By default, when you use the pkg update command in the global zone, the packaging system updates the global zone and each non-global zone serially. To update multiple non-global zones concurrently, use the -C option or set the PKG_CONCURRENCY environment variable in the global zone. See Options That Operate on Non-Global Zones for more information.
In the following example, both non-global zones are updated at the same time as the global zone. The output refers to the non-global zones as linked images because they are linked to their parent global zone image.
global:~$ pkg update -C 0 --be-name s11.2 Startup: Linked image publisher check ... Done Startup: Refreshing catalog 'solaris' ... Done Startup: Refreshing catalog 'isvpub' ... Done Startup: Checking that pkg(5) is up to date ... Done Planning: Solver setup ... Done Planning: Running solver ... Done Planning: Finding local manifests ... Done Planning: Package planning ... Done Planning: Merging actions ... Done Planning: Checking for conflicting actions ... Done Planning: Consolidating action changes ... Done Planning: Evaluating mediators ... Done Planning: Planning completed in 39.00 seconds Packages to remove: 2 Packages to install: 1 Packages to update: 640 Create boot environment: Yes Create backup boot environment: No Planning: Linked images: 0/2 done; 2 working: zone:z1 zone:z2 Planning: Linked image 'zone:z1' output: | Packages to install: 1 | Packages to update: 161 | Services to change: 2 ` Planning: Linked images: 1/2 done; 1 working: zone:z2 Planning: Linked image 'zone:z2' output: | Packages to install: 1 | Packages to update: 161 | Services to change: 2 ` Planning: Finished processing linked images. Download: 0/12068 items 0.0/350.9MB 0% complete ... Download: 11664/12068 items 336.1/350.9MB 95% complete Download: Completed 350.91 MB in 187.08 seconds (0B/s) Download: Linked images: 0/2 done; 2 working: zone:z1 zone:z2 Download: Linked images: 1/2 done; 1 working: zone:z1 Download: Finished processing linked images. Actions: 1/23382 actions (Removing old actions) Actions: 3867/23382 actions (Installing new actions) Actions: 8192/23382 actions (Updating modified actions) ... Actions: 23266/23382 actions (Updating modified actions) Actions: Completed 23382 actions in 96.16 seconds. Finalize: Updating package state database ... Done Finalize: Updating package cache ... Done Finalize: Updating image state ... Done Finalize: Creating fast lookup database ... Done Finalize: Reading search index ... Done Finalize: Building new search index ... Done Finalize: Linked images: 0/2 done; 2 working: zone:z1 zone:z2 Finalize: Linked images: 1/2 done; 1 working: zone:z2 Finalize: Finished processing linked images. A clone of s11 exists and has been updated and activated. On the next boot the Boot Environment s11u1 will be mounted on '/'. Reboot when ready to switch to this updated BE.