# Infor LX and BPCS IBM i OS Release Upgrade Checklist

> Source: https://netray.co/tools/infor-lx-bpcs-ibm-i-release-upgrade-checklist
> Publisher: Netray (netray.co), AI and integration engineering for ERP and manufacturing systems.
> Section: Free Tools

## Short answer

A step-by-step checklist for upgrading the IBM i operating system under Infor LX 8.x or BPCS 6.x, from compatibility checks to sign-off.

## Category

other-erp

## Erp

Infor LX / BPCS

## Audience

- IBM i administrator
- ERP administrator
- IT manager

## Tool

**Kind:** checklist

**Groups:**

#### 1. Compatibility

**Items:**

**Text:** Record the exact LX or BPCS version, cumulative release and installed fixes (BMRs) on the current system

**Critical:** true

**Text:** Confirm the target IBM i release is supported for your LX or BPCS version in Infor documentation or with Infor support

**Critical:** true

**Text:** Find the IBM informational APAR listing required PTFs for LX and BPCS on the target release (II14781 covers V7R2); if none exists for your target, get Infor's guidance in writing

**Critical:** true

Check the Java level required by LX Java and GUI components, including any LX 8.4.x GUI client, against the Java available on the target release

List third-party tools that touch LX data (query tools, EDI, label printing, schedulers, ODBC drivers) and confirm each vendor supports the target release

Check whether your BPCS release needs the QAQQINI option SQL_SUPPRESS_WARNINGS set to *YES (II14781 notes this for BPCS 6.0.02 and 6.0.04)

Review security level (QSECURITY) dependencies for older ADK components before changing anything

#### 2. Pre-upgrade

**Items:**

**Text:** Take a full system save (GO SAVE option 21) and verify it completed without errors

**Critical:** true

**Text:** Save the LX or BPCS program, data and custom libraries separately as a quick restore point

**Critical:** true

Record object authorities, authorization lists and user profiles used by LX jobs

Export job schedule entries (WRKJOBSCDE) and any third-party scheduler definitions

Capture a performance baseline: MRP run time, month-end steps and peak interactive response

List custom programs and note the target release (TGTRLS) they were compiled for

**Text:** Check program observability and whether any custom or secured objects can be converted on the new release

**Critical:** true

Freeze changes to LX programs and master data set-up for the upgrade period

#### 3. Upgrade

**Items:**

**Text:** Install the new IBM i release following IBM's upgrade planning steps

**Critical:** true

**Text:** Apply the latest cumulative PTF package for the target release

**Critical:** true

Apply the current group PTFs, including the Db2 for IBM i database group, HIPER, Java and HTTP server groups (check with WRKPTFGRP)

**Text:** Apply any LX or BPCS required PTFs from the informational APAR for the target release

**Critical:** true

Review the system history log for object conversion failures and fix them before starting LX

Re-apply Infor BMRs or cumulative releases that Infor says are needed for the new OS level

#### 4. Post-upgrade validation

**Items:**

**Text:** Start the LX or BPCS subsystems and confirm interactive sign-on and menus work

**Critical:** true

**Text:** Run customer order entry, allocation, pick and ship on test data

**Critical:** true

**Text:** Release, report against and close a shop order

**Critical:** true

**Text:** Run MRP and compare run time and results with the baseline

**Critical:** true

**Text:** Run a month-end close in the test environment and reconcile key balances

**Critical:** true

**Text:** Test interfaces: EDI, bank files, inbound and outbound data transfers

**Critical:** true

Check printers, output queues, forms and label output

**Text:** Test ODBC and JDBC clients, query tools and reporting connections

**Critical:** true

Test the LX GUI or Java clients from a sample of user PCs

Run custom programs and reports, recompiling where needed

#### 5. Rollback and sign-off

**Items:**

**Text:** Define the go or no-go decision point and who makes the call

**Critical:** true

Document the rollback path (restore from the pre-upgrade save) and the time it takes

Get sign-off from finance, operations and IT on the validation results

Update run books, PTF records and disaster recovery documents for the new release

Schedule a post-go-live performance check after the first week and month-end

**Scoring Note:** Any unchecked item in group 1 (Compatibility) or group 4 (Post-upgrade validation) blocks go-live.

## Content

**Intro:** This checklist covers moving an Infor LX 8.x or BPCS 6.x system to a newer IBM i release, such as 7.3, 7.4 or 7.5. It runs from compatibility checks and required PTFs through saves, the upgrade itself, functional validation, rollback and sign-off.

