Oracle Fleet Patching and Provisioning Use Cases

Creating an Oracle Grid Infrastructure 26ai Deployment

This procedure provisions Oracle Grid Infrastructure 26ai on nodes without an existing Grid home and configures them as a multi-node installation. Before starting, prepare a response file containing storage, network, user, group, and node details, verify system prerequisites, and ensure standalone-cluster settings if applicable. The rhpctl add workingcopy command creates the working copy, runs CVU checks, and performs configuration; provisioning pauses on errors and can resume after corrections.

Provisioning an Oracle AI Database Home and Creating a Database

Fleet Patching and Provisioning provisions an Oracle AI Database 26ai home from a gold image to a specified cluster path, then creates database instances in that working copy. The rhpctl add database command creates an Oracle RAC database and can be repeated to create additional instances.

Provisioning a Pluggable Database

A PDB can be added to an existing multitenant CDB running in a provisioned database working copy using rhpctl addpdb database, provided the CDB was created from a provisioned working copy. The corresponding rhpctl deletepdb database command removes an existing PDB from the CDB.

Upgrading to Oracle Grid Infrastructure 26ai

Fleet Patching and Provisioning upgrades clusters from Oracle Grid Infrastructure 19c or 21c to 26ai, provided source and destination groups match and a 26ai Grid image is available. First create a 26ai working copy, then run rhpctl upgrade gihome with the active source working copy and new destination working copy; FPP identifies and upgrades the associated cluster.

Patching Oracle Grid Infrastructure and Oracle AI Databases Simultaneously

This procedure patches Grid Infrastructure and multiple Oracle RAC database releases with minimal disruption by first provisioning patched Grid and database working copies without database instances. The rhpctl move gihome command then relocates the active Grid home and each database home on a target node to their patched working copies, supporting simultaneous patching of 26ai and 21c databases.

Patching Oracle Data Guard Database Automatically

Oracle FPP 26ai can discover Data Guard standby databases and patch them before their primary databases through one scheduled operation. Review the Data Guard configuration, run rhpctl move database with -patchdataguard YES, and monitor the returned parent job to track the complete standby and primary patching process; individual standby jobs can also be monitored separately. Databases registered on different clients require those clients to be registered as peers.

Patching Oracle AI Database 26ai Without Downtime

An Oracle AI Database 26ai home can be patched without database downtime by moving it from an unpatched working copy to a patched working copy with rhpctl move database. The procedure supports both FPP-managed homes and unmanaged homes specified by path, and also allows rollback by moving back with -ignorewcpatches. Optional controls preserve service placement, drain sessions, set stop behavior, and suppress datapatch.

Upgrading to Oracle AI Database 26ai

Fleet Patching and Provisioning upgrades databases from Oracle Database 19c or 21c to 26ai when the Grid Infrastructure release is equal to or later than the target database release. Managed homes use rhpctl upgrade database with source and destination working copies, while unmanaged homes use rhpctl move database with the source home path, destination working copy, and target node. Afterward, the database is managed by FPP, and failed upgrades can resume after corrective action.

Performing Oracle Exadata Database Node Live Update

Oracle FPP supports Exadata Live Update by applying a working-copy image and ISO repository to selected database nodes with rhpctl update exadata -dbnodes. The workflow evaluates prerequisites, backs up the current configuration, performs the live update, and uses rhpctl query client -exadata to verify the client, image, software version, and live-update status.

Provisioning an Oracle AI Database Using Zip Copy

ZipCopy provisions Oracle AI Database homes from software archives already accessible on shared or local storage at target hosts, avoiding transfer from the FPP Server. Import the image with -zip and -location, verify its target location, and create a working copy with -localmount and the archive location. The feature supports existing Grid Infrastructure homes but not new Grid home provisioning and requires shared access between the server and targets.

Adding a Node to a Cluster and Scaling an Oracle RAC Database to the Node

FPP can expand a two-node Oracle Grid Infrastructure cluster and scale an administrator-managed RAC database to the added node. Run rhpctl addnode gihome to add the node and its VIP to the active Grid working copy, then run rhpctl addnode database to extend the database home and create the database instance on the new node.

Adding Gold Images for Fleet Patching and Provisioning

Gold images are created from Oracle homes located on the FPP Server, an FPP Client, or a reachable rhpclient-less target and stored on the FPP Server for later provisioning. Use rhpctl import image with the home path and appropriate image type, such as database, Grid Infrastructure, or generic software. Images are templates and must be used to create working copies rather than serving directly as software homes.

User Actions for Common Fleet Patching and Provisioning Tasks

FPP user actions automate software installation, configuration, and custom scripts during provisioning. A typical workflow registers an action script, associates it with a custom image type, imports a gold image, and provisions a working copy with configuration data. Multiple scripts can be packaged into an archive and invoked through a wrapper action, allowing pre- or post-operation execution across selected nodes.
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