Upgrade to Oracle Database 23ai with Scheduled Upgrade

If your Autonomous Database instance is using Oracle Database 19c, you can upgrade to Oracle Database 23ai with Scheduled Upgrade.

• About Upgrading an Autonomous Database with Scheduled Upgrade
  When you schedule an upgrade to Oracle Database 23ai, the instance automatically upgrades to Oracle Database 23ai according to the schedule you specify.
• Steps to Upgrade to Oracle Database 23ai with Scheduled Upgrade
  Describes the steps to schedule an upgrade for an Autonomous Database instance to 23ai.
• Cancel a Scheduled Upgrade
  You can cancel the scheduled upgrade to 23ai for an Autonomous Database instance. However, after the upgrade has started, the upgrade cannot be canceled.
• Reschedule a Scheduled Upgrade
  You can reschedule the scheduled upgrade to 23ai for an Autonomous Database instance. However, after the upgrade has started, the upgrade cannot be rescheduled.
• Notes for Scheduled Upgrade to Oracle Database 23ai
  Provides general information about the scheduled upgrade to Oracle Database 23ai.

About Upgrading an Autonomous Database with Scheduled Upgrade

When you schedule an upgrade to Oracle Database 23ai, the instance automatically upgrades to Oracle Database 23ai according to the schedule you specify.

Before you schedule an upgrade to Oracle Database 23ai for your database, note the following:

• You can use one of the following options to upgrade an Autonomous Database to Oracle Database 23ai:

  • Earliest available schedule: This is the default option and does not incur any additional cost.

  • Future schedule: Choosing this option will incur an additional cost. See for Oracle Autonomous Database Serverless Features Billing more information.

• When you upgrade an Autonomous Database with connected disaster recovery peers, all the connected disaster recovery peers are also upgraded to Oracle Database 23ai along with the source database.

• When you upgrade an Autonomous Database, the connected refreshable clones, if any, are only upgraded to Oracle Database 23ai when the refreshable clone is refreshed to a timestamp that is later than the timestamp when the upgrade is completed for the source database.

• After you upgrade your database to Oracle Database 23ai, if you restore the database from a backup taken before the database was upgraded, this restores the database to the previous data from the specified backup. The restore operation does not downgrade the database version. The database version stays at version Oracle Database 23ai.

Caution:

Please ensure you test your workloads on Oracle Database 23ai before you upgrade your database.

After you upgrade to Oracle Database 23ai there is no option on the Oracle Cloud Infrastructure Console or with the APIs to downgrade the database. If you need to downgrade the database you can file a support ticket at Oracle Cloud Support or contact your support representative. A downgrade request must opened within 72 hours after you upgrade.

See the following for options for testing workloads on Oracle Database 23ai before you upgrade.

• Upgrade to Oracle Database 23ai by Creating a Full Clone
• Upgrade to Oracle Database 23ai by Creating a Refreshable Clone
• Test 19c Workloads on a on 23ai Refreshable Clone with Capture-Replay

Steps to Upgrade to Oracle Database 23ai with Scheduled Upgrade

Describes the steps to schedule an upgrade for an Autonomous Database instance to 23ai.

Perform the following prerequisite steps as necessary:

• Open the Oracle Cloud Infrastructure Console by clicking the next to Cloud.

• From the Oracle Cloud Infrastructure left navigation menu click Oracle Database and then click Autonomous Database.

• On the Autonomous Databases page select an Autonomous Database from the links under the Display name column.

To schedule an upgrade to Oracle Database 23ai, do the following:

1. On the Autonomous Database tab, in the Database version field under General information, click Schedule upgrade to 23ai. Schedule upgrade to 23ai is only visible if your database version is 19c.
   
   

   
   Description of the illustration general_info_redwood_1.png

   
   

   This shows the Schedule upgrade to 23ai panel.

2. On the Schedule upgrade to 23ai panel, choose an option:
   Choose one of the following options from the drop-down list to upgrade your database instance:

   • Earliest available schedule: This is the default option, when you select this option to upgrade your database version, Oracle automatically chooses the earliest available date and time for the upgrade, depending on the size of your database, the number of connected refreshable clones, and the number of connected Autonomous Data Guard standby databases.

     The Date, Hour and Minute fields are grayed out when you choose the Earliest available schedule option.

   • Future schedule: Choose this option to select a date and time that is no later than 30 days from the current date. Choosing this option may incur an additional cost. See for Oracle Autonomous Database Serverless Features Billing more information.

     Use the Date, Hour and Minute fields to schedule your database upgrade.

     Note:

     The upgrade scheduler allows time selections only in ten (10) minute intervals, and your upgrade will begin within the selected 10-minute interval.

