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Installation Guide |
Installing WebLogic Server Service Packs and Rolling Patches
You can upgrade your WebLogic Server 7.0 installation by using one of two methods: Smart Update or a downloadable upgrade installer. The following sections describe how to upgrade your software using either method:
WebLogic Server Service Packs and Rolling Patches
Periodically, BEA releases a service pack or a rolling patch for WebLogic Server. A service pack is an update to an existing release that includes solutions to known problems and other product enhancements. Service packs typically do not replace an installation of WebLogic Server, but rather change and add to the installation. A rolling patch provides bug fixes between service pack updates.
Note: Service pack and rolling patch updates are available for registered support customers only from a password-protected Web site. You must log in to the BEA Customer Support Web site to download the updates. If you do not have an eSupport account, you can register for one at http://support.bea.com.
You can install service packs and rolling patches using the following methods:
Note: Smart Update upgrades your Windows installation to use the Sun Java 2 SDK and your Linux installation to use the WebLogic JRockit SDK. If you want to use a different SDK, you should use a WebLogic Platform upgrade installer that is bundled with the appropriate SDK or change the SDK, as described in "Switching JVMs in WebLogic Platform" in the WebLogic Platform Release Notes, at the following URL:
Both Smart Update and the package upgrade installer create a backup file containing the media state of the current installation and information about files that were added during the upgrade. This backup file is used to restore system state if any errors occur during installation, and when you uninstall or roll back an upgrade installation. For a typical upgrade installation of WebLogic Platform (that is, all WebLogic Platform component products installed), the backup file requires a minimum of 250MB of available disk space.
Important Notes About the Package Upgrade Installer
The following lists important notes about the package upgrade installer:
To avoid manual editing in the future, it is recommended that you rename the non-bundled JVM to match the directory structure of the bundled JVM, as described in "Switching JVMs in WebLogic Platform" in the WebLogic Platform Release Notes at the following URL:
http://download.oracle.com/docs/cd/E13196_01/platform/docs81/relnotes/relnotes.html#nonbundledJVM
Important Note If You Use the Node Manager in a Clustered Environment
If you are using Node Manager to manage your servers in a clustered environment, you should back up the following directory and files on all machines that are running the Node Manager before upgrading your installations:
In these pathnames, WL_HOME is the root directory of your WebLogic Platform installation, for example, c:\bea\weblogic700.
Once the upgrade installation is complete, you should restore these files.
For more information about Node Manager, see "Managing Server Availability with Node Manager" in Creating and Configuring WebLogic Server Domains at:
Important Note About Updating WebLogic Server 7.0 GA
If you installed the stand-alone WebLogic Server 7.0 GA release (version 7.0.0.0) and did not upgrade to the version available with WebLogic Platform 7.0 (WebLogic Server version 7.0.0.1), you cannot use Smart Update to install service packs. Instead you can use a package upgrade installer that you can download from the BEA Customer Support Web site at http://support.bea.com. For instructions, see Installing Service Packs and Rolling Patches with a Downloadable Installer. After you install a service pack, you can use Smart Update to install future service packs.
To see which version of WebLogic Server you have installed, open BEA_HOME\logs\log.txt (BEA_HOME/logs/log.txt on UNIX) in a text editor and look at the last entry in the log file. Each line in the log file represents an installation event for the current BEA home—an installation or an uninstallation. If the log entry indicates that the version installed is WebLogic Platform 7.0 SP0 or earlier, you cannot use Smart Update. If the log entry indicates that the version installed is WebLogic Platform 7.0.0.1 or later, you can use Smart Update to install Service Pack 1 (7.0.1.0) and future service packs.
Note: WebLogic Server and WebLogic Platform use the same installation framework. Therefore, installation log entries use the term WebLogic Platform to indicate an installation of either WebLogic Server or WebLogic Platform.
Installing Service Packs and Rolling Patches Using Smart Update
Note: Smart Update upgrades your Windows installation to use the Sun Java 2 SDK and your Linux installation to use the WebLogic JRockit SDK. If you want to use a different SDK, you should use a WebLogic Platform upgrade installer that is bundled with the appropriate SDK or change the SDK, as described in "Switching JVMs in WebLogic Platform" in the WebLogic Platform Release Notes, at the following URL:
You can use the Smart Update feature to periodically check for available software updates. When you start Smart Update, it checks the version of products installed (associated with the current BEA Home directory), and then connects to the BEA Web site to check for available service packs. The Smart Update window includes three panes:
Note: Smart Update only checks for products associated with the current BEA Home directory. If you have multiple BEA Home directories on your system, you must run Smart Update for each one to install available service packs. For more information about BEA Home directories, see BEA Home Directory.
To install service packs or rolling patches using Smart Update, follow these steps:
Note: To run Smart Update on a UNIX system, your console must support a Java-based GUI. |
Note: You must have a valid eSupport account to install a service pack or rolling patch using Smart Update. You can register for an account at http://support.bea.com.
