IBM i Technology Refreshes and Resaves

When adding or changing hardware, always refer to the IBM Prerequisite website for the up-to-date specifics for all types of code levels needed for support of a feature. Many features indicate an IBM i 7.4 or 7.3 or 7.2 or 7.1 or 6.1 "resave" level as a prerequisite -- for more information see IBM i resaves.

Best practice is to stay current on the latest Cumulative PTF Package and HIPER PTF group that corresponds to your level of the operating system. Latest levels are shown on the Recommended fixes website.

IBM i Technology refresh

You can install the new hardware and firmware function for an IBM i general availability as a Technology Refresh PTF Group. The machine code level does not change. The new hardware-related and firmware-related machine code content is contained within PTFs in a single Technology Refresh PTF Group. The content is referred to as IBM i 7.4 Technology Refresh 1, IBM i 7.3 Technology Refresh 1, etc.

If you already have an IBM i release on your partition, you can install the latest Technology Refresh PTF Group (e.g., SF99737) corresponding to that release.  Select your release on the IBM i Technology Refresh Support site for more information about the available Technology Refresh levels.  Alternatively, you can install a resave, following the normal resave installation procedure, and then install the Technology Refresh PTF Group.

Future deliveries of new hardware-related and firmware-related function for IBM i releases are planned as updates to the Technology Refresh PTF Group. Only the latest level of the Technology Refresh PTF Group is available. Each new level of the PTF Group contains all the content from the previous levels, so at any point in time you need to install only the latest level.

Note that older IBM i releases tend to stabilize so additional Technology Refresh PTF Group levels are no longer provided.  To continue to benefit from new hardware and firmware functions, please move to newer IBM i releases and continue to install their new Technology Refresh levels.

For additional information, see IBM i Technology Refresh.