1. Oracle Fleet Patching and Provisioning Administrator's Guide
  2. Patching and Upgrading Oracle Database
  3. Zero-Downtime Upgrade

Zero-Downtime Upgrade

Using Oracle Fleet Patching and Provisioning, which automates and orchestrates database upgrades, you can upgrade an Oracle RAC or Oracle RAC One Node database with no disruption in service.

Note:

A multitenant container database is the only supported architecture in Oracle Database 21c. While the documentation is being revised, legacy terminology may persist. In most cases, "database" and "non-CDB" refer to a CDB or PDB, depending on context. In some contexts, such as upgrades, "non-CDB" refers to a non-CDB from a previous release.

The zero-downtime upgrade process is resumable, restartable, and recoverable should any errors interrupt the process. You can fix the issue then re-run the command, and Oracle Fleet Patching and Provisioning continues from the error point. Oracle also provides hooks at the beginning and end of the zero-downtime upgrade process, allowing call outs to user-defined scripts, so you can customize the process.

You can use the zero-downtime upgrade process to upgrade databases that meet the following criteria:
  • Database upgrade targets: Oracle RAC and Oracle RAC One Node, with the following upgrade paths:
    • 11.2.0.4 to: 12.1.0.2, 12.2, 18c
    • 12.1.0.2 to: 12.2, 18c - 21c
    • 12.2 to: 18c - 21c
    • 18c to: 19c - 21c
    • 19c to: 21c

  • Oracle Fleet Patching and Provisioning management: The source database home can either be unmanaged (not provisioned by Oracle Fleet Patching and Provisioning service) or managed (provisioned by Oracle Fleet Patching and Provisioning service)

  • Database state: The source database must be in archive log mode

Upgrading Container Databases

You can use Oracle Fleet Patching and Provisioning to upgrade CDBs but Oracle Fleet Patching and Provisioning does not support converting a non-CDB to a CDB during upgrade. To prepare for a zero-downtime upgrade, you complete configuration steps and validation checks. When you run a zero-downtime upgrade using Oracle Fleet Patching and Provisioning, you can stop the upgrade and resume it, if necessary. You can recover from any upgrade errors, and you can restart the upgrade. You also have the ability to insert calls to your own scripts during the upgrade, so you can customize your upgrade procedure.

Zero-Downtime Upgrade Environment Prerequisites

  • Server environment: Oracle Grid Infrastructure 18c - 21c with Oracle Fleet Patching and Provisioning

  • Database hosts: Databases hosted on one of the following platforms:

    • Oracle Grid Infrastructure 18c - 21c Fleet Patching and Provisioning, Client or Server

    • Oracle Grid Infrastructure 12c (12.2.0.1) Fleet Patching and Provisioning Client

    • Oracle Grid Infrastructure 12c (12.1.0.2) target cluster

  • Database-specific prerequisites for the environment: During an upgrade, Oracle Fleet Patching and Provisioning manages replication to a local data file to preserve transactions applied to the new database when it is ready. There are two possibilities for the local data file:
    • Snap clone, which is available if the database data files and redo and archive redo logs are on Oracle ACFS file systems
    • Full copy, for all other cases

  • Oracle Fleet Patching and Provisioning requires either Oracle GoldenGate or Oracle Data Guard during a zero-downtime database upgrade. As part of the upgrade procedure, Oracle Fleet Patching and Provisioning configures and manages the Oracle GoldenGate deployment.

Parent topic: Patching and Upgrading Oracle Database