[pca] PCA does not handle reapplying patches that need to be reapplied

Wed Sep 15 23:44:21 CEST 2010

Hello,

We have been using PCA for a number of years and have been very happy with 
the result.  We use PCA to determine what our patch bundle should include 
(based on reference systems) and to determine the actual list of patches 
from our patch bundle to install, so that we can speed up the patching 
process by not attempting to apply patches that do not need to be 
installed.

We have found a problem with PCA not properly determining that a patch 
that has been applied needs to be reapplied.  Our situation is as follows. 
 We installed the branded zone packages on a Solaris 10 system.  The 
packages were patched to include fixes from patch 141444-09.   The system 
did not already have patch 141444-09 installed on it.  When we go to 
install with our current patch bundle 141444-09 is included in the patch 
bundle, but on the system(s) with the branded zone packages, the patch is 
already considered to be patched with 141444-09.  This is only true for 
those few packages.

>From patchdiag.xref here is the entry for 141444-09:
141444|09|Oct/13/09|R|S| | 
|10|sparc;sparc.sun4u;sparc.sun4us;sparc.sun4v;118833-36;118918-24;119042-09;119254-41;119578-30;120011-14;120900-04;121133-02;121901-01;121921-02;125503-02;126540-02;126897-02;127127-11;127755-01;137137-09;139555-08;142292-01;|FJSVcpcu:11.10.0,REV=2005.01.20.17.25;FJSVfmd:11.10.0,REV=2005.01.20.17.25;FJSVhea:11.10.0,REV=2005.01.20.17.25;FJSVmdb:11.10.0,REV=2005.01.20.17.25;FJSVmdbr:11.10.0,REV=2005.01.20.17.25;FJSVpiclu:11.10.0,REV=2005.01.20.17.25;SUNWarc:11.10.0,REV=2005.01.21.15.53;SUNWarcr:11.10.0,REV=2005.01.21.15.53;SUNWatfsu:11.10.0,REV=2005.01.21.15.53;SUNWbcp:11.10.0,REV=2005.01.21.15.53;SUNWbtool:11.10.0,REV=2005.01.21.15.53;SUNWcakr:11.10.0,REV=2005.01.20.17.25;SUNWcakr:11.10.0,REV=2005.01.21.15.53;SUNWcakr:11.10.0,REV=2005.08.25.02.12;SUNWcar:11.10.0,REV=2005.01.20.17.25;SUNWcar:11.10.0,REV=2005.01.21.15.53;SUNWckr:11.10.0,REV=2005.01.21.15.53;SUNWcpcu:11.10.0,REV=2005.01.21.15.53;SUNWcpr:11.10.0,REV=2005.01.21.15.53;SUNWcry:11.10.0,REV=2005.01.21.15.53;SUNWcryr:11.10.0,REV=2005.01.21.15.53;SUNWcsd:11.10.0,REV=2005.01.21.15.53;SUNWcsl:11.10.0,REV=2005.01.21.15.53;SUNWcslr:11.10.0,REV=2005.01.21.15.53;SUNWcsr:11.10.0,REV=2005.01.21.15.53;SUNWcsu:11.10.0,REV=2005.01.21.15.53;SUNWdmgtu:11.10.0,REV=2005.01.21.15.53;SUNWdtrc:11.10.0,REV=2005.01.21.15.53;SUNWefc:11.10.0,REV=2005.01.20.17.25;SUNWefc:11.10.0,REV=2005.01.21.15.53;SUNWefcl:11.10.0,REV=2005.01.21.15.53;SUNWesu:11.10.0,REV=2005.01.21.15.53;SUNWfmd:11.10.0,REV=2005.01.21.15.53;SUNWfmdr:11.10.0,REV=2006.03.29.02.15;SUNWfruip:11.10.0,REV=2005.01.21.15.53;SUNWftdur:11.10.0,REV=2005.01.21.15.53;SUNWhea:11.10.0,REV=2005.01.21.15.53;SUNWhermon:11.10.0,REV=2007.06.20.13.33;SUNWib:11.10.0,REV=2005.01.21.15.53;SUNWibsdpib:11.10.0,REV=2008.02.29.16.01;SUNWibsdpu:11.10.0,REV=2008.02.29.16.01;SUNWigb:11.10.0,REV=2008.02.29.16.01;SUNWintgige:11.10.0,REV=2005.09.15.00.13;SUNWio-tools:11.10.0,REV=2009.06.26.00.24;SUNWiopc:11.10.0,REV=2006.07.11.11.28;SUNWipoib:11.10.0,REV=2005.01.21.15.53;SUNWiscsitgtu:11.10.0,REV=2007.06.20.13.33;SUNWixgbe:11.10.0,REV=2008.08.11.23.56;SUNWkvm:11.10.0,REV=2005.01.20.17.25;SUNWkvm:11.10.0,REV=2005.01.21.15.53;SUNWkvm:11.10.0,REV=2005.08.04.12.25;SUNWldomr:11.10.0,REV=2006.10.04.00.26;SUNWluxd:11.10.0,REV=2005.01.20.17.25;SUNWluxd:11.10.0,REV=2005.01.21.15.53;SUNWmdb:11.10.0,REV=2005.01.21.15.53;SUNWmdbr:11.10.0,REV=2005.01.21.15.53;SUNWmdr:11.10.0,REV=2005.01.21.15.53;SUNWmdu:11.10.0,REV=2005.01.21.15.53;SUNWnfsckr:11.10.0,REV=2005.01.21.15.53;SUNWnfscr:11.10.0,REV=2005.01.21.15.53;SUNWnfscu:11.10.0,REV=2005.01.21.15.53;SUNWnfsskr:11.10.0,REV=2005.01.21.15.53;SUNWnfssu:11.10.0,REV=2005.01.21.15.53;SUNWnxge:11.10.0,REV=2007.07.08.17.44;SUNWopenssl-commands:11.10.0,REV=2005.01.21.15.53;SUNWopenssl-include:11.10.0,REV=2005.01.21.15.53;SUNWopenssl-libraries:11.10.0,REV=2005.01.21.15.53;SUNWpcmem:11.10.0,REV=2005.01.21.15.53;SUNWpd:11.10.0,REV=2005.01.21.15.53;SUNWpdu:11.10.0,REV=2005.01.21.15.53;SUNWperl584core:11.10.0,REV=2005.01.21.15.53;SUNWpiclu:11.10.0,REV=2005.01.21.15.53;SUNWpl5u:11.10.0,REV=2005.01.21.15.53;SUNWpl5v:11.10.0,REV=2005.01.21.15.53;SUNWpmr:11.10.0,REV=2005.01.21.15.53;SUNWpmu:11.10.0,REV=2005.01.21.15.53;SUNWpool:11.10.0,REV=2005.01.21.15.53;SUNWpsdpr:11.10.0,REV=2005.01.21.15.53;SUNWrcmdc:11.10.0,REV=2005.01.21.15.53;SUNWrds:11.10.0,REV=2007.06.20.13.33;SUNWrpcib:11.10.0,REV=2005.01.21.15.53;SUNWs8brandu:11.10.0,REV=2007.10.08.16.51;SUNWs9brandr:11.10.0,REV=2008.04.24.03.37;SUNWs9brandu:11.10.0,REV=2008.04.24.03.37;SUNWsmapi:11.10.0,REV=2005.01.21.15.53;SUNWssad:11.10.0,REV=2005.01.21.15.53;SUNWsshcu:11.10.0,REV=2005.01.21.15.53;SUNWsshdr:11.10.0,REV=2005.01.21.15.53;SUNWsshdu:11.10.0,REV=2005.01.21.15.53;SUNWsshu:11.10.0,REV=2005.01.21.15.53;SUNWtavor:11.10.0,REV=2005.01.21.15.53;SUNWtnfc:11.10.0,REV=2005.01.21.15.53;SUNWtoo:11.10.0,REV=2005.01.21.15.53;SUNWudapltr:11.10.0,REV=2005.01.21.15.53;SUNWudapltu:11.10.0,REV=2005.01.21.15.53;SUNWudaplu:11.10.0,REV=2005.01.21.15.53;SUNWus:11.10.0,REV=2005.01.21.15.53;SUNWusat10:11.10.0,REV=2009.02.24.04.40;SUNWusb:11.10.0,REV=2005.01.21.15.53;SUNWus
t1:11.10.0,REV=2005.08.10.02.13;SUNWust2:11.10.0,REV=2007.07.08.17.44;SUNWvolu:11.10.0,REV=2005.01.21.15.53;SUNWwbsup:11.10.0,REV=2005.01.21.15.53;SUNWxcu4:11.10.0,REV=2005.01.21.15.53;SUNWzfskr:11.10.0,REV=2006.05.18.02.15;SUNWzfsr:11.10.0,REV=2006.05.18.02.15;SUNWzfsu:11.10.0,REV=2006.05.18.02.15;SUNWzoneu:11.10.0,REV=2005.01.21.15.53;|SunOS 
5.10: kernel patch

