1/16/13

WAS 6.1 install fails on Power7 Systems - AIX


WebSphere 6.1 installation fails using ./install on Power7 systems

The crash is in
 Module: /usr/WebSphere61/installBinariesWAS61ND/install/JDK/jre.pak/repository/package.java.jre/java/jre/bin/libj9jit23.so

By any chance is this Power 7 machine ? ( please check the details below )

To determine whether your system is using a POWER7 processor, run the following command:
prtconf | grep -i "Processor Type"

If the system's processors are POWER7 processors, then the output will display the following:
Processor Type: PowerPC_POWER7

The processor implementation mode might also be relevant to your product installation.  To determine the processor implementation mode, run the following command:
prtconf | grep -i "Processor Implementation Mode"

The reason I ask is we have know issue with JIT and Power 7 architecture.

To fix the issue , please do the following :

1. In the cmd window where running install please do :
export JAVA_COMPILER=NONE

This just disables JIT for installer.   

2.The run your install .

3. Once installed, please upgrade to suggested level as per above document.
If this is WSAS 6.1 please upgrade to 6.1.0.29 (WSAS and JAVA SDK fixpack both)

4.Please unset the JAVA_COMPILER variable.  You can do so either by closing the shell session that ran the installer, or by running the following command:
unset JAVA_COMPILER
Effects of using the JAVA_COMPILER variable
Using the JAVA_COMPILER=none setting as suggested above will cause the Java SDK to turn off the JIT compiler feature in Java during the installation process.  This feature has an issue running on POWER7 processors which is resolved when the appropriate fix pack is applied to the installed product.  Turning off the feature prevents the installer from crashing.

Once the installation is complete, and the product is updated to the appropriate fix pack level, then the setting is no longer needed.  Note that application servers will not use this setting simply because the product was installed in that manner.This has no negative effects on the install process, except it might take slightly longer to install.

If still issue please send us one of the javacores for review and OS level command
prtconf | grep -i "Processor Type"