6 Updating Oracle Database Appliance Software

To keep Oracle Database Appliance running with the latest software, check for and apply Oracle Database Appliance patch bundles when they are released.

Topics:

About Updating Oracle Database Appliance Software

Review this topic to understand the patching process, and to understand the patching options available to you in this patch set release.

About Oracle Database Appliance Software Updates

To keep Oracle Database Appliance running with the latest software, check for and apply Oracle Database Appliance patch bundles when they are released. As well as offering new features, patches may improve the functionality of existing features.

Oracle Database Appliance patch bundles are released on a quarterly schedule. My Oracle Support note 2144642.1 and 888888.1 provide information about the latest Oracle Database Appliance patch bundle. See My Oracle Support note 2144642.1 to obtain the most current updates and known issues for the Oracle Database Appliance patch bundle installation.

Caution:

Do not patch Oracle Database Appliance using individual patches for Oracle Grid Infrastructure, Oracle Database, or Oracle Linux. Also do not use individual infrastructure patches, such as firmware patches. You must only use Oracle Database Appliance patches.

If you use patches that are not intended for Oracle Database Appliance, or if you use Opatch, or a similar patching tool, then Oracle Database Appliance inventory is not updated, and you cannot complete future patch updates.

Overview of the Patch Upgrade

Oracle Database Appliance patch set release 12.1.2.9.0 includes new enhancements, including a comprehensive patching solution for Oracle Database Appliance X6-2S, X6-2M, and X6-2L.

Note:

Before updating the repository, agent, server, or database, ensure that you do not have any jobs running or pending during the update window.

Note:

If you are using Oracle Database Appliance 12.1.2.7, then you must upgrade the dcs-agent before installing the latest patch set. The dcs-agent upgrade includes changes that enable you to install the patch set bundle. Use the describe-job command to monitor the progress of each patching job.

Related Topics

Step 1: Update the Patch Repository

Download the Oracle Database Appliance patch set bundle from My Oracle Support and update the repository with the new patches.

Before running the update-repository command, ensure that your appliance has the latest version of the agent.
  1. From an external client machine, open My Oracle Support note 2144642.1:
  2. Under Patch Search, select Oracle Database Appliance from the Product list.
  3. Select the patch release number from the Select a Release list.
  4. Click Search.
  5. Select the patch or patches that you want to download, and click Download. For example, the 12.1.2.9.0 patch bundle is 25085572 .

    Caution:

    Do not patch Oracle Database Appliance using individual patches for Oracle Grid Infrastructure, Oracle Database, or Oracle Linux. Also do not use individual infrastructure patches, such as firmware patches. You must only use Oracle Database Appliance patches.

    If you use patches that are not intended for Oracle Database Appliance, or if you use Opatch, or a similar patching tool, then Oracle Database Appliance inventory is not updated, and you cannot complete future patch updates.

  6. Run the update-repository command to unpack the patch bundle to the correct locations in the file system. If you have more than one patch, you can use a comma-separated list for the filename.
    # /opt/oracle/dcs/bin/odacli update-repository -f comma seperated list of enduser bundles

Related Topics

Step 2: Update the Agent

Run the update-dcsagent command to update the agent version.

Before updating the agent, ensure that you do not have any jobs running or pending during the update window. The update automatically restarts the DCS Agent.
  1. Log in as the root user.
  2. Run the update- dcsagent command to define the patch set bundle version and update the agent. 
    # /opt/oracle/dcs/bin/odacli update-dcsagent -v version
    As the patch runs, output displays advising you of the installation progress. After the update is applied, the agent automatically restarts. It takes a few minutes to reconnect to the dcs-agent. Wait until the agent shuts down and completes restarting before proceeding to the next step.
  3. Run the describe-job command for the patch job to verify that the update completed successfully. The jobID displays in the update-dcsagent output. You can also get the job ID by running the list-jobs command. 
    # /opt/oracle/dcs/bin/odacli describe-job -i jobid

Example 6-1 Updating the DCS Agent Version

Run the following command to update the DCS Agent to version 12.1.2.9.0:

# odacli update-dcsagent -v 12.1.2.9.0 

{
   "jobId" : "11a9dcb7-01bc-44b5-b178-334978ee5faf",
   "status" : "Created",
   "message" : "Dcs agent will be restarted after the update. Please wait for 2-3 mins before executing the other commands"
   "reports" : [ ],
   "createTimestamp" : "November 18, 2016 10:39:02 AM EDT",
   "description" : "DcsAgent patching",
   "updatedTime" : "November 18, 2016 10:39:02 AM EDT"
 }

Example 6-2 Verifying that the DCS Agent is on Version 12.1.2.9.0

The following example uses job ID 11a9dcb7-01bc-44b5-b178-334978ee5faf from the previous example to get the job details.

