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Types of Siebel Database Upgrades

This topic describes the different methods available to upgrade a Siebel Database. The approach you use is determined by your current version of Siebel CRM. Upgrades can be either:

• Single-step or two-step repository upgrades
• Full database upgrades or patch installations with incremental repository merge

Each of these upgrade methods is explained as follows.

Single-Step and Two-Step Siebel Repository Upgrades

Before the release of Siebel CRM version 8.1.1, two Siebel repositories supported Siebel applications: Siebel Business Applications (SEA) repository, and Siebel Industry Applications (SIA) repository. The Siebel Industry Applications (SIA) data model is physically a superset of the Siebel Enterprise Application (SEA) data model. The SIA data model has more tables, more columns in the same tables, and more indexes than the SEA data model, but it does not exclude any tables, columns or indexes from the SEA version.

Since Siebel CRM version 8.1.1, only the SIA repository is supported. On z/OS, an upgrade process enabling a direct, single-step upgrade from SEA to SIA repositories is available only from 8.1.1.x releases. Upgrades from Siebel CRM 7.5.3 (SEA) through Siebel CRM version 8.0 (SEA) require a two-step upgrade process. For additional information, see the topic about single-step repository upgrades in Siebel Database Upgrade Guide.

Patch Releases and Incremental Repository Merge

If you are upgrading from one major release of Siebel CRM to another, for example, from Siebel 8.0 to Siebel 8.2, then you must perform a full database upgrade. If you are upgrading within the same Siebel release, then you can upgrade by performing a patch release installation.

Siebel patch releases are applied onto existing patch releases, both of which are part of the same major Siebel CRM release. For example, you can install the Siebel Innovation Pack 2015, Patchset 5 or later as a patch release into an existing installation of Siebel CRM version 8.1.1 or 8.1.1.x. For more information on patch releases, see Siebel Installation Guide for the operating system you are using.

If you install the current release as a patch installation, then you must use the Incremental Repository Merge feature to update your Siebel database to the current release. Incremental Repository Merge is a mechanism which allows you to incrementally upgrade your custom repository data (including schema and seed data) from Siebel CRM version 8.1.1.x (SIA Fix Pack) to Siebel Innovation Pack 2015, Patchset 5 or later (SIA innovation pack). On the DB2 for z/OS platform, incremental repository merge functionality is not supported for upgrades to Siebel Release 8.2. For more information about the incremental repository merge process, see the chapter about performing an incremental repository merge in Siebel Database Upgrade Guide and Performing the Siebel Incremental Repository Merge.

NOTE:  The Siebel CRM version repositories contain the cumulative repository, schema, and seed data for all new content (such as Release Features) developed up to Siebel Innovation Pack 2015, Patchset 5 or later.