**Sections:**

#### How to use it

**Body:** Work through the groups in order and assign an owner to each item. Group 1 has to be complete before you book the outage, because a missing required PTF or an unsupported third-party tool can stop the project. Group 2 protects you if anything goes wrong. Do group 3 on a test partition or a restored copy first, then repeat it on production using the same notes. Group 4 is the business test: real transactions on test data, signed off by people who use LX every day. Export the checklist to keep the record with your change ticket.

#### Where the LX requirements come from

**Body:** IBM publishes informational APARs that list PTFs needed to run Infor LX and BPCS on a given IBM i release. II14781, titled V7R2 Infor LX and BPCS required PTF list, is the one for 7.2. It also points out that PTFs already in the latest Db2 group or cumulative package are not listed separately. The same APAR covers object conversion of secured programs and a QAQQINI setting for some BPCS 6.0 releases. Look for the matching APAR for your target release on IBM support, and check Infor support and the LX documentation for your version's supported OS releases. Version support and dates change, so record what you found and when.

#### Version differences and gotchas

**Body:** Older BPCS releases are more likely to hit object conversion problems, especially secured or third-party programs without observability. Check these on a test copy first. Custom RPG programs compiled for an old target release usually still run, but recompiling exposes problems early. LX Java and GUI components depend on Java levels that change between OS releases. A client that worked on 7.2 might need updating. ODBC and JDBC clients on user PCs, including Access Client Solutions and reporting tools, often fail quietly after an upgrade. That is why they have their own critical item.

#### How to confirm the result in the system

**Body:** After the upgrade, compare MRP run time and month-end step times with your baseline. A big slowdown usually points to missing database group PTFs or statistics that need rebuilding. Check the system history log for conversion messages. Use WRKPTFGRP to confirm that the group PTF levels match your plan. Have a planner, a buyer and an accountant run their daily tasks on the test environment before you sign off. Keep the pre-upgrade save until after the first month-end on the new release.

**Cta:** If you plan to add a private AI assistant over LX after the upgrade, we can design it to read your IBM i data on site, with no data leaving your network.

**Faq:**

#### Which IBM i PTFs does Infor LX need?

**Answer:** IBM keeps informational APARs listing required PTFs for Infor LX and BPCS by OS release. II14781 is the list for V7R2. Look for the equivalent on IBM support for your target release, keep the Db2 group and cumulative PTFs current, and confirm any extra Infor fixes with Infor support.

#### Does Infor LX 8.4 run on IBM i 7.5?

**Answer:** Supported OS releases depend on the LX version, service level and Infor's current support statement, and they change over time. Check the Infor LX documentation and Infor support for your exact version before planning. This checklist treats that confirmation as a blocking item rather than assuming support.

#### Do I need to recompile BPCS programs after an OS upgrade?

**Answer:** Usually standard programs run after object conversion without recompiling, but secured programs without observability can fail to convert. II14781 covers related fixes for 7.2. Test custom programs on a copy, and recompile your own code where you hold the source to catch problems early.

#### What about the LX 8.4.2 GUI after an upgrade?

**Answer:** The GUI and other Java components depend on Java and network settings that can change with the OS release. Test the client from several user PCs on the upgraded test system and confirm the Java level with Infor documentation. Keep the previous client install files until the upgrade is signed off.

## Search terms

infor lx 8.4, infor lx 8.4.2 gui, infor lx as400, infor lx documentation, bpcs erp, bpcs ibm i upgrade, infor lx required ptf

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