  # odacli describe-job -i "11a9dcb7-01bc-44b5-b178-334978ee5faf"  

Job details
----------------------------------------------------------------
                      ID: 11a9dcb7-01bc-44b5-b178-334978ee5faf
             Description: DcsAgent patching
                  Status: Success
                 Created: November 18, 2016 10:39:02 AM EDT
                 Message:
Task Name                                                Start Time                                         
-------------------            --------------------------------  
dcsagent rpm version checking  November 18, 2016 10:39:02 AM EDT 
Patch location validation      November 18, 2016 10:39:02 AM EDT
Apply dcsagent patch                  November 18, 2016 10:39:02 AM EDT

(Continued)
End Time                                                                              Status
------------------------------      ------
November 18, 2016 10:39:02 AM EDT   Success
November 18, 2016 10:39:02 AM EDT   Success
November 18, 2016 10:39:02 AM EDT   Success

Step 3: Update the Server

Run the update-server command to update the operating system, firmware, Oracle Appliance Kit , Oracle Clusterware, and all other infrastructure components.

Before executing the odacli update-server command , update the repository with the latest patch bundle, and update the DCS Agent to the latest version. Before updating the server, ensure that the agent is running.
  1. Log in as the root user.
  2. Run the command update-server -v version, where version is the patch set bundle version. 
    # /opt/oracle/dcs/bin/odacli update-server -v version
    Observe the patch status reports. As the patch runs, it displays output that advises you of the installation progress.
  3. Run the describe-job command for the patch job to verify that the update completed successfully. The jobID displays in the update-server output. You can also get the job ID by running the list-jobs command. 
    # /opt/oracle/dcs/bin/odacli describe-job -i jobid
When the server is patched, proceed to the next step.

Example 6-3 Updating the Server Version

Run the following command to update the server to version 12.1.2.9.0:

# /opt/oracle/dcs/bin/odacli update-server -v 12.1.2.9.0

{
   "jobId" : "94685c73-55c2-40b1-a02e-265a23c45642",
   "status" : "Created",
   "message" : null,
   "reports" : [ ],
   "createTimestamp" : "November 17, 2016 11:02:25 AM EDT",
   "description" : "Server Patching",
   "updatedTime" : "November 17, 2016 11:02:25 AM EDT" }

Example 6-4 Verifying that the Server is on the Updated Version

The following example uses job ID 94685c73-55c2-40b1-a02e-265a23c45642 from the previous example to get the job details and status.

# /opt/oracle/dcs/bin/odacli describe-job -i "94685c73-55c2-40b1-a02e-265a23c45642"  

Job details 
----------------------------------------------------------------

              ID: 94685c73-55c2-40b1-a02e-265a23c45642
             Description: Server Patching
              Status: Success
              Created: November 17, 2016 11:02:30 AM EDT
             Message:

Task Name                            Start Time                      
-------------------------------      ------------------------------ 
dcscontroller rpm version checking    November 17, 2016 11:02:30 AM EDT 
Patch location validation             November 17, 2016 11:02:31 AM EDT 
Apply dcscontroller patch             November 17, 2016 11:02:31 AM EDT
dcscli rpm version checking           November 17, 2016 11:02:32 AM EDT
Patch location validation             November 17, 2016 11:02:32 AM EDT
Apply dcscli patch                    November 17, 2016 11:02:32 AM EDT
oak rpm version checking              November 17, 2016 11:02:33 AM EDT
Patch location validation             November 17, 2016 11:02:33 AM EDT
Apply oak patch                       November 17, 2016 11:02:33 AM EDT
Checking Ilom patch Version           November 17, 2016 11:03:02 AM EDT
Patch location validation             November 17, 2016 11:03:05 AM EDT
Apply Ilom patch                      November 17, 2016 11:03:05 AM EDT
Copying Flash Bios to Temp location   November 17, 2016 11:03:06 AM EDT
Patch application verification        November 17, 2016 11:03:06 AM EDT
Patch location validation             November 17, 2016 11:03:09 AM EDT
Opatch updation                       November 17, 2016 11:04:13 AM EDT
analyzing patch                       November 17, 2016 11:04:15 AM EDT
Apply gi patch                        November 17, 2016 11:04:50 AM EDT
Reboot Ilom                           November 17, 2016 11:16:17 AM EDT

(Continued)
End Time                                        Status
------------------------------     ------
November 17, 2016 11:02:31 AM EDT  Success
November 17, 2016 11:02:31 AM EDT  Success
November 17, 2016 11:02:32 AM EDT  Success
November 17, 2016 11:02:32 AM EDT  Success
November 17, 2016 11:02:32 AM EDT  Success
November 17, 2016 11:02:33 AM EDT  Success
November 17, 2016 11:02:33 AM EDT  Success
November 17, 2016 11:02:33 AM EDT  Success
November 17, 2016 11:03:02 AM EDT  Success
November 17, 2016 11:03:05 AM EDT  Success
November 17, 2016 11:03:05 AM EDT  Success
November 17, 2016 11:03:06 AM EDT  Success
November 17, 2016 11:03:06 AM EDT  Success
November 17, 2016 11:03:09 AM EDT  Success
November 17, 2016 11:03:14 AM EDT  Success
November 17, 2016 11:04:15 AM EDT  Success
November 17, 2016 11:04:50 AM EDT  Success
November 17, 2016 11:16:08 AM EDT  Success
November 17, 2016 11:16:17 AM EDT  Success

Step 4: Update Oracle Database

Run the update-dbhome command to update a specific RDBMS Home to the latest patch bundle version.