>From the system 
Patch: 141444-09 Obsoletes: 119143-02, 120807-01, 122754-01, 123402-01, 
124924-01, 125915-01, 126266-01, 126421-02, 128004-01, 128304-04, 
128306-05, 128328-01, 128334-01, 128491-01, 137021-03, 137121-06, 
137129-06, 137141-01, 137289-02, 137292-01, 138044-02, 138083-01, 
138104-01, 138130-01, 138174-04, 138255-03, 138269-02, 138392-01, 
138625-02, 138629-01, 139386-02, 139462-02, 139464-01, 139490-01, 
139881-01, 139928-03, 139956-01, 139964-03, 139973-01, 139974-03, 
139977-07, 139982-04, 139985-02, 139991-03, 139993-03, 139996-02, 
140150-01, 140338-01, 140408-01, 140589-02, 140916-02, 140919-04, 
141028-01, 141057-01, 141414-10, 141494-01, 141510-03, 141520-01, 
141524-03, 141530-01, 141538-01, 141540-01, 141546-01, 141554-01, 
141556-01, 141560-02, 141690-02, 141692-01, 141694-02, 141715-03, 
141721-03, 141729-01, 141731-01, 141733-04, 141736-05, 141742-04, 
141743-04, 141767-01, 141770-01, 141771-01, 141775-01, 141777-01, 
141781-02, 141892-01, 141894-01, 141902-02, 141908-01, 141918-01, 
141920-03, 141934-01, 142004-01, 142013-01, 142051-01, 142056-02, 
142246-01, 142284-01, 142479-01, 142483-01, 142489-01 Requires: 118833-36, 
118918-24, 119042-09, 119254-41, 119578-30, 120011-14, 120900-04, 
121133-02, 121901-01, 121921-02, 125503-02, 126540-02, 126897-02, 
127127-11, 127755-01, 137137-09, 139555-08, 142292-01 Incompatibles: 
Packages: SUNWs8brandu, SUNWs9brandr, SUNWs9brandu

If were to manually install the patch, it would be reinstalled as not all 
of the packages are patched to the appropriate level.  However, if PCA is 
used to determine which patches should be installed:
# ./pca.sh --nocheckxref --xrefdir=$PWD --patchdir=$PWD --noheader |grep 
141444
# 

This was tested on the latest two versions of PCA.

Am I misunderstanding how this should be working?  Is this  a known issue? 
 Any suggestions?

Thanks,

Brian Farrell

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