be captured after the instance is upgraded.

WORKAROUND:

If nzrest.log is missing for 11.2.1.6-IF1, run the following command.
systemctl restart nzrest
OpenShift upgrade
openshift-apiserver cluster-operator is not available during cluster installation or upgrade from 4.6 to 4.7. For more information, see https://access.redhat.com/solutions/5896081.
nzrestore fails if backup is taken with BUCKET_URL having slashes.
Whenever the nzrestore failure happens with following error:
[Restore Server] : Starting the restore process
[Restore Server] : Operation aborted 
Error: Connector exited with error: 'The specified key does not exist. with address : xx.xxx.xx.xxx'.
Check the backup command and verify whether BUCKET_URL is having slashes as shown in the following example:
BUCKET_URL=bakcupbucket/subdir/
UNIQUE_ID=2024-01-12
WORKAROUND:
Modify BUCKET_URL and UNIQUE_ID as shown:
BUCKET_URL=bakcupbucket 
UNIQUE_ID=subdir/2024-01-12
Note: UNIQUE_ID is a combination of string that is taken from BUCKET_URL after the first slash and actual UNIQUE_ID. Pass these two arguments to the nzrestore command.