After patching, download the latest database end user bundles. You can use the odacli create-database command to create different versions of the database without downloading the latest database end user bundle.

Note:

Oracle recommends downloading the latest database bundle and use it to create any new databases.
  1. Log in as the root user.
  2. Run the odacli list-dbhomes command to get a list of database homes in the system and the dbhomeid for each database. 
    # /opt/oracle/dcs/bin/odacli list-dbhomes
  3. Run the command update-dbhome dh dbhomeid -v version, where dbhomeid is the Oracle Database Home to update and version is the Oracle Database Appliance patch set bundle version.

    Note:

    You cannot perform individual database updates for databases running in the same home. All databases running in the homes that you update are patched to the Oracle Database 12c release 1 patch for Oracle Database Appliance (12.1.0.2.161018). For Oracle Database 11.2, the database is patched to 11.2.0.4.161018.

    # /opt/oracle/dcs/bin/odacli update-dbhome -dh dbhomeid -v version
    Observe the patch status reports. As the patch runs, it displays output that advises you of the job identifier (ID) and the installation progress.
  4. Run the describe-job command for the patch job to verify that the update completed successfully. The jobID displays in the update-dbhome output. You can also get the job ID by running the list-jobs command. 
    # /opt/oracle/dcs/bin/odacli describe-job -i jobid

Example 6-5 Getting a List of Database Home IDs

The following example shows how to get a database home ID using JSON output:

# /opt/oracle/dcs/bin/odacli list-dbhomes -j
 [ {
    "id" : "ab3cecaf-2223-4726-b95c-488f0aec914a",
    "name" : "OraDB12102_home1",
    "dbVersion" : "12.1.0.2.161018 (24927502, 24340679)",
    "dbHomeLocation" : "/u01/app/oracle/product/12.1.0.2/dbhome_1",
    "createTime" : "November 17, 2016 08:46:52 AM PDT",
    "state" : {
      "status" : "CONFIGURED"
   },
 "updatedTime" : "November 17, 2016 11:55:55 AM PDT"
 }, {
   "id" : "d5b01e27-799e-4e8a-bfe6-07a781f79526",
   "name" : "OraDB12102_home2",
   "dbVersion" : "12.1.0.2.160719 (23739960, 23144544)",
   "dbHomeLocation" : "/u01/app/oracle/product/12.1.0.2/dbhome_2",
   "createTime" : "November 17, 2016 22:34:31 PM PDT",   "state" : {
      "status" : "CONFIGURED"
   },
   "updatedTime" : "November 17, 2016 22:36:59 PM PDT"
 } ]

Example 6-6 Updating the Database Home Version

The following example updates database home ID d5b01e27-799e-4e8a-bfe6-07a781f79526 to Oracle Database Appliance version 12.1.2.9.0.

# odacli update-dbhome -i d5b01e27-799e-4e8a-bfe6-07a781f79526 -v 12.1.2.9.0

{   
  "jobId" : "576cdbfa-ece4-4e5f-becd-9bc6e6bf430b",
   "status" : "Created",
   "message" : null,
   "reports" : [ ],
   "createTimestamp" : "November 18, 2016 11:08:35 AM PDT",
   "description" : "DbHome Patching: Home Id is d5b01e27-799e-4e8a-bfe6-07a781f79526",
   "updatedTime" : "November 18, 2016 11:08:35 AM PDT" 
}

Example 6-7 Verifying that Database Home is Updated

The following example uses job ID 576cdbfa-ece4-4e5f-becd-9bc6e6bf430b from the previous example to get the job details.

# /opt/oracle/dcs/bin/odacli describe-job -i "576cdbfa-ece4-4e5f-becd-9bc6e6bf430b"  
Job details
 ----------------------------------------------------------------
                      ID: 576cdbfa-ece4-4e5f-becd-9bc6e6bf430b
             Description: DbHome Patching: Home Id is d5b01e27-799e-4e8a-bfe6-07a781f79526
                  Status: Success
                 Created: November 18, 2016 11:08:35 AM PDT
                 Message: 

Task Name                          Start Time                    
--------------------------------- -------------------------------
Patch application verification     November 18, 2016 11:08:35 AM PDT
location validation                November 18, 2016 11:08:37 AM PDT
updateOpatch                       November 18, 2016 11:09:41 AM PDT
analyzing patch                    November 18, 2016 11:09:43 AM PDT
Apply db patch                     November 18, 2016 11:10:17 AM PDT  

(continued)
End Time                            Status
---------------------------------   --------
November 18, 2016 11:08:37 AM PDT   Success
November 18, 2016 11:08:42 AM PDT   Success
November 18, 2016 11:09:43 AM PDT   Success
November 18, 2016 11:10:17 AM PDT   Success
November 18, 2016 11:14:13 AM PDT   Success