A method for replacing a first root file system comprising, retrieving a second root file system, mounting the second root file system on a first system in a sysplex as the sysplex root file system, replacing sysplex root mount information associated with the first root file system with sysplex root mount information associated with the mounted second root file system, updating a root on the first system to point to the mounted second root file system, invalidating the first root file system on the first system, updating a first file system to point to the mounted second root file system in the first system, updating an active process with the sysplex root mount information associated with the mounted second root file system, and unmounting the first root file system from the first system.