When the download is complete, the Archive Integrity Check window is displayed while it verifies the integrity of the upgrade archive files you downloaded.
When the archive verification is complete, the Confirm Product Directory window is displayed, which contains the path to the BEA home directory and to the product directory in which the WebLogic Server software will be updated.
Installing Service Packs and Rolling Patches with a Downloadable Installer
When a service pack or rolling patch for WebLogic Server is available, you can download the release from the BEA Customer Support Web site at http://support.bea.com.
Note: Service pack and rolling patch updates are available for registered support customers only; the download site is password protected. You will need to log in using your eSupport username and password to download the updates. If you do not have an eSupport account, you can register for one on the BEA Customer Support Web site.
Each release comes with its own installation program that includes update files for WebLogic Server (including WebLogic Workshop) and server samples for installation. However, the upgrade installation program only upgrades components already installed on your system. For example, if you installed the WebLogic Server component without the server samples component, the upgrade installer upgrades the server software and does not install the server samples. You cannot use the upgrade installer to install additional components. To install additional components, you must use either the net or package installers, as described in WebLogic Server Distribution Methods.
You can run the upgrade installation program in the following modes on both UNIX and Windows platforms:
Notes: To run graphical-mode installation, your console must support a Java-based GUI. If the installation program determines that your system cannot support a Java-based GUI, the installation program automatically starts console-mode installation.
The upgrade installer does not support silent-mode installation.
The WebLogic Server installation program requires a Java run-time environment (JRE) to run. A Java 2 Software Development Kit (SDK), which includes a JRE, is bundled in the Windows installation program and in some UNIX installation programs (those with filenames ending in .bin). For other UNIX platforms, the WebLogic Server installation program does not include the Java 2 SDK in the installation program. Filenames for these installation programs end in .jar. To run the .jar installation programs, you must have the appropriate version of the Java 2 SDK installed on your system, and include the bin directory of the Java 2 SDK at the front of the PATH variable. It is important that you use an SDK because the installation process sets the JAVA_HOME and related variables to point to this directory.
Installing a Service Pack Upgrade Using Graphical Mode
Follow these steps to download and install a service pack or rolling patch in graphical mode on UNIX and Windows systems:
Installing a Service Pack Upgrade Using Console Mode
Follow these steps to download and install a service pack or rolling patch in console mode (from the command line) on UNIX and Windows systems:
Note: The sample console text and directory pathnames in this section use UNIX conventions (forward slashes) in pathnames, for example, /home1/bea/weblogic700. When entering pathnames on a Windows system, use the Windows convention (backward slashes) for pathnames, for example c:\bea\weblogic700.
Note: To create a verbose log file during installation, include the -log=/full_path_to_log_file option in the command line.
serverXXX_upgrade_solaris.bin -mode=console -log=/home/bea/logs/server_install.log
The path must be to a file. All folders in the path must exist before you execute the command; otherwise, the installation program will not create the log file.
The installation program displays the following prompt:
Choose BEA Home Directory:
->1| /nfs/home/user1/bea1
2| /nfs/home/user1/bea2
Enter index number to select OR [Exit][Previous][Next]>
Press Enter to use the selected BEA Home directory or type the number of the BEA Home directory that you want to select.
Whether you accept the selected BEA Home directory or select a different BEA Home directory, you are prompted to confirm your selection, as shown in the following example:
Choose BEA Home Directory:
->1¦ Yes, Use this BEA home directory [/nfs/home/user1/bea1]
2¦ No, return to BEA home directory selection
Enter index number to select OR [Exit][Previous][Next]>
Type 1 or press Enter to accept your selection. Otherwise, type 2 to return to the Choose BEA Home Directory panel where you can modify your entry.
Confirm Product Directory:
Product Installation Directory: [/nfs/home/user1/bea1/weblogic700]
Files in /nfs/home/user1/bea1/weblogic700 will now be upgraded to the 7.0.2.0 maintenance level.
Enter [Exit][Previous][Next]>
If you are using a Web server with your WebLogic Platform installation, it is important that you keep your Web server up to date to ensure you have all the latest security patches and support. Updated Web server plug-ins are included when you upgrade your WebLogic Server installation. Although it is not required, you may want to replace the Web server plug-ins installed with your Web server with the updated versions.
For details about installing the Web server plug-ins, see Using Web Server Plug-Ins with WebLogic Server at the following URL
http://download.oracle.com/docs/cd/E13222_01/wls/docs70/plugins/index.html
After you upgrade your WebLogic Server 7.0 installation, you may need to upgrade your user domains. If you created user domains using the Configuration Wizard and templates available with WebLogic Platform 7.0 GA software or a service pack earlier than the current service pack, you may need to update the domains for use with the current service pack. Upgrade procedures are provided in "Migrating User-Created Domains" in the BEA WebLogic Platform Release Notes.