     
     
     Description of the illustration adbs_future_schedule_1.png
     

3. Click Schedule to apply the schedule.

The Autonomous Database state changes to Updating. After the upgrade to Oracle Database 23ai is successfully scheduled, the Autonomous Database state changes to Available. A new field, Scheduled 23ai Upgrade appears, displaying the upgrade schedule along with the Reschedule and Cancel upgrade links that allow you to reschedule or cancel a scheduled upgrade.

Description of the illustration adbs_cancel_reschedule_1.png

On the scheduled upgrade day and time, the 19c database undergoes a brief service interruption lasting for up to 15 minutes. After the upgrade completes all of the connected resources become available again as an upgraded Oracle Database 23ai Autonomous Database instance.

Note:

After the scheduled upgrade the Database version field under General information shows 23ai.

Cancel a Scheduled Upgrade

You can cancel the scheduled upgrade to 23ai for an Autonomous Database instance. However, after the upgrade has started, the upgrade cannot be canceled.

To cancel a scheduled upgrade to Oracle Database 23ai:

1. On the Autonomous Database tab, in the Schedule upgrade to 23ai field under General information, click and select the Cancel upgrade link.
   This shows the Cancel scheduled upgrade to 23ai dialog.
   
   

   
   Description of the illustration adbs_cancel_upgrade_1.png

   
   
2. Click Cancel.

The Autonomous Database instance state changes to Updating. After the Schedule 23ai upgrade is successfully canceled, Autonomous Database instance state is Available. The field Scheduled 23ai Upgrade is no longer visible. The link to the Schedule upgrade to 23ai in the Database version field reappears.

Reschedule a Scheduled Upgrade

You can reschedule the scheduled upgrade to 23ai for an Autonomous Database instance. However, after the upgrade has started, the upgrade cannot be rescheduled.

You cannot reschedule a scheduled upgrade if the chosen upgrade option is "Earliest available schedule". However, with the "Future schedule" upgrade option, you can reschedule the scheduled upgrade to a later date than the current selected upgrade schedule.

Alternatively, you can cancel the current upgrade schedule and schedule the upgrade to an earlier date than the current selected upgrade schedule. See Cancel a Scheduled Upgrade for more information.

Follow these steps to reschedule a scheduled upgrade to Oracle Database 23ai:

1. On the Autonomous Database tab, in the Schedule upgrade to 23ai field under General information, click and select the Reschedule link.
   This shows the Reschedule upgrade to 23ai dialog.
2. Make changes to the existing 23ai upgrade schedule.
3. Click Reschedule.

The Autonomous Database instance state changes to Updating. After the successful reschedule, Autonomous Database instance state is Available.

Notes for Scheduled Upgrade to Oracle Database 23ai

Provides general information about the scheduled upgrade to Oracle Database 23ai.

• After you schedule an upgrade, the scheduled upgrade date and time shows on:

  • The source/primary database

  • A Backup-Based Disaster Recovery peer

  • Any attached refreshable clones

  • An Autonomous Data Guard standby database

  However, you can only cancel or reschedule the scheduled upgrade from the source/primary database.

• After you schedule an upgrade, you cannot create a refreshable clone or a disaster recovery peer for your database. If you want to add either a refreshable clone or a disaster recovery peer, cancel the scheduled upgrade and add a refreshable clone or a disaster recovery peer. Alternatively, you can file a service request to add a refreshable clone or a disaster recovery peer without canceling the scheduled upgrade. To file a service request use Oracle Cloud Support or contact your support representative.

• The database is unavailable for read/write operations while the upgrade is in progress, and you cannot cancel or reschedule your upgrade after the upgrade starts.

• Note the following when a refreshable clone is disconnected from the source database:

  • You cannot reconnect a disconnected refreshable clone to the source database after an upgrade is scheduled. You must reconnect a disconnected refreshable clone before you schedule an upgrade. In this case, if you do want to reconnect, on the source database you must first cancel the scheduled upgrade.

  • After an upgrade is scheduled, you may disconnect a refreshable clone, but you must reconnect it to the source database before the scheduled upgrade begins (as specified by the upgrade date and time shown on the Oracle Cloud Infrastructure Console).

  • If a refreshable clone is disconnected at the start of a scheduled upgrade, the refreshable clone is not upgraded and you will no longer be able to reconnect the refreshable clone to the source database after the upgrade completes.

• All snapshot standbys automatically convert back to their source as a disaster recovery peer during an upgrade of the source database.

• An Oracle Cloud Infrastructure Work Request is created when you schedule the database upgrade with Scheduled Upgrade. You can view your work requests under the Work requests tab. See About Work Requests for more information.

• When the database is an Autonomous Database for Developers or an Always Free Autonomous Database, the only option for scheduled upgrade is "Earliest available schedule".