Linux kernels typically receive security updates and bug fixes on a regular basis. Applying these critical updates to your systems normally requires scheduled downtime, which is a costly operation because hosted services and applications become temporarily unavailable.
With Oracle Ksplice, however, systems can be updated without rebooting. As a result, access to services and applications is not interrupted, and your systems remain secure and up to date. Oracle Ksplice downloads patch updates from Oracle and applies these patches directly to running processes in memory. This provides an update to the running process without requiring it to restart. After this has been done, the package containing the binary update can be updated using the Unbreakable Linux Network (ULN) so that if the process is restarted later, the update is already applied.
Oracle Ksplice is available to customers with an Oracle Premier Support account, who have registered their systems with ULN. For additional information, refer to the Oracle Linux Ksplice User's Guide.
Use the Oracle Linux Ksplice User's Guide only as a reference for comprehensive background information about what Ksplice is and how it works. The instructions apply to generic Oracle Linux installations, while the procedures described in this Oracle VM Administrator's Guide contain different steps specific to Oracle VM Server. Use only the procedures in this Oracle VM Administrator's Guide to install and configure Ksplice for Oracle VM Server."
Ksplice updates are applied using a client application. Because Oracle VM Server takes advantage of user space updates as well as kernel updates, it requires the Ksplice Enhanced Client. Do not use the Ksplice Uptrack Client on Oracle VM Server. For additional information, refer to Working With the Ksplice Enhanced Client in the Oracle Linux Ksplice User's Guide.